Lake Park mows down
St. Francis in Hillner Classic opener
Lancers cut a fine figure in 2-0 victory
By Bill McLean
ROSELLE — Lake Park’s “12th man” Thursday night has zero limbs and speaks as often as a mime does.
It’s the Lancers’ grass field at Krupke Memorial Stadium in the Era of Field Turf at prep venues.
“We do have a home-field advantage, definitely,” Lake Park coach Sean Crosby admitted after his club topped visiting St. Francis 2-0 in the Hillner Classic opener for both crews.
Two days ago, St. Francis coach Jim Winslow had his Spartans practice on the school’s baseball outfield to prepare for the now-unique surface.
But Lake Park’s victory — after a scoreless first half — had way more to do with talent than it had to do with blades of real grass.
“Lake Park was opportunistic tonight, and it’s a team that moves forward in a hurry,” Winslow said after his team’s season opener. “You could tell Lake Park had played in a game before tonight.”
The Lancers edged Addison Trail 2-1 in their season-opening nonconference match Tuesday night.
Winslow continued.
“I knew we’d be good in goal,” he said, alluding to senior goalkeeper Simon Hartle (16 saves), who was very good in goal on a warm night with light rain. “I knew we’d be pretty good in the back. But Lake Park (dominated the middle) and limited our chances.”
Lake Park (2-0-0 overall, 1-0-0 in Hillner Classic play) opened the scoring on a set piece that originated a few feet from the corner. Lancers junior midfielder Francesco “Frenchy” Cardone had drawn a foul deep in the Spartans’ acreage.
“Treat it like a corner kick,” a coach shouted from St. Francis’ bench as Cardone prepared to deliver the quasi CK.
“We approached it and attacked it, as we would have a corner situation,” Crosby recalled afterward.
Cardone’s ball found senior midfielder Rodrigo Diaz’s head, which nodded a brisk shot past Hartle.
Diaz, making his season debut, earned Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors for the constant pressure he applied to the Spartans via his speed, dribbling and ridiculously high soccer IQ. The referees should have checked for streaks of super glue on the sides on his cleats in each half.
His dribbling was that good, that sticky.
“Such a great passer,” Crosby said of Diaz. “I also like what he does for us when he has the ball in traffic.
“Our entire team is creative with a lot of confidence attack-wise. When we’re unselfish on attack we’re dangerous, and we raise our level of play. In our first half tonight, there wasn’t much flow, but that changed considerably
in the second half. Our movement reached a different gear.”
Lake Park notched its second goal with a little help from a St. Francis leg. Lancers senior Shane Donnelly, another marvelous midfielder, won a 50/50 with his head. The ball bounded toward Cardone, who, from about 12 yards blasted a shot that smacked a foe’s limb and bounced past Hartle.
Junior Jakub Tourillott stood out defensively for the victors, playing at an all-conference level already and using his sprinter’s speed at every turn to disrupt St. Francis’ midfielders and forwards.
The grass didn’t appear to slow the center back down one bit.
“Jakub covers so much ground, doesn’t he?” Crosby said. “His speed kills, and he reads the game well.”
Tourillott praised the abilities and chemistry of Lake Park’s midfielders (Cardone, Diaz, Donnelly and senior Nick Gironda) and then uttered a warning to the other schools on the Lancers’ schedule.
“We can always get better,” he said.
Yikes.
Lake Park seniors Connell Travis (first half) and Andrew Swacha (second half) shared time in goal for the hosts. Each recorded a save.
St. Francis junior back Justin Klein and senior back Ben Fasana drew plaudits from Winslow for their efforts Thursday night.
Their foot speed certainly came in handy in more than a few Lake Park rushes.
Klein suffered a leg cramp in the second half while hustling to make a superb defensive play near the top of the visitors’ box.
“The grass slowed us down,” Klein said. “Tough game. Lake Park played well.
“We can only go up from here.”
Lake Park faces visiting Hoffman Estates in a Hillner Classic game Saturday at 11 a.m.; St. Francis (0-1-0, 0-1-0) returns to Lake Park Tuesday at 5 p.m. to battle Wheaton North in the Spartans’ second Hillner Classic match.
Footnotes
Former longtime Saint Viator coach Mike Taylor joined Winslow’s staff as a volunteer assistant in the offseason. Taylor, a native of Zimbabwe, last coached the Lions’ team in 2020, when the girls team placed third at the Class AA state tournament at Fremd. He finished with a career mark of 149-79-18 at the Arlington Heights school. Taylor’s other top squads there finished second at state in 2010 and ’18 and third at state in ’12. “That has to be the pick up of the century,” Crosby said Thursday. … Three of Hartle’s fans, who happen to be part of Spartans’ Nation, spoke effusively about the St. Francis keeper after Thursday’s game. “Fantastic,” Winslow said. “No fear,” Klein said. “When you hear him yell ‘Keeper!’ you get out of the way, because you know he’ll make another great play/” Fasana added, “Fighting … Simon’s always fighting back there.” … Lake Park reserve freshman midfielder Carlos Ramos thrilled the home fans — and the Lancers’ bench players — with his slick moves and near goals late in the second half Thursday night.
Starting lineups
St. Francis
GK Simon Hartle
D Aaron Cook
D Ben Fasana
D Justin Klein
D Matthew Marsico
M Sam Wessel
M Nicholas Tisljar
M Nick Madden
F Luc Swiatek
F Cooper Winslow
F Mason Karch
Lake Park
GK Connell Travis
D Jakub Tourillott
D Oscar Sagan
D Jack Tucci
D Lucas Boebel
M Devin Czeremuga
M Shane Donnelly
M Rodrigo Diaz
M Francesco Cardone
M Nick Gironda
F Anthony Juarez
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Rodrigo Diaz, sr., MF, Lake Park
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Lake Park — Rodrigo (Cardone), 42’
Lake Park — Cardone (Donnelly), 49’
St. Francis in Hillner Classic opener
Lancers cut a fine figure in 2-0 victory
By Bill McLean
ROSELLE — Lake Park’s “12th man” Thursday night has zero limbs and speaks as often as a mime does.
It’s the Lancers’ grass field at Krupke Memorial Stadium in the Era of Field Turf at prep venues.
“We do have a home-field advantage, definitely,” Lake Park coach Sean Crosby admitted after his club topped visiting St. Francis 2-0 in the Hillner Classic opener for both crews.
Two days ago, St. Francis coach Jim Winslow had his Spartans practice on the school’s baseball outfield to prepare for the now-unique surface.
But Lake Park’s victory — after a scoreless first half — had way more to do with talent than it had to do with blades of real grass.
“Lake Park was opportunistic tonight, and it’s a team that moves forward in a hurry,” Winslow said after his team’s season opener. “You could tell Lake Park had played in a game before tonight.”
The Lancers edged Addison Trail 2-1 in their season-opening nonconference match Tuesday night.
Winslow continued.
“I knew we’d be good in goal,” he said, alluding to senior goalkeeper Simon Hartle (16 saves), who was very good in goal on a warm night with light rain. “I knew we’d be pretty good in the back. But Lake Park (dominated the middle) and limited our chances.”
Lake Park (2-0-0 overall, 1-0-0 in Hillner Classic play) opened the scoring on a set piece that originated a few feet from the corner. Lancers junior midfielder Francesco “Frenchy” Cardone had drawn a foul deep in the Spartans’ acreage.
“Treat it like a corner kick,” a coach shouted from St. Francis’ bench as Cardone prepared to deliver the quasi CK.
“We approached it and attacked it, as we would have a corner situation,” Crosby recalled afterward.
Cardone’s ball found senior midfielder Rodrigo Diaz’s head, which nodded a brisk shot past Hartle.
Diaz, making his season debut, earned Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors for the constant pressure he applied to the Spartans via his speed, dribbling and ridiculously high soccer IQ. The referees should have checked for streaks of super glue on the sides on his cleats in each half.
His dribbling was that good, that sticky.
“Such a great passer,” Crosby said of Diaz. “I also like what he does for us when he has the ball in traffic.
“Our entire team is creative with a lot of confidence attack-wise. When we’re unselfish on attack we’re dangerous, and we raise our level of play. In our first half tonight, there wasn’t much flow, but that changed considerably
in the second half. Our movement reached a different gear.”
Lake Park notched its second goal with a little help from a St. Francis leg. Lancers senior Shane Donnelly, another marvelous midfielder, won a 50/50 with his head. The ball bounded toward Cardone, who, from about 12 yards blasted a shot that smacked a foe’s limb and bounced past Hartle.
Junior Jakub Tourillott stood out defensively for the victors, playing at an all-conference level already and using his sprinter’s speed at every turn to disrupt St. Francis’ midfielders and forwards.
The grass didn’t appear to slow the center back down one bit.
“Jakub covers so much ground, doesn’t he?” Crosby said. “His speed kills, and he reads the game well.”
Tourillott praised the abilities and chemistry of Lake Park’s midfielders (Cardone, Diaz, Donnelly and senior Nick Gironda) and then uttered a warning to the other schools on the Lancers’ schedule.
“We can always get better,” he said.
Yikes.
Lake Park seniors Connell Travis (first half) and Andrew Swacha (second half) shared time in goal for the hosts. Each recorded a save.
St. Francis junior back Justin Klein and senior back Ben Fasana drew plaudits from Winslow for their efforts Thursday night.
Their foot speed certainly came in handy in more than a few Lake Park rushes.
Klein suffered a leg cramp in the second half while hustling to make a superb defensive play near the top of the visitors’ box.
“The grass slowed us down,” Klein said. “Tough game. Lake Park played well.
“We can only go up from here.”
Lake Park faces visiting Hoffman Estates in a Hillner Classic game Saturday at 11 a.m.; St. Francis (0-1-0, 0-1-0) returns to Lake Park Tuesday at 5 p.m. to battle Wheaton North in the Spartans’ second Hillner Classic match.
Footnotes
Former longtime Saint Viator coach Mike Taylor joined Winslow’s staff as a volunteer assistant in the offseason. Taylor, a native of Zimbabwe, last coached the Lions’ team in 2020, when the girls team placed third at the Class AA state tournament at Fremd. He finished with a career mark of 149-79-18 at the Arlington Heights school. Taylor’s other top squads there finished second at state in 2010 and ’18 and third at state in ’12. “That has to be the pick up of the century,” Crosby said Thursday. … Three of Hartle’s fans, who happen to be part of Spartans’ Nation, spoke effusively about the St. Francis keeper after Thursday’s game. “Fantastic,” Winslow said. “No fear,” Klein said. “When you hear him yell ‘Keeper!’ you get out of the way, because you know he’ll make another great play/” Fasana added, “Fighting … Simon’s always fighting back there.” … Lake Park reserve freshman midfielder Carlos Ramos thrilled the home fans — and the Lancers’ bench players — with his slick moves and near goals late in the second half Thursday night.
Starting lineups
St. Francis
GK Simon Hartle
D Aaron Cook
D Ben Fasana
D Justin Klein
D Matthew Marsico
M Sam Wessel
M Nicholas Tisljar
M Nick Madden
F Luc Swiatek
F Cooper Winslow
F Mason Karch
Lake Park
GK Connell Travis
D Jakub Tourillott
D Oscar Sagan
D Jack Tucci
D Lucas Boebel
M Devin Czeremuga
M Shane Donnelly
M Rodrigo Diaz
M Francesco Cardone
M Nick Gironda
F Anthony Juarez
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Rodrigo Diaz, sr., MF, Lake Park
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Lake Park — Rodrigo (Cardone), 42’
Lake Park — Cardone (Donnelly), 49’