SCN unable to delay Libertyville
No. 2 Wildcats blank no. 17 North Stars
By Steve Nemeth
ST. CHARLES --- There were moments Saturday when St. Charles North stayed with and kept Libertyville’s high-powered offense in check.
However, Chicagoland Soccer’s second-ranked Wildcats overcame a bus breakdown, the 45-minute delayed start, and the tenacity of the host North Stars to remain undefeated (7-0-0) with a 2-0 shutout.
Libertyville --- which entered the match averaging 2.8 goals per outing and outscoring six previous foes 17-4 --- finally got on the scoreboard just 1:41 prior to halftime. That’s when Cade Upton unleashed a 38-yard laser-like missile that flew under the crossbar much to the delight and relief of the visitors.
“We practice different scenarios all the time in practice and gaining control with space to operate, given that kind of opportunity it was second nature to blast it on net,” Upton said in regard to his first goal of the season which also earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match acclaim.
“That first goal was really important, it calmed us down and really enabled us to play with more confidence in the second half,” Libertyville coach Kevin Thunholm said. “Prior to today, we played a good 20 minutes here and there, but this was our most complete game, especially against another quality opponent.”
The match actually began with no. 17 St. Charles North earning the initial threat with a breakaway that forced Libertyville goalie Hunter Lynch to race off his line. He wound up in a collision which was adjudicated in the Wildcats favor on the foul call. After that it was North Stars junior Vince Miteff having to step up several times while making his first varsity start in goal.
Libertyville’s Mickey Reilly took a free kick from distance that curved just wide of the upper right 90, and also had a 19-yarder from the right side that missed the far left post. Miteff had to make a diving save to his left and also rushed out to intercept a textbook cross from Landon Johnson.
Finally after 27:11, North’s Gabriel D’Amico gave the home team a chance to groan over a near-miss of the upper right corner on a 22-yard strike. The North Stars and Luke Persenico in particular, were unlucky with 8:13 to go before intermission. Lynch once again sprinted off his line to thwart a breakaway as Persenico tried sliding to the ball first to no avail.
As noted, the deadlock finally ended with Upton’s goal.
“It’s a great feeling to score and put your team ahead, both from an individual standpoint and also for the boost it gives your team,” Upton added.
The second half was less than three minutes old when Libertyville workhorse Patrick Graham --- who was a constant threat with his long throw-ins and physical presence --- took a chance with a 33-yard rocket from the left side that Miteff snared into his gut. Four minutes later, Miteff and the North Stars had to sigh in relief when a 34-yard Reilly free kick cleared a defensive wall and dipped late enough to end up on top of the goal cage.
The Wildcats thought they had gained a 2-0 advantage but that potential goal was wiped away by an offsides whistle. Ten minutes into the second half, a Jack Brennan free kick was headed over by Hay.
But the two-goal lead did come at 53:13 gone when Luke Underwood chalked up an assist with a through-ball sending Hay on a breakaway leading to a 1-v.-1 with Miteff.
“I looked down briefly to make the right touch before seeing their goalie going right leaving the left side open,” Hay explained. “There’s not (enough) time to worry when you’re in that moment, it’s just execution so that you can celebrate with your teammates.”
That was also Hay’s initial goal for 2019. Much to Libertyville’s displeasure, another possible goal was waived away based on an offsides whistle with 19:28 still to be played. Two minutes later, North’s Persenico had a 26-yard direct kick go just wide right. There was also 12:51 remaining when North Star John Kirby put the toe to a solid effort that Lynch had to tip over the net.
Not that the Wildcat keeper ever relaxed, but North’s very last attempt occurred just as the final horn sounded marking a third clean-sheet for Lynch.
“During the game it’s all about staying focused and keeping in communication with your defense, knowing where the ball is and where they are,” Lynch explained. “As much as you want a shutout, you can’t think about it until the match is over. Even then it’s really the cherry on top for you and the defense.
“As a back-up last year, I’m lucky to have played with a lot of the guys in other team settings, so as this season goes, I believe our chemistry is growing,” Lynch said.
Jacopo Franciosi earned the praise of his coach.
“He really held our backline together and kept us composed,” Thunholm said of the senior defender.
Libertyville is back in action on Tuesday hosting Warren for a 6:45 p.m. match that now serves as the North Suburban Conference opener after this past Thursday’s visit to Stevenson had to be postponed due to field conditions.
St. Charles North is also busy that same night welcoming Tri-Cities rival Geneva for a 7 p.m. DuKane Conference match-up.
“After a match like this you have to take the good and the bad together,” North Stars coach Eric Willson stated. “Today’s lesson is to get better at consistently doing what we do well, and eliminating mistakes. A lot of times viewing (video footage) can be very valuable, considering the opponent. I believe this one can be really important for us to use.”
Despite the setback, the North Stars appeared to have already taken some lessons to heart.
“Libertyville is a great team, and we knew it would be a tough game, but I believe we learned that we can hang with them,” tri-captain Faizan Mohiuddin said. “There were times we were a little unlucky, but we saw they definitely play at a high standard. For us to be on that level, we need to improve on winning 50-50 balls, defend better, and work just hard so that we can have success coming up and into the postseason.”
“We controlled play and fought hard for parts of the match,” Nolan Sinnaeve insisted. “One thing we need to clean up is fouls, some of those end up costing us in games. Battling a team as good as Libertyville especially in nonconference is important to learning to play better.”
Sinnaeve’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed by Willson.
“He busted his tail all over the place, never stopped working hard,” Willson said. “And Vince (Miteff) made some great saves and commanded his box well, especially considering the opponent, and this was his first time starting.
“We definitely had some chances, I just wish we put something on frame more often, if we could have finished one of those early, it could have changed the tone of the match,” Willson added. “That’s not taking anything away from them because they clearly have a culture of winning. Their players know how to win, and we need to get on that level.”
Starting lineups
Libertyville
GK: Hunter Lynch
D Landon Johnson
D Jacopo Franciosi
D Will Herbek
D Ryan Knudten
M Mickey Reilly
M Cade Upton
M Luke Underwood
M Jack Brennan
F Patrick Graham
F Connor Hay
St. Charles North
GK: Vince Miteff
D Thomas Weber
D Andrew Kraft
D Xander Jao
D Mike DePasquale
M Colin Nelson
M Faizan Mohiuddin
M Jared Sinnaeve
F Luke Persenico
F Nolan Sinnaeve
F Sam Strader
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Cade Upton, jr., M, Libertyville
Referees: Sam Nachampassak (center), Tom Guidara, Guy Ross
Game summary
Libertyville 2, St. Charles North 0
Libertyville 1 1 --- 2 (7-0-0)
St. Charles North 0 0 --- 0 (5-2-1)
Scoring
First half
L --- Upton 38-yard laser-like missile under crossbar (unassisted), 38:19 gone
Second half
L --- Hay breakaway 1-v.-1 with keeper for 12-yarder (Underwood assist), 53:13 gone
Shots
L 8 – 11 --- 19
SCN 3 – 8 -– 11
Shots on goal
L 6 – 6 -– 12
SCN 0 – 3 –- 3
Saves (goalie):
L (Lynch) 0 – 3 --- 3
SCN (Miteff) 5 – 5 --- 10
Corner kicks
L 3 – 1 --- 4
SCN 1 – 2 -– 3
Offsides
L 0 – 2 --- 2
SCN 0 – 0 --- 0
No. 2 Wildcats blank no. 17 North Stars
By Steve Nemeth
ST. CHARLES --- There were moments Saturday when St. Charles North stayed with and kept Libertyville’s high-powered offense in check.
However, Chicagoland Soccer’s second-ranked Wildcats overcame a bus breakdown, the 45-minute delayed start, and the tenacity of the host North Stars to remain undefeated (7-0-0) with a 2-0 shutout.
Libertyville --- which entered the match averaging 2.8 goals per outing and outscoring six previous foes 17-4 --- finally got on the scoreboard just 1:41 prior to halftime. That’s when Cade Upton unleashed a 38-yard laser-like missile that flew under the crossbar much to the delight and relief of the visitors.
“We practice different scenarios all the time in practice and gaining control with space to operate, given that kind of opportunity it was second nature to blast it on net,” Upton said in regard to his first goal of the season which also earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match acclaim.
“That first goal was really important, it calmed us down and really enabled us to play with more confidence in the second half,” Libertyville coach Kevin Thunholm said. “Prior to today, we played a good 20 minutes here and there, but this was our most complete game, especially against another quality opponent.”
The match actually began with no. 17 St. Charles North earning the initial threat with a breakaway that forced Libertyville goalie Hunter Lynch to race off his line. He wound up in a collision which was adjudicated in the Wildcats favor on the foul call. After that it was North Stars junior Vince Miteff having to step up several times while making his first varsity start in goal.
Libertyville’s Mickey Reilly took a free kick from distance that curved just wide of the upper right 90, and also had a 19-yarder from the right side that missed the far left post. Miteff had to make a diving save to his left and also rushed out to intercept a textbook cross from Landon Johnson.
Finally after 27:11, North’s Gabriel D’Amico gave the home team a chance to groan over a near-miss of the upper right corner on a 22-yard strike. The North Stars and Luke Persenico in particular, were unlucky with 8:13 to go before intermission. Lynch once again sprinted off his line to thwart a breakaway as Persenico tried sliding to the ball first to no avail.
As noted, the deadlock finally ended with Upton’s goal.
“It’s a great feeling to score and put your team ahead, both from an individual standpoint and also for the boost it gives your team,” Upton added.
The second half was less than three minutes old when Libertyville workhorse Patrick Graham --- who was a constant threat with his long throw-ins and physical presence --- took a chance with a 33-yard rocket from the left side that Miteff snared into his gut. Four minutes later, Miteff and the North Stars had to sigh in relief when a 34-yard Reilly free kick cleared a defensive wall and dipped late enough to end up on top of the goal cage.
The Wildcats thought they had gained a 2-0 advantage but that potential goal was wiped away by an offsides whistle. Ten minutes into the second half, a Jack Brennan free kick was headed over by Hay.
But the two-goal lead did come at 53:13 gone when Luke Underwood chalked up an assist with a through-ball sending Hay on a breakaway leading to a 1-v.-1 with Miteff.
“I looked down briefly to make the right touch before seeing their goalie going right leaving the left side open,” Hay explained. “There’s not (enough) time to worry when you’re in that moment, it’s just execution so that you can celebrate with your teammates.”
That was also Hay’s initial goal for 2019. Much to Libertyville’s displeasure, another possible goal was waived away based on an offsides whistle with 19:28 still to be played. Two minutes later, North’s Persenico had a 26-yard direct kick go just wide right. There was also 12:51 remaining when North Star John Kirby put the toe to a solid effort that Lynch had to tip over the net.
Not that the Wildcat keeper ever relaxed, but North’s very last attempt occurred just as the final horn sounded marking a third clean-sheet for Lynch.
“During the game it’s all about staying focused and keeping in communication with your defense, knowing where the ball is and where they are,” Lynch explained. “As much as you want a shutout, you can’t think about it until the match is over. Even then it’s really the cherry on top for you and the defense.
“As a back-up last year, I’m lucky to have played with a lot of the guys in other team settings, so as this season goes, I believe our chemistry is growing,” Lynch said.
Jacopo Franciosi earned the praise of his coach.
“He really held our backline together and kept us composed,” Thunholm said of the senior defender.
Libertyville is back in action on Tuesday hosting Warren for a 6:45 p.m. match that now serves as the North Suburban Conference opener after this past Thursday’s visit to Stevenson had to be postponed due to field conditions.
St. Charles North is also busy that same night welcoming Tri-Cities rival Geneva for a 7 p.m. DuKane Conference match-up.
“After a match like this you have to take the good and the bad together,” North Stars coach Eric Willson stated. “Today’s lesson is to get better at consistently doing what we do well, and eliminating mistakes. A lot of times viewing (video footage) can be very valuable, considering the opponent. I believe this one can be really important for us to use.”
Despite the setback, the North Stars appeared to have already taken some lessons to heart.
“Libertyville is a great team, and we knew it would be a tough game, but I believe we learned that we can hang with them,” tri-captain Faizan Mohiuddin said. “There were times we were a little unlucky, but we saw they definitely play at a high standard. For us to be on that level, we need to improve on winning 50-50 balls, defend better, and work just hard so that we can have success coming up and into the postseason.”
“We controlled play and fought hard for parts of the match,” Nolan Sinnaeve insisted. “One thing we need to clean up is fouls, some of those end up costing us in games. Battling a team as good as Libertyville especially in nonconference is important to learning to play better.”
Sinnaeve’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed by Willson.
“He busted his tail all over the place, never stopped working hard,” Willson said. “And Vince (Miteff) made some great saves and commanded his box well, especially considering the opponent, and this was his first time starting.
“We definitely had some chances, I just wish we put something on frame more often, if we could have finished one of those early, it could have changed the tone of the match,” Willson added. “That’s not taking anything away from them because they clearly have a culture of winning. Their players know how to win, and we need to get on that level.”
Starting lineups
Libertyville
GK: Hunter Lynch
D Landon Johnson
D Jacopo Franciosi
D Will Herbek
D Ryan Knudten
M Mickey Reilly
M Cade Upton
M Luke Underwood
M Jack Brennan
F Patrick Graham
F Connor Hay
St. Charles North
GK: Vince Miteff
D Thomas Weber
D Andrew Kraft
D Xander Jao
D Mike DePasquale
M Colin Nelson
M Faizan Mohiuddin
M Jared Sinnaeve
F Luke Persenico
F Nolan Sinnaeve
F Sam Strader
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Cade Upton, jr., M, Libertyville
Referees: Sam Nachampassak (center), Tom Guidara, Guy Ross
Game summary
Libertyville 2, St. Charles North 0
Libertyville 1 1 --- 2 (7-0-0)
St. Charles North 0 0 --- 0 (5-2-1)
Scoring
First half
L --- Upton 38-yard laser-like missile under crossbar (unassisted), 38:19 gone
Second half
L --- Hay breakaway 1-v.-1 with keeper for 12-yarder (Underwood assist), 53:13 gone
Shots
L 8 – 11 --- 19
SCN 3 – 8 -– 11
Shots on goal
L 6 – 6 -– 12
SCN 0 – 3 –- 3
Saves (goalie):
L (Lynch) 0 – 3 --- 3
SCN (Miteff) 5 – 5 --- 10
Corner kicks
L 3 – 1 --- 4
SCN 1 – 2 -– 3
Offsides
L 0 – 2 --- 2
SCN 0 – 0 --- 0