Lyons' actions speak loudly vs Naperville N.
Lions upset no. 1 team; end NN's season-opening success skein
By Bobby Narang
NAPERVILLE -- Lyons sophomore forward Austin Wiesnewski kept his words to a minimum Thursday night.
Senior goalie Luke Stockbridge let his energy do the talking, rattling off words to describe the memorable moment until a wave of emotions left him speechless.
Meanwhile, senior forward Anthony Curran had no such problems describing the enormity of Thursday’s 2-0 road victory over Naperville North.
There was a broad range of emotions for the Lions’ players and coaching staff after beating the top-ranked team in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 state-wide preseason poll. This was no ordinary early-season victory.
Going as far back as the Chicagoland Soccer archives allowed, Naperville North had gone 9-0-2 in the opening game of the season. That mark included two wins and a tie against the Lions.
Even Lyons coach Paul Labbato got into the post-match excitement, gathering his team for a team photo near the 25-yard line that showed the scoreboard in the background.
“Well, we don’t beat Naperville North very often,” said Labbato, who sported an ear-to-ear smile. “I can’t think of the last time we beat them, probably a long time ago. We’ve got ties and losses many times playing here, so this is a huge win.
“We don’t win here very often. We’re excited. Our boys came out and really amped up the intensity. Our defense and goalkeeping is one of the best I’ve seen. It was just fantastic all the way through.
“We were able to shut down some fantastic players. That team is going to grow and get better. It was their first game, but we’ll take this and start building off this in each and every practice and game.”
The Lions, who are ranked fifth by Chicagoland Soccer, failed to score a goal in the opener on Monday in a tie against Sandburg.
Wiesnewski, playing in just his second varsity game, made sure that wouldn’t reoccur. He scored the Lions (1-0-1) first goal of the season, taking a cross from reserve Liam Carolan to knock in the opening goal with 1:06 left in the first half.
“I made a quick run and got a great ball from my teammate,” Wiesnewski said. “I was just really hoping to get a good touch on the ball and for it to go into the net. This is a pretty big win, got a couple of speeches from the seniors. They said it was our first win over (Naperville North) in 15 years. It was a really special goal for me and the team.”
Labbato credited his two reserves, Wiesnewski and Carolan, for taking advantage of a loose ball that bounced right to Carolan, who used his speed to create an opening.
“We have some speed guys and some savvy seniors and just rotated a few guys in on the outside, and we were able to catch them by surprise going around the edges,” Labbato said. “Austin and Liam both came off the bench. We brought those guys in because we knew they had the effort and the speed and were chomping at the bit to get into the game.
“Liam just gets around the edge and is so fast. I thought that ball on the goal was going to go out, but he’s so fast. We work on that all the time. He slots it and the guy makes the right run and gets the tap-in that we coaches talk about all the time.”
Stockbridge finished with seven saves to highlight Lyons’ victory. He tallied four saves in the first half, including bobbling a save and recovering the loose ball just 38 seconds into the match. Stockbridge saved the shutout with two saves in the final three minutes, punctuating the solid defensive showing by the Lions.
“It was really awesome and a high-energy game,” Stockbridge said. “We knew they had four or five all-state returning midfielders and forwards, so I knew I would be under a lot of pressure.
“The defense played absolutely amazing. I had some nerves early and was locked in after that first save.”
Curran added his own signature to the victory, knocking in an insurance goal, off an assist Finn Mahaney, with 22:55 remaining in the match. Curran tapped in a shot from in front of the net from 10 yards.
“I was just trying to run into open space, so my teammate Patrick Kracker could run in behind me, but the pass was so accurate that it hit me in the face,” he said. “This win means a lot for me, especially since I know so many guys on their team, like Alex Barger, Jacob Ryu, Jaxon Grier, Patrick Horn and Cam Radeke all played (club) soccer with them for the past four years.
“I know how good they are. Before we got here, I was telling my coach that we need to lock them up. We did that today. Our defense was absolutely incredible.”
After weather issues the previous two days throughout the area, the Huskies and Lions played under near perfect conditions on Thursday night.
Naperville North saw its scheduled season-opener Tuesday against West Chicago postponed.
Ryu, a senior midfielder, said the Huskies (0-1-0) can learn from the difficult loss to start the season.
“I think it’s a new team, and we’re all young with a new backline. We are learning and getting used to the feel and playing with each other,” Ryu said. “We definitely have the potential. We just weren’t connecting as well. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Horn made a solid statement with his play in the net for the Huskies. He racked us five saves, three in the first half. He made a diving save to knock out a potential goal midway through the first half among his many big plays.
Naperville North enters the season with just one returning starter on the backline. Huskies coach Jim Konrad said his team is a work in progress.
“Lyons really deserved to win and probably could’ve scored two more goals,” Konrad said. “That’s why we load the season with great teams. We want to know where we’re at.
“Maybe all that hype about us isn’t deserved right now. Hopefully, we can grow into it and earn that respect as the season goes on.
“We have to develop our backline, and that has to get better. Our top returning kids have to do a better job of filling the gaps. Patrick Horn made some great saves, kept us in it.”
With the Huskies seeking their fourth state title since 2016, Barger said the Huskies can use Thursday’s defeat as motivation for the rest of the season.
The Chicagoland Soccer all-state, who scored 13 goals and tallied seven assists in the 13-game spring season, said the Huskies have to regroup before Saturday’s noon road match against second-ranked Morton.
“I believe we discovered that we have lots of things that we need to touch up on,” Barger said. “We worked hard in the preseason, but we still need to find that work ethic to fulfill some of the high goals we have set for ourselves.
“We faced some of those challenges tonight against a high-quality opponent. Tonight’s game will be used as a reminder for us that nothing comes without work. We have to move on and prepare for the next game.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK Luke Stockbridge
D Ryan Herchenroether
D Jackson Sullivan
D Dom Panopoulos
D Fisher Daniels
M Patrick Kracker
M Colin Sullivan
M Aidan Hilling
F Anthony Curran
F Finn Mahaney
F Zach Steck
Naperville North
GK Patrick Horn
D Ryan Conrad
D Adam Zielke
D Cole Ritzmann
M Bryan Higgs
M Caden Hill
M Jacob Ryu
F Cam Radeke
F Alex Barger
F Keegan Flaherty
F Tyson Amoo-Mensah
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Austin Wiesnewski, so., F, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
Lyons — Austin Wiesnewski (Liam Carolan),
39th minute
Second half
Lyons — Anthony Curran (Finn Mahaney),
58th minute
Lions upset no. 1 team; end NN's season-opening success skein
By Bobby Narang
NAPERVILLE -- Lyons sophomore forward Austin Wiesnewski kept his words to a minimum Thursday night.
Senior goalie Luke Stockbridge let his energy do the talking, rattling off words to describe the memorable moment until a wave of emotions left him speechless.
Meanwhile, senior forward Anthony Curran had no such problems describing the enormity of Thursday’s 2-0 road victory over Naperville North.
There was a broad range of emotions for the Lions’ players and coaching staff after beating the top-ranked team in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 state-wide preseason poll. This was no ordinary early-season victory.
Going as far back as the Chicagoland Soccer archives allowed, Naperville North had gone 9-0-2 in the opening game of the season. That mark included two wins and a tie against the Lions.
Even Lyons coach Paul Labbato got into the post-match excitement, gathering his team for a team photo near the 25-yard line that showed the scoreboard in the background.
“Well, we don’t beat Naperville North very often,” said Labbato, who sported an ear-to-ear smile. “I can’t think of the last time we beat them, probably a long time ago. We’ve got ties and losses many times playing here, so this is a huge win.
“We don’t win here very often. We’re excited. Our boys came out and really amped up the intensity. Our defense and goalkeeping is one of the best I’ve seen. It was just fantastic all the way through.
“We were able to shut down some fantastic players. That team is going to grow and get better. It was their first game, but we’ll take this and start building off this in each and every practice and game.”
The Lions, who are ranked fifth by Chicagoland Soccer, failed to score a goal in the opener on Monday in a tie against Sandburg.
Wiesnewski, playing in just his second varsity game, made sure that wouldn’t reoccur. He scored the Lions (1-0-1) first goal of the season, taking a cross from reserve Liam Carolan to knock in the opening goal with 1:06 left in the first half.
“I made a quick run and got a great ball from my teammate,” Wiesnewski said. “I was just really hoping to get a good touch on the ball and for it to go into the net. This is a pretty big win, got a couple of speeches from the seniors. They said it was our first win over (Naperville North) in 15 years. It was a really special goal for me and the team.”
Labbato credited his two reserves, Wiesnewski and Carolan, for taking advantage of a loose ball that bounced right to Carolan, who used his speed to create an opening.
“We have some speed guys and some savvy seniors and just rotated a few guys in on the outside, and we were able to catch them by surprise going around the edges,” Labbato said. “Austin and Liam both came off the bench. We brought those guys in because we knew they had the effort and the speed and were chomping at the bit to get into the game.
“Liam just gets around the edge and is so fast. I thought that ball on the goal was going to go out, but he’s so fast. We work on that all the time. He slots it and the guy makes the right run and gets the tap-in that we coaches talk about all the time.”
Stockbridge finished with seven saves to highlight Lyons’ victory. He tallied four saves in the first half, including bobbling a save and recovering the loose ball just 38 seconds into the match. Stockbridge saved the shutout with two saves in the final three minutes, punctuating the solid defensive showing by the Lions.
“It was really awesome and a high-energy game,” Stockbridge said. “We knew they had four or five all-state returning midfielders and forwards, so I knew I would be under a lot of pressure.
“The defense played absolutely amazing. I had some nerves early and was locked in after that first save.”
Curran added his own signature to the victory, knocking in an insurance goal, off an assist Finn Mahaney, with 22:55 remaining in the match. Curran tapped in a shot from in front of the net from 10 yards.
“I was just trying to run into open space, so my teammate Patrick Kracker could run in behind me, but the pass was so accurate that it hit me in the face,” he said. “This win means a lot for me, especially since I know so many guys on their team, like Alex Barger, Jacob Ryu, Jaxon Grier, Patrick Horn and Cam Radeke all played (club) soccer with them for the past four years.
“I know how good they are. Before we got here, I was telling my coach that we need to lock them up. We did that today. Our defense was absolutely incredible.”
After weather issues the previous two days throughout the area, the Huskies and Lions played under near perfect conditions on Thursday night.
Naperville North saw its scheduled season-opener Tuesday against West Chicago postponed.
Ryu, a senior midfielder, said the Huskies (0-1-0) can learn from the difficult loss to start the season.
“I think it’s a new team, and we’re all young with a new backline. We are learning and getting used to the feel and playing with each other,” Ryu said. “We definitely have the potential. We just weren’t connecting as well. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Horn made a solid statement with his play in the net for the Huskies. He racked us five saves, three in the first half. He made a diving save to knock out a potential goal midway through the first half among his many big plays.
Naperville North enters the season with just one returning starter on the backline. Huskies coach Jim Konrad said his team is a work in progress.
“Lyons really deserved to win and probably could’ve scored two more goals,” Konrad said. “That’s why we load the season with great teams. We want to know where we’re at.
“Maybe all that hype about us isn’t deserved right now. Hopefully, we can grow into it and earn that respect as the season goes on.
“We have to develop our backline, and that has to get better. Our top returning kids have to do a better job of filling the gaps. Patrick Horn made some great saves, kept us in it.”
With the Huskies seeking their fourth state title since 2016, Barger said the Huskies can use Thursday’s defeat as motivation for the rest of the season.
The Chicagoland Soccer all-state, who scored 13 goals and tallied seven assists in the 13-game spring season, said the Huskies have to regroup before Saturday’s noon road match against second-ranked Morton.
“I believe we discovered that we have lots of things that we need to touch up on,” Barger said. “We worked hard in the preseason, but we still need to find that work ethic to fulfill some of the high goals we have set for ourselves.
“We faced some of those challenges tonight against a high-quality opponent. Tonight’s game will be used as a reminder for us that nothing comes without work. We have to move on and prepare for the next game.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK Luke Stockbridge
D Ryan Herchenroether
D Jackson Sullivan
D Dom Panopoulos
D Fisher Daniels
M Patrick Kracker
M Colin Sullivan
M Aidan Hilling
F Anthony Curran
F Finn Mahaney
F Zach Steck
Naperville North
GK Patrick Horn
D Ryan Conrad
D Adam Zielke
D Cole Ritzmann
M Bryan Higgs
M Caden Hill
M Jacob Ryu
F Cam Radeke
F Alex Barger
F Keegan Flaherty
F Tyson Amoo-Mensah
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Austin Wiesnewski, so., F, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
Lyons — Austin Wiesnewski (Liam Carolan),
39th minute
Second half
Lyons — Anthony Curran (Finn Mahaney),
58th minute