Genoa-Kingston gains control vs. Oregon
Cogs get it together to post 5-3 win in Big Northern tourney opener
By Len Eisele
GENOA -- The host Cogs struggled early, but came through to celebrate their seniors with a 5-3 victory over Oregon in the quarterfinals of the Big Northern Conference Tournament.
“It’s definitely good, but I think it’s just the first step,” Cogs junior forward Eagan Reams said. “We still have two games left (to win the tournament). We’re taking it one step at a time.”
The fourth-seeded Cogs (6-5-1) exploded for two goals in less than a minute early in the second half to put the Hawks in their rearview mirror in the Senior Day victory.
Tied 2-2 at the half, Reams put the Cogs ahead in the 46th minute. He knocked the ball in from seven yards with an assist from Alejo Pacheco.
“We had possession the whole game,” Reams said. “We just wanted to convert that possession more, finish our chances when we had them. We wanted to stretch the field and keep finding our teammates in open spaces.”
After a handball violation on Oregon, Cogs’ sophomore forward Junior Leon took the ensuing free kick from 40 yards and arced it just beyond the reach of Hawks’ goalkeeper Owen Ketter.
The Cogs added another insurance goal in the 64th minute as the familiar give-and-go offense between Reams and Leon came through again. Reams slipped the ball to a cutting Leon who finished from 12 yards for a three-goal Cogs cushion.
“I think overall our possession, moving the ball was great today,” coach Randy Tate said. “I think we held on to the ball too long in the first half, trying to dribble in close, but that just brings in another defender. In the second half I think we opened up a little more. I think we were able to get some passes through.”
The Hawks (3-7-0) snuck in a late goal on a long, high-arcing shot from senior defender Ryan Hussing from 45 yards to cut the lead to 5-3, but that would be the last chance for the visiting Hawks.
“We more aggressive than the last time,” Oregon coach Seger Larson said. “We’ve actually taken shots. Last time we didn’t get any shots off. They’re faster than us. We couldn’t stop their speed, and that’s why the score is what it is.”
The Cogs beat the Hawks 6-0 on April 8.
“We had to play them back-to-back,” Tate said. “We kind of knew what to expect, and it ended up in our favor today. They got a few more goals today. They got after us today, but we withstood the challenge.”
Junior midfielder Joey Gelander, who scored two goals in the first half, led the Oregon offense.
“It feels nice to get some goals this season,” Gelander said. “We haven’t scored that many goals as a team this season, so it’s nice to see that success happen.”
Gelander drew first blood. He smashed home a blast from about 8 yards after Hawks’ senior midfielder Alan Acosta’s shot clanged off the side bar in the 11th minute.
“Honestly, at the start, we started off a little rough,” said Genoa-Kingston senior defenseman Marco Beltran. “We were kind of playing slow, tired. I don’t know why, but we shouldn’t have let that happen.”
The Oregon lead was short-lived. The Reams-Leon connection struck for the first time in the game five minutes later. Leon knocked a shot that Ketter deflected and couldn’t corral. Reams charged the ball and rammed it through from four yards.
The Cogs took their first lead of the game in the 19th minute on a nifty pass from sophomore midfielder Leonardo Rocha to freshman John Walcott. Rocha dribbled around the left edge of the box and then fired the ball into the center. Walcott came diving in to smash the ball in the opposite side of the goal with a screaming header.
“We had possession, we thought, the whole game,” Reams said. “We just wanted to convert more on our possession, finish our chances when we had them. Stretch out the field when we had the ball and find our teammates in the open spaces.”
Gelander struck again for Oregon with just under 12 minutes to go in the half. The tall midfielder took a pass from sophomore forward Grant Stender and beat the diving Rony Vasquez to the ball. Gelander slammed home the open look from 12 yards.
Genoa-Kingston controlled possession and pressured the Hawks most of the game. The Cogs sent 23 shots toward the goal and forced Ketter to make 11 saves.
“I don’t know how many went over the fence, but we’ve never had that many,” said Tate of the misfires on the windy day. “We kind of kept pounding the ball a hundred miles over the goal.”
Starting Lineups
Oregon
GK Owen Ketter
FB Kyle Brechon
FB Ryan Hussung
FB Liam Dickson-Harriett
FB Grant Cermak
MF Alan Acosta
MF Joey Gelander
MF Gavin Bradshaw
MF Adam Thorsen
FW Sebastian Cardenas
FW Isaaac Nelson
Genoa-Kingston
GK Rony Vasquez
FB Marco Beltran
FB Marco Villagran
FB Ben Younker
FB Nate Skarzynski
FB Alan Rangel
MF Angel Tapia
MF Diego Espinoza
MF Ghandy Camargo
FW Juan Campos
FW Jorge Leon
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Eagan Reams, jr., F, Genoa-Kingston
Scoring summary
First half
Oregon - Gelander (Acosta) 11 minutes
Genoa-Kingston - Reams (Leon) 16 minutes
Genoa-Kingston - Walcott (Rocha) 19 minutes
Oregon - Gelander (Stender) 28 minutes
Second Half
Genoa-Kingston - Reams (Pacheco) 46 minutes
Genoa-Kingston - Leon (UA) 47 minutes
Genoa-Kingston - Leon (Reams) 64 minutes
Oregon - Hussung (Thorsen) 72 minutes
Cogs get it together to post 5-3 win in Big Northern tourney opener
By Len Eisele
GENOA -- The host Cogs struggled early, but came through to celebrate their seniors with a 5-3 victory over Oregon in the quarterfinals of the Big Northern Conference Tournament.
“It’s definitely good, but I think it’s just the first step,” Cogs junior forward Eagan Reams said. “We still have two games left (to win the tournament). We’re taking it one step at a time.”
The fourth-seeded Cogs (6-5-1) exploded for two goals in less than a minute early in the second half to put the Hawks in their rearview mirror in the Senior Day victory.
Tied 2-2 at the half, Reams put the Cogs ahead in the 46th minute. He knocked the ball in from seven yards with an assist from Alejo Pacheco.
“We had possession the whole game,” Reams said. “We just wanted to convert that possession more, finish our chances when we had them. We wanted to stretch the field and keep finding our teammates in open spaces.”
After a handball violation on Oregon, Cogs’ sophomore forward Junior Leon took the ensuing free kick from 40 yards and arced it just beyond the reach of Hawks’ goalkeeper Owen Ketter.
The Cogs added another insurance goal in the 64th minute as the familiar give-and-go offense between Reams and Leon came through again. Reams slipped the ball to a cutting Leon who finished from 12 yards for a three-goal Cogs cushion.
“I think overall our possession, moving the ball was great today,” coach Randy Tate said. “I think we held on to the ball too long in the first half, trying to dribble in close, but that just brings in another defender. In the second half I think we opened up a little more. I think we were able to get some passes through.”
The Hawks (3-7-0) snuck in a late goal on a long, high-arcing shot from senior defender Ryan Hussing from 45 yards to cut the lead to 5-3, but that would be the last chance for the visiting Hawks.
“We more aggressive than the last time,” Oregon coach Seger Larson said. “We’ve actually taken shots. Last time we didn’t get any shots off. They’re faster than us. We couldn’t stop their speed, and that’s why the score is what it is.”
The Cogs beat the Hawks 6-0 on April 8.
“We had to play them back-to-back,” Tate said. “We kind of knew what to expect, and it ended up in our favor today. They got a few more goals today. They got after us today, but we withstood the challenge.”
Junior midfielder Joey Gelander, who scored two goals in the first half, led the Oregon offense.
“It feels nice to get some goals this season,” Gelander said. “We haven’t scored that many goals as a team this season, so it’s nice to see that success happen.”
Gelander drew first blood. He smashed home a blast from about 8 yards after Hawks’ senior midfielder Alan Acosta’s shot clanged off the side bar in the 11th minute.
“Honestly, at the start, we started off a little rough,” said Genoa-Kingston senior defenseman Marco Beltran. “We were kind of playing slow, tired. I don’t know why, but we shouldn’t have let that happen.”
The Oregon lead was short-lived. The Reams-Leon connection struck for the first time in the game five minutes later. Leon knocked a shot that Ketter deflected and couldn’t corral. Reams charged the ball and rammed it through from four yards.
The Cogs took their first lead of the game in the 19th minute on a nifty pass from sophomore midfielder Leonardo Rocha to freshman John Walcott. Rocha dribbled around the left edge of the box and then fired the ball into the center. Walcott came diving in to smash the ball in the opposite side of the goal with a screaming header.
“We had possession, we thought, the whole game,” Reams said. “We just wanted to convert more on our possession, finish our chances when we had them. Stretch out the field when we had the ball and find our teammates in the open spaces.”
Gelander struck again for Oregon with just under 12 minutes to go in the half. The tall midfielder took a pass from sophomore forward Grant Stender and beat the diving Rony Vasquez to the ball. Gelander slammed home the open look from 12 yards.
Genoa-Kingston controlled possession and pressured the Hawks most of the game. The Cogs sent 23 shots toward the goal and forced Ketter to make 11 saves.
“I don’t know how many went over the fence, but we’ve never had that many,” said Tate of the misfires on the windy day. “We kind of kept pounding the ball a hundred miles over the goal.”
Starting Lineups
Oregon
GK Owen Ketter
FB Kyle Brechon
FB Ryan Hussung
FB Liam Dickson-Harriett
FB Grant Cermak
MF Alan Acosta
MF Joey Gelander
MF Gavin Bradshaw
MF Adam Thorsen
FW Sebastian Cardenas
FW Isaaac Nelson
Genoa-Kingston
GK Rony Vasquez
FB Marco Beltran
FB Marco Villagran
FB Ben Younker
FB Nate Skarzynski
FB Alan Rangel
MF Angel Tapia
MF Diego Espinoza
MF Ghandy Camargo
FW Juan Campos
FW Jorge Leon
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Eagan Reams, jr., F, Genoa-Kingston
Scoring summary
First half
Oregon - Gelander (Acosta) 11 minutes
Genoa-Kingston - Reams (Leon) 16 minutes
Genoa-Kingston - Walcott (Rocha) 19 minutes
Oregon - Gelander (Stender) 28 minutes
Second Half
Genoa-Kingston - Reams (Pacheco) 46 minutes
Genoa-Kingston - Leon (UA) 47 minutes
Genoa-Kingston - Leon (Reams) 64 minutes
Oregon - Hussung (Thorsen) 72 minutes