2nd half surge powers Lyons past Argo
Lions take 7th-straight regional 2-0
By Dave Owen
SUMMIT – Graham Bearman would probably take the entire Argo soccer field home with him if he could.
Teammate Alex Becerra made himself right at home at the top of the box.
Both players’ timely offensive contributions helped Lyons turn a 0-0 halftime battle with Argo into a 2-0 win in Friday’s Class 3A Argo Regional final.
The win earned the Lions (15-3-3) their seventh-straight regional title and 14th in the last 15 years.
“Second half was just killer mode,” said Becerra, whose 18-yard rocket with 36:22 left in the match put the Lions up 1-0.
“I feel the first half was just calm and just wait until we see a shot. But in the second half it was just go, go, go, killer mode.”
As kill shots go, Becerra’s would be tough to beat.
After Jackson Turner’s corner kick send was cleared by Argo towards the top of the box, Becerra won the loose ball and rocketed a shot just under the crossbar.
“That shot off that corner that bounces out is why you keep a guy at the top of the box that can hit that,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “I think he’s hit two now in the last week – a top-quality finish.”
Becerra has two goals this year, both from virtually the same spot on the field.
“Usually I just sit at the top of the box and go to the shots,” Becerra said, “because coach gets mad if I don’t go to the shots. I try to stay at the top of that box, and whatever comes out my way, that’s just my strike right there.”
After gaining confidence from playing a strong first half against the Lions, Argo (10-6-3) was deflated by the Becerra strike – but also impressed.
“The kid who scored the first goal had an incredible shot,” Argo coach Carlos Marquez said. “The ball came to him perfectly, and he took a great shot. No keeper is going to save that. I don’t care if it’s a professional keeper.”
Luck and hustle were bigger factors than perfect placement with 26:08 to go, when Lyons built a 2-0 lead.
Zack Kristy’s strong throw-in from 25 yards bounced off the hands of Argo goalkeeper Antonio Ramirez. Lyons' standout defender Bearman was on the spot, hustling to win the loose ball for a left post putaway.
Crazy plays like that don’t happen often. Then again, Argo looks like soccer’s version of Disneyland to Bearman.
After scoring one goal in the regular season, the senior defender had two goals in Lyons' regional semifinal win over Proviso West at Argo. And then came Friday’s latest magic.
“My dad said this morning, ‘This field’s always been good to you. You always score when you come here,’ Bearman said. “I was like, ‘Alright, I feel that.’
“I just went with it; I was confident. I just played my game, and I scored.
“We’ve been practicing throw-ins a lot, because we know it’s one of our assets,” Bearman added. “I just did what I was told (going to the goal), and when the ball came I just knew I had to score it.”
Said Labbato: “Our center defender has three goals in the two regional games. He loves this field.”
Bearman also recalled scoring a goal as a sophomore in a game at Argo. But he offered a more technical explanation for his offensive prowess on the field.
“I’ve been getting the chances all season, and I guess now I’m just being more clinical with them,” Bearman said.
But his latest goal paled in comparison to the impact that Man of the Match Bearman and his fellow Lyons defenders had on the final result.
“Rob Sullivan on the side did such a great job holding a position, and just winning the ball over and over again,” Labbato said.
“The usual suspects in the back are the three seniors Tommy Abbs, Graham Bearman and Zack Kristy,” Labbato added. “They’re as good as we’ve had, and Rob Sullivan as a junior does such a great job winning the ball and keeping it for us. And we had a lot of guys who did a lot of hard work.”
The Lyons defense endured two massive tests in the first half. A Manny Figueroa shot went inches wide of the far post, and Argo star Adrian Pituch’s left-side burst and 12-yard shot were snuffed out on a sliding save by Lions goalkeeper Bradley DeBoer in the 21st minute.
“If we score on a couple opportunities in the first half it’s a different game,” Marquez said. “You have to finish those or good teams will make you pay.”
Argo’s strong play Friday was no fluke. Just eight days earlier, the Lions had edged the Argonauts 1-0 in Western Springs.
“We had some different things going on (than the Oct. 17 game),” Labbato said, “and had some kids in some different spots.
“We tried to key on number 15 (Patich); he’s a top player. He made us look very bad in lots of situations. And they were just very strong in the back.”
The Argonauts were able to withstand Lyons’ own increasing offensive heat late in the first half.
In the last seven minutes, Julio Torres (low liner on goal), Max Behm (23-yarder just over the crossbar), Jake Fraser (shot just over the net) and Mike Niedermeyer (30-yarder denied on a high catch by Argo keeper Ramirez) all had scoring chances of decent quality.
Becerra’s perfect-strike goal put Lyons up 1-0, but Argo answered with a 90-second sequence that included a Patich shot deflected wide, setting up the first of two back-to-back corner kicks.
The first corner produced an Alexander Echavarrieta shot deflected over the net, and the second a Lyons defensive header away from the box.
But within minutes, the Lions upped their lead to 2-0 and assumed greater command.
“We broke them down more in the second half,” Labbato said, “and imposed a little more will of keeping the ball in their end. On their outlets we were able to win (the ball) and keep it in their end.”
That scenario nearly paid off for another Lyons goal with 15:20 left.
Jonathan Hill’s pass found Tommy Slusarczyk, whose 15-yard shot hit the crossbar upper right. Cameron Labbato’s rebound try then went just over the crossbar.
Torres later threatened with a 35-yard free kick wide left (12:25 to go) and a right side run and cross blocked by Argo’s Edgar Martinez (8:05 left).
“The first time (we played Argo) I feel we weren’t as organized as we were today,” Becerra said. “We just kept as a team and moved as a unit up and down the field. And we just stayed compact and played well.”
But in the final minutes, Lyons’ strong defense would have to repel a final push by Argo.
A Pituch corner kick with 6:10 left set up a Daniel Ratulowski back-post header, but DeBoer was there for the catch save.
Lyons reclaimed momentum with a Cesear Nieves corner kick with 5:25 to go (cleared by Argo) and a nice Bearman steal and clear of the defensive third with 4:30 left.
But the Argonauts had one last burst.
After Pituch was fouled on a left side run, the Argo star’s 22-yard free kick with 3:30 to go went just over the crossbar.
“Adrian (Pituch) is a perfect player,” Marquez said. “He’s every coach’s dream. Straight-A student, high soccer IQ, technically he’s gifted. He’s our first back-to-back all state player since Christian Marquez did it 12 years ago.”
Then in the final 45 seconds, two Argo free kicks inside of 30 yards produced a Slusarczyk clear, followed by a Ratulowski free kick well wide right of the net with 25 ticks left.
The end result: the Lions’ 10th shutout of the season, and fourth in the last five games.
“We just had to stay organized,” Bearman said. “We know we have the ability to defend any team.
“We have the guys who are strong enough and fast enough, so we just have to play our game, stay organized and if we don’t get pulled out, then we aren’t getting beat.”
Argo’s Marquez was impressed by both the Lions and his team’s grit.
“They’re a good team,” Marquez said of Lyons. “They’re disciplined; they’re always one of the top teams in the state.
“The one thing we did today was definitely put our name on the map. We played them well. Even when we went down 2-0 we kept on fighting. We changed formation and started possessing more after we made some adjustments.
“The boys played well,” Marquez added. “The thing I really liked is how they fought to the last second. All the boys had a great year. We won conference, a lot of guys got awards. Hopefully we can continue to build on that.”
But Friday, the playoff-tested Lions’ juggernaut proved to be too much.
“We just came out stronger (in the second half),” Bearman said. “The first half we were ready, but just not into the game yet. This is the first big, big game of playoffs. We just had to get ourselves amped, and once we were amped we just kept going. And then there’s no stopping us.
“If there’s a trophy you want to go get it,” Bearman added about the regional title. “But it’s the first of many for us hopefully. We want the state title, and that’s what we’re going for.”
Next up is a familiar challenge on Tuesday. The Lions will face either Hinsdale Central or Oak Park and River Forest in the sectional semifinals.
Lyons narrowly beat each potential foe in the regular season (1-0 over the Red Devils, and defeating the Huskies on penalty kicks).
“It’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Labbato joked. “We have Hinsdale Central, our biggest rival in the world, or Oak Park, who is becoming our biggest rival in the world.
“The tactics change depending on the team. I’m glad we’re there. We’ll see who we play, and we’ll see what we can do on Tuesday. It should be exciting.”
Avoiding Friday’s somewhat sluggish start will be one Lyons goal going forward.
“To keep this going we’re going to have to stay as a unit and play stronger than we did today,” Becerra said. “We have a couple down segments today that we need to fix against OPRF or Hinsdale. Whoever comes at us, we need to stay strong and play our game.”
But having been down this postseason road before, the Lions are confident.
“We just need to possess the ball a little better,” Bearman said. “We just need to keep building up to the peak of our game. Once we get there, no one’s going to beat us.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK Bradley DeBoer
D Tommy Abbs
D Graham Bearman
D Zack Kristy
D Rob Sullivan
M Jackson Turner
M Alex Becerra
M Mike Niedermeyer
M Jake Fraser
F Julio Torres
F Max Behm
Argo
GK Antonio Ramirez
D Edgar Martinez
D Reynaldo Acosta
D Grzegorz Skubisz
D Daniel Ratulowski
M Alexander Echavarrieta
M Manny Figueroa
M Aldo Saucedo
M Angel Rodriguez
M Michal Balek
F Adrian Pituch
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Graham Bearman, sr. D, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Lyons: Alex Becerra (Jackson Turner), 44’
Lyons: Graham Bearman, 54’
Lions take 7th-straight regional 2-0
By Dave Owen
SUMMIT – Graham Bearman would probably take the entire Argo soccer field home with him if he could.
Teammate Alex Becerra made himself right at home at the top of the box.
Both players’ timely offensive contributions helped Lyons turn a 0-0 halftime battle with Argo into a 2-0 win in Friday’s Class 3A Argo Regional final.
The win earned the Lions (15-3-3) their seventh-straight regional title and 14th in the last 15 years.
“Second half was just killer mode,” said Becerra, whose 18-yard rocket with 36:22 left in the match put the Lions up 1-0.
“I feel the first half was just calm and just wait until we see a shot. But in the second half it was just go, go, go, killer mode.”
As kill shots go, Becerra’s would be tough to beat.
After Jackson Turner’s corner kick send was cleared by Argo towards the top of the box, Becerra won the loose ball and rocketed a shot just under the crossbar.
“That shot off that corner that bounces out is why you keep a guy at the top of the box that can hit that,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “I think he’s hit two now in the last week – a top-quality finish.”
Becerra has two goals this year, both from virtually the same spot on the field.
“Usually I just sit at the top of the box and go to the shots,” Becerra said, “because coach gets mad if I don’t go to the shots. I try to stay at the top of that box, and whatever comes out my way, that’s just my strike right there.”
After gaining confidence from playing a strong first half against the Lions, Argo (10-6-3) was deflated by the Becerra strike – but also impressed.
“The kid who scored the first goal had an incredible shot,” Argo coach Carlos Marquez said. “The ball came to him perfectly, and he took a great shot. No keeper is going to save that. I don’t care if it’s a professional keeper.”
Luck and hustle were bigger factors than perfect placement with 26:08 to go, when Lyons built a 2-0 lead.
Zack Kristy’s strong throw-in from 25 yards bounced off the hands of Argo goalkeeper Antonio Ramirez. Lyons' standout defender Bearman was on the spot, hustling to win the loose ball for a left post putaway.
Crazy plays like that don’t happen often. Then again, Argo looks like soccer’s version of Disneyland to Bearman.
After scoring one goal in the regular season, the senior defender had two goals in Lyons' regional semifinal win over Proviso West at Argo. And then came Friday’s latest magic.
“My dad said this morning, ‘This field’s always been good to you. You always score when you come here,’ Bearman said. “I was like, ‘Alright, I feel that.’
“I just went with it; I was confident. I just played my game, and I scored.
“We’ve been practicing throw-ins a lot, because we know it’s one of our assets,” Bearman added. “I just did what I was told (going to the goal), and when the ball came I just knew I had to score it.”
Said Labbato: “Our center defender has three goals in the two regional games. He loves this field.”
Bearman also recalled scoring a goal as a sophomore in a game at Argo. But he offered a more technical explanation for his offensive prowess on the field.
“I’ve been getting the chances all season, and I guess now I’m just being more clinical with them,” Bearman said.
But his latest goal paled in comparison to the impact that Man of the Match Bearman and his fellow Lyons defenders had on the final result.
“Rob Sullivan on the side did such a great job holding a position, and just winning the ball over and over again,” Labbato said.
“The usual suspects in the back are the three seniors Tommy Abbs, Graham Bearman and Zack Kristy,” Labbato added. “They’re as good as we’ve had, and Rob Sullivan as a junior does such a great job winning the ball and keeping it for us. And we had a lot of guys who did a lot of hard work.”
The Lyons defense endured two massive tests in the first half. A Manny Figueroa shot went inches wide of the far post, and Argo star Adrian Pituch’s left-side burst and 12-yard shot were snuffed out on a sliding save by Lions goalkeeper Bradley DeBoer in the 21st minute.
“If we score on a couple opportunities in the first half it’s a different game,” Marquez said. “You have to finish those or good teams will make you pay.”
Argo’s strong play Friday was no fluke. Just eight days earlier, the Lions had edged the Argonauts 1-0 in Western Springs.
“We had some different things going on (than the Oct. 17 game),” Labbato said, “and had some kids in some different spots.
“We tried to key on number 15 (Patich); he’s a top player. He made us look very bad in lots of situations. And they were just very strong in the back.”
The Argonauts were able to withstand Lyons’ own increasing offensive heat late in the first half.
In the last seven minutes, Julio Torres (low liner on goal), Max Behm (23-yarder just over the crossbar), Jake Fraser (shot just over the net) and Mike Niedermeyer (30-yarder denied on a high catch by Argo keeper Ramirez) all had scoring chances of decent quality.
Becerra’s perfect-strike goal put Lyons up 1-0, but Argo answered with a 90-second sequence that included a Patich shot deflected wide, setting up the first of two back-to-back corner kicks.
The first corner produced an Alexander Echavarrieta shot deflected over the net, and the second a Lyons defensive header away from the box.
But within minutes, the Lions upped their lead to 2-0 and assumed greater command.
“We broke them down more in the second half,” Labbato said, “and imposed a little more will of keeping the ball in their end. On their outlets we were able to win (the ball) and keep it in their end.”
That scenario nearly paid off for another Lyons goal with 15:20 left.
Jonathan Hill’s pass found Tommy Slusarczyk, whose 15-yard shot hit the crossbar upper right. Cameron Labbato’s rebound try then went just over the crossbar.
Torres later threatened with a 35-yard free kick wide left (12:25 to go) and a right side run and cross blocked by Argo’s Edgar Martinez (8:05 left).
“The first time (we played Argo) I feel we weren’t as organized as we were today,” Becerra said. “We just kept as a team and moved as a unit up and down the field. And we just stayed compact and played well.”
But in the final minutes, Lyons’ strong defense would have to repel a final push by Argo.
A Pituch corner kick with 6:10 left set up a Daniel Ratulowski back-post header, but DeBoer was there for the catch save.
Lyons reclaimed momentum with a Cesear Nieves corner kick with 5:25 to go (cleared by Argo) and a nice Bearman steal and clear of the defensive third with 4:30 left.
But the Argonauts had one last burst.
After Pituch was fouled on a left side run, the Argo star’s 22-yard free kick with 3:30 to go went just over the crossbar.
“Adrian (Pituch) is a perfect player,” Marquez said. “He’s every coach’s dream. Straight-A student, high soccer IQ, technically he’s gifted. He’s our first back-to-back all state player since Christian Marquez did it 12 years ago.”
Then in the final 45 seconds, two Argo free kicks inside of 30 yards produced a Slusarczyk clear, followed by a Ratulowski free kick well wide right of the net with 25 ticks left.
The end result: the Lions’ 10th shutout of the season, and fourth in the last five games.
“We just had to stay organized,” Bearman said. “We know we have the ability to defend any team.
“We have the guys who are strong enough and fast enough, so we just have to play our game, stay organized and if we don’t get pulled out, then we aren’t getting beat.”
Argo’s Marquez was impressed by both the Lions and his team’s grit.
“They’re a good team,” Marquez said of Lyons. “They’re disciplined; they’re always one of the top teams in the state.
“The one thing we did today was definitely put our name on the map. We played them well. Even when we went down 2-0 we kept on fighting. We changed formation and started possessing more after we made some adjustments.
“The boys played well,” Marquez added. “The thing I really liked is how they fought to the last second. All the boys had a great year. We won conference, a lot of guys got awards. Hopefully we can continue to build on that.”
But Friday, the playoff-tested Lions’ juggernaut proved to be too much.
“We just came out stronger (in the second half),” Bearman said. “The first half we were ready, but just not into the game yet. This is the first big, big game of playoffs. We just had to get ourselves amped, and once we were amped we just kept going. And then there’s no stopping us.
“If there’s a trophy you want to go get it,” Bearman added about the regional title. “But it’s the first of many for us hopefully. We want the state title, and that’s what we’re going for.”
Next up is a familiar challenge on Tuesday. The Lions will face either Hinsdale Central or Oak Park and River Forest in the sectional semifinals.
Lyons narrowly beat each potential foe in the regular season (1-0 over the Red Devils, and defeating the Huskies on penalty kicks).
“It’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Labbato joked. “We have Hinsdale Central, our biggest rival in the world, or Oak Park, who is becoming our biggest rival in the world.
“The tactics change depending on the team. I’m glad we’re there. We’ll see who we play, and we’ll see what we can do on Tuesday. It should be exciting.”
Avoiding Friday’s somewhat sluggish start will be one Lyons goal going forward.
“To keep this going we’re going to have to stay as a unit and play stronger than we did today,” Becerra said. “We have a couple down segments today that we need to fix against OPRF or Hinsdale. Whoever comes at us, we need to stay strong and play our game.”
But having been down this postseason road before, the Lions are confident.
“We just need to possess the ball a little better,” Bearman said. “We just need to keep building up to the peak of our game. Once we get there, no one’s going to beat us.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK Bradley DeBoer
D Tommy Abbs
D Graham Bearman
D Zack Kristy
D Rob Sullivan
M Jackson Turner
M Alex Becerra
M Mike Niedermeyer
M Jake Fraser
F Julio Torres
F Max Behm
Argo
GK Antonio Ramirez
D Edgar Martinez
D Reynaldo Acosta
D Grzegorz Skubisz
D Daniel Ratulowski
M Alexander Echavarrieta
M Manny Figueroa
M Aldo Saucedo
M Angel Rodriguez
M Michal Balek
F Adrian Pituch
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Graham Bearman, sr. D, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Lyons: Alex Becerra (Jackson Turner), 44’
Lyons: Graham Bearman, 54’