East rallies past North in St. Charles battle
Saints hand North Stars 2nd league loss with 2-1 decision
By Steve Nemeth
ST. CHARLES --- St. Charles North was hoping to bring a pair of streaks to an end in Thursday’s DuKane Conference match with crosstown rival St. Charles East.
Unfortunately for the host North Stars, the exact opposite occurred as the visiting Saints marched on with their unbeaten string intact while continuing North’s frustrations via a come-from-behind 2-1 triumph.
The contradiction of the two sides’ fortunes was demonstrated in minutes and seconds. The North Stars – now 5-4-2 overall and 0-2-1 in the DuKane Conference, plus winless in their last six outings (0-4-2) --- were working on preserving a 1-0 halftime lead and the clock didn’t appear to be running down fast enough.
Ten minutes into the second half things were still okay; 20 minutes in still positive; but just a few ticks under 15 minutes remaining, the pendulum completely swung the other direction. Initially, East converted a penalty kick to neutralize North's shot from the spot in the opening half.
Suddenly the momentum and clock worked against the North Stars. So did 6-foot-4, St. Charles East defender Zach Gamster, who stands out as a target. Teammate Sebastian Carranza found him with his throw-in, and Gamster got his foot on the ball for a 10-yarder that put the Saints ahead.
With the victory, East is now on an eight-match unbeaten run (7-0-1) while improving to 10-1-1 overall and 2-0-0 in DKC play.
“As soon as they scored for the next five minutes we had our heads down,” Gamster admitted. “But once we got even thanks to Renato (Avendano), we had way more energy than them.”
East was even more energized for the remaining 7:47 after Gamster registered his second goal of the season en route to earning Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match accolade. It was also Gamster’s second game-winning goal, however, the previous one seemed rather distant --- a 3-0 Sept. 7 win over Leyden.
“He’s had a couple rock off posts plus some near misses,” East coach Vince DiNuzzo noted. “And this one couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. This win is a big one for the boys in terms of confidence. You have a comeback for a win and against a rival.”
Intensity is never lacking when the two sides meet and multiple seasoal meetings are almost the norm now. In the St. Charles Invitational they co-host, a showdown for the title didn’t come to fruition when the Saints were tripped up in group play 1-0 by Metea Valley.
However, this was a third-consecutive win for East in the series. The Saints won last year’s regular season meeting and then also beat North in a regional championship. In the prior 2017 campaign, the Saints also won the regular-season outing, however, North got revenge in another regional finale.
So a rematch remains a possibility in this year’s postseason.
Although both sides compiled similar numbers statistically, both North goalie Bobby Curran and East keeper Jack Settles were keeping pace with necessary saves. At least that was the case until 13:05 was left before halftime. That’s when North’s Thomas Weber drilled a penalty kick to the inside left.
“I’ve got confidence taking PKs. Knowing it’s all up to me, I decide where I’m going to put it and then do it,” Weber said in regard to his fifth goal of the season which he slotted inside the left post.
“Converting the chance and taking the lead felt real good at that time, but not being able to add or hold that lead was disappointing,” Weber said.
That certainly wasn’t due to a lack of effort by the North Stars. Weber himself had an absolute cracker from 29 yards but Settles made the save. The Saints keeper was equally efficient midway through the second half when Faizan Mohiuddin attacked from the left and blasted a 12-yarder that Settles blocked and then scrambled to cover.
There was 15:22 showing on the scoreboard when Luke Persenico charged a loose ball only to have his rocket shot soar too high. The inability to grow the lead came back to haunt North on the next possession.
That’s when Avendano earned extra praise and admiration from his teammates and coach.
“Nothing seemed to be going our way, but (Renato) came back to win the ball, then got in the box and drew the foul that changed the game,” DiNuzzo said. “I thought we played well the first half even if the score didn’t reflect it. (Starting) the second half we saw how many guys they had behind the ball and knew it would be difficult to break them down. They’re disciplined on defense, but I’m proud of how our guys stayed engaged.”
Matching Weber’s earlier confidence and focus, Avendano chalked up his seventh goal of the year by powering his PK to the right and past Curran, who dove correctly but didn't get to the spot quick enough.
“When I’m playing I don’t really think so much. It’s just all instinct,” Avendano explained. “I don’t pick a side in my mind until I hit the ball. Once we got that first one, the momentum carried over for another.”
There was no doubt that equalizer energized the Saints on the field as well as their bench. The emotional level was always high, but increased in intensity. East cheered when Settle punched away a dangerous corner kick from Persenico. A yellow card to North’s Mohiuddin was followed shortly after one was issued to the Saints bench. All the pent-up fervor erupted again when East took the lead.
“Their defender was giving me space near the front post, and we had done front post crosses in practice,” Gamster said. “It happened to come to me, and I was able to get a foot on it.”
It was the fourth assist for Carranza while Gamster could claim his goal as a gift for his father’s birthday.
Both sides must turn their focus to a Saturday road match, perhaps the biggest desire on North’s part is to move on.
“We can only learn from this now, take a weakness like not finishing the game strong and hopefully apply that lesson to the next game,” senior Nolan Sinnaeve said. “It was a good fight all around, but we’re capable of more. We simply have to learn from each and every game, and keep our heads up.”
“We’re in a challenging moment,” North coach Eric Willson conceded. “We started the year with five wins and haven’t gotten the result (we want) since.”
Once again, it’s not due to a lack of effort and certainly the opposition has factored in. While North is ranked near the top of honorable mention teams in Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, the North Stars frustration began with a 2-1 overtime loss to like-ranked Metea Valley in the St. Charles Invitational championship. Then came a 1-1 draw with poll honorable mention and defending DKC co-champiion Wheaton North. A 2-0 loss to no. 2-rated Libertyville; a 1-0 squeaker versus honorable mention Geneva; and a 2-2 road draw versus league co-champ Lake Park shows St. Charles North is not ducking from challenges.
“We talked at halftime about how incredibly important it was to come out and defend with discipline and not concede fouls. The need to stand up guys and defend with numbers. We didn’t do that,” Willson lamented. “We’ve got a game on Saturday and ... we have to move forward. That’s really all we can do.
“Just like winning can be contagious the other way around can happen. It’s fair to say we had our chances. We score a second goal, who knows,” Willson added. “We weren’t able to do that, and at a certain point we need our playmakers and leaders to step up and help us find a way to win.”
The North Stars visit Burlington Central for a high noon nonconference showdown Saturday followed by three-straight home matches.
The Saints need to be leery of Saturday’s 2 p.m. match at Wheaton Academy. The Warriors are fresh off a 4-1 triumph over St. Francis which puts them in the driver’s seat for yet another Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division title.
Starting lineups
St. Charles East
GK: Jack Settle
D Alex Mancera
D Geoff Unterberg
D Zach Gamster
D Ryan Champine
M Sam Wade
M Jacob Maslowski
M Brandon Adams
M Tyler Filbert
F Sebastian Carranza
F Renato Avendano
St. Charles North
GK: Bobby Curran
D John Kirby
D Mike DePasquale
D Sander Jao
D Colin Nelson
M Faizan Mohiuddin
M Gabriel D’Amico
M Jared Sinnaeve
M Sam Strader
F Luke Persenico
F Nolan Sinnaeve
Chicagoand Soccer Man of the Match: Zach Gamster, sr. D, St. Charles East
Referees: Jim Franklin (center), Scott Lichtfuss, Sam Nachampassak
Game Summary
St. Charles East 2, St. Charles North 1
St. Charles East 0 2 --- 2 (10-1-1 / DKC 2-0-0)
St. Charles North 1 0 --- 1 (5-4-2 / DKC 0-2-1)
Scoring
First half
SCN --- Weber penalty kick conversion (uassisted) 26:43 gone
Second half
SCE --- Avendano penalty kick conversion (unassisted), 65:12 gone
SCE --- Gamster 10-yarder from right side off throw-in (Carranza assist), 72:13 gone
Overall shots
SCE 9 – 8 --- 17
SCN 7 – 9 --- 16
Shots on goal
SCE 5 – 5 --- 10
SCN 5 – 4 --- 9
Saves (goalie)
SCE (Settle) 4 – 4 --- 8
SCN (Curran) 5 – 3 --- 8
Corner kicks
SCE 2 – 0 --- 2
SCN 1 – 1 -– 2
Offsides;
SCE 2 – 0 --- 2
SCN 0 – 0 --- 0
Saints hand North Stars 2nd league loss with 2-1 decision
By Steve Nemeth
ST. CHARLES --- St. Charles North was hoping to bring a pair of streaks to an end in Thursday’s DuKane Conference match with crosstown rival St. Charles East.
Unfortunately for the host North Stars, the exact opposite occurred as the visiting Saints marched on with their unbeaten string intact while continuing North’s frustrations via a come-from-behind 2-1 triumph.
The contradiction of the two sides’ fortunes was demonstrated in minutes and seconds. The North Stars – now 5-4-2 overall and 0-2-1 in the DuKane Conference, plus winless in their last six outings (0-4-2) --- were working on preserving a 1-0 halftime lead and the clock didn’t appear to be running down fast enough.
Ten minutes into the second half things were still okay; 20 minutes in still positive; but just a few ticks under 15 minutes remaining, the pendulum completely swung the other direction. Initially, East converted a penalty kick to neutralize North's shot from the spot in the opening half.
Suddenly the momentum and clock worked against the North Stars. So did 6-foot-4, St. Charles East defender Zach Gamster, who stands out as a target. Teammate Sebastian Carranza found him with his throw-in, and Gamster got his foot on the ball for a 10-yarder that put the Saints ahead.
With the victory, East is now on an eight-match unbeaten run (7-0-1) while improving to 10-1-1 overall and 2-0-0 in DKC play.
“As soon as they scored for the next five minutes we had our heads down,” Gamster admitted. “But once we got even thanks to Renato (Avendano), we had way more energy than them.”
East was even more energized for the remaining 7:47 after Gamster registered his second goal of the season en route to earning Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match accolade. It was also Gamster’s second game-winning goal, however, the previous one seemed rather distant --- a 3-0 Sept. 7 win over Leyden.
“He’s had a couple rock off posts plus some near misses,” East coach Vince DiNuzzo noted. “And this one couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. This win is a big one for the boys in terms of confidence. You have a comeback for a win and against a rival.”
Intensity is never lacking when the two sides meet and multiple seasoal meetings are almost the norm now. In the St. Charles Invitational they co-host, a showdown for the title didn’t come to fruition when the Saints were tripped up in group play 1-0 by Metea Valley.
However, this was a third-consecutive win for East in the series. The Saints won last year’s regular season meeting and then also beat North in a regional championship. In the prior 2017 campaign, the Saints also won the regular-season outing, however, North got revenge in another regional finale.
So a rematch remains a possibility in this year’s postseason.
Although both sides compiled similar numbers statistically, both North goalie Bobby Curran and East keeper Jack Settles were keeping pace with necessary saves. At least that was the case until 13:05 was left before halftime. That’s when North’s Thomas Weber drilled a penalty kick to the inside left.
“I’ve got confidence taking PKs. Knowing it’s all up to me, I decide where I’m going to put it and then do it,” Weber said in regard to his fifth goal of the season which he slotted inside the left post.
“Converting the chance and taking the lead felt real good at that time, but not being able to add or hold that lead was disappointing,” Weber said.
That certainly wasn’t due to a lack of effort by the North Stars. Weber himself had an absolute cracker from 29 yards but Settles made the save. The Saints keeper was equally efficient midway through the second half when Faizan Mohiuddin attacked from the left and blasted a 12-yarder that Settles blocked and then scrambled to cover.
There was 15:22 showing on the scoreboard when Luke Persenico charged a loose ball only to have his rocket shot soar too high. The inability to grow the lead came back to haunt North on the next possession.
That’s when Avendano earned extra praise and admiration from his teammates and coach.
“Nothing seemed to be going our way, but (Renato) came back to win the ball, then got in the box and drew the foul that changed the game,” DiNuzzo said. “I thought we played well the first half even if the score didn’t reflect it. (Starting) the second half we saw how many guys they had behind the ball and knew it would be difficult to break them down. They’re disciplined on defense, but I’m proud of how our guys stayed engaged.”
Matching Weber’s earlier confidence and focus, Avendano chalked up his seventh goal of the year by powering his PK to the right and past Curran, who dove correctly but didn't get to the spot quick enough.
“When I’m playing I don’t really think so much. It’s just all instinct,” Avendano explained. “I don’t pick a side in my mind until I hit the ball. Once we got that first one, the momentum carried over for another.”
There was no doubt that equalizer energized the Saints on the field as well as their bench. The emotional level was always high, but increased in intensity. East cheered when Settle punched away a dangerous corner kick from Persenico. A yellow card to North’s Mohiuddin was followed shortly after one was issued to the Saints bench. All the pent-up fervor erupted again when East took the lead.
“Their defender was giving me space near the front post, and we had done front post crosses in practice,” Gamster said. “It happened to come to me, and I was able to get a foot on it.”
It was the fourth assist for Carranza while Gamster could claim his goal as a gift for his father’s birthday.
Both sides must turn their focus to a Saturday road match, perhaps the biggest desire on North’s part is to move on.
“We can only learn from this now, take a weakness like not finishing the game strong and hopefully apply that lesson to the next game,” senior Nolan Sinnaeve said. “It was a good fight all around, but we’re capable of more. We simply have to learn from each and every game, and keep our heads up.”
“We’re in a challenging moment,” North coach Eric Willson conceded. “We started the year with five wins and haven’t gotten the result (we want) since.”
Once again, it’s not due to a lack of effort and certainly the opposition has factored in. While North is ranked near the top of honorable mention teams in Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, the North Stars frustration began with a 2-1 overtime loss to like-ranked Metea Valley in the St. Charles Invitational championship. Then came a 1-1 draw with poll honorable mention and defending DKC co-champiion Wheaton North. A 2-0 loss to no. 2-rated Libertyville; a 1-0 squeaker versus honorable mention Geneva; and a 2-2 road draw versus league co-champ Lake Park shows St. Charles North is not ducking from challenges.
“We talked at halftime about how incredibly important it was to come out and defend with discipline and not concede fouls. The need to stand up guys and defend with numbers. We didn’t do that,” Willson lamented. “We’ve got a game on Saturday and ... we have to move forward. That’s really all we can do.
“Just like winning can be contagious the other way around can happen. It’s fair to say we had our chances. We score a second goal, who knows,” Willson added. “We weren’t able to do that, and at a certain point we need our playmakers and leaders to step up and help us find a way to win.”
The North Stars visit Burlington Central for a high noon nonconference showdown Saturday followed by three-straight home matches.
The Saints need to be leery of Saturday’s 2 p.m. match at Wheaton Academy. The Warriors are fresh off a 4-1 triumph over St. Francis which puts them in the driver’s seat for yet another Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division title.
Starting lineups
St. Charles East
GK: Jack Settle
D Alex Mancera
D Geoff Unterberg
D Zach Gamster
D Ryan Champine
M Sam Wade
M Jacob Maslowski
M Brandon Adams
M Tyler Filbert
F Sebastian Carranza
F Renato Avendano
St. Charles North
GK: Bobby Curran
D John Kirby
D Mike DePasquale
D Sander Jao
D Colin Nelson
M Faizan Mohiuddin
M Gabriel D’Amico
M Jared Sinnaeve
M Sam Strader
F Luke Persenico
F Nolan Sinnaeve
Chicagoand Soccer Man of the Match: Zach Gamster, sr. D, St. Charles East
Referees: Jim Franklin (center), Scott Lichtfuss, Sam Nachampassak
Game Summary
St. Charles East 2, St. Charles North 1
St. Charles East 0 2 --- 2 (10-1-1 / DKC 2-0-0)
St. Charles North 1 0 --- 1 (5-4-2 / DKC 0-2-1)
Scoring
First half
SCN --- Weber penalty kick conversion (uassisted) 26:43 gone
Second half
SCE --- Avendano penalty kick conversion (unassisted), 65:12 gone
SCE --- Gamster 10-yarder from right side off throw-in (Carranza assist), 72:13 gone
Overall shots
SCE 9 – 8 --- 17
SCN 7 – 9 --- 16
Shots on goal
SCE 5 – 5 --- 10
SCN 5 – 4 --- 9
Saves (goalie)
SCE (Settle) 4 – 4 --- 8
SCN (Curran) 5 – 3 --- 8
Corner kicks
SCE 2 – 0 --- 2
SCN 1 – 1 -– 2
Offsides;
SCE 2 – 0 --- 2
SCN 0 – 0 --- 0