Marmion marches past Lemont
Late goal secures 1-0 sectional title
By Patrick Z. McGavin
GLEN ELLYN — Not even 90 seconds moved off the clock as Marmion forward Harley Karner found himself in ideal position.
The ball was at his feet, strategically placed in front of the Lemont goal. The nerves and excitement no doubt coursed through him.
His shot pushed a bit high, and smashed off the bar.
Some 20 minutes later, Lemont forward Franco Calcagno was the first substitute off the bench.
Flash forward to the second half, a bang-bang sequence that saw him at the center of events, with Lemont now at the same north end, desperately eager to score against the Cadets.
In the 58th minute, a header by Calcagno skips over the top of the bar.
Moments later, he gets free on the right wing and blasts a left-footed ball that curves beautifully, seemingly destined for the goal.
Marmion sophomore goalkeeper Adam Ozsvath made the play of the game, his body perpendicular to the ground and elongated, getting just a touch to deflect the ball.
Welcome to state tournament, high-end soccer: goals are scarce, and the play is often exceptional.
As each side threw a body blow against the other, Marmion midfielder Alvaro Alanis saw his opportunity.
The moment was his to cherish.
“I got the ball at around the 30-yard line, and I was thinking to myself that I had to make a play,” he said.
“I looked up and saw Lemont kids running at me, so I took the ball up a little and split both of them.”
As tends to happen, time seemingly froze. Alanis created just enough space at the 24-yard line.
“After I split them, I just tried getting into position where I could shoot the ball closer to the box,” he said.
“I looked up and saw the far post open and shot it low.”
He smashed a lethal and exhilarating ball into the lower left corner for the Cadets’ 1-0 victory in the Class AA Glenbard South Sectional championship game.
He rolled the equivalent of “sevens” with his goal in the 73rd minute with about 7:35 remaining on the clock.
“They had a good hit on that one,” Lemont coach Rick Prangen said. “It was a good 1-v-1 moment, and the guy had a good shot on frame.”
Marmion (10-8-5) captured its first sectional since 2018.
The Cadets will play Notre Dame (Peoria) in the Sterling Supersectional on Tuesday.
Lemont (14-4-7) had its 12-game unbeaten streak snapped.
The team went more than a month without losing, going 7-0-5 since suffering a close loss against Oak Forest on September 22.
“The outcome was unfortunate, but we got far together, so there is not much to complain about,” Lemont forward Lukas Rabianski said.
“The game showed the effort that this team has gone through the whole season.”
Lemont rode a five-game winning streak into the game, marked by a dominant 6-0 victory over Sycamore in the semifinal Tuesday.
“Everything started clicking for us at the right time,” Prangen said.
“We tied Stagg 1-1 at the end of the year, and that was a great tie for us. We had the lead with seven minutes left. We just kept going from there.”
Both teams had similar trajectories, and pointed to the shared action of last year’s state tournament run.
The two teams played in the Hinsdale South Sectional a year ago—unfortunately bunched in with eventual state champion Boylan.
Lemont lost 2-0 in the sectional semifinal. Marmion lost the sectional title game by a 5-0 count.
Those memories burned bright.
“This year’s team absolutely evolved, and we got better,” Prangen said.
“The evolution started last year with the Boylan game. Our guys played such a good game together, and that became the foundation of our team.”
Gerardo Alvaro took over the Cadets’ program during the pandemic year. Karner, midfielder Barry O’Neill, defender Ricardo Saucedo and defender Mactzil Uriel-Lopez were the bright newcomers.
“I want to give credit to the guys who aren’t here, the guys who were here during the pandemic year,” Alvarez said.
“Those guys didn’t get a postseason, and they handled it with absolute class. The culture they began to foster within the group, you see that reflected now two or three years later.”
With a solid group back from the sectional final team of last year, Marmion appeared on the verge of greatness.
The team had injuries and a discombobulated rhythm at the start off the year.
“Early on in the year, or even the middle, we didn’t have everybody,” Alvarez said. “We couldn’t repeat the lineup, and that is very important in soccer.
“Being able to repeat a lineup over and over is crucial, because the guys get accustomed to it. They were finding their groove.”
The team had spirit and polish. What that lacked was the necessary final touch.
During the last five games of the regular-season, Marmion was shut out twice and averaged just one goal per game in finishing on a somewhat desultory 1-3-1 stretch.
“Getting that first touch in the air, or getting that second ball, that is what we emphasized as a team,” Saucedo said.
Marmion exacted its revenge with a dominant 4-0 victory over Boylan in the second semifinal Tuesday night.
Sophomore midfielder Giovanni Magana had three immaculate and beautiful free kicks—creating goals for Karner and Uriel-Lopez.
He also scored.
The Cadets rode that momentum in the start against Lemont.
“It’s especially important for our attack to be confident and dynamic,” O’Neill said. “Today our attack got off to a strong start right away.
“Even though the goal did not come until later, I felt the whole game we were persistent and patient in front of the goal.”
Lemont felt under constant assault at the beginning.
“I thought we were very rattled in the first 10 minutes and felt very uncomfortable. And then slowly we started working our way back into the game,” Prangen said.
“We knew they were a very talented team, and they’re very good in the midfield. We had to accommodate for that. I thought once we started settling down, our defensive shape was frustrating them.”
The real game developed from there.
Marmion threw the first couple of haymakers. Lemont responded.
The Cadets generated four corner kicks in the first 13 minutes.
Eventually Lemont began to gather and push numbers forward with the massive 6-foot-5 Rabianski up-top, joined by the smaller, elusive and quicker Tyler Chrisman and Billy Eliadis.
“I told the guys that we were in this, and all it takes is a counterattack and get one good shot at the top of the box,” Rabianski said.
An energy guy off the bench, Calcagno made his presence felt midway through the second half.
His header drifted over the top of the box. His electric shot from the right wing was a thing of beauty.
The save by Ozsvath was equally profound and striking.
“My mentality is always that the game is just one goal away,” he said. “I never let it get to me.
“Even if I make a mistake, I know we have the ability to get it back.”
Two quality teams going head-to-head. In the end, Marmion made one more dramatic action that held up.
“We focused on technical ability, and moving the ball side to side,” Alanis said.
“I saw a little opening and took the shot.”
Alanis earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his game-winner.
Lemont stood tall in defeat.
“I am super proud of what we did this year,” Prangen said. “The guys played so hard, and we had 14 shutouts.
“I am overjoyed in terms of what we did, their mentality and their improvement.”
The day proved particularly gratifying for Alvarez, a 2003 Marmion graduate who played at Northwestern.
After working as an assistant at Aurora University and Benedictine, he seized the chance to come home.
It was a day of memory and celebration for the program.
“The previous two classes helped us get to this point,” he said. “A lot of these guys have been with me for these three years.
“The groundwork was laid well before today.”
Starting lineups
Marmion
GK: Adam Ozsvath
D: Diego Tellez
D: Ricardo Saucedo
D: Mactzil Uriel-Lopez
D: Jordan Peinado
MF: Matthew Powell
MF: Alvaro Alanis
MF: Barry O’Neill
MF: Giovanni Magana
F: Roberto Rubio
F: Harley Karner
Lemont
GK: Amir Biba
D: Adam Briestensky
D: Benjamin Kittridge
D: Lucas Urban
D: Marek Skotnicki
D: Aidan Ontiveros
MF: Tyler Chrisman
MF: Billy Eliadis
MF: Ali Nabulsi
F: Brett Tucker
F: Lukas Rabianski
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Alvaro Alanis, jr., MF, Marmion
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Marmion—Alvaro Alanis (unassisted), 73rd minute
Late goal secures 1-0 sectional title
By Patrick Z. McGavin
GLEN ELLYN — Not even 90 seconds moved off the clock as Marmion forward Harley Karner found himself in ideal position.
The ball was at his feet, strategically placed in front of the Lemont goal. The nerves and excitement no doubt coursed through him.
His shot pushed a bit high, and smashed off the bar.
Some 20 minutes later, Lemont forward Franco Calcagno was the first substitute off the bench.
Flash forward to the second half, a bang-bang sequence that saw him at the center of events, with Lemont now at the same north end, desperately eager to score against the Cadets.
In the 58th minute, a header by Calcagno skips over the top of the bar.
Moments later, he gets free on the right wing and blasts a left-footed ball that curves beautifully, seemingly destined for the goal.
Marmion sophomore goalkeeper Adam Ozsvath made the play of the game, his body perpendicular to the ground and elongated, getting just a touch to deflect the ball.
Welcome to state tournament, high-end soccer: goals are scarce, and the play is often exceptional.
As each side threw a body blow against the other, Marmion midfielder Alvaro Alanis saw his opportunity.
The moment was his to cherish.
“I got the ball at around the 30-yard line, and I was thinking to myself that I had to make a play,” he said.
“I looked up and saw Lemont kids running at me, so I took the ball up a little and split both of them.”
As tends to happen, time seemingly froze. Alanis created just enough space at the 24-yard line.
“After I split them, I just tried getting into position where I could shoot the ball closer to the box,” he said.
“I looked up and saw the far post open and shot it low.”
He smashed a lethal and exhilarating ball into the lower left corner for the Cadets’ 1-0 victory in the Class AA Glenbard South Sectional championship game.
He rolled the equivalent of “sevens” with his goal in the 73rd minute with about 7:35 remaining on the clock.
“They had a good hit on that one,” Lemont coach Rick Prangen said. “It was a good 1-v-1 moment, and the guy had a good shot on frame.”
Marmion (10-8-5) captured its first sectional since 2018.
The Cadets will play Notre Dame (Peoria) in the Sterling Supersectional on Tuesday.
Lemont (14-4-7) had its 12-game unbeaten streak snapped.
The team went more than a month without losing, going 7-0-5 since suffering a close loss against Oak Forest on September 22.
“The outcome was unfortunate, but we got far together, so there is not much to complain about,” Lemont forward Lukas Rabianski said.
“The game showed the effort that this team has gone through the whole season.”
Lemont rode a five-game winning streak into the game, marked by a dominant 6-0 victory over Sycamore in the semifinal Tuesday.
“Everything started clicking for us at the right time,” Prangen said.
“We tied Stagg 1-1 at the end of the year, and that was a great tie for us. We had the lead with seven minutes left. We just kept going from there.”
Both teams had similar trajectories, and pointed to the shared action of last year’s state tournament run.
The two teams played in the Hinsdale South Sectional a year ago—unfortunately bunched in with eventual state champion Boylan.
Lemont lost 2-0 in the sectional semifinal. Marmion lost the sectional title game by a 5-0 count.
Those memories burned bright.
“This year’s team absolutely evolved, and we got better,” Prangen said.
“The evolution started last year with the Boylan game. Our guys played such a good game together, and that became the foundation of our team.”
Gerardo Alvaro took over the Cadets’ program during the pandemic year. Karner, midfielder Barry O’Neill, defender Ricardo Saucedo and defender Mactzil Uriel-Lopez were the bright newcomers.
“I want to give credit to the guys who aren’t here, the guys who were here during the pandemic year,” Alvarez said.
“Those guys didn’t get a postseason, and they handled it with absolute class. The culture they began to foster within the group, you see that reflected now two or three years later.”
With a solid group back from the sectional final team of last year, Marmion appeared on the verge of greatness.
The team had injuries and a discombobulated rhythm at the start off the year.
“Early on in the year, or even the middle, we didn’t have everybody,” Alvarez said. “We couldn’t repeat the lineup, and that is very important in soccer.
“Being able to repeat a lineup over and over is crucial, because the guys get accustomed to it. They were finding their groove.”
The team had spirit and polish. What that lacked was the necessary final touch.
During the last five games of the regular-season, Marmion was shut out twice and averaged just one goal per game in finishing on a somewhat desultory 1-3-1 stretch.
“Getting that first touch in the air, or getting that second ball, that is what we emphasized as a team,” Saucedo said.
Marmion exacted its revenge with a dominant 4-0 victory over Boylan in the second semifinal Tuesday night.
Sophomore midfielder Giovanni Magana had three immaculate and beautiful free kicks—creating goals for Karner and Uriel-Lopez.
He also scored.
The Cadets rode that momentum in the start against Lemont.
“It’s especially important for our attack to be confident and dynamic,” O’Neill said. “Today our attack got off to a strong start right away.
“Even though the goal did not come until later, I felt the whole game we were persistent and patient in front of the goal.”
Lemont felt under constant assault at the beginning.
“I thought we were very rattled in the first 10 minutes and felt very uncomfortable. And then slowly we started working our way back into the game,” Prangen said.
“We knew they were a very talented team, and they’re very good in the midfield. We had to accommodate for that. I thought once we started settling down, our defensive shape was frustrating them.”
The real game developed from there.
Marmion threw the first couple of haymakers. Lemont responded.
The Cadets generated four corner kicks in the first 13 minutes.
Eventually Lemont began to gather and push numbers forward with the massive 6-foot-5 Rabianski up-top, joined by the smaller, elusive and quicker Tyler Chrisman and Billy Eliadis.
“I told the guys that we were in this, and all it takes is a counterattack and get one good shot at the top of the box,” Rabianski said.
An energy guy off the bench, Calcagno made his presence felt midway through the second half.
His header drifted over the top of the box. His electric shot from the right wing was a thing of beauty.
The save by Ozsvath was equally profound and striking.
“My mentality is always that the game is just one goal away,” he said. “I never let it get to me.
“Even if I make a mistake, I know we have the ability to get it back.”
Two quality teams going head-to-head. In the end, Marmion made one more dramatic action that held up.
“We focused on technical ability, and moving the ball side to side,” Alanis said.
“I saw a little opening and took the shot.”
Alanis earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his game-winner.
Lemont stood tall in defeat.
“I am super proud of what we did this year,” Prangen said. “The guys played so hard, and we had 14 shutouts.
“I am overjoyed in terms of what we did, their mentality and their improvement.”
The day proved particularly gratifying for Alvarez, a 2003 Marmion graduate who played at Northwestern.
After working as an assistant at Aurora University and Benedictine, he seized the chance to come home.
It was a day of memory and celebration for the program.
“The previous two classes helped us get to this point,” he said. “A lot of these guys have been with me for these three years.
“The groundwork was laid well before today.”
Starting lineups
Marmion
GK: Adam Ozsvath
D: Diego Tellez
D: Ricardo Saucedo
D: Mactzil Uriel-Lopez
D: Jordan Peinado
MF: Matthew Powell
MF: Alvaro Alanis
MF: Barry O’Neill
MF: Giovanni Magana
F: Roberto Rubio
F: Harley Karner
Lemont
GK: Amir Biba
D: Adam Briestensky
D: Benjamin Kittridge
D: Lucas Urban
D: Marek Skotnicki
D: Aidan Ontiveros
MF: Tyler Chrisman
MF: Billy Eliadis
MF: Ali Nabulsi
F: Brett Tucker
F: Lukas Rabianski
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Alvaro Alanis, jr., MF, Marmion
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Marmion—Alvaro Alanis (unassisted), 73rd minute