GBN vs. Maine South has playoff feel
Host Spartans fall 2-1 on a wild night of soccer
By Gary Larsen
NORTHBROOK - On a night when a brutally stiff wind was a keeper’s worst enemy, three different goalies took turns grabbing the spotlight when Glenbrook North hosted Maine South on Wednesday,
Maine South and its two keepers ultimately prevailed in a wild, 2-1 Central Suburban League crossover game that could have easily seen another five or six goals put on the scoreboard.
“That was playoff soccer right there,” Glenbrook North coach Paul Vignocchi said. “I told our boys that today was a great atmosphere as far as playoff soccer goes.”
Maine South coach Dan States was happy with the effort his boys gave on enemy turf under difficult conditions.
“It was a tough night to play,” States said. “It kind of played out the way we expected it would, and it’s just a matter of finding a way to get it done on a windy night.”
Glenbrook North (7-7-4) was forced to defend a quality Maine South (8-5-4) team with the wind at its back through 40 minutes. The Hawks took advantage with goals from Alex Olson and Alex Walega by the game’s 22nd minute.
Walega also assisted on Olson’s goal. Glenbrook North had a free kick inside the box at 13 minutes that resulted in a scramble near the goalmouth and a shot sent just wide of frame.
The first of three exceptional goalkeeping plays came at 23 minutes, when North’s Joey Martens blistered a free kick at Maine South keeper Vito Abbinanti from 25 yards.
Abbinanti tipped Martens’ laser over the crossbar to keep the slate clean, and the Hawks maintained their 2-0 lead to halftime.
Martens also found a prime scoring chance in the run of play in the first half but his shot from 12 yards was turned away by a defender.
“Joey missed a few opportunities where he should have finished, and he’ll be the first one to say that he should have been better today,” Vignocchi said of Martens.
Vignocchi prediction was right.
“I wasn’t myself in the first half. I was struggling,” Martens said.
Olson and Walega keyed the attack through 40 minutes for Maine South, and Olson forced a diving save from North keeper Ronan Kerrigan at 20 minutes. Glenbrook North defender Tyler Smith also cleared a ball off the goal line at 23 minutes, and Kerrigan saved a head shot from South’s Giuliano Corrazina at 29 minutes.
States thought his boys offense underachieved before the Spartans took their turn with the wind at their backs.
“We squandered a few too many opportunities, and we know (Glenbrook North) would be a pesky bunch,” States said. “They kept coming and kept coming. And with the wind, things happen. They’re well-coached, and they came after us.”
Chasing a two-goal deficit, Glenbrook North played with three defenders in the second half. The extra attacking player paid off.
Maine South started Luke Lorenc in net in the second half, and he immediately faced pressure. Lorenc saved a header taken by North’s Sam Sullivan at 47 minutes, and the two squared off again a minute later to create the game’s second outstanding save.
Sullivan spun on a ball from 35 yards and fired to the upper ninety, only to see Lorenc elevate and tip it over the bar.
Through the first 10 minutes of the second half, the Spartans were setting a tone with Martens flashing his playmaking skills.
“We switched to three in the back, and we had two strikers,” Martens said. “I was kind of dropping into a gap, trying to find it at my feet, and going from there.”
Glenbrook North’s Konrad Kulesza forced Lorenc to make a diving save at 60 minutes, and Kulesza finally broke North’s drought three minutes later.
“I saw Joey dribbling to the right side so I peeled off to the left,” Kulesza said. “He sent me a perfect ball, high space, and (Lorenc) was really far out of net. I just decided to hit it low and hard.”
Kulesza’s shot from 16 yards found the back netting and North had 17 minutes remaining to find an equalizing goal. Lorenc made another diving stop at 65 minutes before Kerrigan provided the night’s third exceptional goalkeeping play.
With five minutes remaining, Maine South was awarded a penalty kick. Walega went low and left, and Kerrigan dove to his right to swat it away.
“Great save by (Kerrigan) to keep us in the game and not make it a two-goal difference,” Vignocchi said.
Glenbrook North swarmed the final third down the stretch but Maine South proved up to the challenge. For posting a goal and an assist, Walega was named the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match.
“Both keepers did a nice job and did what we were looking for,” States said, “Alex Olson did a nice job in the middle of the park, and Michael Byron was solid in the back.
“We were missing a center back and made some adjustments. The guys who filled in did a good job. Our spacing was a little suspect at times in the second half in terms of stepping to the ball, but we did some good things. We did what we wanted to do, which was to come in here and get a win.”
Maine South plays Bloomington, Danville, and St. Francis at the Jacksonville Tournament before finishing the regular season at Ridgewood.
“We’re on an upper trend and we’ve had some successful results against some good teams — GBN, Highland Park, Evanston — so a lot of good things are happening,” States said.
Glenbrook North plays at Hinsdale Central before hosting Lake Forest in its final regular season game.
Vignocchi liked what he got from central defenders Ben Gordon and David Schueler on Wednesday and was pleased with the way Martens and Kulesza combined in the second half.
“We were able to get one back, and we changed our formation up a little bit in the second half and went more offensive,” Vignocchi said. “We created some opportunities and the last five minutes were basically down in their end, and it was chance, chance, chance.”
Kulesza believes the Spartans could be on the cusp of something good, once a team that has dealt with key injuries all season gets healthy before the state playoffs.
“We obviously have had some adversity,” Kulesza said. “We were missing George (Luke), and he’s a key player for us along with Max (Marquez). But I feel like everyone is stepping up to the challenges we’ve had this season. Everyone is working their hardest, which is important.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook North
GK Ronan Kerrigan
D Ben Gordon
D David Schueler
D Patrick O’Brien
D Tyler Smith
MF Sam Sullivan
MF Jan Bogdan
MF Lucas Kovorik
MF Konrad Kulesza
MF Nate Aronson
F Joey Martens
Maine South
GK Vito Abbananti
D Michael Byron
D John Rozynek
D Neil Lewisa
D Owen Mech
MF Will Burgis
MF Sam McGinnis
MF Jack Dombro
MF Giuliano Corazzina
F Alex Walega
F Alex Olson
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Alex Walega, sr., F, Maine South
Scoring summary
First half
Maine South - Olson (Walega) 7 minutes
Maine South - Walega (UA) 22 minutes
Second half
Glenbrook North - Kulesza (Martens) 63 minutes
Host Spartans fall 2-1 on a wild night of soccer
By Gary Larsen
NORTHBROOK - On a night when a brutally stiff wind was a keeper’s worst enemy, three different goalies took turns grabbing the spotlight when Glenbrook North hosted Maine South on Wednesday,
Maine South and its two keepers ultimately prevailed in a wild, 2-1 Central Suburban League crossover game that could have easily seen another five or six goals put on the scoreboard.
“That was playoff soccer right there,” Glenbrook North coach Paul Vignocchi said. “I told our boys that today was a great atmosphere as far as playoff soccer goes.”
Maine South coach Dan States was happy with the effort his boys gave on enemy turf under difficult conditions.
“It was a tough night to play,” States said. “It kind of played out the way we expected it would, and it’s just a matter of finding a way to get it done on a windy night.”
Glenbrook North (7-7-4) was forced to defend a quality Maine South (8-5-4) team with the wind at its back through 40 minutes. The Hawks took advantage with goals from Alex Olson and Alex Walega by the game’s 22nd minute.
Walega also assisted on Olson’s goal. Glenbrook North had a free kick inside the box at 13 minutes that resulted in a scramble near the goalmouth and a shot sent just wide of frame.
The first of three exceptional goalkeeping plays came at 23 minutes, when North’s Joey Martens blistered a free kick at Maine South keeper Vito Abbinanti from 25 yards.
Abbinanti tipped Martens’ laser over the crossbar to keep the slate clean, and the Hawks maintained their 2-0 lead to halftime.
Martens also found a prime scoring chance in the run of play in the first half but his shot from 12 yards was turned away by a defender.
“Joey missed a few opportunities where he should have finished, and he’ll be the first one to say that he should have been better today,” Vignocchi said of Martens.
Vignocchi prediction was right.
“I wasn’t myself in the first half. I was struggling,” Martens said.
Olson and Walega keyed the attack through 40 minutes for Maine South, and Olson forced a diving save from North keeper Ronan Kerrigan at 20 minutes. Glenbrook North defender Tyler Smith also cleared a ball off the goal line at 23 minutes, and Kerrigan saved a head shot from South’s Giuliano Corrazina at 29 minutes.
States thought his boys offense underachieved before the Spartans took their turn with the wind at their backs.
“We squandered a few too many opportunities, and we know (Glenbrook North) would be a pesky bunch,” States said. “They kept coming and kept coming. And with the wind, things happen. They’re well-coached, and they came after us.”
Chasing a two-goal deficit, Glenbrook North played with three defenders in the second half. The extra attacking player paid off.
Maine South started Luke Lorenc in net in the second half, and he immediately faced pressure. Lorenc saved a header taken by North’s Sam Sullivan at 47 minutes, and the two squared off again a minute later to create the game’s second outstanding save.
Sullivan spun on a ball from 35 yards and fired to the upper ninety, only to see Lorenc elevate and tip it over the bar.
Through the first 10 minutes of the second half, the Spartans were setting a tone with Martens flashing his playmaking skills.
“We switched to three in the back, and we had two strikers,” Martens said. “I was kind of dropping into a gap, trying to find it at my feet, and going from there.”
Glenbrook North’s Konrad Kulesza forced Lorenc to make a diving save at 60 minutes, and Kulesza finally broke North’s drought three minutes later.
“I saw Joey dribbling to the right side so I peeled off to the left,” Kulesza said. “He sent me a perfect ball, high space, and (Lorenc) was really far out of net. I just decided to hit it low and hard.”
Kulesza’s shot from 16 yards found the back netting and North had 17 minutes remaining to find an equalizing goal. Lorenc made another diving stop at 65 minutes before Kerrigan provided the night’s third exceptional goalkeeping play.
With five minutes remaining, Maine South was awarded a penalty kick. Walega went low and left, and Kerrigan dove to his right to swat it away.
“Great save by (Kerrigan) to keep us in the game and not make it a two-goal difference,” Vignocchi said.
Glenbrook North swarmed the final third down the stretch but Maine South proved up to the challenge. For posting a goal and an assist, Walega was named the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match.
“Both keepers did a nice job and did what we were looking for,” States said, “Alex Olson did a nice job in the middle of the park, and Michael Byron was solid in the back.
“We were missing a center back and made some adjustments. The guys who filled in did a good job. Our spacing was a little suspect at times in the second half in terms of stepping to the ball, but we did some good things. We did what we wanted to do, which was to come in here and get a win.”
Maine South plays Bloomington, Danville, and St. Francis at the Jacksonville Tournament before finishing the regular season at Ridgewood.
“We’re on an upper trend and we’ve had some successful results against some good teams — GBN, Highland Park, Evanston — so a lot of good things are happening,” States said.
Glenbrook North plays at Hinsdale Central before hosting Lake Forest in its final regular season game.
Vignocchi liked what he got from central defenders Ben Gordon and David Schueler on Wednesday and was pleased with the way Martens and Kulesza combined in the second half.
“We were able to get one back, and we changed our formation up a little bit in the second half and went more offensive,” Vignocchi said. “We created some opportunities and the last five minutes were basically down in their end, and it was chance, chance, chance.”
Kulesza believes the Spartans could be on the cusp of something good, once a team that has dealt with key injuries all season gets healthy before the state playoffs.
“We obviously have had some adversity,” Kulesza said. “We were missing George (Luke), and he’s a key player for us along with Max (Marquez). But I feel like everyone is stepping up to the challenges we’ve had this season. Everyone is working their hardest, which is important.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook North
GK Ronan Kerrigan
D Ben Gordon
D David Schueler
D Patrick O’Brien
D Tyler Smith
MF Sam Sullivan
MF Jan Bogdan
MF Lucas Kovorik
MF Konrad Kulesza
MF Nate Aronson
F Joey Martens
Maine South
GK Vito Abbananti
D Michael Byron
D John Rozynek
D Neil Lewisa
D Owen Mech
MF Will Burgis
MF Sam McGinnis
MF Jack Dombro
MF Giuliano Corazzina
F Alex Walega
F Alex Olson
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Alex Walega, sr., F, Maine South
Scoring summary
First half
Maine South - Olson (Walega) 7 minutes
Maine South - Walega (UA) 22 minutes
Second half
Glenbrook North - Kulesza (Martens) 63 minutes