Buch's late heroics drive
Waubonsie Valley past South Elgin
Senior nets pair in final 6 minutes for 3-1 nonconference win
By Bobby Narang
AURORA — Waubonsie Valley’s Anuj Buch made a dramatic re-entry Thursday.
The senior captain watched his team struggle during stretches late in the second half in a back-and-forth nonconference game against South Elgin.
In the big picture the game was meaningless, with many starters playing sparse minutes in essentially a tune-up game before the start of the playoffs next week.
But the Warriors, like South Elgin, have struggled with consistency and building momentum in this first full regular-season in two years.
When Buch reentered the game, he provided a spark that reinvigorated his teammates in the final 13-plus minutes. He was at the center of the whirlwind with two goals in the final five minutes to lead the Warriors to 3-1 victory over the Storm.
Buch thrilled the smattering of fans who endured a 45-minute late start but were treated to a surprise ending. Buch, who has scored six goals this season, called it the perfect ending to the home game for the seniors.
“I started the game, but came back in a few times,” Buch said. “But when I came back that final time everything just shifted, and we started to attack the ball and get combinations through. Our whole morale just went up which led to the two goals. ... We have to keep this energy momentum going, that energy especially with this game will help us a lot. For us seniors, it was great to end off our last home game on a good note. It will really help us prep for the regional semifinals.
“I’m super thankful for those two goals. It means a lot, and I’m happy that the team came together for this win. This is a great help moving forward.”
South Elgin senior defender Omar Lara expressed disappointment in the loss, but called it a motivator heading into the playoffs. The no. 13-seed Storm will face off against host fourth-seeded Elgin in the Class 3A Elgin Regional semifinal at 5 p.m. Oct. 19. The teams battled to a scoreless tie on Oct. 6.
“We had a good season, but it would’ve been nice to end the season with a win,” Lara said. “I’m trying to erase this game from my mind. Regionals are the real game. The regular-season is a test for the postseason.
"We have to be ready to play. This was a tough loss, but it won’t matter on Tuesday if we win. There will be a lot of fans on Tuesday. We have to keep our emotions, communicate and play as a team. We’ve come a long way this season, so it will be a shame to lose that game.”
Waubonsie Valley (6-13-2) needed a win after losing three of its last four games. The Warriors are a no. 15 seed and plays third-seeded Naperville Central in a Class 3A East Aurora Regional semifinal at 5 p.m. Oct. 19.
Coach Jose Garcia said his team is hitting their stride heading into the playoffs. That makes the 3-1 loss to Naperville Central on Sept. 7 inconsequential.
“Naperville Central is very talented. We have to be ready, but I’m definitely looking forward to the playoffs now,” Garcia said. “We started the season a little rough, but I think we’re really coming together at this point.
"We have to continue on this stream of joy and bliss for these boys. This is a motivator to have moments like this, seeing them laugh and have fun. I’m really proud of our seniors. This shows what we’re capable of, and we hope to continue this onto the playoffs.”
South Elgin’s Ethan Scholl started the highlights by drilling home a shot from 21 yards inside the far post in the 11th minute. Eighteen minutes later, Zach Stanley put his body on the line tie the game for the Waubonsie Valley. The senior chased after a loose ball in the box and just need a slight tap to put it in before running into the far post. Stanley, who has seven goals on the season, lay was on the ground for several minutes after the play. He left the field with a slight limp before returning later.
“The ball was actually going in, but I had to make sure I guided the ball in,” Stanley said. “The grass was wet and slippery, and I kept sliding into the post. ... We came out a little flat, so that goal was huge. Anuj really played well and got us those two goals for us. We have to come out on Tuesday with this same energy.”
The Warriors looked headed toward a tie after South Elgin goalie Luke Biondi pulled off several key saves. Biondi finished with nine stops compared to just three for Waubonsie Valley's pair of Daniel Gallardo (two saves) and Abrahm Tiburcio (one save).
Then Buch stole the show with his late-game heroics. He took advantage of a deflected pass, stole it from the defender and knocked in his first with 5:41 left in regulation for a 2-1 lead.
He benefitted from a stellar pass from Callum Keller to notch his second goal at the 2:45 mark, stunning the Storm and delighting the crowd.
“The second goal was thanks to Callum who chipped a shot over the defender, and I beat the defender and scored,” Buch said. “That’s props to him for finding me and popping it over the top.”
Keller, a senior, said the Warriors were happy to end the regular season with a 'W.'
“This win is huge for us in our last home game,” Keller said. “It was huge just to even get a win. To come back from behind was huge. We call Anuj Buch our super sub. He gave us a great finish twice. He brought the energy, and we finished it up. We have to keep working hard like this and hopefully get a good result on Tuesday. I think we’re in a groove now.”
On the other side of the pitch, South Elgin junior defender Carlos Barajas admitted Thursday’s defeat was a tough one.
“We made a lot of mistakes, but I feel we could’ve made a big difference in the first five minutes of the game,” Barajas said. “We have to learn from mistakes in this game and past games and not make those mistakes again.”
South Elgin senior midfielder Rocco Marzullo said his team gets a clean page in regard to the win-loss records Tuesday.
“We played Elgin in a really good game last week,” he said. “We have to play with consistency. We have to give it our all. I’m excited for the playoffs, because we didn’t have the playoffs last spring.”
South Elgin coach Jerzy Skowron said he tinkered with his lineup for Thursday’s game. The Storm had two starters miss the game, while standout Ryan Doherty came off the bench. Doherty finished with 11 goals and six assists to lead the Storm.
“We threw some guys out of their natural positionsds to see if it would work,” he said. “We’ll have practice and see if it will work. We will get a chance to hone it, and decide if we want to use it against Elgin. We’re going to get them on their turf, which is a lot bigger on what we played them on earlier and tonight. It should be a good test for us on Tuesday. We experimented just to see what potentially we could throw differently at Elgin.
"We played two games in two days. Maybe it was dead legs or the grass. I’m proud of these boys. We’ve been throwing a lot of new stuff at them. Our early schedule derailed us a bit, then you throw in some injuries, but I’m proud of the way the boys have responded.”
Starting lineups
South Elgin
GK Luke Biondi
D Brandon McKee
D Omar Lara
D Rocco Marzullo
MF Carlos Barajas
MF Vito DiVietro
MF Brandon Pina
MF Zac Meyer
MF Ethan Crawford
MF Guido Gonzalez-Ortiz
F Ethan Scholl
Waubonsie Valley
GK Daniel Gallardo
D Joseph Haddad
D Cade Válek
D Kadin Feese
D Amiel Nichani
MF Callum Keller
MF Zach Stanley
MF Matthew Garcia
MF Lachlan Ladd
F Gean Ribero Scarpell
F Anuj Buch
Chicagoland Player of the Match: Anuj Buch, sr., F, Waubonsie Valley.
Scoring summary
First half
South Elgin — Ethan Scholl (unassisted), 11th minute
Waubonsie Valley — Zach Stanley (unassisted), 29th minute
Second half
Waubonsie Valley — Anuj Buch (unassisted), 75th minute
Waubonsie Valley — Anuj Buch (Callum Keller), 78th minute
Waubonsie Valley past South Elgin
Senior nets pair in final 6 minutes for 3-1 nonconference win
By Bobby Narang
AURORA — Waubonsie Valley’s Anuj Buch made a dramatic re-entry Thursday.
The senior captain watched his team struggle during stretches late in the second half in a back-and-forth nonconference game against South Elgin.
In the big picture the game was meaningless, with many starters playing sparse minutes in essentially a tune-up game before the start of the playoffs next week.
But the Warriors, like South Elgin, have struggled with consistency and building momentum in this first full regular-season in two years.
When Buch reentered the game, he provided a spark that reinvigorated his teammates in the final 13-plus minutes. He was at the center of the whirlwind with two goals in the final five minutes to lead the Warriors to 3-1 victory over the Storm.
Buch thrilled the smattering of fans who endured a 45-minute late start but were treated to a surprise ending. Buch, who has scored six goals this season, called it the perfect ending to the home game for the seniors.
“I started the game, but came back in a few times,” Buch said. “But when I came back that final time everything just shifted, and we started to attack the ball and get combinations through. Our whole morale just went up which led to the two goals. ... We have to keep this energy momentum going, that energy especially with this game will help us a lot. For us seniors, it was great to end off our last home game on a good note. It will really help us prep for the regional semifinals.
“I’m super thankful for those two goals. It means a lot, and I’m happy that the team came together for this win. This is a great help moving forward.”
South Elgin senior defender Omar Lara expressed disappointment in the loss, but called it a motivator heading into the playoffs. The no. 13-seed Storm will face off against host fourth-seeded Elgin in the Class 3A Elgin Regional semifinal at 5 p.m. Oct. 19. The teams battled to a scoreless tie on Oct. 6.
“We had a good season, but it would’ve been nice to end the season with a win,” Lara said. “I’m trying to erase this game from my mind. Regionals are the real game. The regular-season is a test for the postseason.
"We have to be ready to play. This was a tough loss, but it won’t matter on Tuesday if we win. There will be a lot of fans on Tuesday. We have to keep our emotions, communicate and play as a team. We’ve come a long way this season, so it will be a shame to lose that game.”
Waubonsie Valley (6-13-2) needed a win after losing three of its last four games. The Warriors are a no. 15 seed and plays third-seeded Naperville Central in a Class 3A East Aurora Regional semifinal at 5 p.m. Oct. 19.
Coach Jose Garcia said his team is hitting their stride heading into the playoffs. That makes the 3-1 loss to Naperville Central on Sept. 7 inconsequential.
“Naperville Central is very talented. We have to be ready, but I’m definitely looking forward to the playoffs now,” Garcia said. “We started the season a little rough, but I think we’re really coming together at this point.
"We have to continue on this stream of joy and bliss for these boys. This is a motivator to have moments like this, seeing them laugh and have fun. I’m really proud of our seniors. This shows what we’re capable of, and we hope to continue this onto the playoffs.”
South Elgin’s Ethan Scholl started the highlights by drilling home a shot from 21 yards inside the far post in the 11th minute. Eighteen minutes later, Zach Stanley put his body on the line tie the game for the Waubonsie Valley. The senior chased after a loose ball in the box and just need a slight tap to put it in before running into the far post. Stanley, who has seven goals on the season, lay was on the ground for several minutes after the play. He left the field with a slight limp before returning later.
“The ball was actually going in, but I had to make sure I guided the ball in,” Stanley said. “The grass was wet and slippery, and I kept sliding into the post. ... We came out a little flat, so that goal was huge. Anuj really played well and got us those two goals for us. We have to come out on Tuesday with this same energy.”
The Warriors looked headed toward a tie after South Elgin goalie Luke Biondi pulled off several key saves. Biondi finished with nine stops compared to just three for Waubonsie Valley's pair of Daniel Gallardo (two saves) and Abrahm Tiburcio (one save).
Then Buch stole the show with his late-game heroics. He took advantage of a deflected pass, stole it from the defender and knocked in his first with 5:41 left in regulation for a 2-1 lead.
He benefitted from a stellar pass from Callum Keller to notch his second goal at the 2:45 mark, stunning the Storm and delighting the crowd.
“The second goal was thanks to Callum who chipped a shot over the defender, and I beat the defender and scored,” Buch said. “That’s props to him for finding me and popping it over the top.”
Keller, a senior, said the Warriors were happy to end the regular season with a 'W.'
“This win is huge for us in our last home game,” Keller said. “It was huge just to even get a win. To come back from behind was huge. We call Anuj Buch our super sub. He gave us a great finish twice. He brought the energy, and we finished it up. We have to keep working hard like this and hopefully get a good result on Tuesday. I think we’re in a groove now.”
On the other side of the pitch, South Elgin junior defender Carlos Barajas admitted Thursday’s defeat was a tough one.
“We made a lot of mistakes, but I feel we could’ve made a big difference in the first five minutes of the game,” Barajas said. “We have to learn from mistakes in this game and past games and not make those mistakes again.”
South Elgin senior midfielder Rocco Marzullo said his team gets a clean page in regard to the win-loss records Tuesday.
“We played Elgin in a really good game last week,” he said. “We have to play with consistency. We have to give it our all. I’m excited for the playoffs, because we didn’t have the playoffs last spring.”
South Elgin coach Jerzy Skowron said he tinkered with his lineup for Thursday’s game. The Storm had two starters miss the game, while standout Ryan Doherty came off the bench. Doherty finished with 11 goals and six assists to lead the Storm.
“We threw some guys out of their natural positionsds to see if it would work,” he said. “We’ll have practice and see if it will work. We will get a chance to hone it, and decide if we want to use it against Elgin. We’re going to get them on their turf, which is a lot bigger on what we played them on earlier and tonight. It should be a good test for us on Tuesday. We experimented just to see what potentially we could throw differently at Elgin.
"We played two games in two days. Maybe it was dead legs or the grass. I’m proud of these boys. We’ve been throwing a lot of new stuff at them. Our early schedule derailed us a bit, then you throw in some injuries, but I’m proud of the way the boys have responded.”
Starting lineups
South Elgin
GK Luke Biondi
D Brandon McKee
D Omar Lara
D Rocco Marzullo
MF Carlos Barajas
MF Vito DiVietro
MF Brandon Pina
MF Zac Meyer
MF Ethan Crawford
MF Guido Gonzalez-Ortiz
F Ethan Scholl
Waubonsie Valley
GK Daniel Gallardo
D Joseph Haddad
D Cade Válek
D Kadin Feese
D Amiel Nichani
MF Callum Keller
MF Zach Stanley
MF Matthew Garcia
MF Lachlan Ladd
F Gean Ribero Scarpell
F Anuj Buch
Chicagoland Player of the Match: Anuj Buch, sr., F, Waubonsie Valley.
Scoring summary
First half
South Elgin — Ethan Scholl (unassisted), 11th minute
Waubonsie Valley — Zach Stanley (unassisted), 29th minute
Second half
Waubonsie Valley — Anuj Buch (unassisted), 75th minute
Waubonsie Valley — Anuj Buch (Callum Keller), 78th minute