Maine South falls to Elgin comeback
Hawks can’t maintain strong start in 3-2, third place game loss
By Steve Nemeth
ST. CHARLES --- Scoring early, rejecting a penalty kick and buiding atwo-goal lead midway through the opening half was a darn good start for Maine South.
Unfortunately for the Hawks, their last match in the St. Charles Invitational on Saturday went south from there, as in the slang description of downhill.
Elgin --- winners of last year’s inaugural version of tournament --- played with the kind of pride expected from a defending champion to rally for a 3-2 triumph in the third place game.
Although both sides came out of the contest with identical 3-2-1 records, it was metaphorically an extension of how things are going lately for the two teams.
After going unbeaten in its first four outings, Maine South now needs to recover from back-to-back disappointments. The Hawks were held scoreless by Chicagoland Soccer’s no. 20-rated team, St. Charles East, and then couldn’t deny Elgin’s comeback bid.
By contrast, the Maroons now own a three-match win streak and managed to score three goals for the fourth time this year.
“There are always positives and negatives to every match, in this case the question is how do we react moving forward,” Maine South coach Dan States said. “Do we vow not to let it happen again? Do we learn how to protect a lead?
“This tourney is designed to test you. And we need that since the Central Suburban League South is loaded, and we can expect tight battles in each of those games,” States added.
Maine South scored a mere 6:11 into the match and every time Elgin initially tried to tighten things, it didn’t happen.
The Hawks’ Luciano Cale ripped an attempt that Maroon goalie Jefferson Paulino blocked, but the rebound was right in front of Giuliano Corazzina, who chalked up his third goal for the season with a 13-yarder.
Just a minute and a half later, Elgin’s Olaoluwa Ajayi launched a 19-yard rocket that left the crossbar vibrating.
There was 14:57 played when Maine South starting goalie Drew Burgis raced off his line to thwart a breakaway but in the process committed a foul. That gave Elgin another chance to draw even. However, the junior keeper dove to his right and snuffed a penalty kick attempt by Eduardo Berrun.
“It’s more instinct than anything else when it comes to stopping a PK,” Burgis said. “And it’s a totally different feeling in a game versus practice. And when you preserve a lead it’s that much sweeter, probably a goalie’s greatest high. But in the end, I’d prefer we get a win.”
South appeared to be headed in that direction at 17:34. John Cronnolly’s well-placed kick led to a Peter Bahu nine-yard header for a 2-0 advantage. It was the first goal of the season for Bahu.
Elgin’s Christian Guerrero bombed a shot from distance but Burgis picked up another save. He wasn’t as fortunate when Guerrero fed the ball to the middle where Berrun used the opening to drive a 22-yarder inside the left post.
Suddenly the Maroons had new hope. A minute later Nico Lopez booted a 39-yarder that required a tip save by Burgis. Elgin continued attacking and Brandon Tavira earned an assist in setting up Jean Padilla-Lopez for a 16-yard strike from the right wing. That was the first of back-to-back goals for the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match. Those brought the junior’s total to three for the season; he shares the team lead with Isaac Espinosa.
“Seeing Brandon control the ball, I made the run to the middle and once we connected, I had time for a good shot,” Padilla-Lopez explained. “I simply went for the far post with a hard strike.”
Shortly after the 2-2 tie, South had a breakaway opportunity but Paulino succeeded in racing out to cover the ball. At the Hawks’ end of the field, Burgis made solid saves to close out the opening half.
The second began with much more back-and-forth play with two notable chances. Maine South second half goalie Luke Lorenc rushed out to thwart an Elgin breakaway, and the Hawks Sam McGinnis hit an absolute cracker that sizzled goalward until Paulino dove to his left to knock it down.
But the deadlock was broken at 54:04. Berrun earned his team-best third assist finding Padilla-Lopez on the left wing from where the junior blasted a left-footed 23-yarder that found the inside right.
“Scoring is always special, but also getting a game-winner feels even more amazing,” Padilla-Lopez added.
However there was more than a few tense moments for both sides before that tally turned into the decisive goal.
Bahu had another header off a corner but that one sailed high. Padilla-Lopez cut to his right for a cannon-ball roller that was headed toward the right post before Lorenc snared it. The Hawks had free kicks from Corazzina and Cronnolly that necessitated Paulino to make leaping grabs just in front of the goal line.
“Not having a lot of returnees there’s naturally going to be some growing pains,” States said in critiquing Maine South’s performance. “One thing that was very evident throughout the tournament is they don’t quit. We were down a goal against Metea Valley (which went on to capture the invite trophy) and tied it to force a shootout. We then won that shutout. We have grit and determination. Right to the end today, we pushed for the equalizer. It just didn’t come to pass.
“Charlie (Ryan) was a good example of that. We moved him around to either fill a need or give us a spark,” States said. “We call him ‘the pocket Hercules’. He may be small in height, but he is a fierce competitor and very wise.
“One take away from this match is the need to always stay positive,” Corazzina said. “Sometimes our defense wasn’t at its best, maybe there was some fatigue, but no matter we have to continue to think we’ll win and that we’ll score.”
That was a hint that Maine South sometimes hesitated or failed to take some chances with the statistics adding up in favor of Elgin. The Maroons owned a 21-13 advantage for overall attempts and 12-9 edge in shots on goal, as well as 7-5 tally for corner kicks.
Those numbers undoubtedly pleased Elgin coach Dave Borg, who not only lost the top four scorers from last year’s sectional final unit, but Omar Lopez in particular. A one-man scoring machine, Lopez led all of Class 3A in points with 96 which also tied him for 11th in the state among players from all levels. His 42 goals were also best in 3A.
So far the Maroons are filling the void with numbers. Seven players have accounted for Elgin’s 12 goals thus far.
“We have an extremely young group who really fight,” Borg stated. “Everyone wants playing time so they go hard. This was the second game we came from behind to win and historically, Elgin hasn’t always been known for that.”
“Coming into this season we know there are a lot of doubters,” Tavira admitted. “Our whole group knows it doesn’t matter how you start a match, but it’s more important how you finish. Being down 2-0 we stayed composed knowing we were capable of a comeback. In soccer it’s often said 2-0 is the worst lead. Anything can happen until the clock is all zeroes.”
That approach is what Elgin hopes to have for a Monday visit to no. 20-rated St. Charles East. The Saints were 3-0 victors over Leyden in their tourney finale to improve to 5-1-0.
Maine South has a CSL crossover visit to Deerfield on Tuesday with the following week featuring a gauntlet. The question is what will (no. 13) Evanston and (no. 22) Glenbrook South be ranked by that time.
Starting lineups
Maine South
GK: Drew Burgis
D Milosz Dykiel
D Matt Skorupa
D Konrad Kutzuba
D Charlie Ryan
M Dennis Kobuzi
M Peter Bahu
M Sam McGinnis
M Luciano Cale
F Guiliano Corazzina
F John Cronnolly
Elgin
GK: Jefferson Paulino
D Osvaldo Reyes
D Jayrell Garcia
D Nico Lopez
D Alan Sanchez
M Yair Valente
M Eduardo Berrun
M Jose Hernandez
M Jean Padilla-Lopez
F Olaoluwa Ajayi
F Jose Ramirez
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Jean Padilla-Lopez, Jr. M/F, Elgin
Referees: Jim Franklin (center), Jeff Goodlove, Tim Jackson
Game summary
Elgin 3, Maine South 2
Maine S. 2 0 --- 2 (3-2-1)
Elgin 2 1 --- 3 (3-2-1)
Scoring
First half
MS --- Corazzina 13-yard follow-up to rebound from goalie (Cale assist), 6:11 gone
MS --- Bahu nine-yard header from left side (Cronnolly assist), 17:34 gone
E – Berrun from out top drive into inside left of cage (Guerrero assist), 24:06 gone
E – Padilla-Lopez cut back from right to middle for 16-yard blast (Tavira assist), 27:16
Second half
E --- Padilla-Lopez dribbles to middle and unleashes 23-yard left-footed drive (Berrun assist), 54:04 gone
Shots
MS 7 – 6 --- 13
E 11 – 10 --- 21
Shots on goal
MS 6 – 3 --- 9
E 8 – 4 --- 12
Saves (goalies)
MS (Burgis 6) 6 – (Lorenc 3) 3 --- 9
E (Paulino) 4 – 3 --- 7
Corner kicks
MS 2 – 3 --- 5
E 4 – 3 --- 7
Offsides
MS 1 – 2 --- 3
E 1 – 1 --- 2
Hawks can’t maintain strong start in 3-2, third place game loss
By Steve Nemeth
ST. CHARLES --- Scoring early, rejecting a penalty kick and buiding atwo-goal lead midway through the opening half was a darn good start for Maine South.
Unfortunately for the Hawks, their last match in the St. Charles Invitational on Saturday went south from there, as in the slang description of downhill.
Elgin --- winners of last year’s inaugural version of tournament --- played with the kind of pride expected from a defending champion to rally for a 3-2 triumph in the third place game.
Although both sides came out of the contest with identical 3-2-1 records, it was metaphorically an extension of how things are going lately for the two teams.
After going unbeaten in its first four outings, Maine South now needs to recover from back-to-back disappointments. The Hawks were held scoreless by Chicagoland Soccer’s no. 20-rated team, St. Charles East, and then couldn’t deny Elgin’s comeback bid.
By contrast, the Maroons now own a three-match win streak and managed to score three goals for the fourth time this year.
“There are always positives and negatives to every match, in this case the question is how do we react moving forward,” Maine South coach Dan States said. “Do we vow not to let it happen again? Do we learn how to protect a lead?
“This tourney is designed to test you. And we need that since the Central Suburban League South is loaded, and we can expect tight battles in each of those games,” States added.
Maine South scored a mere 6:11 into the match and every time Elgin initially tried to tighten things, it didn’t happen.
The Hawks’ Luciano Cale ripped an attempt that Maroon goalie Jefferson Paulino blocked, but the rebound was right in front of Giuliano Corazzina, who chalked up his third goal for the season with a 13-yarder.
Just a minute and a half later, Elgin’s Olaoluwa Ajayi launched a 19-yard rocket that left the crossbar vibrating.
There was 14:57 played when Maine South starting goalie Drew Burgis raced off his line to thwart a breakaway but in the process committed a foul. That gave Elgin another chance to draw even. However, the junior keeper dove to his right and snuffed a penalty kick attempt by Eduardo Berrun.
“It’s more instinct than anything else when it comes to stopping a PK,” Burgis said. “And it’s a totally different feeling in a game versus practice. And when you preserve a lead it’s that much sweeter, probably a goalie’s greatest high. But in the end, I’d prefer we get a win.”
South appeared to be headed in that direction at 17:34. John Cronnolly’s well-placed kick led to a Peter Bahu nine-yard header for a 2-0 advantage. It was the first goal of the season for Bahu.
Elgin’s Christian Guerrero bombed a shot from distance but Burgis picked up another save. He wasn’t as fortunate when Guerrero fed the ball to the middle where Berrun used the opening to drive a 22-yarder inside the left post.
Suddenly the Maroons had new hope. A minute later Nico Lopez booted a 39-yarder that required a tip save by Burgis. Elgin continued attacking and Brandon Tavira earned an assist in setting up Jean Padilla-Lopez for a 16-yard strike from the right wing. That was the first of back-to-back goals for the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match. Those brought the junior’s total to three for the season; he shares the team lead with Isaac Espinosa.
“Seeing Brandon control the ball, I made the run to the middle and once we connected, I had time for a good shot,” Padilla-Lopez explained. “I simply went for the far post with a hard strike.”
Shortly after the 2-2 tie, South had a breakaway opportunity but Paulino succeeded in racing out to cover the ball. At the Hawks’ end of the field, Burgis made solid saves to close out the opening half.
The second began with much more back-and-forth play with two notable chances. Maine South second half goalie Luke Lorenc rushed out to thwart an Elgin breakaway, and the Hawks Sam McGinnis hit an absolute cracker that sizzled goalward until Paulino dove to his left to knock it down.
But the deadlock was broken at 54:04. Berrun earned his team-best third assist finding Padilla-Lopez on the left wing from where the junior blasted a left-footed 23-yarder that found the inside right.
“Scoring is always special, but also getting a game-winner feels even more amazing,” Padilla-Lopez added.
However there was more than a few tense moments for both sides before that tally turned into the decisive goal.
Bahu had another header off a corner but that one sailed high. Padilla-Lopez cut to his right for a cannon-ball roller that was headed toward the right post before Lorenc snared it. The Hawks had free kicks from Corazzina and Cronnolly that necessitated Paulino to make leaping grabs just in front of the goal line.
“Not having a lot of returnees there’s naturally going to be some growing pains,” States said in critiquing Maine South’s performance. “One thing that was very evident throughout the tournament is they don’t quit. We were down a goal against Metea Valley (which went on to capture the invite trophy) and tied it to force a shootout. We then won that shutout. We have grit and determination. Right to the end today, we pushed for the equalizer. It just didn’t come to pass.
“Charlie (Ryan) was a good example of that. We moved him around to either fill a need or give us a spark,” States said. “We call him ‘the pocket Hercules’. He may be small in height, but he is a fierce competitor and very wise.
“One take away from this match is the need to always stay positive,” Corazzina said. “Sometimes our defense wasn’t at its best, maybe there was some fatigue, but no matter we have to continue to think we’ll win and that we’ll score.”
That was a hint that Maine South sometimes hesitated or failed to take some chances with the statistics adding up in favor of Elgin. The Maroons owned a 21-13 advantage for overall attempts and 12-9 edge in shots on goal, as well as 7-5 tally for corner kicks.
Those numbers undoubtedly pleased Elgin coach Dave Borg, who not only lost the top four scorers from last year’s sectional final unit, but Omar Lopez in particular. A one-man scoring machine, Lopez led all of Class 3A in points with 96 which also tied him for 11th in the state among players from all levels. His 42 goals were also best in 3A.
So far the Maroons are filling the void with numbers. Seven players have accounted for Elgin’s 12 goals thus far.
“We have an extremely young group who really fight,” Borg stated. “Everyone wants playing time so they go hard. This was the second game we came from behind to win and historically, Elgin hasn’t always been known for that.”
“Coming into this season we know there are a lot of doubters,” Tavira admitted. “Our whole group knows it doesn’t matter how you start a match, but it’s more important how you finish. Being down 2-0 we stayed composed knowing we were capable of a comeback. In soccer it’s often said 2-0 is the worst lead. Anything can happen until the clock is all zeroes.”
That approach is what Elgin hopes to have for a Monday visit to no. 20-rated St. Charles East. The Saints were 3-0 victors over Leyden in their tourney finale to improve to 5-1-0.
Maine South has a CSL crossover visit to Deerfield on Tuesday with the following week featuring a gauntlet. The question is what will (no. 13) Evanston and (no. 22) Glenbrook South be ranked by that time.
Starting lineups
Maine South
GK: Drew Burgis
D Milosz Dykiel
D Matt Skorupa
D Konrad Kutzuba
D Charlie Ryan
M Dennis Kobuzi
M Peter Bahu
M Sam McGinnis
M Luciano Cale
F Guiliano Corazzina
F John Cronnolly
Elgin
GK: Jefferson Paulino
D Osvaldo Reyes
D Jayrell Garcia
D Nico Lopez
D Alan Sanchez
M Yair Valente
M Eduardo Berrun
M Jose Hernandez
M Jean Padilla-Lopez
F Olaoluwa Ajayi
F Jose Ramirez
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Jean Padilla-Lopez, Jr. M/F, Elgin
Referees: Jim Franklin (center), Jeff Goodlove, Tim Jackson
Game summary
Elgin 3, Maine South 2
Maine S. 2 0 --- 2 (3-2-1)
Elgin 2 1 --- 3 (3-2-1)
Scoring
First half
MS --- Corazzina 13-yard follow-up to rebound from goalie (Cale assist), 6:11 gone
MS --- Bahu nine-yard header from left side (Cronnolly assist), 17:34 gone
E – Berrun from out top drive into inside left of cage (Guerrero assist), 24:06 gone
E – Padilla-Lopez cut back from right to middle for 16-yard blast (Tavira assist), 27:16
Second half
E --- Padilla-Lopez dribbles to middle and unleashes 23-yard left-footed drive (Berrun assist), 54:04 gone
Shots
MS 7 – 6 --- 13
E 11 – 10 --- 21
Shots on goal
MS 6 – 3 --- 9
E 8 – 4 --- 12
Saves (goalies)
MS (Burgis 6) 6 – (Lorenc 3) 3 --- 9
E (Paulino) 4 – 3 --- 7
Corner kicks
MS 2 – 3 --- 5
E 4 – 3 --- 7
Offsides
MS 1 – 2 --- 3
E 1 – 1 --- 2