Trickery turns tide
in Lyons victory over Hinsdale Central
Spur-of-the-moment decision leads to 5-2 Silver Brick rivalry win
By Dave Owen
Credit a family connection, a coach’s advice or a combination of the two, but Lyons had an unusual way to tilt the latest fierce battle with top rival Hinsdale Central to their advantage.
Locked in a 2-2 battle the Lions used the element of surprise on an offensive zone throw-in to seize the lead for good in a 5-2 win.
Throwing in from eight yards off the end line on the right, Will Swicionis disdained the usual toss into the box to instead toss the ball back toward his twin brother Ben about 25 yards out on the sideline.
Ben made that decision pay off, using free space to dribble in right and rocket an 18-yarder high inside the left post for a 3-2 lead with 26:32 left.
“They pretty much know we're going to hit the play long, and we go short,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “My assistant coach Mike Wiest called that right at that moment, and Ben just makes a little fake and gets off a great shot.”
Swicionis summed up the sequence, from unlikely throw-in target to his shot right on target.
“On the throw everyone expected it to go long obviously,” Ben Swicionis said. “I heard my coaches yell ‘Short.’ I kind of faked like I was walking off and then I checked toward the ball. And when I got it I was like, 'I could hit this.'
“I noticed a dude (Red Devils player) running super fast at me so I was like 'I don't know if it's smart to hit this.' But I cut, hit it and it went in.
“It's hard to explain because in a game as big as this you just act. It's not like you think about it. Just act.”
The huge stage that is Lyons vs. Hinsdale Central brought out hundreds of students from both schools and a large crowd despite the wet conditions. That’s all part of the tradition of an elite soccer rivalry that was nothing new to Swicionis.
“This game means everything,” he said. “My (older) brother (Jack) played here in two of these Hinsdale Central games. I understand how big this is for the town, the school, everything.
“It's not even our home field, and we have so many fans out here. I felt like I made my team proud and the town proud. I'm really happy about that.”
In a battle of teams that are exceptionally dangerous on set pieces, it was Lyons (9-1-3, 2-0-0), which just moved back into the top spot of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, that was especially sharp.
The Lions’ two first half goals came on redirects of long free kicks, and the goal that put them ahead 4-2 with 18:25 to go was also a unique throw-in outcome.
This time, Will Swicionis’ throw-in from 15 yards off the end line sailed into the crease, bouncing barely off an apparent touch by the Hinsdale Central goalkeeper and into the net.
“We run different plays for those (throw-ins) all the time,” Ben Swicionis said. “If they expect long, it's good to throw them off once in a while. And that's exactly what we did, because on the next couple throws they started bringing guys short and moving in, and we had more guys in the box (on the goal that made it 4-2).”
Hinsdale Central coach Mike Wiggins credited Lyons’ execution and aggressiveness.
“The reality is this,” Wiggins said. “You can draw up any set piece you want, you can have whatever long throw or kick, the bottom line is you want to be first to the ball. And if you're not first, you're going to have to deal with what follows.
“Those plays happened the way they did because that's how it played out. A credit to them for being first to the ball.”
Lyons added an insurance goal with 6:13 left when Austen Wisniewski was fouled on a run into the box. Haris Sarajlija powered home the ensuing penalty kick to make the score 5-2.
The Lions reclaimed the rivalry’s Silver Brick Trophy after a Hinsdale Central win on penalty kicks last season. The winning margin was unusual. After one-goal differences in seven of the last eight years, the 5-2 final was the biggest differential since the Red Devils won 3-0 in 2013.
“It was all about focusing in practices, dialing it in on set pieces and just getting it done,” Lyons junior defender Collin Sullivan said.
“Last year we didn't get the opportunity to (win). I felt bad for my brother (Jackson) and all the seniors that graduated, so this was a big win for them. We were fighting for them and fighting for ourselves. It was great to come back and beat them.”
Long before Lyons finally broke open a close and well-played game, the rivalry match was at the mercy of the weather.
Lightning and heavy rains delayed the expected 6:30 p.m. start until 7:52 p.m., adding a new layer of pregame tension to the usual Lions-Red Devils battle.
“We got the boys inside (to the Hinsdale Central gym) so we had a big space to get loose,” Labbato said. “That was good, but the kids were just antsy. They wanted this game to happen.
“They were saying 'No way we want to go home and come back and play this game some other day.' So they dealt with it very well. Me, I was nervous that I had to be nervous for another hour.”
Ben Swicionis summed up the emotions of the delay.
“We were in the gym, and we just wanted to get out there obviously,” he said. “We couldn't sit down. We were too amped up.
“People were like kicking the ball around, shooting baskets. Every time it (the starting time) got pushed back we were like 'You've got to be kidding me!’”
It wasn’t any happier a pregame for the home team.
“That was definitely hard,” Hinsdale Central’s Cody Jurgenson said. “We didn't know if we were ever going to play. We were sitting in here for like two hours. But we just tried to stay locked in. We just really wanted to get out there and play.”
The skies cleared and playing became a reality. And the no. 12 Red Devils (7-2-1, 1-1-0) came out blazing with the game’s first two quality chances, and eventually the first goal.
In the first 12 minutes, a trio of throw-ins inside the box area by Hinsdale Central’s Greg Theotikos were cleared by Lyons defenders, and Lion Liam Carolan similarly headed away an Austen Szurgot corner kick in that time span.
Lyons’ best threats early came six minutes in (star midfielder Patrick Kracker’s nice back-to-the-goal 10-yard boot that was deflected away by a Red Devil defender) and in the 19th minute (when Sarajlija powered a low liner just wide right off a throw-in).
A Theotikos initial header away of a Lyons corner kick and subsequent Henrique Ribeiro low save of a Sarjlija 28-yard rebound try denied a 25th-minute chance.
That all set the stage for a brilliant Red Devils goal with 12:02 left in the first half. Unfortunately, it produced an agonizing aftermath for the hosts.
The play that produced a 1-0 Red Devils lead began with Szurgot’s great sliding block of a Lyons midfield pass. That initiated a counterattack for Luca Davies, whose pass found Martin Montoya on the left side.
Montoya raced into the far-left edge of the box and powered in a tough-angle shot from six yards. But the celebration of a great goal was short lived when Montoya remained on the turf with a knee injury. An ambulance came and medical personnel took him off the field.
“That was really hard, seeing him go down after scoring such a great goal,” Jurgenson said. “It got us up 1-0, exactly what we wanted to happen. Then seeing him go down, waiting all that time, no one really knew what happened. So, it was definitely tough.
“We tried to use it as motivation though, to play for him and try to get this win for him. It's unfortunate that (win) didn’t happen, but you just hope he's recovering well.”
Wiggins headed to the hospital to check on Montoya after the 10 p.m. finish to the game, a rare moment when a loss in the Silver Brick series pales in significance.
“My thoughts are more toward him,” Wiggins said, “and more focused on is he OK, and that he heals properly, and that he's going to come back and get through this. He's a very talented player.”
When play resumed, the Red Devils briefly shook off the shocking injury to produce a quality Davies-to-Dayton DiTomasso-to-Braden Henry attack that Lyons eventually denied in the box.
Then 9:03 before halftime, a Lions’ set piece turned the momentum their way.
Sarajlija’s 40-yard free kick reached Kracker, who lined a left-side 10-yarder inside the right post to make the score 1-1.
“After their first goal some of our heads were down,” Sullivan said, “but we just needed to talk it over during that long break with the injury. We got ourselves together, focused and got the goal.”
Just over four minutes later, another longer free kick send (55 yards by Ben Swicionis) again paid off. This time, senior Jack Rempfer had his back to the goal and was fairly well marked, but still spun an eight-yard header into the net for a 2-1 halftime difference.
The effect of the Montoya injury on the game's momentum wasn’t lost on Labbato.
“We went through that a couple of years ago,” he said. “We had a kid carted off the field, and we were never the same after that. We had players just emotionally out of the game.
“But hats off to them (Hinsdale Central). They really pressed and played the full 80 minutes as hard as they could, and our guys had to respond.”
After the halftime intermission, the Red Devils came out more determined to win for their injured teammate than mourn the situation.
Just 1:29 into the second half, an Ardit Abdullai header deflected wide by the Lyons defense set up a corner kick.
Szurgot’s ensuing send initially produced two blocks in the box by the Lions. But the ball came out from the second block to Jurgenson, who blasted an 18-yard shot just inside the right post to tie the score 2-2.
“We were coming out hot in the second half,” Jurgenson said. “We needed a goal, and I was right place, right time. Top of the box and I just put it away.
“We were just trying to get shots on target. With the weather, everything was bouncing around.”
The ball was still bouncing the Red Devils’ way with 32:40 left, when Davies (who has a goal or assist in every game this season) burst into the box off a Henry pass and a close-in shot blocked, and his rebound try go wide left.
Ribeiro followed with a save on a Kracker distance shot with 30:05 to go. Lyons goalkeeper Connor Schmitt made a save on a Davies header two minutes later.
“We've been in this position before,” Jurgenson said of the Red Devils’ rally. “We knew we could come back and knew we could score: great attack; great defense.
“We really thought we would come back and win this game. We were just unlucky, and had a great opponent. Lyons is always super good, always with a good attack and good defenders. It's hard to score against them.”
Recent events show just how hard. Lyons had allowed just seven goals in its first 12 games this fall, including shutouts of frequent state final teams Naperville North, Libertyville and Morton.
That stingy defense carried the Lions the final 28 minutes of play Tuesday. And Ben Swicionis’ goal would put them ahead for keeps.
“Honestly I think it's our mentality,” Ben Swicionis said. “We lacked it a little bit today during the beginning. They (the Red Devils) got out to a hot start, but our guys knew we were going to do everything we can to win. We're going to work harder, create chances.”
Even seemingly gaining control late in the game, the Lions still faced a fired-up rival.
The Red Devils threatened with the score 4-2 and 8:45 left. But shots by Szurgot and Owen Peterson were blocked by Kracker and Carolan respectively, and Daniel Svelnis’ clear out of bounds provided the Lions a breather.
A Lyons’ PK goal soon followed for the final goal of the game, but the Red Devils battled to the finish.
Carolan again came up with a nice block on a John Knott shot with 1:50 left, and in the final minute, a threat featuring Christopher Azzo, Peterson and Alex Aschinberg was denied by Sullivan’s clear in front.
“Haris (Sarajlija) just played great,” Labbato said. “Patrick Kracker was the best in the middle, and in back Collin Sullivan was amazing.”
Abdullai was fouled to set up Hinsdale Central's last chance, but Szurgot’s 20-yard free kick went off the football crossbar as the final seconds passed.
“It was just having each other’s backs,” Sullivan said of the late defensive success. “In the first half I was really struggling with the lights. I could barely see the ball.
“The second half we were all talking to each other, telling who would step and who wouldn't. We were moving as a unit. It was a team effort.
“And every time they scored, we were able to respond,” Sullivan added.
After a long night of weather, Montoya’s injury and the loss, the Red Devils are already looking to respond themselves.
“This is something we haven't really been in all year,” Jurgenson said, “this kind of a game that was this emotional. This really prepares us well for state.
“We're almost definitely going to see them (Lyons) again. They're in our sectional. And it's going to be a great game the next time we see them.”
A great and unique day certainly awaits the Red Devils in their next game at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
“We turn our sights now to Naperville Central, and the (celebration of) 50 years of Hinsdale Central soccer,” Wiggins said. “We've got alumni from the last 50 years who are coming out. I'm getting e-mails from people daily saying they can't wait, or they're so sorry they couldn't make it and wanted to share stories.”
The latest story of the Hinsdale Central-Lyons rivalry had even more elements than usual.
“This game for the players is a very emotionally charged environment,” Wiggins said. “Its a game they very much look forward to being a part of. There are stories that last a lifetime.
“And tonight we have a weather delay, injury, we take the lead, give up the lead, come back to tie it, then they take back the lead. Credit to Lyons. They're always a good competitor for us.”
The Lions came off impressive shutout wins over Libertyville and Morton over the weekend. Then they were up to a huge task Tuesday.
“We fell behind early,” Labbato said, “and I was very excited for them to be able to come back and make that (win) happen.
“We’ve had a couple practices where we really focused. We felt we could have done this to any team all year, and we just haven't put it together on a consistent basis.
“Today it was a mentality about this rivalry and these players,” Labbato added. “Red Devils against Lyons. It's just a mentality.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK: Connor Schmitt
D: Igor Chrobotowicz
D: Collin Sullivan
D: Jack Rempfer
D: Liam Carolan
M: Haris Sarajlija
M: Ben Swicionis
M: Patrick Kracker
M: Will Swicionis
F: Larry Martinez
F: Brian Salvino
Hinsdale Central
GK: Henrique Ribeiro
D: Greg Theotikos
D: Kevin Gottschalk
D: Dayton DiTomasso
D: Oliver Pohlenz
M: Ardit Abdullai
M: Martin Montoya
M: Austen Szurgot
M: Cody Jurgenson
F: Luca Davies
F: Owen Peterson
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match:
Collin Sullivan, jr., D, Lyons;
Ben Swicionis, jr., MF, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
HC- Martin Montoya (Luca Davies), 28’
Lyons- Patrick Kracker (Haris Sarajlija), 31’
Lyons- Jack Rempfer (Ben Swicionis), 36’
Second half
HC- Cody Jurgenson, 42’
Lyons- Ben Swicionis (Will Swicionis), 54’
Lyons- Will Swicionis, 62’
Lyons- Sarjlija (PK), 74’
in Lyons victory over Hinsdale Central
Spur-of-the-moment decision leads to 5-2 Silver Brick rivalry win
By Dave Owen
Credit a family connection, a coach’s advice or a combination of the two, but Lyons had an unusual way to tilt the latest fierce battle with top rival Hinsdale Central to their advantage.
Locked in a 2-2 battle the Lions used the element of surprise on an offensive zone throw-in to seize the lead for good in a 5-2 win.
Throwing in from eight yards off the end line on the right, Will Swicionis disdained the usual toss into the box to instead toss the ball back toward his twin brother Ben about 25 yards out on the sideline.
Ben made that decision pay off, using free space to dribble in right and rocket an 18-yarder high inside the left post for a 3-2 lead with 26:32 left.
“They pretty much know we're going to hit the play long, and we go short,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “My assistant coach Mike Wiest called that right at that moment, and Ben just makes a little fake and gets off a great shot.”
Swicionis summed up the sequence, from unlikely throw-in target to his shot right on target.
“On the throw everyone expected it to go long obviously,” Ben Swicionis said. “I heard my coaches yell ‘Short.’ I kind of faked like I was walking off and then I checked toward the ball. And when I got it I was like, 'I could hit this.'
“I noticed a dude (Red Devils player) running super fast at me so I was like 'I don't know if it's smart to hit this.' But I cut, hit it and it went in.
“It's hard to explain because in a game as big as this you just act. It's not like you think about it. Just act.”
The huge stage that is Lyons vs. Hinsdale Central brought out hundreds of students from both schools and a large crowd despite the wet conditions. That’s all part of the tradition of an elite soccer rivalry that was nothing new to Swicionis.
“This game means everything,” he said. “My (older) brother (Jack) played here in two of these Hinsdale Central games. I understand how big this is for the town, the school, everything.
“It's not even our home field, and we have so many fans out here. I felt like I made my team proud and the town proud. I'm really happy about that.”
In a battle of teams that are exceptionally dangerous on set pieces, it was Lyons (9-1-3, 2-0-0), which just moved back into the top spot of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, that was especially sharp.
The Lions’ two first half goals came on redirects of long free kicks, and the goal that put them ahead 4-2 with 18:25 to go was also a unique throw-in outcome.
This time, Will Swicionis’ throw-in from 15 yards off the end line sailed into the crease, bouncing barely off an apparent touch by the Hinsdale Central goalkeeper and into the net.
“We run different plays for those (throw-ins) all the time,” Ben Swicionis said. “If they expect long, it's good to throw them off once in a while. And that's exactly what we did, because on the next couple throws they started bringing guys short and moving in, and we had more guys in the box (on the goal that made it 4-2).”
Hinsdale Central coach Mike Wiggins credited Lyons’ execution and aggressiveness.
“The reality is this,” Wiggins said. “You can draw up any set piece you want, you can have whatever long throw or kick, the bottom line is you want to be first to the ball. And if you're not first, you're going to have to deal with what follows.
“Those plays happened the way they did because that's how it played out. A credit to them for being first to the ball.”
Lyons added an insurance goal with 6:13 left when Austen Wisniewski was fouled on a run into the box. Haris Sarajlija powered home the ensuing penalty kick to make the score 5-2.
The Lions reclaimed the rivalry’s Silver Brick Trophy after a Hinsdale Central win on penalty kicks last season. The winning margin was unusual. After one-goal differences in seven of the last eight years, the 5-2 final was the biggest differential since the Red Devils won 3-0 in 2013.
“It was all about focusing in practices, dialing it in on set pieces and just getting it done,” Lyons junior defender Collin Sullivan said.
“Last year we didn't get the opportunity to (win). I felt bad for my brother (Jackson) and all the seniors that graduated, so this was a big win for them. We were fighting for them and fighting for ourselves. It was great to come back and beat them.”
Long before Lyons finally broke open a close and well-played game, the rivalry match was at the mercy of the weather.
Lightning and heavy rains delayed the expected 6:30 p.m. start until 7:52 p.m., adding a new layer of pregame tension to the usual Lions-Red Devils battle.
“We got the boys inside (to the Hinsdale Central gym) so we had a big space to get loose,” Labbato said. “That was good, but the kids were just antsy. They wanted this game to happen.
“They were saying 'No way we want to go home and come back and play this game some other day.' So they dealt with it very well. Me, I was nervous that I had to be nervous for another hour.”
Ben Swicionis summed up the emotions of the delay.
“We were in the gym, and we just wanted to get out there obviously,” he said. “We couldn't sit down. We were too amped up.
“People were like kicking the ball around, shooting baskets. Every time it (the starting time) got pushed back we were like 'You've got to be kidding me!’”
It wasn’t any happier a pregame for the home team.
“That was definitely hard,” Hinsdale Central’s Cody Jurgenson said. “We didn't know if we were ever going to play. We were sitting in here for like two hours. But we just tried to stay locked in. We just really wanted to get out there and play.”
The skies cleared and playing became a reality. And the no. 12 Red Devils (7-2-1, 1-1-0) came out blazing with the game’s first two quality chances, and eventually the first goal.
In the first 12 minutes, a trio of throw-ins inside the box area by Hinsdale Central’s Greg Theotikos were cleared by Lyons defenders, and Lion Liam Carolan similarly headed away an Austen Szurgot corner kick in that time span.
Lyons’ best threats early came six minutes in (star midfielder Patrick Kracker’s nice back-to-the-goal 10-yard boot that was deflected away by a Red Devil defender) and in the 19th minute (when Sarajlija powered a low liner just wide right off a throw-in).
A Theotikos initial header away of a Lyons corner kick and subsequent Henrique Ribeiro low save of a Sarjlija 28-yard rebound try denied a 25th-minute chance.
That all set the stage for a brilliant Red Devils goal with 12:02 left in the first half. Unfortunately, it produced an agonizing aftermath for the hosts.
The play that produced a 1-0 Red Devils lead began with Szurgot’s great sliding block of a Lyons midfield pass. That initiated a counterattack for Luca Davies, whose pass found Martin Montoya on the left side.
Montoya raced into the far-left edge of the box and powered in a tough-angle shot from six yards. But the celebration of a great goal was short lived when Montoya remained on the turf with a knee injury. An ambulance came and medical personnel took him off the field.
“That was really hard, seeing him go down after scoring such a great goal,” Jurgenson said. “It got us up 1-0, exactly what we wanted to happen. Then seeing him go down, waiting all that time, no one really knew what happened. So, it was definitely tough.
“We tried to use it as motivation though, to play for him and try to get this win for him. It's unfortunate that (win) didn’t happen, but you just hope he's recovering well.”
Wiggins headed to the hospital to check on Montoya after the 10 p.m. finish to the game, a rare moment when a loss in the Silver Brick series pales in significance.
“My thoughts are more toward him,” Wiggins said, “and more focused on is he OK, and that he heals properly, and that he's going to come back and get through this. He's a very talented player.”
When play resumed, the Red Devils briefly shook off the shocking injury to produce a quality Davies-to-Dayton DiTomasso-to-Braden Henry attack that Lyons eventually denied in the box.
Then 9:03 before halftime, a Lions’ set piece turned the momentum their way.
Sarajlija’s 40-yard free kick reached Kracker, who lined a left-side 10-yarder inside the right post to make the score 1-1.
“After their first goal some of our heads were down,” Sullivan said, “but we just needed to talk it over during that long break with the injury. We got ourselves together, focused and got the goal.”
Just over four minutes later, another longer free kick send (55 yards by Ben Swicionis) again paid off. This time, senior Jack Rempfer had his back to the goal and was fairly well marked, but still spun an eight-yard header into the net for a 2-1 halftime difference.
The effect of the Montoya injury on the game's momentum wasn’t lost on Labbato.
“We went through that a couple of years ago,” he said. “We had a kid carted off the field, and we were never the same after that. We had players just emotionally out of the game.
“But hats off to them (Hinsdale Central). They really pressed and played the full 80 minutes as hard as they could, and our guys had to respond.”
After the halftime intermission, the Red Devils came out more determined to win for their injured teammate than mourn the situation.
Just 1:29 into the second half, an Ardit Abdullai header deflected wide by the Lyons defense set up a corner kick.
Szurgot’s ensuing send initially produced two blocks in the box by the Lions. But the ball came out from the second block to Jurgenson, who blasted an 18-yard shot just inside the right post to tie the score 2-2.
“We were coming out hot in the second half,” Jurgenson said. “We needed a goal, and I was right place, right time. Top of the box and I just put it away.
“We were just trying to get shots on target. With the weather, everything was bouncing around.”
The ball was still bouncing the Red Devils’ way with 32:40 left, when Davies (who has a goal or assist in every game this season) burst into the box off a Henry pass and a close-in shot blocked, and his rebound try go wide left.
Ribeiro followed with a save on a Kracker distance shot with 30:05 to go. Lyons goalkeeper Connor Schmitt made a save on a Davies header two minutes later.
“We've been in this position before,” Jurgenson said of the Red Devils’ rally. “We knew we could come back and knew we could score: great attack; great defense.
“We really thought we would come back and win this game. We were just unlucky, and had a great opponent. Lyons is always super good, always with a good attack and good defenders. It's hard to score against them.”
Recent events show just how hard. Lyons had allowed just seven goals in its first 12 games this fall, including shutouts of frequent state final teams Naperville North, Libertyville and Morton.
That stingy defense carried the Lions the final 28 minutes of play Tuesday. And Ben Swicionis’ goal would put them ahead for keeps.
“Honestly I think it's our mentality,” Ben Swicionis said. “We lacked it a little bit today during the beginning. They (the Red Devils) got out to a hot start, but our guys knew we were going to do everything we can to win. We're going to work harder, create chances.”
Even seemingly gaining control late in the game, the Lions still faced a fired-up rival.
The Red Devils threatened with the score 4-2 and 8:45 left. But shots by Szurgot and Owen Peterson were blocked by Kracker and Carolan respectively, and Daniel Svelnis’ clear out of bounds provided the Lions a breather.
A Lyons’ PK goal soon followed for the final goal of the game, but the Red Devils battled to the finish.
Carolan again came up with a nice block on a John Knott shot with 1:50 left, and in the final minute, a threat featuring Christopher Azzo, Peterson and Alex Aschinberg was denied by Sullivan’s clear in front.
“Haris (Sarajlija) just played great,” Labbato said. “Patrick Kracker was the best in the middle, and in back Collin Sullivan was amazing.”
Abdullai was fouled to set up Hinsdale Central's last chance, but Szurgot’s 20-yard free kick went off the football crossbar as the final seconds passed.
“It was just having each other’s backs,” Sullivan said of the late defensive success. “In the first half I was really struggling with the lights. I could barely see the ball.
“The second half we were all talking to each other, telling who would step and who wouldn't. We were moving as a unit. It was a team effort.
“And every time they scored, we were able to respond,” Sullivan added.
After a long night of weather, Montoya’s injury and the loss, the Red Devils are already looking to respond themselves.
“This is something we haven't really been in all year,” Jurgenson said, “this kind of a game that was this emotional. This really prepares us well for state.
“We're almost definitely going to see them (Lyons) again. They're in our sectional. And it's going to be a great game the next time we see them.”
A great and unique day certainly awaits the Red Devils in their next game at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
“We turn our sights now to Naperville Central, and the (celebration of) 50 years of Hinsdale Central soccer,” Wiggins said. “We've got alumni from the last 50 years who are coming out. I'm getting e-mails from people daily saying they can't wait, or they're so sorry they couldn't make it and wanted to share stories.”
The latest story of the Hinsdale Central-Lyons rivalry had even more elements than usual.
“This game for the players is a very emotionally charged environment,” Wiggins said. “Its a game they very much look forward to being a part of. There are stories that last a lifetime.
“And tonight we have a weather delay, injury, we take the lead, give up the lead, come back to tie it, then they take back the lead. Credit to Lyons. They're always a good competitor for us.”
The Lions came off impressive shutout wins over Libertyville and Morton over the weekend. Then they were up to a huge task Tuesday.
“We fell behind early,” Labbato said, “and I was very excited for them to be able to come back and make that (win) happen.
“We’ve had a couple practices where we really focused. We felt we could have done this to any team all year, and we just haven't put it together on a consistent basis.
“Today it was a mentality about this rivalry and these players,” Labbato added. “Red Devils against Lyons. It's just a mentality.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK: Connor Schmitt
D: Igor Chrobotowicz
D: Collin Sullivan
D: Jack Rempfer
D: Liam Carolan
M: Haris Sarajlija
M: Ben Swicionis
M: Patrick Kracker
M: Will Swicionis
F: Larry Martinez
F: Brian Salvino
Hinsdale Central
GK: Henrique Ribeiro
D: Greg Theotikos
D: Kevin Gottschalk
D: Dayton DiTomasso
D: Oliver Pohlenz
M: Ardit Abdullai
M: Martin Montoya
M: Austen Szurgot
M: Cody Jurgenson
F: Luca Davies
F: Owen Peterson
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match:
Collin Sullivan, jr., D, Lyons;
Ben Swicionis, jr., MF, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
HC- Martin Montoya (Luca Davies), 28’
Lyons- Patrick Kracker (Haris Sarajlija), 31’
Lyons- Jack Rempfer (Ben Swicionis), 36’
Second half
HC- Cody Jurgenson, 42’
Lyons- Ben Swicionis (Will Swicionis), 54’
Lyons- Will Swicionis, 62’
Lyons- Sarjlija (PK), 74’