Crystal Lake South falls
short of goal against Huntley
Gators drop 1-0 home decision, finish second in Fox Valley race
By Matt Misiek
CRYSTAL LAKE -- When schedules are released every season, the first thing everyone does is scan the games to find the notable matchups.
For many in the Fox Valley Conference and around Chicagoland, the date for Tuesday’s finale between host Crystal Lake South and visiting Huntley was committed to memory.
The game lived up to the hype of a conference championship game and provided 80 minutes of intense soccer. Every play was crucial.
In the end, one shot found the back of the net and that was the only difference between the teams.
Huntley, an honorable mention team in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, claimed a 1-0 victory and their first outright Fox Valley Conference title during the reign of coach Matt Lewandowski. It had been five years since the last title for the Red Raiders. That Valley Division championship was shared with five teams, including Crystal Lake South, in the last year the league was split into two tables.
“It’s so awesome,” said Huntley senior forward Hayes Porsche. “This is my first year on varsity as well, and the boys and I are so hyped up on this right now. It is an awesome feeling.”
You couldn’t tell that Porsche was a first-year varsity player. Showing the poise of a four-year starter, he figured prominently in the build-up of the deciding goal in the 23rd minute.
Known more for his finishing power thanks to his team-high 17 goals, his footwork on the ball from mid-field to the top of the 18 led to the game-winner. He gave a great look to senior forward Zach Stocker, who launched a drive from the left side of the top of the 18 toward the left corner.
Crystal Lake South keeper Chris Slawek elevated to his right to get a hand on the shot, but the ball had too much pace and continued into the back of the net.
“I got the ball in the middle,” said Porsche, who now has six assists. “I beat one defender and then another and saw Zach open. I played a through-ball to him. Zach decided to take the shot right away.”
“Wherever Hayes is, there are opportunities,” Lewandowski said. “If soccer assists were counted like hockey for second assists, he would have double the amount for sure.”
Stocker’s deciding strike earned him the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor. He took advantage of the only great chance that Huntley (15-2-2, 8-0-1) had in the game.
“This means a lot to us,” Stocker explained. “For us seniors, we have worked very hard. We have all played together for such a long time. It just shows how hard we have worked. We used good teamwork and put it all together today.”
Huntley senior keeper Ethan Kornas (four saves) had a great game to keep his sheet clean. His highlights included skying high to grab a cross sent close to goal by the Gators in the 32nd minute. He also made an impressive scrambling effort to cover up a deep throw sent in by Crystal Lake South senior midfielder Deven Tinajero in the 62nd minute.
“My communication with the center backs played a huge role,” Kornas said. “We’ve built up that chemistry, and it’s late in the season, last conference game. We’ve had this circled on the calendar for a while.”
“We know they (Crystal Lake South) have some players like Mikey (Dejworek). I played with Tommy (Coughlin), at club,” Kornas continued. “I am extremely aware of what Coughlin can do on the ball, where he likes to shoot. We covered up all of the angles really well, and we were 100 percent locked in on that today for the shutout. It was huge.”
Crystal Lake South, ranked 21st in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, was held off of the score sheet for the first time at home and only the second time this season. The Gators were blanked 1-0 in a road loss to Rolling Meadows on Sept. 6.
A notable stretch of play for the Gators (15-3-2, 8-1-0) came at the start of the second half. With those first five minutes a usual priority, they earned a 30-yard free kick in the 41st minute, but senior defender Tomasz Slawek’s effort went straight into the defensive wall.
The next minute saw a Tinajero corner from the right get cleared out of bounds just before senior defender Josh Washington had a shot at it. The ensuing corner from Dejworek on the left was subsequently cleared.
Dejworek had a drive in the 71st minute from the top of the 18 that appeared to nick a finger-tip from Kornas and go over the end line, but a goal kick was granted after a lengthy discussion between the referees.
A last-gasp, well-struck 20-yard effort from from center flew well over the bar in the 80th minute.
The two teams collaborated for a memorable moment at the start of the contest. Gators senior forward Sam Bahnfleth, who was injured in the Rolling Meadows game, dressed in full gear and took the kick off for Crystal Lake South. The ball was immediately cleared out by Huntley, and Bahnfleth was subbed out for forward Nolan Getzinger.
“It is always nice to get back out there,” Bahnfleth answered with a smile. He received a nice ovation from the crowd as he walked off the field.
“However, it wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for at this point of the season. It does bring a feeling of closure for me, which is helpful.”
“The guys put everything they could out there today,” he continued. “We were fighting ourselves. There were several set pieces we couldn’t quite finish. Everyone is taking it a bit hard, but I am definitely proud of the boys and their effort.”
Tinajero reminded that this isn’t the last game at ‘The Swamp’ -- the Gators host regional games next week as part of the Class AA Vernon Hills Sectional.
“It was very intense out there today, as we expected,” Tinajero said. “We get a second chance. We are all going to regroup, and this is never going to happen again.”
Crystal Lake South coach Brian Allen realized this was a crucial crossroads for this group and talked about the direction his team chooses to go from here.
“You have to give congratulations to Huntley. They are a tough team, and they did what they needed to do. They are deserving champions,” began Allen. “For our team, the message is what do you want your legacy to be. This is a tough Senior Day, but your legacy is going to be made in the postseason.
“We referenced how we lost to Jacobs in 2019 for the conference title and still made the deep postseason run. So, the question is do we learn from this or do we let it simmer and hold us back for the postseason?
“It will be seen how they respond in training and how they get after it. Hopefully in a week in a half, we will celebrate here with a different kind of title and moving on in the playoffs.”
Crystal Lake South will open regional semifinal play on at 4 p.m. Oct. 19 against the winner of 16th-seeded Antioch and no. 17-seed Crystal Lake Central. The quarterfinal match will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Playing the winner may not be as easy as it should be for a top seed. One team is a crosstown rival and the other just upset 18th-ranked Warren on Tuesday night.
Huntley, the no. 2 seed in its sectional behind Guilford, has one more regular-season game on Thursday against Rockford East. Next Tuesday, they will face 15th-seed McHenry at 5 p.m. in the DeKalb Regional.
“Should we make it through to the sectional, we have the possibility of playing two other conference teams in Dundee-Crown and Jacobs,” Lewandowski commented. “The other half of the sectional is tough as well with Guilford and Elgin as potential threats. A home advantage would be very welcome!”
Coach Allen took some time out to recognize the Gators seniors and reflect on what they still may have left to do.
“The seniors have given a lot to the program over the past four years and from various paths,” he said. “We have Sam (Bahnfleth), Mikey (Dejworek) and Tom (Coughlin) that are four-years guys and part of the two teams that got us on the map.”
“Deven (Tinajero) and Tomasz (Slawek) as sophomores were up and helped us to that second place finish. Then Matt (Horvath) & Ty (Aldridge) these past two years that have worked so hard to continue to keep a high standard and set an example for the younger guys on the team that there are multiple paths to get where you want to be in the program.
“One constant always remains; you have to have a tireless work rate and first-class character. All these seniors are first-class character guys off the field whom I'm honored and privileged to have been able to have the opportunity to coach over the years.
“Big picture, I think their story is still being written. They have high aspirations for themselves and their teammates to continue to check off several of their goals they outlined at the beginning of the season.
“They know that in order to do so, they will have to lean on each other and keep focusing on being better than they were yesterday, something they've adhered to and embraced for four years now in the program.”
Starting ineups
Huntley
GK Ethan Kornas
D Marco Perez
D Micah Overly
D Zach Heitkamper
D Chance Pickett
MF Logan Bennett
MF Thomas Rodriguez
MF Hudson Nielsen
F Hayes Porsche
F Zach Stocker
F Jack Breunig
Crystal Lake South
GK Chris Slawek
D Dayton Murphy
D Josh Washington
D Tomasz Slawek
D Tyler Aldridge
MF Brendan Lewis
MF Deven Tinajero
MF Tom Coughlin
F Michal Dejworek
F Sam Bahnfleth
F Matt Horvath
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Zach Stocker, sr., F, Huntley
Referees: Jim Franklin, center; Mike Schmickly, AR 1; Bob Hansen, AR 2
Scoring summary
First half
Huntley – Stocker (Porsche) – 22:57
Second half
No scoring
short of goal against Huntley
Gators drop 1-0 home decision, finish second in Fox Valley race
By Matt Misiek
CRYSTAL LAKE -- When schedules are released every season, the first thing everyone does is scan the games to find the notable matchups.
For many in the Fox Valley Conference and around Chicagoland, the date for Tuesday’s finale between host Crystal Lake South and visiting Huntley was committed to memory.
The game lived up to the hype of a conference championship game and provided 80 minutes of intense soccer. Every play was crucial.
In the end, one shot found the back of the net and that was the only difference between the teams.
Huntley, an honorable mention team in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, claimed a 1-0 victory and their first outright Fox Valley Conference title during the reign of coach Matt Lewandowski. It had been five years since the last title for the Red Raiders. That Valley Division championship was shared with five teams, including Crystal Lake South, in the last year the league was split into two tables.
“It’s so awesome,” said Huntley senior forward Hayes Porsche. “This is my first year on varsity as well, and the boys and I are so hyped up on this right now. It is an awesome feeling.”
You couldn’t tell that Porsche was a first-year varsity player. Showing the poise of a four-year starter, he figured prominently in the build-up of the deciding goal in the 23rd minute.
Known more for his finishing power thanks to his team-high 17 goals, his footwork on the ball from mid-field to the top of the 18 led to the game-winner. He gave a great look to senior forward Zach Stocker, who launched a drive from the left side of the top of the 18 toward the left corner.
Crystal Lake South keeper Chris Slawek elevated to his right to get a hand on the shot, but the ball had too much pace and continued into the back of the net.
“I got the ball in the middle,” said Porsche, who now has six assists. “I beat one defender and then another and saw Zach open. I played a through-ball to him. Zach decided to take the shot right away.”
“Wherever Hayes is, there are opportunities,” Lewandowski said. “If soccer assists were counted like hockey for second assists, he would have double the amount for sure.”
Stocker’s deciding strike earned him the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor. He took advantage of the only great chance that Huntley (15-2-2, 8-0-1) had in the game.
“This means a lot to us,” Stocker explained. “For us seniors, we have worked very hard. We have all played together for such a long time. It just shows how hard we have worked. We used good teamwork and put it all together today.”
Huntley senior keeper Ethan Kornas (four saves) had a great game to keep his sheet clean. His highlights included skying high to grab a cross sent close to goal by the Gators in the 32nd minute. He also made an impressive scrambling effort to cover up a deep throw sent in by Crystal Lake South senior midfielder Deven Tinajero in the 62nd minute.
“My communication with the center backs played a huge role,” Kornas said. “We’ve built up that chemistry, and it’s late in the season, last conference game. We’ve had this circled on the calendar for a while.”
“We know they (Crystal Lake South) have some players like Mikey (Dejworek). I played with Tommy (Coughlin), at club,” Kornas continued. “I am extremely aware of what Coughlin can do on the ball, where he likes to shoot. We covered up all of the angles really well, and we were 100 percent locked in on that today for the shutout. It was huge.”
Crystal Lake South, ranked 21st in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, was held off of the score sheet for the first time at home and only the second time this season. The Gators were blanked 1-0 in a road loss to Rolling Meadows on Sept. 6.
A notable stretch of play for the Gators (15-3-2, 8-1-0) came at the start of the second half. With those first five minutes a usual priority, they earned a 30-yard free kick in the 41st minute, but senior defender Tomasz Slawek’s effort went straight into the defensive wall.
The next minute saw a Tinajero corner from the right get cleared out of bounds just before senior defender Josh Washington had a shot at it. The ensuing corner from Dejworek on the left was subsequently cleared.
Dejworek had a drive in the 71st minute from the top of the 18 that appeared to nick a finger-tip from Kornas and go over the end line, but a goal kick was granted after a lengthy discussion between the referees.
A last-gasp, well-struck 20-yard effort from from center flew well over the bar in the 80th minute.
The two teams collaborated for a memorable moment at the start of the contest. Gators senior forward Sam Bahnfleth, who was injured in the Rolling Meadows game, dressed in full gear and took the kick off for Crystal Lake South. The ball was immediately cleared out by Huntley, and Bahnfleth was subbed out for forward Nolan Getzinger.
“It is always nice to get back out there,” Bahnfleth answered with a smile. He received a nice ovation from the crowd as he walked off the field.
“However, it wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for at this point of the season. It does bring a feeling of closure for me, which is helpful.”
“The guys put everything they could out there today,” he continued. “We were fighting ourselves. There were several set pieces we couldn’t quite finish. Everyone is taking it a bit hard, but I am definitely proud of the boys and their effort.”
Tinajero reminded that this isn’t the last game at ‘The Swamp’ -- the Gators host regional games next week as part of the Class AA Vernon Hills Sectional.
“It was very intense out there today, as we expected,” Tinajero said. “We get a second chance. We are all going to regroup, and this is never going to happen again.”
Crystal Lake South coach Brian Allen realized this was a crucial crossroads for this group and talked about the direction his team chooses to go from here.
“You have to give congratulations to Huntley. They are a tough team, and they did what they needed to do. They are deserving champions,” began Allen. “For our team, the message is what do you want your legacy to be. This is a tough Senior Day, but your legacy is going to be made in the postseason.
“We referenced how we lost to Jacobs in 2019 for the conference title and still made the deep postseason run. So, the question is do we learn from this or do we let it simmer and hold us back for the postseason?
“It will be seen how they respond in training and how they get after it. Hopefully in a week in a half, we will celebrate here with a different kind of title and moving on in the playoffs.”
Crystal Lake South will open regional semifinal play on at 4 p.m. Oct. 19 against the winner of 16th-seeded Antioch and no. 17-seed Crystal Lake Central. The quarterfinal match will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Playing the winner may not be as easy as it should be for a top seed. One team is a crosstown rival and the other just upset 18th-ranked Warren on Tuesday night.
Huntley, the no. 2 seed in its sectional behind Guilford, has one more regular-season game on Thursday against Rockford East. Next Tuesday, they will face 15th-seed McHenry at 5 p.m. in the DeKalb Regional.
“Should we make it through to the sectional, we have the possibility of playing two other conference teams in Dundee-Crown and Jacobs,” Lewandowski commented. “The other half of the sectional is tough as well with Guilford and Elgin as potential threats. A home advantage would be very welcome!”
Coach Allen took some time out to recognize the Gators seniors and reflect on what they still may have left to do.
“The seniors have given a lot to the program over the past four years and from various paths,” he said. “We have Sam (Bahnfleth), Mikey (Dejworek) and Tom (Coughlin) that are four-years guys and part of the two teams that got us on the map.”
“Deven (Tinajero) and Tomasz (Slawek) as sophomores were up and helped us to that second place finish. Then Matt (Horvath) & Ty (Aldridge) these past two years that have worked so hard to continue to keep a high standard and set an example for the younger guys on the team that there are multiple paths to get where you want to be in the program.
“One constant always remains; you have to have a tireless work rate and first-class character. All these seniors are first-class character guys off the field whom I'm honored and privileged to have been able to have the opportunity to coach over the years.
“Big picture, I think their story is still being written. They have high aspirations for themselves and their teammates to continue to check off several of their goals they outlined at the beginning of the season.
“They know that in order to do so, they will have to lean on each other and keep focusing on being better than they were yesterday, something they've adhered to and embraced for four years now in the program.”
Starting ineups
Huntley
GK Ethan Kornas
D Marco Perez
D Micah Overly
D Zach Heitkamper
D Chance Pickett
MF Logan Bennett
MF Thomas Rodriguez
MF Hudson Nielsen
F Hayes Porsche
F Zach Stocker
F Jack Breunig
Crystal Lake South
GK Chris Slawek
D Dayton Murphy
D Josh Washington
D Tomasz Slawek
D Tyler Aldridge
MF Brendan Lewis
MF Deven Tinajero
MF Tom Coughlin
F Michal Dejworek
F Sam Bahnfleth
F Matt Horvath
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Zach Stocker, sr., F, Huntley
Referees: Jim Franklin, center; Mike Schmickly, AR 1; Bob Hansen, AR 2
Scoring summary
First half
Huntley – Stocker (Porsche) – 22:57
Second half
No scoring