Mother Nature gets assist
in Streamwood victory over Marmion
Sabres get 2-1 tourney win in game shortened due to lightning
By Steve Nemeth
STREAMWOOD --- One soccer axiom is that 2-0 is the most dangerous lead.
Whether or not that would have been proven true in Streamwood's 2-1 win over Marmion in the second round of the Barrington Classic is moot because what is most dangerous is lightning, and it was on that basis that game officials shortened Tuesday’s match.
Trailing 2-0 at intermission, Marmion made it a 2-1 contest just 3:38 into the second half. However, with 30 minutes still to be played, the officiating crew was convinced what began as distant flashes was a storm system coming closer.
With 50 minutes in the books, Streamwood (3-1-0) gained a second victory within a group whose matches are being contested on the Sabres’ Millennium Field. Previously, Streamwood posted a 5-0 shutout over Conant.
In Tuesday’s earlier match, Boylan edged Conant 1-0, which was the same tally by which Marmion (2-2-0) had defeated Boylan.
Streamwood will host Boylan at 5 p.m. Thursday. Conant will travel to meet Marmion at 5 p.m. Friday. On Saturday the opposite finishers from the two groups meet to decide seventh and fifth place at Millennium Field while Barrington hosts the third place and championship contests.
“It’s more frustration to be in an unlucky position where the weather decides the outcome,” Marmion senior co-captain James Serrano said. “Being down two, we needed a different mentality, and I thought we were playing with a new mindset.”
At the very least, momentum did appear to have shifted in favor of the Cadets, however the first half did put Streamwood ahead. It might have been a single-goal margin except for the hustle and play of Alex Chavez.
The Sabres’ senior forward was all over the field, either taking shots or creating chances for teammates. His effort earned him the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
It was his shot that caromed off the right post and became the ideal set-up for teammate Rolando Martinez to score for the 2-0 lead which came 1:45 prior to halftime.
“The other day we had five goals, and Alex was frustrated not to have one, so I had to remind him how many times and the different ways in which he played that allowed his teammates to have space to operate or to make a run,” Streamwood coach Matt Polovin said. “I told him his maybe not getting a point doesn’t mean he doesn’t get us a win. Today was a perfect example of how Alex got his crowd involved. There were times he was double-teamed and still found ways to beat defenders, and the shot he put off the post right before the half led to what became the game-winner.”
“Whenever I get an opportunity on the left side I try to go for the far post hoping to sneak one in or to have teammates crashing,” Chavez said. “Getting another tournament win tonight was important to put us in a better position to hopefully play for the championship.”
Scoring success initially eluded both sides. The match began with Streamwood’s Martinez and Edwin Peralta missing tries wide right. Then it was Marmion’s Jack Kavanaugh launching a 40-yard bomb that sailed high while Serrano missed one to the left. Sabres goalie Hector Alfaro rushed out and won a foot race to a potentially dangerous through-ball by the Cadets 14:49 in.
A pivotal moment came at 24:45 when Marmion starting goalie Jason Baker had to be helped off the field due to ankle injury. With very little warm-up, Jeff Walter took over in net. He handled a variety of defensive catches or clears, but he couldn't stop the Sabres when they took the lead in the 32nd minute.
Jorge Bracamontes’ rocket shot from the right wing slipped through Walter’s grasp.
“I tried putting as much power as I could behind it, and maybe there was a little luck, but thankfully it was good enough to go in,” Bracamontes said about his first goal of the year. “It feels better getting one in front of our fans.”
“He’s had a lot of chances and finally got one which is good,” Polovin said. “I told him I don’t care how it goes in as long as it goes in. They all count the same.”
Alfaro denied a solid strike from Serrano at just under four minutes and the opening half appeared to be headed for a quiet finish before Streamwood made yet another attack sparked by Chavez. He gained his second assist of the season on Martinez’s follow-up. For Martinez it ultimately became his second game-winning goal to go with one recorded in the season-opening 4-1 win over Geneva.
“A big key for us is working had,” senior tri-captain Bryan Mora said. “It’s so important for us to always remember to outwork opponents. If we play a full game that way we’ll get wins. We put in a lot of time over the summer so that we are physically and mentally ready to have success.”
Marmion certainly appeared to remember coach Jimmy Romano’s fiery halftime talk as the Cadets attacked early in the second half and earned a penalty kick. It became the second goal of this season to go with two assists for Serrano who led Marmion in 2017 with 11 goals, four game-winners and 28 points.
“Usually the foul that gets you a PK means you’re all hyped up, so the first thing I try to do is settle my feelings,” Serrano explained. “It’s a matter of focus so you prep yourself. I slow down mentally, do my routine and stick it.”
That’s exactly what he did into the back netting to his left. Four minutes later T.J. Laurich had a direct kick from the left wing that went begging for a redirect but went unfinished. Another couple minutes elapsed before the official whistle brought an early end to the match.
“At halftime, coach got through to us on starting fresh and focused,” Aidan Reynolds said. “Those two goals we allowed were not representative of how the actual game was being played. James’ PK provided us with some extra energy, so having the match halted was disappointing.
“We’re a stronger team this year because of our senior leadership and the relationship we now have with coach. It’s our second year with him, and we better understand and accept what we need to do to win.”
For his part, Romano echoed many of his player’s thoughts.
“The first half wasn’t so much that we were playing bad, we just made a few mistakes and good teams will capitalize on those. The second half we responded much better, and the momentum had clearly changed,” Romano said.
“We had really good efforts from both T.J. (Laurich) and C.J. (Sowers) in midfield. They do a good job of winning tackles and distributing play for our offense. They really work their tails off and not only disrupt what the other team is trying to do, but often prevent them from executing their system.”
Starting lineups
Streamwood
GK Hector Alfaro
D Josh Taboda
D Jose Ibarra
D Michael Rubio
D Fernando Mancera
M Alex Chavez
M Bryan Mora
M Leo Magana
M Edwin Peralta
F Jesus Limon
F Rolando Martinez
Marmion
GK Jason Baker
D David Lawinger
D Aidan Reynolds
D Michael Murray
D Sebastian Gutierrez
M T.J. Laurich
M James Serrano
M Adrian Ruiz
M C.J. Sowers
F James Lawinger
F Jack Kavanaugh
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Alex Chavez, sr., F, Streamwood
Referees: Zbignew Wolas (center), Costel Lungan, Bogoslaw Rosinski
Note--Match stopped after 50 minutes by officials due to lightning.
Game summary
Streamwood 2, Marmion 1
Streamwood 2 0 ---- 2 3-1-0
Marmion 0 1 ---- 1 2-2-0
Scoring
First half
S – Bracamontes 17-yard power blast from right wing through keeper’s hands (unassisted), 31:28 gone
S – Martinez eight-yard putback on carom off right post (Chavez assist), 38:15 gone
Second half
M – Serrano penatly kick conversion (unassisted), 43:38 gone
Shots
S 4 – 1 --- 5
M 4 – 2 --- 6
Shots on goal
S 2 – 0 --- 2
M 1 – 1 --- 2
Saves (goalie)
S (Alfaro) 1 – 0 --- 1
M (Baker 0 / Walter 0) 0 – 0 --- 0
Corner kicks
S 2 – 0 --- 2
M 2 – 1 --- 3
Offsides
S 2 – 0 --- 2
M 0 – 0 --- 0
in Streamwood victory over Marmion
Sabres get 2-1 tourney win in game shortened due to lightning
By Steve Nemeth
STREAMWOOD --- One soccer axiom is that 2-0 is the most dangerous lead.
Whether or not that would have been proven true in Streamwood's 2-1 win over Marmion in the second round of the Barrington Classic is moot because what is most dangerous is lightning, and it was on that basis that game officials shortened Tuesday’s match.
Trailing 2-0 at intermission, Marmion made it a 2-1 contest just 3:38 into the second half. However, with 30 minutes still to be played, the officiating crew was convinced what began as distant flashes was a storm system coming closer.
With 50 minutes in the books, Streamwood (3-1-0) gained a second victory within a group whose matches are being contested on the Sabres’ Millennium Field. Previously, Streamwood posted a 5-0 shutout over Conant.
In Tuesday’s earlier match, Boylan edged Conant 1-0, which was the same tally by which Marmion (2-2-0) had defeated Boylan.
Streamwood will host Boylan at 5 p.m. Thursday. Conant will travel to meet Marmion at 5 p.m. Friday. On Saturday the opposite finishers from the two groups meet to decide seventh and fifth place at Millennium Field while Barrington hosts the third place and championship contests.
“It’s more frustration to be in an unlucky position where the weather decides the outcome,” Marmion senior co-captain James Serrano said. “Being down two, we needed a different mentality, and I thought we were playing with a new mindset.”
At the very least, momentum did appear to have shifted in favor of the Cadets, however the first half did put Streamwood ahead. It might have been a single-goal margin except for the hustle and play of Alex Chavez.
The Sabres’ senior forward was all over the field, either taking shots or creating chances for teammates. His effort earned him the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
It was his shot that caromed off the right post and became the ideal set-up for teammate Rolando Martinez to score for the 2-0 lead which came 1:45 prior to halftime.
“The other day we had five goals, and Alex was frustrated not to have one, so I had to remind him how many times and the different ways in which he played that allowed his teammates to have space to operate or to make a run,” Streamwood coach Matt Polovin said. “I told him his maybe not getting a point doesn’t mean he doesn’t get us a win. Today was a perfect example of how Alex got his crowd involved. There were times he was double-teamed and still found ways to beat defenders, and the shot he put off the post right before the half led to what became the game-winner.”
“Whenever I get an opportunity on the left side I try to go for the far post hoping to sneak one in or to have teammates crashing,” Chavez said. “Getting another tournament win tonight was important to put us in a better position to hopefully play for the championship.”
Scoring success initially eluded both sides. The match began with Streamwood’s Martinez and Edwin Peralta missing tries wide right. Then it was Marmion’s Jack Kavanaugh launching a 40-yard bomb that sailed high while Serrano missed one to the left. Sabres goalie Hector Alfaro rushed out and won a foot race to a potentially dangerous through-ball by the Cadets 14:49 in.
A pivotal moment came at 24:45 when Marmion starting goalie Jason Baker had to be helped off the field due to ankle injury. With very little warm-up, Jeff Walter took over in net. He handled a variety of defensive catches or clears, but he couldn't stop the Sabres when they took the lead in the 32nd minute.
Jorge Bracamontes’ rocket shot from the right wing slipped through Walter’s grasp.
“I tried putting as much power as I could behind it, and maybe there was a little luck, but thankfully it was good enough to go in,” Bracamontes said about his first goal of the year. “It feels better getting one in front of our fans.”
“He’s had a lot of chances and finally got one which is good,” Polovin said. “I told him I don’t care how it goes in as long as it goes in. They all count the same.”
Alfaro denied a solid strike from Serrano at just under four minutes and the opening half appeared to be headed for a quiet finish before Streamwood made yet another attack sparked by Chavez. He gained his second assist of the season on Martinez’s follow-up. For Martinez it ultimately became his second game-winning goal to go with one recorded in the season-opening 4-1 win over Geneva.
“A big key for us is working had,” senior tri-captain Bryan Mora said. “It’s so important for us to always remember to outwork opponents. If we play a full game that way we’ll get wins. We put in a lot of time over the summer so that we are physically and mentally ready to have success.”
Marmion certainly appeared to remember coach Jimmy Romano’s fiery halftime talk as the Cadets attacked early in the second half and earned a penalty kick. It became the second goal of this season to go with two assists for Serrano who led Marmion in 2017 with 11 goals, four game-winners and 28 points.
“Usually the foul that gets you a PK means you’re all hyped up, so the first thing I try to do is settle my feelings,” Serrano explained. “It’s a matter of focus so you prep yourself. I slow down mentally, do my routine and stick it.”
That’s exactly what he did into the back netting to his left. Four minutes later T.J. Laurich had a direct kick from the left wing that went begging for a redirect but went unfinished. Another couple minutes elapsed before the official whistle brought an early end to the match.
“At halftime, coach got through to us on starting fresh and focused,” Aidan Reynolds said. “Those two goals we allowed were not representative of how the actual game was being played. James’ PK provided us with some extra energy, so having the match halted was disappointing.
“We’re a stronger team this year because of our senior leadership and the relationship we now have with coach. It’s our second year with him, and we better understand and accept what we need to do to win.”
For his part, Romano echoed many of his player’s thoughts.
“The first half wasn’t so much that we were playing bad, we just made a few mistakes and good teams will capitalize on those. The second half we responded much better, and the momentum had clearly changed,” Romano said.
“We had really good efforts from both T.J. (Laurich) and C.J. (Sowers) in midfield. They do a good job of winning tackles and distributing play for our offense. They really work their tails off and not only disrupt what the other team is trying to do, but often prevent them from executing their system.”
Starting lineups
Streamwood
GK Hector Alfaro
D Josh Taboda
D Jose Ibarra
D Michael Rubio
D Fernando Mancera
M Alex Chavez
M Bryan Mora
M Leo Magana
M Edwin Peralta
F Jesus Limon
F Rolando Martinez
Marmion
GK Jason Baker
D David Lawinger
D Aidan Reynolds
D Michael Murray
D Sebastian Gutierrez
M T.J. Laurich
M James Serrano
M Adrian Ruiz
M C.J. Sowers
F James Lawinger
F Jack Kavanaugh
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Alex Chavez, sr., F, Streamwood
Referees: Zbignew Wolas (center), Costel Lungan, Bogoslaw Rosinski
Note--Match stopped after 50 minutes by officials due to lightning.
Game summary
Streamwood 2, Marmion 1
Streamwood 2 0 ---- 2 3-1-0
Marmion 0 1 ---- 1 2-2-0
Scoring
First half
S – Bracamontes 17-yard power blast from right wing through keeper’s hands (unassisted), 31:28 gone
S – Martinez eight-yard putback on carom off right post (Chavez assist), 38:15 gone
Second half
M – Serrano penatly kick conversion (unassisted), 43:38 gone
Shots
S 4 – 1 --- 5
M 4 – 2 --- 6
Shots on goal
S 2 – 0 --- 2
M 1 – 1 --- 2
Saves (goalie)
S (Alfaro) 1 – 0 --- 1
M (Baker 0 / Walter 0) 0 – 0 --- 0
Corner kicks
S 2 – 0 --- 2
M 2 – 1 --- 3
Offsides
S 2 – 0 --- 2
M 0 – 0 --- 0