Prospect breaks through at Buffalo Grove
Knights use hot start, improved defense to win 1st of the season
By Nick Frazier
BUFFALO GROVE – It’s been a slow start to the season for Prospect.
After earning a draw at Hoffman Estates in the season opener, the Knights lost their next four games. Their most recent outing resulted in 6-2 defeat at New Trier, which is now ranked second in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, on March 20.
Prospect hopes Tuesday’s 3-1 Mid-Suburban League win at Buffalo Grove marks a turning point,
“From now on, big things are coming from our team,” said forward Alejandro Martinez. “This is what we needed.”
Martinez scored a goal in each half, and the Knights’ (1-4-1) defense rose to the occasion in a 3-1 victory over host and previously undefeated Buffalo Grove. Prospect was in control throughout the entire 80 minutes, an indicator to head coach Mike Andrews that his squad can hang with the best of them.
“I think it just took us a little bit of time to figure it out,” Andrews said. “Tonight, we demonstrated that when we put the strategy together with the energy and the effort, the victories will come. I’m incredibly proud of all of these guys. They played with tremendous heart tonight as well as composure.”
It didn’t take long for Prospect to get on the scoreboard. Senior co-captain Declan Flanagan found the back of the net just five minutes in.
After the Knights defense cleared a Bison corner kick, Prospect moved the ball up to senior forward John Wilkins on the left side of the field. Wilkins beat his defender and fired, but Buffalo Grove goalkeeper Charles Mancilla deflected the shot.
Flanagan was there to corral the long rebound and boot the ball past Mancilla for the early lead.
Fifteen minutes later, Martinez scored from 10 yards thanks to fellow seniors goalkeeper Cole Conner and forward Eryk Limankowa.
“[Cole] has a really hard goal kick, so I told him at the beginning of the game just look for me, I’ll be running,” Martinez said. “He placed it in the middle. Eryk got a little flick to me, I read the ball, came through, I got the ball to my left and finished.”
Buffalo Grove increased its offensive pressure in the second half, with senior forward Brian Perez earning multiple scoring chances. But the Prospect defense, led by senior co-captain Gavin Kafkakis with his mates David Marshall, Ari Kemperas and Rick Lytle, played in sync and kept the Bison at bay.
The Knights allowed 10 goals in their previous two games which included a 4-1 loss to Rolling Meadows, but Kafkakis said there were no major schematic changes along the backline. It was all about attention to detail and communication against Buffalo Grove.
“In past games we just had little mistakes that led to goals,” Kafkakis said. “Tonight, we made sure none of that happened.”
Providing a big boost in net was Conner, who showed poise in his first start this season. The senior made several nice stops in the second half and showed impressive anticipation.
“He was tremendous tonight, just really strong,” Andrews said. “His decision-making and composure were top-notch. I’m happy he proved he could play like that.”
At the 65-minute mark, Wilkins sent a cross towards a streaking Martinez in the box. Martinez found himself all alone and easily scored to put the game away for Prospect.
Buffalo Grove (4-1-0) didn’t stop competing after it went down three goals. Perez, a key part of the 2019 Bison team that won a regional, put his team on the board in the 74th minute with a pretty, unassisted goal.
Scoring and avoiding the shutout was nice but not enough to satisfy the 5-foot-10 playmaker.
“At the end of the day, goals without results don’t really mean anything,” Perez said. “I’d rather win and not score than lose and score. I could score three in a loss, it doesn’t matter.”
With a few less players on the bench due to spring break, Buffalo Grove coach Darren Llewellyn did some tinkering on defense. Midfielder Jakub Szydlowski and Aldo Torres stepped in to help. Regular defender Andrew Berk played his first game back from an injury.
Rather than dwell on the loss, Llewellyn plans to get his team ready for a big conference tilt versus Wheeling on Thursday.
“We’ll work on backline stuff,” Llewellyn said. “We’ll keep talking that message of being in the present and focusing on what we control. What we control is the guys that are here and what we do with the guys that are here.”
While Buffalo Grove aims to quickly turn the page from Tuesday’s loss, the Knights were soaking up the moments from their first win. Up next is a home contest against Schaumburg on Saturday.
Andrews is looking forward to seeing his team build off of its best performance of a season that would normally be considered still young if it weren’t for the pandemic. Due to COVID-19, the shortened season is already at its mid-point.
“There were not a lot of lapses tonight,” Andrews said. “That was our downfall in the first few games; we’re starting to correct our mistakes. I’m pleased, I’m proud, and I’m excited to see what the next few weeks will bring.”
Starting lineups
Prospect
GK Cole Conner
D David Marshall
D Ari Kemperas
D Rick Lytle
D Gavin Kafkakis
M Sebastian Ayala
M Declan Flanagan
M Gabriel Predescu
F John Wilkins
F Eryk Limankowa
F Alejandro Martinez
Buffalo Grove
GK Charles Mancilla
D Andrew Berk
D Jakub Szydlowski
D Aldo Torres
D Arian Garcia
M Giovanni Trujano
M Mario Torres
M Jorge Hernandez Lopez
F Brian Perez
F Alexis Escobar
F Patryk Korzatkowski
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Alejandro Martinez, sr., F, Prospect
Scoring Summary
First half
P - Flanagan (Wilkins), 5’
P - Martinez (Limankowa), 20’
Second half
P - Martinez (Wilkins), 65’
BG - Perez (UA), 74’
Knights use hot start, improved defense to win 1st of the season
By Nick Frazier
BUFFALO GROVE – It’s been a slow start to the season for Prospect.
After earning a draw at Hoffman Estates in the season opener, the Knights lost their next four games. Their most recent outing resulted in 6-2 defeat at New Trier, which is now ranked second in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, on March 20.
Prospect hopes Tuesday’s 3-1 Mid-Suburban League win at Buffalo Grove marks a turning point,
“From now on, big things are coming from our team,” said forward Alejandro Martinez. “This is what we needed.”
Martinez scored a goal in each half, and the Knights’ (1-4-1) defense rose to the occasion in a 3-1 victory over host and previously undefeated Buffalo Grove. Prospect was in control throughout the entire 80 minutes, an indicator to head coach Mike Andrews that his squad can hang with the best of them.
“I think it just took us a little bit of time to figure it out,” Andrews said. “Tonight, we demonstrated that when we put the strategy together with the energy and the effort, the victories will come. I’m incredibly proud of all of these guys. They played with tremendous heart tonight as well as composure.”
It didn’t take long for Prospect to get on the scoreboard. Senior co-captain Declan Flanagan found the back of the net just five minutes in.
After the Knights defense cleared a Bison corner kick, Prospect moved the ball up to senior forward John Wilkins on the left side of the field. Wilkins beat his defender and fired, but Buffalo Grove goalkeeper Charles Mancilla deflected the shot.
Flanagan was there to corral the long rebound and boot the ball past Mancilla for the early lead.
Fifteen minutes later, Martinez scored from 10 yards thanks to fellow seniors goalkeeper Cole Conner and forward Eryk Limankowa.
“[Cole] has a really hard goal kick, so I told him at the beginning of the game just look for me, I’ll be running,” Martinez said. “He placed it in the middle. Eryk got a little flick to me, I read the ball, came through, I got the ball to my left and finished.”
Buffalo Grove increased its offensive pressure in the second half, with senior forward Brian Perez earning multiple scoring chances. But the Prospect defense, led by senior co-captain Gavin Kafkakis with his mates David Marshall, Ari Kemperas and Rick Lytle, played in sync and kept the Bison at bay.
The Knights allowed 10 goals in their previous two games which included a 4-1 loss to Rolling Meadows, but Kafkakis said there were no major schematic changes along the backline. It was all about attention to detail and communication against Buffalo Grove.
“In past games we just had little mistakes that led to goals,” Kafkakis said. “Tonight, we made sure none of that happened.”
Providing a big boost in net was Conner, who showed poise in his first start this season. The senior made several nice stops in the second half and showed impressive anticipation.
“He was tremendous tonight, just really strong,” Andrews said. “His decision-making and composure were top-notch. I’m happy he proved he could play like that.”
At the 65-minute mark, Wilkins sent a cross towards a streaking Martinez in the box. Martinez found himself all alone and easily scored to put the game away for Prospect.
Buffalo Grove (4-1-0) didn’t stop competing after it went down three goals. Perez, a key part of the 2019 Bison team that won a regional, put his team on the board in the 74th minute with a pretty, unassisted goal.
Scoring and avoiding the shutout was nice but not enough to satisfy the 5-foot-10 playmaker.
“At the end of the day, goals without results don’t really mean anything,” Perez said. “I’d rather win and not score than lose and score. I could score three in a loss, it doesn’t matter.”
With a few less players on the bench due to spring break, Buffalo Grove coach Darren Llewellyn did some tinkering on defense. Midfielder Jakub Szydlowski and Aldo Torres stepped in to help. Regular defender Andrew Berk played his first game back from an injury.
Rather than dwell on the loss, Llewellyn plans to get his team ready for a big conference tilt versus Wheeling on Thursday.
“We’ll work on backline stuff,” Llewellyn said. “We’ll keep talking that message of being in the present and focusing on what we control. What we control is the guys that are here and what we do with the guys that are here.”
While Buffalo Grove aims to quickly turn the page from Tuesday’s loss, the Knights were soaking up the moments from their first win. Up next is a home contest against Schaumburg on Saturday.
Andrews is looking forward to seeing his team build off of its best performance of a season that would normally be considered still young if it weren’t for the pandemic. Due to COVID-19, the shortened season is already at its mid-point.
“There were not a lot of lapses tonight,” Andrews said. “That was our downfall in the first few games; we’re starting to correct our mistakes. I’m pleased, I’m proud, and I’m excited to see what the next few weeks will bring.”
Starting lineups
Prospect
GK Cole Conner
D David Marshall
D Ari Kemperas
D Rick Lytle
D Gavin Kafkakis
M Sebastian Ayala
M Declan Flanagan
M Gabriel Predescu
F John Wilkins
F Eryk Limankowa
F Alejandro Martinez
Buffalo Grove
GK Charles Mancilla
D Andrew Berk
D Jakub Szydlowski
D Aldo Torres
D Arian Garcia
M Giovanni Trujano
M Mario Torres
M Jorge Hernandez Lopez
F Brian Perez
F Alexis Escobar
F Patryk Korzatkowski
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Alejandro Martinez, sr., F, Prospect
Scoring Summary
First half
P - Flanagan (Wilkins), 5’
P - Martinez (Limankowa), 20’
Second half
P - Martinez (Wilkins), 65’
BG - Perez (UA), 74’