Lyons' Williams saves day vs. DGN in 2 OT
Defender’s 97th-minute strike delivers 1-0 WSC Silver win
By Matt Le Cren
DOWNERS GROVE – This may be the least-heralded team Lyons has fielded in Paul Labbato’s 11-year tenure as head coach.
It might also be the most underappreciated.
The Lions graduated their entire starting lineup from a team that won 18 games and a regional title last season, have no college-bound players and weren’t expected to do much.
Yet somehow they remain relevant.
Ty Williams scored off a beautiful free kick from fellow senior Skip Locke and the Lions knocked off host Downers Grove North 1-0 in double overtime Thursday at Carstens Field.
That ensured Lyons will finish no worse than third in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division standings. The Lions (12-6-0, 4-2-0) now have won two straight after suffering back-to-back losses to York and Glenbard West last week.
“It feels good,” Williams said. “We kind of lost a bit of momentum last week, so coming into this week we knew we needed to win another conference game to just make sure we reinstate the fact that we should be (seeded) third in sectionals because we’ve earned that position.”
Locke is of the opinion the Lions should be seeded second, behind only Morton, since Lyons beat second-seeded Hinsdale Central last month. He has a valid point.
“They think we got lucky because at the beginning of the year we had some tough losses, but that’s what happens when you play Libertyville and Naperville North your second and third game of the year,” Locke said. “You know what the top level is going to be like so we know what we’re going to have to bring in the playoffs in order to beat those top-caliber teams.”
No one, including Labbato, considered the Lions to be a top-caliber team when the season started. Those opinions remain, but the fact is Lyons should not be underestimated. This is a blue-collar team filled with unheralded players who have meshed well with one another.
“It’s just really been awesome, because we have a lot of great players all around,” Williams said. “I feel like there is really no drop-off when we make subs.
“We keep the same level of play. When someone comes in, everyone knows what they are doing. We are a very strong team when we play together.”
That’s what the Lions did in winning their final league game of the season in dramatic fashion. In what could be a preview of a regional final game, Lyons and Downers Grove North fought each other to a standstill for 96 minutes until the visitors broke through.
A dangerous play call gave the Lions a free kick from 26 yards on the right wing. Locke knew exactly what he was going to do.
“I was just thinking we were right on the top corner of the box,” Locke said. “I’ve taken that kick a thousand times.
“You just have to hit it right to the back post and there is always going to be someone there if roll it back there. Ty was right there. Perfect spot. Worked out perfect.”
Indeed, Locke’s serve went high over the defense and across the top of the 6 and found Williams crashing the back post. Downers Grove North goalie Gavin Crawson, who had to worry about another Lyons player breaking free down the middle, had no chance on the ball when that player let the ball go through to Williams.
“It couldn’t have been a better ball,” Williams said. “It got right behind the defense where they were reaching for it, but it was where the goalie is kind of indecisive, so it’s in a no-man’s land.”
That, according to Downers Grove North coach Mike Schmitt, was a no-no.
“It was a well-executed play,” Schmitt said. “It was just a bit of a lapse on our end defensively.
“At that point in the game, after you’ve put all that effort it, there shouldn’t be a guy running free on the back post like that, regardless of what they’re setting up and executing. We need to do a better job of defending our box in that scenario.”
Instead, the result was a familiar scenario for the Trojans (6-9-4, 1-4-0), who now have lost multiple games in double-overtime and are winless in their last 10 starts.
It was a game North nearly won late in regulation.
Ramsey Forst whipped a lead pass into the left side of the box to an onrushing Braeden Gagliano, but Lyons goalie Gavin Fertitta made a diving save with 2:15 remaining.
Fertitta made three saves after relieving starter Bradley DeBoer at halftime, but he wasn’t tested in either sudden-death overtime as the Lions slowly started to take control.
Lyons nearly won it three minutes before Williams scored. Jonny Gray sprinted through the defense and into the box but Crawson rushed out to slide tackle the ball away.
“It was a really exciting game,” Schmitt said. “It’s unfortunate that we’ve been on this side of the game.
“This is our third double-overtime loss of the season. We’re kind of in a rut that we’re trying to get ourselves out of, but I think the positive thing is we did play really well today.
“Tuesday (against York) we did not play all that well, and it was a really good to come back and play this well against a really good team. So I was very proud of our guys to show that today.”
While both teams were already eliminated from the Silver Division race and the playoff seedings have been determined, Labbato said it was still important to play well even though he didn’t want to show a possible playoff opponent everything he had.
“This is a team we’re going to see again, and we’re figuring out what we’re each going to do against each other the next time we potentially see them,” Labbato said. “I felt like we played pretty well between the 30s but had a hard time getting in.
“I felt like we played better against the wind which was a little more of a shocker. We had more chances.
“I’m just happy to get out of here positively and move forward with something to build on to make this playoff run. Every team is trying to get some confidence.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK Bradley DeBoer
D Ty Williams
D Rory McLean
D Tommy Abbs
D Kyle Reblin
D Jason Lichtenauer
M Skip Locke
M Mike Niedermeyer
F Teddy Atseff
F Nolan O’Malley
F Jonny Gray
Downers Grove North
GK Gavin Crowson
D Ryan Newstrom
D Will Thomas
D Brian Benton
D Nick Eshghy
M Peter Bednar
M Connor Chapa
M Alessandro Karrow
M Trygve Hansen
M Andrew Janowiak
F Brendan Gagliano
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match – Ty Williams, sr., D, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
None
Second half
None
First overtime
None
Second overtime
Lyons – Ty Williams (Skip Locke) 3:55
Defender’s 97th-minute strike delivers 1-0 WSC Silver win
By Matt Le Cren
DOWNERS GROVE – This may be the least-heralded team Lyons has fielded in Paul Labbato’s 11-year tenure as head coach.
It might also be the most underappreciated.
The Lions graduated their entire starting lineup from a team that won 18 games and a regional title last season, have no college-bound players and weren’t expected to do much.
Yet somehow they remain relevant.
Ty Williams scored off a beautiful free kick from fellow senior Skip Locke and the Lions knocked off host Downers Grove North 1-0 in double overtime Thursday at Carstens Field.
That ensured Lyons will finish no worse than third in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division standings. The Lions (12-6-0, 4-2-0) now have won two straight after suffering back-to-back losses to York and Glenbard West last week.
“It feels good,” Williams said. “We kind of lost a bit of momentum last week, so coming into this week we knew we needed to win another conference game to just make sure we reinstate the fact that we should be (seeded) third in sectionals because we’ve earned that position.”
Locke is of the opinion the Lions should be seeded second, behind only Morton, since Lyons beat second-seeded Hinsdale Central last month. He has a valid point.
“They think we got lucky because at the beginning of the year we had some tough losses, but that’s what happens when you play Libertyville and Naperville North your second and third game of the year,” Locke said. “You know what the top level is going to be like so we know what we’re going to have to bring in the playoffs in order to beat those top-caliber teams.”
No one, including Labbato, considered the Lions to be a top-caliber team when the season started. Those opinions remain, but the fact is Lyons should not be underestimated. This is a blue-collar team filled with unheralded players who have meshed well with one another.
“It’s just really been awesome, because we have a lot of great players all around,” Williams said. “I feel like there is really no drop-off when we make subs.
“We keep the same level of play. When someone comes in, everyone knows what they are doing. We are a very strong team when we play together.”
That’s what the Lions did in winning their final league game of the season in dramatic fashion. In what could be a preview of a regional final game, Lyons and Downers Grove North fought each other to a standstill for 96 minutes until the visitors broke through.
A dangerous play call gave the Lions a free kick from 26 yards on the right wing. Locke knew exactly what he was going to do.
“I was just thinking we were right on the top corner of the box,” Locke said. “I’ve taken that kick a thousand times.
“You just have to hit it right to the back post and there is always going to be someone there if roll it back there. Ty was right there. Perfect spot. Worked out perfect.”
Indeed, Locke’s serve went high over the defense and across the top of the 6 and found Williams crashing the back post. Downers Grove North goalie Gavin Crawson, who had to worry about another Lyons player breaking free down the middle, had no chance on the ball when that player let the ball go through to Williams.
“It couldn’t have been a better ball,” Williams said. “It got right behind the defense where they were reaching for it, but it was where the goalie is kind of indecisive, so it’s in a no-man’s land.”
That, according to Downers Grove North coach Mike Schmitt, was a no-no.
“It was a well-executed play,” Schmitt said. “It was just a bit of a lapse on our end defensively.
“At that point in the game, after you’ve put all that effort it, there shouldn’t be a guy running free on the back post like that, regardless of what they’re setting up and executing. We need to do a better job of defending our box in that scenario.”
Instead, the result was a familiar scenario for the Trojans (6-9-4, 1-4-0), who now have lost multiple games in double-overtime and are winless in their last 10 starts.
It was a game North nearly won late in regulation.
Ramsey Forst whipped a lead pass into the left side of the box to an onrushing Braeden Gagliano, but Lyons goalie Gavin Fertitta made a diving save with 2:15 remaining.
Fertitta made three saves after relieving starter Bradley DeBoer at halftime, but he wasn’t tested in either sudden-death overtime as the Lions slowly started to take control.
Lyons nearly won it three minutes before Williams scored. Jonny Gray sprinted through the defense and into the box but Crawson rushed out to slide tackle the ball away.
“It was a really exciting game,” Schmitt said. “It’s unfortunate that we’ve been on this side of the game.
“This is our third double-overtime loss of the season. We’re kind of in a rut that we’re trying to get ourselves out of, but I think the positive thing is we did play really well today.
“Tuesday (against York) we did not play all that well, and it was a really good to come back and play this well against a really good team. So I was very proud of our guys to show that today.”
While both teams were already eliminated from the Silver Division race and the playoff seedings have been determined, Labbato said it was still important to play well even though he didn’t want to show a possible playoff opponent everything he had.
“This is a team we’re going to see again, and we’re figuring out what we’re each going to do against each other the next time we potentially see them,” Labbato said. “I felt like we played pretty well between the 30s but had a hard time getting in.
“I felt like we played better against the wind which was a little more of a shocker. We had more chances.
“I’m just happy to get out of here positively and move forward with something to build on to make this playoff run. Every team is trying to get some confidence.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK Bradley DeBoer
D Ty Williams
D Rory McLean
D Tommy Abbs
D Kyle Reblin
D Jason Lichtenauer
M Skip Locke
M Mike Niedermeyer
F Teddy Atseff
F Nolan O’Malley
F Jonny Gray
Downers Grove North
GK Gavin Crowson
D Ryan Newstrom
D Will Thomas
D Brian Benton
D Nick Eshghy
M Peter Bednar
M Connor Chapa
M Alessandro Karrow
M Trygve Hansen
M Andrew Janowiak
F Brendan Gagliano
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match – Ty Williams, sr., D, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
None
Second half
None
First overtime
None
Second overtime
Lyons – Ty Williams (Skip Locke) 3:55