Naperville North, Lyons fit to be tied
Late Lutrell score draws Lions even in Top 10 battle
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE -- The story has become a familiar one for Lyons.
The Lions would do all they could to battle Naperville North before losing a hard-fought, often close game.
So it went again for 74 minutes Thursday.
Then Jack Luttrell changed the narrative.
Luttrell, who was not in the starting lineup, intercepted a goal kick about 40 yards from the Naperville North net and took off like he was shot out of a cannon. He raced past two defenders before sliding a shot past charging goalkeeper Jason Barba.
The goal -- the first of Luttrell’s high school career -- tied the game with 5:41 left in the second half, and the visiting Lions, ranked ninth in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 preseason poll, held on for a 1-1 draw with the three-time defending state champion and top-ranked Naperville North.
“I saw it go between two defenders, and I kind of just ran through, and I was lucky that I was just faster than them,” Luttrell said. “The post was on my side on the goal. When I scored that, it was probably the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life.”
It was certainly the most unexpected. Luttrell, a 6-foot-4 junior, is Lyon’s tallest player, which makes him estimably suited to play center back, which is his main position.
But he’s listed on the roster as a defender/forward and if Thursday’s performance is any indication, Luttrell might see more playing time up-top, especially if starting center backs Graham Bearman and Zack Kristy can consistently replicate their outstanding effort against the Huskies.
“(Luttrell) is a center back/forward so we don’t know where he works best for us,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “But if he keeps putting in gigantic goals, we’re going to consider him being a forward this year.”
Luttrell doesn’t mind where he plays.
“As long as I’m on the soccer field that’s all I can ask for, especially with these players,” Luttrell said. “They are all my friends and nothing beats playing with them.”
That’s especially true when it includes scoring against the Huskies, one of the few programs that can consistently beat the Lions. Since Lyon’s last win over Naperville North in 2015, the two sides played to a tie in 2016 before the Huskies won the next three meetings, including a 1-0 supersectional win last season.
Little wonder, then, why the Lions reacted to Luttrell’s goal is if it was a game-winner and not merely the equalizer.
“It was quite a sight,” Kristy said. “We were all so excited.
“We started screaming and sprinting towards him. It was a great feeling.”
One which Labbato hopes will be repeated often this fall. If Lyon’s backline plays the way it did Thursday, that’s a plausible scenario.
Kristy was especially outstanding, helping to hold Ohio State recruit Ty Konrad without a shot. The Huskies, who had the better of the play in the first half, mustered only three shots in the second half.
“I’m very proud of how hard we played,” Labbato said. “We contained their top guys.
“Our center backs played out of their minds. Kristy had some big 1-on-1 tackles with Konrad and the other forward that slowed down what they did.”
The Lions actually generated more set pieces than the Huskies did, especially in the second half. They defended throw-ins particularly well, something that few teams have done against the Huskies in recent years.
“On every one of their set pieces, all of us were communicating, passing guys on, always making sure we stepped into (passing lanes),” Kristy said. “That was how we were able to keep their set pieces to a minimum.”
The Huskies (0-0-2) came up empty on four corner kicks and four free kicks as well as all of their throw-ins.
“We just went after every air ball, because we knew they are a team that’s dangerous in the air,” Luttrell said. “We used our advantage as best as we could to minimize their best players, and they really couldn’t do anything.”
Indeed, Naperville North’s only goal came on senior Zach Smith’s penalty kick at the 35:35 mark of the first half, a tally that looked like it would stand up as the game-winner.
But the Huskies failed to add to their lead. One reason was the absence of Bowling Green-bound striker Patrick Koenig, who scored in Monday’s season-opening 2-2 tie with West Chicago but later left that game with a high ankle sprain. Koenig is expected to miss several weeks.
His absence and the draw with Lyons have put a bit of a damper on the Huskies mojo. Their 45-game winning streak was snapped in a 2-2 draw with West Chicago on Monday, but are still unbeaten in their last 47.
“I guess there is room to improve everywhere,” Smith said. “Definitely compared to last season we started off the season slow this year.
“It’s going to take time, but it will come. It’s the little things. We can’t do much but keep practicing, keep working as hard as we can and hopefully we can get the result.”
The Lions and Huskies got the same result but had differing reactions. It felt like a loss to the Huskies, though Smith said Luttrell earned his goal.
“A great run from him,” Smith said. “He had a great goal, and I give him credit for it, but we’ve just got some work to do to get our heads straight.
“We’ll get going. I’m confident in that.”
The Lions (0-0-2) are more confident now than they were after Tuesday’s 1-1 tie with Sandburg, in which they conceded the tying goal late in the second half. So Labbato knows how the Huskies are feeling.
“The exact opposite happened to us on Tuesday,” Labbato said. “We were ahead, got tied late, so it felt like a loss, and it was a gloomy Wednesday; are we good enough? Do we really have the heart to get in it with good teams?
“Two days later, all of a sudden we’re answering those questions. We can compete with the best teams in the state.”
The Lions and Huskies, of course, were two of the top eight teams in the state last season and there is no reason to think that will change this fall. They conceivably could meet again deep in the playoffs.
“I definitely think that (this result) means we can have a very (long) playoff run,” Luttrell said. “If we can be (even) with the state champs, I think that means we can do anything.”
Naperville North coach Jim Konrad thinks the same of his squad, which still hasn’t lost in nearly two full calendar years.
“In a regular year we’re going to get people’s best shot and especially with what’s been going on lately we’re going to get great effort and that’s why we play teams like Lyons,” Jim Konrad said. “They’re a program that we aspire to be like, and I think they feel the same way about us.
“It’s a friendly rivalry. Paul is an amazing coach, and their kids give us a great effort.
“That’s what happened today. It could have gone either way. It’s probably a fair result.”
Yet it’s not one Konrad is satisfied with.
“Our boys need to raise their level,” he said. “We’re going to have to get better. We can’t rely on the past.
“But I love that the boys played hard, because (Lyons) was super dangerous on restarts. It was a good test for us.”
More are to come, starting with Saturday’s trip to Berwyn to take on traditional power Morton. Smith likes it that way.
“We’re always going to have a target on our backs,” Smith said. “You’ve got to have fun with it.
“I love the pressure. It’s really an honor.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK Bradley De Boer
D Tommy Abbs
D Cameron Labbato
D Graham Bearman
D Zack Kristy
M Mike Niedermeyer
M Jackson Turner
M Tim Slusarczyk
F Max Behm
F Julio Torres
F Jake Fraser
Naperville North
GK Jason Barba
D Christian Romano
D Myles Barry
D Alex Bargern
M Evan Thompson
M Tyson Amoo-Mensah
M Zach Smith
M Nata Rojas
M Cesar Recendez
F Ali Khorfan
F Ty Konrad
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Zack Kristy, sr., D, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
Naperville North: Zach Smith (PK) 35:35
Second half
Lyons: Jack Luttrell (UA) 5:41
Late Lutrell score draws Lions even in Top 10 battle
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE -- The story has become a familiar one for Lyons.
The Lions would do all they could to battle Naperville North before losing a hard-fought, often close game.
So it went again for 74 minutes Thursday.
Then Jack Luttrell changed the narrative.
Luttrell, who was not in the starting lineup, intercepted a goal kick about 40 yards from the Naperville North net and took off like he was shot out of a cannon. He raced past two defenders before sliding a shot past charging goalkeeper Jason Barba.
The goal -- the first of Luttrell’s high school career -- tied the game with 5:41 left in the second half, and the visiting Lions, ranked ninth in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 preseason poll, held on for a 1-1 draw with the three-time defending state champion and top-ranked Naperville North.
“I saw it go between two defenders, and I kind of just ran through, and I was lucky that I was just faster than them,” Luttrell said. “The post was on my side on the goal. When I scored that, it was probably the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life.”
It was certainly the most unexpected. Luttrell, a 6-foot-4 junior, is Lyon’s tallest player, which makes him estimably suited to play center back, which is his main position.
But he’s listed on the roster as a defender/forward and if Thursday’s performance is any indication, Luttrell might see more playing time up-top, especially if starting center backs Graham Bearman and Zack Kristy can consistently replicate their outstanding effort against the Huskies.
“(Luttrell) is a center back/forward so we don’t know where he works best for us,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “But if he keeps putting in gigantic goals, we’re going to consider him being a forward this year.”
Luttrell doesn’t mind where he plays.
“As long as I’m on the soccer field that’s all I can ask for, especially with these players,” Luttrell said. “They are all my friends and nothing beats playing with them.”
That’s especially true when it includes scoring against the Huskies, one of the few programs that can consistently beat the Lions. Since Lyon’s last win over Naperville North in 2015, the two sides played to a tie in 2016 before the Huskies won the next three meetings, including a 1-0 supersectional win last season.
Little wonder, then, why the Lions reacted to Luttrell’s goal is if it was a game-winner and not merely the equalizer.
“It was quite a sight,” Kristy said. “We were all so excited.
“We started screaming and sprinting towards him. It was a great feeling.”
One which Labbato hopes will be repeated often this fall. If Lyon’s backline plays the way it did Thursday, that’s a plausible scenario.
Kristy was especially outstanding, helping to hold Ohio State recruit Ty Konrad without a shot. The Huskies, who had the better of the play in the first half, mustered only three shots in the second half.
“I’m very proud of how hard we played,” Labbato said. “We contained their top guys.
“Our center backs played out of their minds. Kristy had some big 1-on-1 tackles with Konrad and the other forward that slowed down what they did.”
The Lions actually generated more set pieces than the Huskies did, especially in the second half. They defended throw-ins particularly well, something that few teams have done against the Huskies in recent years.
“On every one of their set pieces, all of us were communicating, passing guys on, always making sure we stepped into (passing lanes),” Kristy said. “That was how we were able to keep their set pieces to a minimum.”
The Huskies (0-0-2) came up empty on four corner kicks and four free kicks as well as all of their throw-ins.
“We just went after every air ball, because we knew they are a team that’s dangerous in the air,” Luttrell said. “We used our advantage as best as we could to minimize their best players, and they really couldn’t do anything.”
Indeed, Naperville North’s only goal came on senior Zach Smith’s penalty kick at the 35:35 mark of the first half, a tally that looked like it would stand up as the game-winner.
But the Huskies failed to add to their lead. One reason was the absence of Bowling Green-bound striker Patrick Koenig, who scored in Monday’s season-opening 2-2 tie with West Chicago but later left that game with a high ankle sprain. Koenig is expected to miss several weeks.
His absence and the draw with Lyons have put a bit of a damper on the Huskies mojo. Their 45-game winning streak was snapped in a 2-2 draw with West Chicago on Monday, but are still unbeaten in their last 47.
“I guess there is room to improve everywhere,” Smith said. “Definitely compared to last season we started off the season slow this year.
“It’s going to take time, but it will come. It’s the little things. We can’t do much but keep practicing, keep working as hard as we can and hopefully we can get the result.”
The Lions and Huskies got the same result but had differing reactions. It felt like a loss to the Huskies, though Smith said Luttrell earned his goal.
“A great run from him,” Smith said. “He had a great goal, and I give him credit for it, but we’ve just got some work to do to get our heads straight.
“We’ll get going. I’m confident in that.”
The Lions (0-0-2) are more confident now than they were after Tuesday’s 1-1 tie with Sandburg, in which they conceded the tying goal late in the second half. So Labbato knows how the Huskies are feeling.
“The exact opposite happened to us on Tuesday,” Labbato said. “We were ahead, got tied late, so it felt like a loss, and it was a gloomy Wednesday; are we good enough? Do we really have the heart to get in it with good teams?
“Two days later, all of a sudden we’re answering those questions. We can compete with the best teams in the state.”
The Lions and Huskies, of course, were two of the top eight teams in the state last season and there is no reason to think that will change this fall. They conceivably could meet again deep in the playoffs.
“I definitely think that (this result) means we can have a very (long) playoff run,” Luttrell said. “If we can be (even) with the state champs, I think that means we can do anything.”
Naperville North coach Jim Konrad thinks the same of his squad, which still hasn’t lost in nearly two full calendar years.
“In a regular year we’re going to get people’s best shot and especially with what’s been going on lately we’re going to get great effort and that’s why we play teams like Lyons,” Jim Konrad said. “They’re a program that we aspire to be like, and I think they feel the same way about us.
“It’s a friendly rivalry. Paul is an amazing coach, and their kids give us a great effort.
“That’s what happened today. It could have gone either way. It’s probably a fair result.”
Yet it’s not one Konrad is satisfied with.
“Our boys need to raise their level,” he said. “We’re going to have to get better. We can’t rely on the past.
“But I love that the boys played hard, because (Lyons) was super dangerous on restarts. It was a good test for us.”
More are to come, starting with Saturday’s trip to Berwyn to take on traditional power Morton. Smith likes it that way.
“We’re always going to have a target on our backs,” Smith said. “You’ve got to have fun with it.
“I love the pressure. It’s really an honor.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK Bradley De Boer
D Tommy Abbs
D Cameron Labbato
D Graham Bearman
D Zack Kristy
M Mike Niedermeyer
M Jackson Turner
M Tim Slusarczyk
F Max Behm
F Julio Torres
F Jake Fraser
Naperville North
GK Jason Barba
D Christian Romano
D Myles Barry
D Alex Bargern
M Evan Thompson
M Tyson Amoo-Mensah
M Zach Smith
M Nata Rojas
M Cesar Recendez
F Ali Khorfan
F Ty Konrad
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Zack Kristy, sr., D, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
Naperville North: Zach Smith (PK) 35:35
Second half
Lyons: Jack Luttrell (UA) 5:41