Lyons' 2nd half roll earns Senior Night win
Clarke bags 2 of Lions' 5 goals after break; GK Vear scores on PK
By Matt Le Cren
WESTERN SPRINGS -- All goalkeepers dream of what Lyons senior Matt Vear got to do Friday night, but few ever get the chance.
When a Reavis player was ejected for a deliberate hand ball in the penalty area, the host Lions were awarded a penalty kick.
There was a short delay and then a murmur went through the Bennett Field crowd as Vear sprinted the length of the field to the penalty spot.
Lyons forward Eric Gradilla called on Vear to take the penalty kick with 14:10 left in the second half.
“I’ve been on Lyons for four years now and have never gotten a chance,” Vear said. “Eric said my name, (striker Charlie) Clarke gave me the look and coach (Paul Labbato) wasn’t saying no, so I just went up and took the shot.”
Vear blasted the ball into the upper right corner of the net for his first career goal, becoming the rare goalkeeper that scores during regulation. Vear’s strike made it 3-0 and the Lions later added two power play goals to rout the Rams 5-0 and run their winning streak to three games.
So does Vear have a strategy when taking penalties?
“It depends on how I’m feeling that day,” Vear said. “Today I chose right but next time it could be left. I don’t really know.
“We practice them a decent amount in practice, so I take a few for fun. I got to put it in play today so that was pretty cool.”
It was a cool way for the Lions (7-3-1) to celebrate both Senior Night and Homecoming. They started 11 seniors.
For all the celebrating they did late in the game, it was easy to forget that the game was scoreless until the Lions pumped home five goals in the final 31 minutes.
Reavis (5-2-3) put up a good fight in the first half but let down after Vear’s penalty kick.
“They’re a good team,” said Vear, who did not have to make a save, although the Rams did hit the crossbar with a shot early in the second half. “They played hard.
“They’ve got two hard-working forwards, a great keeper, and their backline was solid. But once we scored one we just kept them coming, and it was a really fun night.”
The fun started when Clarke scored the first of his two goals off a cross from Graham Andrews with 30:55 remaining. Reavis goalie Derik Judka stopped Clarke’s header but was in the net when he did so.
Clarke, who finished the scoring at the 8:39 mark with another header, this time off a perfect diagonal long ball over the top from Quinn Frazer, now has a team-leading nine goals. He also scored in the Lions’ 2-1 victory over Addison Trail on Thursday.
“Last year I had an injury at the beginning of the year so I didn’t really get into my full form for the entire year,” Clarke said. “So this year I’ve just come out with a confident mindset because that’s what a forward has to be.”
Clarke played mostly holding midfielder as a junior, but Labbato decided to move him up top during the offseason.
“He’s got a lot of desire, and he’s really got wonderful foot skills, so his touch for a big guy is pretty great,” Labbato said. “So I had a feeling that around the box, if he’s going to get chances, he can put it in the goal.
“He’s big, so all the throw-ins and free kicks that are coming across, he can get a head on. He’s kind of like the ideal center forward.”
Clarke, who assisted on Sam DeBoer’s goal that made it 2-0, certainly has the ideal mindset.
“I knew that I would be playing forward before the season started, so I went in thinking that I’m going to score every game,” Clarke said. “Scoring goals is fun.
“I don’t really feel that it’s a responsibility. It’s more of a pleasure.”
The Lions are pleased with Clarke’s production.
“He’s been our main goal scorer and a big, big piece of our team right now,” Vear said. “He’s played attacking center mid for our travel team, so he’s used to the attacking role.
“And he’s got a good frame so he uses his body really well up-top, and he can keep it on his feet and distribute the ball to the outside forwards and the mids to create a lot of chances.”
The Lions had plenty of chances against the Rams, outshooting the visitors 8-3 in the first half and 17-5 overall.
But Judka made six saves and the Reavis defenders closed off several other chances through the first 49 minutes before the Lions broke through.
“We played the seniors, and they did a great job,” Labbato said. “We needed to talk at halftime, and we had (only) a 30-second talk because of all the festivities.
“We were like, we need to play the ball on the ground and keep it a little bit so we could build an attack. They did a nice job of that in the second half.”
Sophomore Joey Fitzgerald also scored for the Lions, one of the few underclass highlights on an evening dedicated to the seniors. Besides Vear, DeBoer, Andrews, Gradilla, Clarke and Frazer, the Lions also honored Tyler Guagenti, Luke Lusson, Tate Riordan, Nick Jacobs, Adam McGahay, Fabian Becerra and Tyler Byrne.
“We just had a lot more ball movement (after the break),” Vear said. “We created chances in the first half but none of them went in.
“In the second half we just put them in the back of the net, which was nice.”
Starting lineups
Reavis
GK Derik Judka
D Patrick Mrowca
Abdelhakim Saadi
Fernando Alvarez
Fernando Barragan
Omar Barragan
Jonathan Moczarny
Gustavo Alvarez
F Angel Sanchez
F Marek Judka
F Alex Lopez
Lyons
GK Matt Vear
D Tate Riordan
D Quinn Frazer
D Nick Jacobs
D Tyler Byrne
M Fabian Becerra
M Charles Hall
M Adam McGahay
F Graham Andrews
F Charlie Clarke
F Eric Gradilla
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match – Charlie Clarke, sr., F, Lyons
Scoring summary
2nd Half
Lyons – Charlie Clarke (Graham Andrews) 30:50
Lyons – Sam DeBoer (Clarke) 24:43
Lyons – Matt Vear (PK) 14:10
Lyons – Joey Fitzgerald 11:02
Lyons – Clarke (Quinn Frazer) 8:39
Clarke bags 2 of Lions' 5 goals after break; GK Vear scores on PK
By Matt Le Cren
WESTERN SPRINGS -- All goalkeepers dream of what Lyons senior Matt Vear got to do Friday night, but few ever get the chance.
When a Reavis player was ejected for a deliberate hand ball in the penalty area, the host Lions were awarded a penalty kick.
There was a short delay and then a murmur went through the Bennett Field crowd as Vear sprinted the length of the field to the penalty spot.
Lyons forward Eric Gradilla called on Vear to take the penalty kick with 14:10 left in the second half.
“I’ve been on Lyons for four years now and have never gotten a chance,” Vear said. “Eric said my name, (striker Charlie) Clarke gave me the look and coach (Paul Labbato) wasn’t saying no, so I just went up and took the shot.”
Vear blasted the ball into the upper right corner of the net for his first career goal, becoming the rare goalkeeper that scores during regulation. Vear’s strike made it 3-0 and the Lions later added two power play goals to rout the Rams 5-0 and run their winning streak to three games.
So does Vear have a strategy when taking penalties?
“It depends on how I’m feeling that day,” Vear said. “Today I chose right but next time it could be left. I don’t really know.
“We practice them a decent amount in practice, so I take a few for fun. I got to put it in play today so that was pretty cool.”
It was a cool way for the Lions (7-3-1) to celebrate both Senior Night and Homecoming. They started 11 seniors.
For all the celebrating they did late in the game, it was easy to forget that the game was scoreless until the Lions pumped home five goals in the final 31 minutes.
Reavis (5-2-3) put up a good fight in the first half but let down after Vear’s penalty kick.
“They’re a good team,” said Vear, who did not have to make a save, although the Rams did hit the crossbar with a shot early in the second half. “They played hard.
“They’ve got two hard-working forwards, a great keeper, and their backline was solid. But once we scored one we just kept them coming, and it was a really fun night.”
The fun started when Clarke scored the first of his two goals off a cross from Graham Andrews with 30:55 remaining. Reavis goalie Derik Judka stopped Clarke’s header but was in the net when he did so.
Clarke, who finished the scoring at the 8:39 mark with another header, this time off a perfect diagonal long ball over the top from Quinn Frazer, now has a team-leading nine goals. He also scored in the Lions’ 2-1 victory over Addison Trail on Thursday.
“Last year I had an injury at the beginning of the year so I didn’t really get into my full form for the entire year,” Clarke said. “So this year I’ve just come out with a confident mindset because that’s what a forward has to be.”
Clarke played mostly holding midfielder as a junior, but Labbato decided to move him up top during the offseason.
“He’s got a lot of desire, and he’s really got wonderful foot skills, so his touch for a big guy is pretty great,” Labbato said. “So I had a feeling that around the box, if he’s going to get chances, he can put it in the goal.
“He’s big, so all the throw-ins and free kicks that are coming across, he can get a head on. He’s kind of like the ideal center forward.”
Clarke, who assisted on Sam DeBoer’s goal that made it 2-0, certainly has the ideal mindset.
“I knew that I would be playing forward before the season started, so I went in thinking that I’m going to score every game,” Clarke said. “Scoring goals is fun.
“I don’t really feel that it’s a responsibility. It’s more of a pleasure.”
The Lions are pleased with Clarke’s production.
“He’s been our main goal scorer and a big, big piece of our team right now,” Vear said. “He’s played attacking center mid for our travel team, so he’s used to the attacking role.
“And he’s got a good frame so he uses his body really well up-top, and he can keep it on his feet and distribute the ball to the outside forwards and the mids to create a lot of chances.”
The Lions had plenty of chances against the Rams, outshooting the visitors 8-3 in the first half and 17-5 overall.
But Judka made six saves and the Reavis defenders closed off several other chances through the first 49 minutes before the Lions broke through.
“We played the seniors, and they did a great job,” Labbato said. “We needed to talk at halftime, and we had (only) a 30-second talk because of all the festivities.
“We were like, we need to play the ball on the ground and keep it a little bit so we could build an attack. They did a nice job of that in the second half.”
Sophomore Joey Fitzgerald also scored for the Lions, one of the few underclass highlights on an evening dedicated to the seniors. Besides Vear, DeBoer, Andrews, Gradilla, Clarke and Frazer, the Lions also honored Tyler Guagenti, Luke Lusson, Tate Riordan, Nick Jacobs, Adam McGahay, Fabian Becerra and Tyler Byrne.
“We just had a lot more ball movement (after the break),” Vear said. “We created chances in the first half but none of them went in.
“In the second half we just put them in the back of the net, which was nice.”
Starting lineups
Reavis
GK Derik Judka
D Patrick Mrowca
Abdelhakim Saadi
Fernando Alvarez
Fernando Barragan
Omar Barragan
Jonathan Moczarny
Gustavo Alvarez
F Angel Sanchez
F Marek Judka
F Alex Lopez
Lyons
GK Matt Vear
D Tate Riordan
D Quinn Frazer
D Nick Jacobs
D Tyler Byrne
M Fabian Becerra
M Charles Hall
M Adam McGahay
F Graham Andrews
F Charlie Clarke
F Eric Gradilla
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match – Charlie Clarke, sr., F, Lyons
Scoring summary
2nd Half
Lyons – Charlie Clarke (Graham Andrews) 30:50
Lyons – Sam DeBoer (Clarke) 24:43
Lyons – Matt Vear (PK) 14:10
Lyons – Joey Fitzgerald 11:02
Lyons – Clarke (Quinn Frazer) 8:39