Lyons’ fast start, strong finish
closes out York
Jack Luttrell’s 2 assists power 3-0 Silver Division victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
ELMHURST — The speed of the game intertwined against the random sequencing of events often means actions of consequence happen not just side by side, but literally on top of each other.
Lyons took the lead against York 1-0 in the 11th minute thanks to the electric-shotmaking ability of senior forward Jack Luttrell. He worked the left edge and created the necessary space for a sharp cross that forward Timothy Slusarczyk finished with grace and ease.
For the expansive chunk of time that followed, anything could have literally happened. Lyons took the better of the play and the stronger moments of pressure and possession.
York was there, and the Dukes seemed poised to create a fantastic equalizer of their own as the the second half approached its midpoint.
On the right wing, junior midfielder Kevin Gliatis achieved the necessary separation and angle of attack. He blasted a sidewinder from about 19 yards on frame. The game hung very much in the balance. Lions keeper Johnny Laczynski responded with a breathtaking stop that maintained the Lions narrow margin.
Four minutes later, Lyons scored two goals.
“I think the save from Johnny really gave us confidence,” Lyons’s forward Maxwell Behm said. “A couple of minutes after that, we scored a goal and that opened up for another goal a couple of minutes later.
“The energy from that save helped us out.”
It came in a game interlaced with hundreds of plays, acts and moments that could have changed the balance of the game.
Luttrell had two assists as the Lyons, ranked no. 2 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, showcased a high style and electric forward action in the 3-0 victory in West Suburban Conference Silver Division play Thursday night.
Ranked first a week ago, Lyons (7-1-0, 4-0-0) suffered its only blemish against Addison Trail on March 27. The result of that game pervaded a somewhat sluggish and uncertain performance on Tuesday against Glenbard West.
“There are a lot of big games coming up,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “They didn’t like underperforming to their own standards a week ago.”
Any season, regardless of the duration, is set to have almost contradictory, up-and-down rhythms. In a special spring season with all the normal rules upended, anything can happen.
Lyons was determined to get its groove back.
“We came from a difficult last couple of games, so we played with a real fire,” Luttrell said. “I thought we brought that intensity from the get-go. We were all over them. We were going hard. We were pressing them. We knew what we wanted to do by attacking their outside backs. We are better one-on-one in those areas.
“We were doing that the whole game.”
By contrast, York coach Jordan Stopka could only lament the lost opportunities. Junior midfielder Sam Musial, the centerpiece of the attack, had several glittering chances to inflict damage on the Lions.
Gliatis and defender Connor Bare also played with their trademark flair and bravado. They stood up to the considerable depth and talent of the Lyons’ players.
It unfortunately proved to no avail.
“We wish we had a score that reflected the run of play a little bit more,” Stopka said. “They deserved the win, and they are punishing on set pieces.
“We talked about how we kind of did it to ourselves this game. There are stretches of the game where it definitely looked like we belonged on the same pitch with them. We played just like them, the 50/50 balls were genuinely 50/50 balls and both teams were fighting for them.”
York keeper Ricardo Torres was up to the challenge. He played with ambition and drive, sailing off his line when called upon to shorten the angles or take away the near post.
He had seven saves. After the early Lyons’ goal, the dynamics were largely unchanged: Lyons with the lead, challenging, and York adjusting or responding to the Lions’ attack as they sought scoring chances of their own.
Lyons also had the fortune of getting healthier, bolstered by the return of two defenders, Robert Sulivan and John Schmitt, who had been out of action. (Jackson Turner, the team’s best two-way player, missed the game.)
Lyons does an exceptional job of closing space and creating opportunities in transition.
“It starts with trying to keep the ball and possessing,” Labbato said. “This field is really nice and big, and it helped us in trying to move the ball well and find our talented forwards.
“We were dialed in and very organized. We had our guys back. We were more organized, and it allowed guys like Dom (Panopoulos) to really flourish on the outside with the coverage behind him.”
Like that, the Lions’ set piece skills and alertness on the ball changed the game.
In the 57th minute, midfielder John Swicionis served a sharp ball into that box that Panopoulos put the finishing touches on for the crucial second goal.
“I was just predicting where the ball was going to go. I just got a touch, and it went in,” Panopoulos said. “We just wanted to keep up the intensity the whole game.”
Stopka worked very hard to change the body language of his team, exhorting them to move past the play and get on with the game. The opposite appeared to take hold, and the players appeared fallen and dejected.
Not even three minutes later, Luttrell again worked his magic, pushing the ball up the middle of the attack before leaving it for Behm.
He took one dribble and unleashed a rocket ball with his left foot in the 60th minute. It was his first goal of the season.
“Luttrell just passed it into me, and I took it to the side,” Behm said. “I think this game just showed how we play. We always fight to the end and never give up.”
Luttrell earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his outstanding play.
York (4-2-1, 3-2-0) was dazed.
“It seems like one foul here or one little mistake there, and we are suddenly on our heels,” Stopka said. “We always say we forget how to play the game. We stopped connecting passes, we just had a little five-minute period where we failed to clear the ball.
“Our heads are down. The next thing you know, the third one goes in, and there’s the game.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK: Johnny Laczynski
D: Ryan Herchenroether
D: Jackson Sullivan
D: John Schmitt
D: Dominik Panopoulos
MF: John Swicionis
MF: Jonathan Hill
MF: Cameron Labbato
F: Timothy Slusarczyk
F: Jack Luttrell
F: Maxwell Behm
York
GK: Ricardo Torres
D: Timur Turkoglu
D: Connor Bare
D: Anthony Flores
D: Boyd Puckett
MF: Yael Silvestre
MF: Sam Musial
MF: Jose Herrera
MF: Chase McNeill
MF: Arlind Methoxa
F: Joe Hernandez
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Jack Luttrell, sr., F, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
Lyons—Timothy Slusarczyk (Jack Luttrell), 11th minute
Second half
Lyons—Dominik Panopoulos (unassisted), 57th minute
Lyons—Maxwell Behm (Luttrell), 60th minute
closes out York
Jack Luttrell’s 2 assists power 3-0 Silver Division victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
ELMHURST — The speed of the game intertwined against the random sequencing of events often means actions of consequence happen not just side by side, but literally on top of each other.
Lyons took the lead against York 1-0 in the 11th minute thanks to the electric-shotmaking ability of senior forward Jack Luttrell. He worked the left edge and created the necessary space for a sharp cross that forward Timothy Slusarczyk finished with grace and ease.
For the expansive chunk of time that followed, anything could have literally happened. Lyons took the better of the play and the stronger moments of pressure and possession.
York was there, and the Dukes seemed poised to create a fantastic equalizer of their own as the the second half approached its midpoint.
On the right wing, junior midfielder Kevin Gliatis achieved the necessary separation and angle of attack. He blasted a sidewinder from about 19 yards on frame. The game hung very much in the balance. Lions keeper Johnny Laczynski responded with a breathtaking stop that maintained the Lions narrow margin.
Four minutes later, Lyons scored two goals.
“I think the save from Johnny really gave us confidence,” Lyons’s forward Maxwell Behm said. “A couple of minutes after that, we scored a goal and that opened up for another goal a couple of minutes later.
“The energy from that save helped us out.”
It came in a game interlaced with hundreds of plays, acts and moments that could have changed the balance of the game.
Luttrell had two assists as the Lyons, ranked no. 2 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, showcased a high style and electric forward action in the 3-0 victory in West Suburban Conference Silver Division play Thursday night.
Ranked first a week ago, Lyons (7-1-0, 4-0-0) suffered its only blemish against Addison Trail on March 27. The result of that game pervaded a somewhat sluggish and uncertain performance on Tuesday against Glenbard West.
“There are a lot of big games coming up,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “They didn’t like underperforming to their own standards a week ago.”
Any season, regardless of the duration, is set to have almost contradictory, up-and-down rhythms. In a special spring season with all the normal rules upended, anything can happen.
Lyons was determined to get its groove back.
“We came from a difficult last couple of games, so we played with a real fire,” Luttrell said. “I thought we brought that intensity from the get-go. We were all over them. We were going hard. We were pressing them. We knew what we wanted to do by attacking their outside backs. We are better one-on-one in those areas.
“We were doing that the whole game.”
By contrast, York coach Jordan Stopka could only lament the lost opportunities. Junior midfielder Sam Musial, the centerpiece of the attack, had several glittering chances to inflict damage on the Lions.
Gliatis and defender Connor Bare also played with their trademark flair and bravado. They stood up to the considerable depth and talent of the Lyons’ players.
It unfortunately proved to no avail.
“We wish we had a score that reflected the run of play a little bit more,” Stopka said. “They deserved the win, and they are punishing on set pieces.
“We talked about how we kind of did it to ourselves this game. There are stretches of the game where it definitely looked like we belonged on the same pitch with them. We played just like them, the 50/50 balls were genuinely 50/50 balls and both teams were fighting for them.”
York keeper Ricardo Torres was up to the challenge. He played with ambition and drive, sailing off his line when called upon to shorten the angles or take away the near post.
He had seven saves. After the early Lyons’ goal, the dynamics were largely unchanged: Lyons with the lead, challenging, and York adjusting or responding to the Lions’ attack as they sought scoring chances of their own.
Lyons also had the fortune of getting healthier, bolstered by the return of two defenders, Robert Sulivan and John Schmitt, who had been out of action. (Jackson Turner, the team’s best two-way player, missed the game.)
Lyons does an exceptional job of closing space and creating opportunities in transition.
“It starts with trying to keep the ball and possessing,” Labbato said. “This field is really nice and big, and it helped us in trying to move the ball well and find our talented forwards.
“We were dialed in and very organized. We had our guys back. We were more organized, and it allowed guys like Dom (Panopoulos) to really flourish on the outside with the coverage behind him.”
Like that, the Lions’ set piece skills and alertness on the ball changed the game.
In the 57th minute, midfielder John Swicionis served a sharp ball into that box that Panopoulos put the finishing touches on for the crucial second goal.
“I was just predicting where the ball was going to go. I just got a touch, and it went in,” Panopoulos said. “We just wanted to keep up the intensity the whole game.”
Stopka worked very hard to change the body language of his team, exhorting them to move past the play and get on with the game. The opposite appeared to take hold, and the players appeared fallen and dejected.
Not even three minutes later, Luttrell again worked his magic, pushing the ball up the middle of the attack before leaving it for Behm.
He took one dribble and unleashed a rocket ball with his left foot in the 60th minute. It was his first goal of the season.
“Luttrell just passed it into me, and I took it to the side,” Behm said. “I think this game just showed how we play. We always fight to the end and never give up.”
Luttrell earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his outstanding play.
York (4-2-1, 3-2-0) was dazed.
“It seems like one foul here or one little mistake there, and we are suddenly on our heels,” Stopka said. “We always say we forget how to play the game. We stopped connecting passes, we just had a little five-minute period where we failed to clear the ball.
“Our heads are down. The next thing you know, the third one goes in, and there’s the game.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK: Johnny Laczynski
D: Ryan Herchenroether
D: Jackson Sullivan
D: John Schmitt
D: Dominik Panopoulos
MF: John Swicionis
MF: Jonathan Hill
MF: Cameron Labbato
F: Timothy Slusarczyk
F: Jack Luttrell
F: Maxwell Behm
York
GK: Ricardo Torres
D: Timur Turkoglu
D: Connor Bare
D: Anthony Flores
D: Boyd Puckett
MF: Yael Silvestre
MF: Sam Musial
MF: Jose Herrera
MF: Chase McNeill
MF: Arlind Methoxa
F: Joe Hernandez
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Jack Luttrell, sr., F, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
Lyons—Timothy Slusarczyk (Jack Luttrell), 11th minute
Second half
Lyons—Dominik Panopoulos (unassisted), 57th minute
Lyons—Maxwell Behm (Luttrell), 60th minute