Lake Park aces test vs. South Elgin
Lancers begin path to tourney repeat with 3-0 win over Storm
By Dave Owen
ROSELLE – Confidence and high hopes are in the cards for Lake Park as 2018 kicks off.
A card, however, was not as kind Thursday for South Elgin in the first round of the Norm Hillner Classic.
With the host Lancers (2-0-0) already up 1-0 on a goal in the 16th minute, one play 3:29 into the second half proved doubly decisive in clinching an eventual 3-0 Lake Park win.
On a Victor Pawlik send into the box, Gray McClennan was fouled by standout South Elgin defender Elijah Patrick – resulting in Patrick’s second yellow card of the match and a soft red card that forced the storm to play the rest of the game with 10 players.
Adding to the play’s significance, Lake Park’s Matteo Costa scored on the resulting penalty kick for a 2-0 lead.
“Our second half talk was to get their defensive line stretched out,” Lake Park coach Sean Crosby said. “No. 22 (Patrick) – what a great defender. It was unfortunate that he went down for their side, but what we were looking at was, can we get him out position because he’s so good, so strong, fast and technical.
“We knew he was giving us challenges – that was one of the big things keeping us from scoring more goals (in the first half).
“Our focus was to try to get it deep, try to get him out of position and see if we can get numbers up and get an advantage in the box,” Crosby added. “And that’s exactly what happened on Gray getting pulled down for the penalty.”
The play’s impact was even more evident for South Elgin (1-2-0).
“Probably the difference (in the game) was we went down to 10 men,” Storm coach Simon Brinkow said. “We tried to have a positive halftime team talk, and I thought we had started to make a little headway towards the end of the first half after going 1-0 down.
“It was a penalty, but that really hurt us.”
Even before the decisive ejection and PK combo, Lake Park had impressively inflicted some first-half pain with stout defense, and solid passing combinations.
“It was good team play,” Crosby said. “We had a nice result Tuesday night (a 2-1 win over Addison Trail) in a hard-fought game, and we weren’t sure how we were going to start off against a South Elgin team that got a very good result in their first match of the year too (a win Monday over St. Charles East, which was ranked 25th in the Chicagoland Soccer Preseason Top 25).
“We were trying to figure things out in the first couple of minutes, and there wasn’t a ton of separation between the two teams early. But as time went on I felt we were in their half a lot in the first half, and started breaking down their defense and midfield a little bit.
“At that point we need to get aggressive and greedy and score one,” Crosby added.
That strike came 24:49 before halftime on a perfectly executed corner kick from Matteo Costa to Franco Presta for a near post putaway.
“We had a good combination up the field beforehand from all of our team,” said Costa, whose had a goal and assist en route to MVP of the Match honors. “So from that came a good corner.
“I just crossed it to the front post, and my teammate Franco was there to finish it for us.”
The teamwork on that goal was a microcosm of the Lancers’ first two games.
“Everything’s been balanced, everything’s been working within our formation,” Presta said. “It’s just one of those games where we come in, we have to win it, and we got the job done.”
Crosby had a long list of standouts contributing to the Lancers’ hot start.
“I don’t know if there’s a person on our team who hasn’t been playing well,” he said. “The whole starting lineup and guys off the bench, everybody wants to battle and compete.
“Today in particular it’s great to have Matteo and Franco connect, because they’re a strong part of our attack. And I love what Jesus (Juarez) did in the midfield. He was able to pick up the ball and dribble with speed.
“Jesus caused them a lot of problems and just opened things up. When he got the ball on his foot, everybody could make a run because he wasn’t losing it.
“On the ball Jesus created so much for us today,” Crosby added. “He was a standout in the attack. Everybody in the midfield has been playing really well, and everyone on our backline really locked down and didn’t give them (South Elgin) too many chances.”
After the Lancers grabbed the 1-0 lead, a revived Storm attack created several opportunities the rest of the half.
South Elgin’s Jacob Zupan lined a 15-yard shot just over the net in the 27th minute, followed by a Lucas Reitmann 35-yard free kick four minutes later that Lake Park goalkeeper Christian Lekki nicely leapt over a crowd in front to grab.
For Lake Park, quality threats included a 17-yard drive just over the net by Gabriel Mendrano 30 minutes in, and an end line cross by Costa in the 35th minute that was headed just wide of the left post by McClellan.
“We had a header just wide and a couple chances in the box that hopefully we capitalize on in the future, but we were getting the chances which is good,” Crosby said.
“It’s a good start to see the attack clicking, moving off the ball a lot and our outside backs became wingers for us at parts of the game and got up on the attack.
“We need that to balance our team. It was good to see us being unselfish, getting chances in the box and getting real goal scoring chances.”
The biggest play in the box of them all came early in the second half, giving the Lancers command with a man advantage and 2-0 lead.
“They really followed the game plan of what we wanted to do in the second half,” Crosby said. “You want to beat a team straight-up (11 vs. 11), but going a man up gives you a pretty good edge. And at that point (our players) were really fired up.”
For South Elgin, the second yellow card and adversity that followed continued a roller coaster week. The soaring highs of beating St. Charles East were followed by a loss to West Aurora on Wednesday, and then the setback to Lake Park.
“We got too high,” Zupan said. “We beat St. Charles East, a great team, and then we got cocky, and it didn’t work out for us.
“We kept our heads down too much, we didn’t pass the ball around, and then things happen like that (a loss). You keep your heads up and play simple, and you’ll be fine.”
But the two losses haven’t dimmed confidence for the Storm, especially after the glimpse at the team’s potential that defeating St. Charles East provided.
“We have what it takes,” Zupan said. “Now it’s actually just putting it together, playing smart and playing together as a team.”
The Storm hung tough Thursday despite the man disadvantage.
With 34:50 left, a counterattack initiated by Lake Park defender Thomas Zakic’s nice clear led to a Costa pass to Presta in the crease. But South Elgin goalkeeper Christian Andrew made a nice block and cover of the point-blank chance.
Andrew later denied an Andrew Eliopoulos chance left of the net off a Costa pass with 26:10 left. But the Lancers’ next attack with 23:48 to play paid off.
Off a Victor Pawlik cross, junior Olyksandr Melnyk lined a 12-yard straight-on shot inside the left post for a 3-0 lead.
Often tested in the second half, the South Elgin defense battled on.
Andrew dove to stop a Costa header with 19:45 to play, a chance set up by offensive zone touches by Eliopoulos, Melnyk, Presta and Max Armas.
With 17:50 left, Andrew made a nice two-handed diving swat of a Costa 12-yard drive, and he later made the save on a Hamza Haneef 15-yard shot.
“We’re a young team,” Brinkow said. “We played a very good West Aurora team; they were better than us yesterday. This was more of a good match. But I’ve said to them, ‘It’s a journey. You just have to get ready for the next game.’ That’s the way high school soccer goes.”
Despite its adversity Thursday, South Elgin impressively generated four free kicks (two inside of 25 yards) and a corner kick in the second half.
Lake Park's Zakic and Jakub Nicpon combined to clear the corner kick, leading to a counterattack and a Haneef shot just wide.
The best free kick chance came on a restart from 20 yards by Jack McCall -- Zakic blocked the line drive with his forehead.
That high-impact stop epitomized the effort all day of Zakic and fellow defenders Max Ellenbecker, Frankie Ciara and Pawlik.
“Our whole backline was great, and Anthony Magner coming in in the second half plugged in and helped us too,” Crosby said.
“It was a great physical battle both ways; it was pretty even,” Crosby said. “But I think our backs kind of knocked them off their game a little bit. To get our first shutout of the year is big time.”
Big time also sums up the Lancers’ optimism for 2018.
“I think we have a lot of good seniors on the squad,” Costa said, “and games like this will add depth to us, which is good.”
Presta also had plenty of enthusiasm for the season ahead.
“I don’t want to look at results from the past too much, but our team is stronger than ever,” Presta said.
“There’s so much senior leadership on this team, and guys just rally behind it. It’s creating a strong presence on the field, and it’s going to lead to a strong showing in the DKC for sure.”
The DKC is the DuKane Conference, the newly-formed conference Lake Park joins after several years in the rugged DuPage Valley Conference.
“Our starting 11 is very strong,” Costa said. “I think in the DuKane Conference we can handle any team going into it.
“It’s exciting. I can’t wait to play the new teams and see what’s to come there.”
Said Presta: “We’re ready for conference, that’s all I can say.
“I can’t wait,” Presta added. “We want to be a top finisher in our conference for sure. There’s no doubt that we have that potential with this team.”
Those challenges await in September. For now, a run to a repeat title in the tournament named after the leendary Lancers former coach is job one.
“This definitely adds confidence for us,” Costa said. “With winning the Hillner Classic last year we already came in with good confidence, but this puts us even higher.”
Starting lineups
South Elgin
GK- Christian Andrew
D- Jacob Zupan
D- Johnny Nitti
D- Elijah Patrick
D- Ryan Doherty
M- Lucas Reuttman
M- Daniel Quintana
M- Miguel Salas
M- Anthony Sisler
F- Julian Delenso
F- Jack McCall
Lake Park
GK- Christian Lekki
D- Frankie Ciara
D- Max Ellenbecker
D- Victor Pawlik
D- Thomas Zakic
M- Paul Grzybowicz
M- Jesus Juarez
M- Franco Presta
M- Gabriel Medrano
F- Matteo Costa
F- Gray McClellan
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Matteo Costa, sr. F, Lake Park.
Scoring summary
First half
LP – Franco Presta (Matteo Costa assist), 15:11
Second half
LP – Costa (penalty kick), 43:29
LP – Olyksandr Melnyk (Victor Pawlik), 56:12
Lancers begin path to tourney repeat with 3-0 win over Storm
By Dave Owen
ROSELLE – Confidence and high hopes are in the cards for Lake Park as 2018 kicks off.
A card, however, was not as kind Thursday for South Elgin in the first round of the Norm Hillner Classic.
With the host Lancers (2-0-0) already up 1-0 on a goal in the 16th minute, one play 3:29 into the second half proved doubly decisive in clinching an eventual 3-0 Lake Park win.
On a Victor Pawlik send into the box, Gray McClennan was fouled by standout South Elgin defender Elijah Patrick – resulting in Patrick’s second yellow card of the match and a soft red card that forced the storm to play the rest of the game with 10 players.
Adding to the play’s significance, Lake Park’s Matteo Costa scored on the resulting penalty kick for a 2-0 lead.
“Our second half talk was to get their defensive line stretched out,” Lake Park coach Sean Crosby said. “No. 22 (Patrick) – what a great defender. It was unfortunate that he went down for their side, but what we were looking at was, can we get him out position because he’s so good, so strong, fast and technical.
“We knew he was giving us challenges – that was one of the big things keeping us from scoring more goals (in the first half).
“Our focus was to try to get it deep, try to get him out of position and see if we can get numbers up and get an advantage in the box,” Crosby added. “And that’s exactly what happened on Gray getting pulled down for the penalty.”
The play’s impact was even more evident for South Elgin (1-2-0).
“Probably the difference (in the game) was we went down to 10 men,” Storm coach Simon Brinkow said. “We tried to have a positive halftime team talk, and I thought we had started to make a little headway towards the end of the first half after going 1-0 down.
“It was a penalty, but that really hurt us.”
Even before the decisive ejection and PK combo, Lake Park had impressively inflicted some first-half pain with stout defense, and solid passing combinations.
“It was good team play,” Crosby said. “We had a nice result Tuesday night (a 2-1 win over Addison Trail) in a hard-fought game, and we weren’t sure how we were going to start off against a South Elgin team that got a very good result in their first match of the year too (a win Monday over St. Charles East, which was ranked 25th in the Chicagoland Soccer Preseason Top 25).
“We were trying to figure things out in the first couple of minutes, and there wasn’t a ton of separation between the two teams early. But as time went on I felt we were in their half a lot in the first half, and started breaking down their defense and midfield a little bit.
“At that point we need to get aggressive and greedy and score one,” Crosby added.
That strike came 24:49 before halftime on a perfectly executed corner kick from Matteo Costa to Franco Presta for a near post putaway.
“We had a good combination up the field beforehand from all of our team,” said Costa, whose had a goal and assist en route to MVP of the Match honors. “So from that came a good corner.
“I just crossed it to the front post, and my teammate Franco was there to finish it for us.”
The teamwork on that goal was a microcosm of the Lancers’ first two games.
“Everything’s been balanced, everything’s been working within our formation,” Presta said. “It’s just one of those games where we come in, we have to win it, and we got the job done.”
Crosby had a long list of standouts contributing to the Lancers’ hot start.
“I don’t know if there’s a person on our team who hasn’t been playing well,” he said. “The whole starting lineup and guys off the bench, everybody wants to battle and compete.
“Today in particular it’s great to have Matteo and Franco connect, because they’re a strong part of our attack. And I love what Jesus (Juarez) did in the midfield. He was able to pick up the ball and dribble with speed.
“Jesus caused them a lot of problems and just opened things up. When he got the ball on his foot, everybody could make a run because he wasn’t losing it.
“On the ball Jesus created so much for us today,” Crosby added. “He was a standout in the attack. Everybody in the midfield has been playing really well, and everyone on our backline really locked down and didn’t give them (South Elgin) too many chances.”
After the Lancers grabbed the 1-0 lead, a revived Storm attack created several opportunities the rest of the half.
South Elgin’s Jacob Zupan lined a 15-yard shot just over the net in the 27th minute, followed by a Lucas Reitmann 35-yard free kick four minutes later that Lake Park goalkeeper Christian Lekki nicely leapt over a crowd in front to grab.
For Lake Park, quality threats included a 17-yard drive just over the net by Gabriel Mendrano 30 minutes in, and an end line cross by Costa in the 35th minute that was headed just wide of the left post by McClellan.
“We had a header just wide and a couple chances in the box that hopefully we capitalize on in the future, but we were getting the chances which is good,” Crosby said.
“It’s a good start to see the attack clicking, moving off the ball a lot and our outside backs became wingers for us at parts of the game and got up on the attack.
“We need that to balance our team. It was good to see us being unselfish, getting chances in the box and getting real goal scoring chances.”
The biggest play in the box of them all came early in the second half, giving the Lancers command with a man advantage and 2-0 lead.
“They really followed the game plan of what we wanted to do in the second half,” Crosby said. “You want to beat a team straight-up (11 vs. 11), but going a man up gives you a pretty good edge. And at that point (our players) were really fired up.”
For South Elgin, the second yellow card and adversity that followed continued a roller coaster week. The soaring highs of beating St. Charles East were followed by a loss to West Aurora on Wednesday, and then the setback to Lake Park.
“We got too high,” Zupan said. “We beat St. Charles East, a great team, and then we got cocky, and it didn’t work out for us.
“We kept our heads down too much, we didn’t pass the ball around, and then things happen like that (a loss). You keep your heads up and play simple, and you’ll be fine.”
But the two losses haven’t dimmed confidence for the Storm, especially after the glimpse at the team’s potential that defeating St. Charles East provided.
“We have what it takes,” Zupan said. “Now it’s actually just putting it together, playing smart and playing together as a team.”
The Storm hung tough Thursday despite the man disadvantage.
With 34:50 left, a counterattack initiated by Lake Park defender Thomas Zakic’s nice clear led to a Costa pass to Presta in the crease. But South Elgin goalkeeper Christian Andrew made a nice block and cover of the point-blank chance.
Andrew later denied an Andrew Eliopoulos chance left of the net off a Costa pass with 26:10 left. But the Lancers’ next attack with 23:48 to play paid off.
Off a Victor Pawlik cross, junior Olyksandr Melnyk lined a 12-yard straight-on shot inside the left post for a 3-0 lead.
Often tested in the second half, the South Elgin defense battled on.
Andrew dove to stop a Costa header with 19:45 to play, a chance set up by offensive zone touches by Eliopoulos, Melnyk, Presta and Max Armas.
With 17:50 left, Andrew made a nice two-handed diving swat of a Costa 12-yard drive, and he later made the save on a Hamza Haneef 15-yard shot.
“We’re a young team,” Brinkow said. “We played a very good West Aurora team; they were better than us yesterday. This was more of a good match. But I’ve said to them, ‘It’s a journey. You just have to get ready for the next game.’ That’s the way high school soccer goes.”
Despite its adversity Thursday, South Elgin impressively generated four free kicks (two inside of 25 yards) and a corner kick in the second half.
Lake Park's Zakic and Jakub Nicpon combined to clear the corner kick, leading to a counterattack and a Haneef shot just wide.
The best free kick chance came on a restart from 20 yards by Jack McCall -- Zakic blocked the line drive with his forehead.
That high-impact stop epitomized the effort all day of Zakic and fellow defenders Max Ellenbecker, Frankie Ciara and Pawlik.
“Our whole backline was great, and Anthony Magner coming in in the second half plugged in and helped us too,” Crosby said.
“It was a great physical battle both ways; it was pretty even,” Crosby said. “But I think our backs kind of knocked them off their game a little bit. To get our first shutout of the year is big time.”
Big time also sums up the Lancers’ optimism for 2018.
“I think we have a lot of good seniors on the squad,” Costa said, “and games like this will add depth to us, which is good.”
Presta also had plenty of enthusiasm for the season ahead.
“I don’t want to look at results from the past too much, but our team is stronger than ever,” Presta said.
“There’s so much senior leadership on this team, and guys just rally behind it. It’s creating a strong presence on the field, and it’s going to lead to a strong showing in the DKC for sure.”
The DKC is the DuKane Conference, the newly-formed conference Lake Park joins after several years in the rugged DuPage Valley Conference.
“Our starting 11 is very strong,” Costa said. “I think in the DuKane Conference we can handle any team going into it.
“It’s exciting. I can’t wait to play the new teams and see what’s to come there.”
Said Presta: “We’re ready for conference, that’s all I can say.
“I can’t wait,” Presta added. “We want to be a top finisher in our conference for sure. There’s no doubt that we have that potential with this team.”
Those challenges await in September. For now, a run to a repeat title in the tournament named after the leendary Lancers former coach is job one.
“This definitely adds confidence for us,” Costa said. “With winning the Hillner Classic last year we already came in with good confidence, but this puts us even higher.”
Starting lineups
South Elgin
GK- Christian Andrew
D- Jacob Zupan
D- Johnny Nitti
D- Elijah Patrick
D- Ryan Doherty
M- Lucas Reuttman
M- Daniel Quintana
M- Miguel Salas
M- Anthony Sisler
F- Julian Delenso
F- Jack McCall
Lake Park
GK- Christian Lekki
D- Frankie Ciara
D- Max Ellenbecker
D- Victor Pawlik
D- Thomas Zakic
M- Paul Grzybowicz
M- Jesus Juarez
M- Franco Presta
M- Gabriel Medrano
F- Matteo Costa
F- Gray McClellan
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Matteo Costa, sr. F, Lake Park.
Scoring summary
First half
LP – Franco Presta (Matteo Costa assist), 15:11
Second half
LP – Costa (penalty kick), 43:29
LP – Olyksandr Melnyk (Victor Pawlik), 56:12