Leg-weary Lane no match for Colo. speed
Visiting Rock Canyon earns 1st win with 2-0 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Coming home never felt so graceful and pure for Aaron Carpenter.
A south suburban native who was a standout at Andrew and played college ball at Illinois-Chicago, Carpenter built the St. Ignatius girls’ program into a state power. In his 15 years at the program, he won more than 200 games.
His best team, in 2008, finished 26-2-1, and reached the state Class AA quarterfinals against undefeated Normal West in the last year of the two-class system. His 2005 team also reached the state quarterfinals.
Three years ago, Carpenter departed for the West and took over the boys’ program at Rock Canyon, in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, 20 miles southeast of Denver.
Carpenter brought his Jaguars to town for a three-day, two-game visit to play Lane and St. Ignatius.
“At Ignatius I used to take my team out of state every year,” Carpenter said. “I actually took them to Italy two times. For me, it’s not just about the results on the pitch but giving them an experience they are not going to forget. Most of the games you are not going to remember 20 years from now.
“You go to Chicago for three days, and that is something they are not going to forget.”
In wet and windy conditions that felt closer to the Rocky Mountains, Rock Canyon secured its first win of the season with impressive goals at the end of the first half and the start of the second for the 2-0 victory over the Indians here Friday morning.
The Jaguars (1-1-0) feature two strong attacking players in junior forward Neon Sapkota and sophomore forward Bruno Zdravecky. Their combination of explosiveness and speed put the Indians at a considerable defensive disadvantage from the start.
The two each scored a goal. Zdravecky earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his ability to create pressure and pace for the Jaguars’ attack.
Lane (1-1-1) had to overcome the peculiarities of its schedule. The Indians dueled Niles West to an exacting and physical 2-2 draw late Thursday night. After going down a goal early, Lane fought back for the 2-1 lead only for the Wolves to equalize in the 75th minute.
Because of the start of the football season Friday, the only time to fit in the game was at 10 a.m.
“We played well against Niles West,” Lane coach Andrew Ricks said. “They had four good chances and scored on two. We had eight good chances and scored twice. Everybody’s in the same boat at this point in the season. We did play last night.
“Because I wanted to get a game in against a special opponent from Colorado, and we could not play Saturday, and we already had the [Niles West] game set; it hurt us. We were definitely heavy-legged. Soccer is like that.”
Lane adjusted its starting lineup, starting five normal field players. In the first half, the Indians forced some early free kicks in the final third. The Jaguars’ backline proved resilient and difficult to consistently penetrate.
“We had a tough start to our season in Colorado, a 5-1 loss, and we gave up four goals in the first half,” Carpenter said. “We really locked down our defense today. We record our games, and we saw that we were really stretched out in that first game we played, and we got things fixed. We were much more sound today, and we really shut them down.
“We didn’t really allow them very much offensively.”
The Indians are a team finding their new way. Two-time Chicagoland Soccer all-state forward Alex Mezyk graduated. He and former Indians’ midfielder Marcin Kieta, a three-year starter, are now playing professionally in Poland. Those two were the cornerstones of a program that reached back-to-back city title games.
Lane opened up with a weather-shortened 4-0 victory over Steinmetz.
The team has some intriguing offensive pieces like senior Cathal O’Connor and junior forward Kamil Hochman. Junior midfielder David Arroyo also flashed some exciting ability with his speed and quickness.
“I think we have a good team chemistry,” Hochman said. “We have been playing together for a long time. It just didn’t work for us today. Physically, it was not easy after last night, but it was a good effort from the boys, I thought. We played a lot of bench players, and they gave us some good effort.
“Going forward we have a good team.”
The speed of Sapkota and Zdravecky exposed some vulnerabilities in the Indians’ backline. In the 40th minute, the Jaguars capitalized. Senior midfielder Kagan Giltinan drove the ball hard down the left flank and served a sharp cross that Sapkota smashed home from about nine yards.
“We work well together, and we look for a lot of one-two [combinations],” Sapkota said about his on-field rapport with Zdravecky. “We have good chemistry. I’m one year older. Our first game was not really ideal. We had a rain delay, and that killed all the hype.
“We were all pretty excited about this trip to Chicago. This is new for us. We haven’t done this before. First time, and we came out on top. First goal is always pretty fun.”
Lane started its normal lineup in the second half. The Jaguars built off the late momentum of the first half. Controlling the ball right at the start, midfielder Evan Teal drilled a shot from about 16 yards that required a great stop by Indians’ keeper Jhan Estrada, who made a diving save.
On the ensuing corner kick, Rock Canyon caught the Indians out of rhythm and out of place as Zdravecky broke unobstructed inside the box and smashed home the short volley from Brennan Leck for the crucial two-goal lead in the 42nd minute.
“We came off a tough start in Colorado,” Zdravecky said. “We came in with the attitude this was a new season, a new city and a new start, and we just clicked. Offensively, we like switching a ball a lot. On the corner, we have a kind of secret play, and Brennan plays it into the six, and that’s usually where I try to be, and it worked.”
Lane was spread out defensively and struggled to get into a consistent offensive rhythm. The Indians played hard and aggressively. The burst and the speed and the ability to create dangerous combinations never materialized
“We made some silly mistakes today against a good team, and they punished us for it,” Ricks siad. “I like how organized Rock Canyon was today, and it showed our lack of organization.
“I knew it was going to be heavy legs today, and heavy minds, too. At this point I am not sure if other teams are beating us, or we are kind of beating ourselves.”
Lane must now regroup and get ready for its conference debut against rival Taft on Monday.
“I think we are going to be competitive. If we are comparing it to past teams at Lane, I don’t know if we have a special player, a game-changer, if you will. We have a decent team collective that I hope we can improve. I think we’ll be competitive.”
Aaron Carpenter was able to connect with old friends and come away with a significant victory.
“It was fun coming out here for sure,” he said. “We play in a very competitive conference. Out there it’s a little bit different. Only the top 32 teams make the state playoffs. Every win is big for us. We needed to get one on the board.
“We like to play with the ball at our feet, and we try to move it around and average six-to-eight touches per possession, at least, to get into the attacking third. Today in the first 60 minutes, I thought we did a really good job with that.”
Starting lineups
Rock Canyon
GK: Will Durbin
D: Evan Teal
D: David Pousma
D: Spencer Johnson
D: Tyler Huebsch
MF: Kai Wetzel
MF: Brennan Leck
MF: Calvin Ewing
MF: Kagan Giltinan
F: Neon Sapkota
F: Bruno Dzravecky
Lane
GK: Jhan Estrada
D: Jae Ryding
D: Michael Martinez
D: Michael Junay
D: Matt Bozek
MF: Grant Nagle
MF: Cathal O’Connor
MF: Alejandro Chavez
MF: Drew Kelner
F: Kamil Hochman
F: Omar Divanovic
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Bruno Dzravecky, so., F, Rock Canyon
Scoring summary
First half
Rock Canyon—Neon Sapkota (Kagan Giltinan), 40th minute
Second half
Rock Canyon—Bruno Dzravecky (Brennan Leck), 42nd minute
Visiting Rock Canyon earns 1st win with 2-0 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Coming home never felt so graceful and pure for Aaron Carpenter.
A south suburban native who was a standout at Andrew and played college ball at Illinois-Chicago, Carpenter built the St. Ignatius girls’ program into a state power. In his 15 years at the program, he won more than 200 games.
His best team, in 2008, finished 26-2-1, and reached the state Class AA quarterfinals against undefeated Normal West in the last year of the two-class system. His 2005 team also reached the state quarterfinals.
Three years ago, Carpenter departed for the West and took over the boys’ program at Rock Canyon, in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, 20 miles southeast of Denver.
Carpenter brought his Jaguars to town for a three-day, two-game visit to play Lane and St. Ignatius.
“At Ignatius I used to take my team out of state every year,” Carpenter said. “I actually took them to Italy two times. For me, it’s not just about the results on the pitch but giving them an experience they are not going to forget. Most of the games you are not going to remember 20 years from now.
“You go to Chicago for three days, and that is something they are not going to forget.”
In wet and windy conditions that felt closer to the Rocky Mountains, Rock Canyon secured its first win of the season with impressive goals at the end of the first half and the start of the second for the 2-0 victory over the Indians here Friday morning.
The Jaguars (1-1-0) feature two strong attacking players in junior forward Neon Sapkota and sophomore forward Bruno Zdravecky. Their combination of explosiveness and speed put the Indians at a considerable defensive disadvantage from the start.
The two each scored a goal. Zdravecky earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his ability to create pressure and pace for the Jaguars’ attack.
Lane (1-1-1) had to overcome the peculiarities of its schedule. The Indians dueled Niles West to an exacting and physical 2-2 draw late Thursday night. After going down a goal early, Lane fought back for the 2-1 lead only for the Wolves to equalize in the 75th minute.
Because of the start of the football season Friday, the only time to fit in the game was at 10 a.m.
“We played well against Niles West,” Lane coach Andrew Ricks said. “They had four good chances and scored on two. We had eight good chances and scored twice. Everybody’s in the same boat at this point in the season. We did play last night.
“Because I wanted to get a game in against a special opponent from Colorado, and we could not play Saturday, and we already had the [Niles West] game set; it hurt us. We were definitely heavy-legged. Soccer is like that.”
Lane adjusted its starting lineup, starting five normal field players. In the first half, the Indians forced some early free kicks in the final third. The Jaguars’ backline proved resilient and difficult to consistently penetrate.
“We had a tough start to our season in Colorado, a 5-1 loss, and we gave up four goals in the first half,” Carpenter said. “We really locked down our defense today. We record our games, and we saw that we were really stretched out in that first game we played, and we got things fixed. We were much more sound today, and we really shut them down.
“We didn’t really allow them very much offensively.”
The Indians are a team finding their new way. Two-time Chicagoland Soccer all-state forward Alex Mezyk graduated. He and former Indians’ midfielder Marcin Kieta, a three-year starter, are now playing professionally in Poland. Those two were the cornerstones of a program that reached back-to-back city title games.
Lane opened up with a weather-shortened 4-0 victory over Steinmetz.
The team has some intriguing offensive pieces like senior Cathal O’Connor and junior forward Kamil Hochman. Junior midfielder David Arroyo also flashed some exciting ability with his speed and quickness.
“I think we have a good team chemistry,” Hochman said. “We have been playing together for a long time. It just didn’t work for us today. Physically, it was not easy after last night, but it was a good effort from the boys, I thought. We played a lot of bench players, and they gave us some good effort.
“Going forward we have a good team.”
The speed of Sapkota and Zdravecky exposed some vulnerabilities in the Indians’ backline. In the 40th minute, the Jaguars capitalized. Senior midfielder Kagan Giltinan drove the ball hard down the left flank and served a sharp cross that Sapkota smashed home from about nine yards.
“We work well together, and we look for a lot of one-two [combinations],” Sapkota said about his on-field rapport with Zdravecky. “We have good chemistry. I’m one year older. Our first game was not really ideal. We had a rain delay, and that killed all the hype.
“We were all pretty excited about this trip to Chicago. This is new for us. We haven’t done this before. First time, and we came out on top. First goal is always pretty fun.”
Lane started its normal lineup in the second half. The Jaguars built off the late momentum of the first half. Controlling the ball right at the start, midfielder Evan Teal drilled a shot from about 16 yards that required a great stop by Indians’ keeper Jhan Estrada, who made a diving save.
On the ensuing corner kick, Rock Canyon caught the Indians out of rhythm and out of place as Zdravecky broke unobstructed inside the box and smashed home the short volley from Brennan Leck for the crucial two-goal lead in the 42nd minute.
“We came off a tough start in Colorado,” Zdravecky said. “We came in with the attitude this was a new season, a new city and a new start, and we just clicked. Offensively, we like switching a ball a lot. On the corner, we have a kind of secret play, and Brennan plays it into the six, and that’s usually where I try to be, and it worked.”
Lane was spread out defensively and struggled to get into a consistent offensive rhythm. The Indians played hard and aggressively. The burst and the speed and the ability to create dangerous combinations never materialized
“We made some silly mistakes today against a good team, and they punished us for it,” Ricks siad. “I like how organized Rock Canyon was today, and it showed our lack of organization.
“I knew it was going to be heavy legs today, and heavy minds, too. At this point I am not sure if other teams are beating us, or we are kind of beating ourselves.”
Lane must now regroup and get ready for its conference debut against rival Taft on Monday.
“I think we are going to be competitive. If we are comparing it to past teams at Lane, I don’t know if we have a special player, a game-changer, if you will. We have a decent team collective that I hope we can improve. I think we’ll be competitive.”
Aaron Carpenter was able to connect with old friends and come away with a significant victory.
“It was fun coming out here for sure,” he said. “We play in a very competitive conference. Out there it’s a little bit different. Only the top 32 teams make the state playoffs. Every win is big for us. We needed to get one on the board.
“We like to play with the ball at our feet, and we try to move it around and average six-to-eight touches per possession, at least, to get into the attacking third. Today in the first 60 minutes, I thought we did a really good job with that.”
Starting lineups
Rock Canyon
GK: Will Durbin
D: Evan Teal
D: David Pousma
D: Spencer Johnson
D: Tyler Huebsch
MF: Kai Wetzel
MF: Brennan Leck
MF: Calvin Ewing
MF: Kagan Giltinan
F: Neon Sapkota
F: Bruno Dzravecky
Lane
GK: Jhan Estrada
D: Jae Ryding
D: Michael Martinez
D: Michael Junay
D: Matt Bozek
MF: Grant Nagle
MF: Cathal O’Connor
MF: Alejandro Chavez
MF: Drew Kelner
F: Kamil Hochman
F: Omar Divanovic
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Bruno Dzravecky, so., F, Rock Canyon
Scoring summary
First half
Rock Canyon—Neon Sapkota (Kagan Giltinan), 40th minute
Second half
Rock Canyon—Bruno Dzravecky (Brennan Leck), 42nd minute