Reavis finds escape route against Lemont
GK Nosek, MF Ramos spur shootout victory in WCRC semis
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BURBANK — As the most confounding of sports, soccer is lethally unpredictable.
Momentum changes on a dime, and everything goes crazy upside down.
Exhibit A was the showdown of South Suburban Conference rivals Lemont and host Reavis in the quarterfinals of the Windy City Ram Classic winner’s bracket Saturday.
A tactical game of action and reaction, movement and counter movements, suddenly turned into an exhilarating free-for-all.
How else to explain a game that featured two ties, a lead change and needed penalty kicks to determine the outcome?
“It was a very tough game,” Diego Ochoa said. “Lemont is a very physical team, and they are relentless.
“Fortunately we kept up the same intensity the whole game.”
Lemont showed its own steely nerves and toughness, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead during a tumultuous five-minute stretch.
“We played with a lot of composure in how we fought to get back into the game,” Lemont midfielder Billy Eliadis said.
“We knew if we kept attacking and maintaining the pressure, we’d find a way to score.”
On the brink of elimination at the end of regulation and during the penalty shootout, Reavis found a way to survive and move on.
“Even though we missed some of our penalties, everybody kept each other’s back, and that’s what kept us going,” Reavis midfielder Diego Ochoa said.
Reavis keeper Jacob Nosek made two brilliant stops and Carlos Ramos drilled the game-winner during the penalty phase to push the Rams into the semifinals Tuesday.
Ramos drilled the ball into the upper left corner for the 3-2 shootout victory.
For their shared responsibility in the victory, Nosek and Ramos shared the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor.
The game was played under a modified tournament format of two 35-minute halves and two five-minute overtime periods.
During the brash and thrilling final 20 minutes of regulation, the teams combined for four goals.
The respective keepers, Nosek and Lemont’s Andrew Huhn, were spectacular during the penalty phase.
“Soccer is a game where you can’t ever give up,” said Nosek, a two-year starter for the Rams (3-0-0).
“You can always lose some, and but then you can come back.”
Huhn appeared to give the Lemont the advantage with back-to-back stops in the shootout to maintain a 2-1 advantage.
Nosek responded with two great saves of his own against Lemont (2-1-0), which went first in the order.
“You always have to read the hips,” Nosek said. “When they shoot, they always point a hip toward one of the sides, and they go there.
“As soon as you save it, you’re back in it, and the adrenaline is just going.”
Nosek said the psychology of the shootout is having a short memory.
“You have to forget what happened, and play the game,” he said.
The door opened for Ramos after the fifth Lemont shooter punched his attempt over the top of the bar.
Ramos stepped up, the shootout tied at 2-apiece.
“Usually for penalties, I never really feel under pressure,” he said. “One thing I like to think about is the feeling of what happens when you actually score a goal.
“That’s one of the best feelings ever, and that’s what helped me keep my head up.”
His laser ball put the Rams in the semifinals Tuesday against Shepard, which beat Chicago Public League power Washington 2-1.
In the lower bracket, St. Laurence beat Lincoln-Way West 1-0 and Lockport defeated Marian Catholic 3-0.
Lemont left the pitch kniwing it was on equal ground with Reavis, which is built on speed, quickness and counter actions.
Lemont has an interesting dichotomy in the physical shape of two very different players, Eliadis and imposing 6-foot-6 forward Lukas Rabianski.
“I have a very physical style, and I like to use my size and shape to be a real presence out there on the field,” Rabianski said.
In the 50th minute, Reavis’ Ochoa broke on the right wing for the perfect angle and delivered a sharp ball inside the far post from about 19 yards.
That appeared to put the Rams in great condition. It was illusory.
Lemont quickly took control.
Rabianski is the commanding figure at the top of the attack. Eliadis is his opposite, a quick, whirling dervish who utilizes his speed and quickness to create his own havoc.
Just moments after the opener, the fleet sophomore created the equalizer by forcing a turnover deep in the Rams’ end, and blasting home a left-footed shot from about 13 yards.
“I was just waiting for the opportunity, and I saw they were not really able to clear that ball. I was able to get in there and create that pressure,” he said.
He is the lighting. Rabianski is the thunder.
In the 58th minute off a corner, the senior used his size to overpower the Rams and get to the back post. After his first shot was deflected, Rabianski quickly smashed home a rebound header for the 2-1 advantage.
“With my size, people think I always have the advantage. But I don’t always get the calls, and there are a lot of fouls against me,” he said.
Even with a couple of bodies draped over him, he simply overpowered the Rams.
Reavis was left scrambling.
“I was really struggling mentally after that sequence where they scored the two quick goals,” Ochoa said. “You have to be composed every single minute of the game.
“When something like that happens, when they make a comeback almost out of nowhere, it’s really tough. Luckily we were able to come back after that.”
Reavis created a series of set pieces, and earned its own equalizer in the 68th minute.
Off a restart about 23 yards from the top of the box, Galileo Figueroa blasted a free kick that defender Williams Solis made a great closing run on for the follow-up for the 2-2 tie.
“Everybody started putting their heads down, and as a captain, I had to make sure that we kept playing with the same mentality and intensity,” Ramos said.
“We have been practicing really hard since the summer. I think it’s been a long time since Reavis made the semifinals of the Windy City, so that is really exciting. I am really looking forward to it.”
Starting lineups
Lemont
GK: Andrew Huhn
D: Adam Briestensky
D: Lucas Urban
D: Ben Kittridge
D: Alex Gaberek
MF: Sebastian Delatorre
MF: Billy Eliadis
MF: Mahmoud Yacoub
MF: Luciano Mancini
F: Tyler Chrisman
F: Lukas Rabianski
Reavis
GK: Jacob Nosek
D: Joseph Munoz
D: Uriel Urbina
D: Krystian Paluch
D: Magic Figueroa
MF: Galileo Figueroa
MF: Diego Ochoa
MF: Emmanuel Montero
MF: Carlos Ramos
F: Diego Corona
F: Nikolas Rimsky
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match:
Jacob Nosek, sr., GK, Reavis; Carlos Ramos, sr., MF, Reavis
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Reavis—Diego Ochoa (Carlos Ramos), 50th minute
Lemont—Billy Eliadis (unassisted), 53rd minute
Lemont—Lukas Rabianski (unassisted), 58th minute
Reavis—William Solis (Galileo Figueroa), 68th minute
First overtime
No scoring
Second overtime
No scoring
Shootout
Lemont: Ben Kittrige (good), Billy Eliadis (good), Tyler Chrisman (saved), Lucas Rabianski (saved), Lucas Urban (missed over the bar)
Reavis: Emmanuel Montero (good), Galileo Figueroa (saved), Diego Ochoa (saved), Ahmad Suleiman (good), Carlos Ramos (good)
GK Nosek, MF Ramos spur shootout victory in WCRC semis
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BURBANK — As the most confounding of sports, soccer is lethally unpredictable.
Momentum changes on a dime, and everything goes crazy upside down.
Exhibit A was the showdown of South Suburban Conference rivals Lemont and host Reavis in the quarterfinals of the Windy City Ram Classic winner’s bracket Saturday.
A tactical game of action and reaction, movement and counter movements, suddenly turned into an exhilarating free-for-all.
How else to explain a game that featured two ties, a lead change and needed penalty kicks to determine the outcome?
“It was a very tough game,” Diego Ochoa said. “Lemont is a very physical team, and they are relentless.
“Fortunately we kept up the same intensity the whole game.”
Lemont showed its own steely nerves and toughness, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead during a tumultuous five-minute stretch.
“We played with a lot of composure in how we fought to get back into the game,” Lemont midfielder Billy Eliadis said.
“We knew if we kept attacking and maintaining the pressure, we’d find a way to score.”
On the brink of elimination at the end of regulation and during the penalty shootout, Reavis found a way to survive and move on.
“Even though we missed some of our penalties, everybody kept each other’s back, and that’s what kept us going,” Reavis midfielder Diego Ochoa said.
Reavis keeper Jacob Nosek made two brilliant stops and Carlos Ramos drilled the game-winner during the penalty phase to push the Rams into the semifinals Tuesday.
Ramos drilled the ball into the upper left corner for the 3-2 shootout victory.
For their shared responsibility in the victory, Nosek and Ramos shared the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor.
The game was played under a modified tournament format of two 35-minute halves and two five-minute overtime periods.
During the brash and thrilling final 20 minutes of regulation, the teams combined for four goals.
The respective keepers, Nosek and Lemont’s Andrew Huhn, were spectacular during the penalty phase.
“Soccer is a game where you can’t ever give up,” said Nosek, a two-year starter for the Rams (3-0-0).
“You can always lose some, and but then you can come back.”
Huhn appeared to give the Lemont the advantage with back-to-back stops in the shootout to maintain a 2-1 advantage.
Nosek responded with two great saves of his own against Lemont (2-1-0), which went first in the order.
“You always have to read the hips,” Nosek said. “When they shoot, they always point a hip toward one of the sides, and they go there.
“As soon as you save it, you’re back in it, and the adrenaline is just going.”
Nosek said the psychology of the shootout is having a short memory.
“You have to forget what happened, and play the game,” he said.
The door opened for Ramos after the fifth Lemont shooter punched his attempt over the top of the bar.
Ramos stepped up, the shootout tied at 2-apiece.
“Usually for penalties, I never really feel under pressure,” he said. “One thing I like to think about is the feeling of what happens when you actually score a goal.
“That’s one of the best feelings ever, and that’s what helped me keep my head up.”
His laser ball put the Rams in the semifinals Tuesday against Shepard, which beat Chicago Public League power Washington 2-1.
In the lower bracket, St. Laurence beat Lincoln-Way West 1-0 and Lockport defeated Marian Catholic 3-0.
Lemont left the pitch kniwing it was on equal ground with Reavis, which is built on speed, quickness and counter actions.
Lemont has an interesting dichotomy in the physical shape of two very different players, Eliadis and imposing 6-foot-6 forward Lukas Rabianski.
“I have a very physical style, and I like to use my size and shape to be a real presence out there on the field,” Rabianski said.
In the 50th minute, Reavis’ Ochoa broke on the right wing for the perfect angle and delivered a sharp ball inside the far post from about 19 yards.
That appeared to put the Rams in great condition. It was illusory.
Lemont quickly took control.
Rabianski is the commanding figure at the top of the attack. Eliadis is his opposite, a quick, whirling dervish who utilizes his speed and quickness to create his own havoc.
Just moments after the opener, the fleet sophomore created the equalizer by forcing a turnover deep in the Rams’ end, and blasting home a left-footed shot from about 13 yards.
“I was just waiting for the opportunity, and I saw they were not really able to clear that ball. I was able to get in there and create that pressure,” he said.
He is the lighting. Rabianski is the thunder.
In the 58th minute off a corner, the senior used his size to overpower the Rams and get to the back post. After his first shot was deflected, Rabianski quickly smashed home a rebound header for the 2-1 advantage.
“With my size, people think I always have the advantage. But I don’t always get the calls, and there are a lot of fouls against me,” he said.
Even with a couple of bodies draped over him, he simply overpowered the Rams.
Reavis was left scrambling.
“I was really struggling mentally after that sequence where they scored the two quick goals,” Ochoa said. “You have to be composed every single minute of the game.
“When something like that happens, when they make a comeback almost out of nowhere, it’s really tough. Luckily we were able to come back after that.”
Reavis created a series of set pieces, and earned its own equalizer in the 68th minute.
Off a restart about 23 yards from the top of the box, Galileo Figueroa blasted a free kick that defender Williams Solis made a great closing run on for the follow-up for the 2-2 tie.
“Everybody started putting their heads down, and as a captain, I had to make sure that we kept playing with the same mentality and intensity,” Ramos said.
“We have been practicing really hard since the summer. I think it’s been a long time since Reavis made the semifinals of the Windy City, so that is really exciting. I am really looking forward to it.”
Starting lineups
Lemont
GK: Andrew Huhn
D: Adam Briestensky
D: Lucas Urban
D: Ben Kittridge
D: Alex Gaberek
MF: Sebastian Delatorre
MF: Billy Eliadis
MF: Mahmoud Yacoub
MF: Luciano Mancini
F: Tyler Chrisman
F: Lukas Rabianski
Reavis
GK: Jacob Nosek
D: Joseph Munoz
D: Uriel Urbina
D: Krystian Paluch
D: Magic Figueroa
MF: Galileo Figueroa
MF: Diego Ochoa
MF: Emmanuel Montero
MF: Carlos Ramos
F: Diego Corona
F: Nikolas Rimsky
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match:
Jacob Nosek, sr., GK, Reavis; Carlos Ramos, sr., MF, Reavis
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Reavis—Diego Ochoa (Carlos Ramos), 50th minute
Lemont—Billy Eliadis (unassisted), 53rd minute
Lemont—Lukas Rabianski (unassisted), 58th minute
Reavis—William Solis (Galileo Figueroa), 68th minute
First overtime
No scoring
Second overtime
No scoring
Shootout
Lemont: Ben Kittrige (good), Billy Eliadis (good), Tyler Chrisman (saved), Lucas Rabianski (saved), Lucas Urban (missed over the bar)
Reavis: Emmanuel Montero (good), Galileo Figueroa (saved), Diego Ochoa (saved), Ahmad Suleiman (good), Carlos Ramos (good)