Late rally, PKs lift St. Francis to victory
Gulli PK, 4-2 edge in shootout produces key conference win
By Dave Owen
ELMHURST – Last-minute heroics and big defensive stands turned St. Francis’ tough conference road battle Thursday into a penalty kick victory.
Host Timothy (9-7-1, 2-3-0) had the vast advantage in quality chances and a 1-0 lead in the final minutes of the Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division showdown.
But the Spartans (5-6-3, 3-1-0) dug deep to turn an uphill battle into an impressive ending.
Off a Brendan Yarusso throw-in with just 2:16 left, Nick Gulli’s touch pass sent Adrien Graffin into the box and produced a Timothy foul and penalty kick chance for St. Francis.
Gulli nailed the PK into the lower left corner to tie the game 1-1.
Then after two overtimes produced no winner, St. Francis won the decisive penalty kick session 4-2 behind Adam Thill’s strong goaltending and PK conversions by Gulli, Michael Fasana and reserves Alex Guiborat and Jack Crabtree.
“We have injuries, we’re down; it’s the name of the story this year,” St. Francis coach Kevin Ward said. “We’re just trying to get guys back right now and putting a lot of different things together and trying to make it work. I think we were fortunate tonight to come away and get this big conference win.”
Surviving the first 10 minutes and adjusting to Timothy natural grass field posed the Spartans’ first challenges.
Timothy came out blazing, nearly taking a 1-0 lead in the second minute when a would-be goal was called back by an offsides ruling.
“That almost goal was definitely a wake-up call,” Gulli said. “It got us going a little bit. And the grass is always an adjustment. We practice on turf which is definitely faster. This grass here was slower, so we had to play more direct than we play on the ground, but it is what it is.”
Timothy continued its fast start in the eighth minute with another tremendous chance.
Off a 35-yard free kick, Trojans forward Carson Hooker sent a header off the crossbar. Then on a Timothy rebound shot near the left post, St. Francis freshman Yarusso made a goal-saving block at the goal line as the Spartans twice came inches short of an early deficit.
That stand began a virtually night-long theme for St. Francis, as Timothy pressure in the box seldom yielded results.
“We just played defense as a team,” Yarusso said. “That was pretty much the key.”
Teamwork paid off in the 24th minute, when back-to-back blocks by Nathan Corrigan and Michael Fasana denied Timothy shot attempts in the box.
Then in the 37th minute, goalkeeper Thill made a high catch at the right post of an Andrew Vogt free kick. Thill followed 30 seconds later with another big stop, a low grab of Jonathan Stremler’s 8-yard drive.
Those first 40 minutes, and the next 35 for that matter, continued a recent string of poor luck for the hosts.
“The last few games we’ve really dominated the run of play for the most part,” Timothy coach Joel Zielke said. “We’re able to possess, and get some dangerous chances.
“We hit two crossbars again tonight. That’s been the theme the last five or six games, where we’ve probably outplayed our opponent, but the results aren’t always there to show it.”
The second half began with more pressure on the St. Francis defense – Sean Conley’s clear of a corner kick two minutes in, a Connor Teune header wide off an Andrew Petrulakis throw-in one minute later, then Thill’s save on a well-defended Stremler 18-yard shot in the half’s eighth minute.
Thill was up to the test on a bigger chance 11 minutes in, making a sliding deflection wide of Ben Rowell’s 15-yard shot.
St. Francis responded with a good chance off a set piece with 24:20 left in regulation. Gulli’s 25-yard free kick was juggled by Timothy goalkeeper Kyle Teune and was followed by Luke Herard’s rebound try deflecting wide off a Trojans defender.
But the next free kick would go to Timothy and produce a breakthrough in the defensive battle.
Josh Wise’s 35-yard free kick from the right sideline with 20:37 to play skimmed off a St. Francis defender attempting a header clear towards the back post. Andrew Vogt was there for a running line drive into the net and a 1-0 lead.
While the goal produced euphoria for Timothy, it generated resolve in the Spartans.
“We’ve been in that situation before this year, with our backs up against the wall,” said Gulli, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match. “You just kind of stay compact as a team, don’t let any balls through, try to limit our mistakes.
“That was important, to always keep ourselves in the game. Then we got that one chance at the end, and we put it away.”
But staying close for its big finish wouldn’t be easy for St. Francis.
Just 40 seconds after their go-ahead goal, the Trojans just missed another when Wise’s high lofting 18-yard chip off a Hooker throw-in went off the crossbar near the back (left) post.
The Spartans answered with their own scoring bid with 16:05 left, a nice run to the end line by Adrien Graffin and cross through a wide open crease to the far sideline.
A Gulli 25-yard indirect free kick with 5:40 left marked St. Francis’ next quality chance, but Graffin’s header towards the front off that send was cleared by the Timothy defense.
Then just as time appeared to be running out on the Spartans, the Graffin rush, a foul and the Gulli PK tied the score 1-1 and extended the match to two overtimes and PKs.
“I’ve been taking them (PKs) all four years and in club soccer, so I’m pretty comfortable,” Gulli said of the regulation PK, his third goal of the season.
But after pulling even, the Spartans had more challenges to withstand.
A Timothy corner kick with 1:40 left in regulation produced a scramble near the right post, with Thill ultimately diving on the loose ball.
Then two minutes into in the first OT, Thill needed to make a high catch at the right post on a Connor Teune 22-yard shot.
Stremler and Gulli would also generate shots on goal for their respective sides in the first OT, while several Spartans nicely denied Timothy chances.
A Graffin steal and a Fasana clear were two denials midway through the first OT. Then in the final 15 seconds, Yarusso made a great block of a 12-yard shot on a two-man Timothy rush.
On plays like that, freshman Yarusso hardly looked like one of the youngest players on the field.
“It’s harder with a lot bigger and faster kids,” Yarusso said of high school varsity soccer. “But it’s getting better.”
Despite adversity, the Spartans are seeing many improvements.
“In the midfield tonight we made some changes,” Ward said. “Brendan and Sam Audy were doing a really nice job. And Nick Gulli was just playing his butt off tonight.
“I’m pleased right now because we’ve got adverse conditions, and we’re pulling it together and doing the best we can.”
Second OT chances began with a Gulli 35-yard free kick saved by Kyle Teune with 8:15 left.
Fasana (block) and Conley (clear) combined to deny a Hooker 20-yard shot two minutes later, and Corrigan blocked a 12-yard Wise shot with 4:30 to go.
Scoring bids followed by St. Francis’ Gulli (a 22-yard free kick blocked with 3:20 to go in the second OT) and Crabtree (a left side rush and shot saved by Kyle Teune with 1:10 to go).
Having just entered the game, Crabtree made a big impact in the second OT and then by pounding in the clinching goal in the PK session.
“It’s been a next-man-up concept the whole year,” Gulli said. “If someone goes down, the next person steps up. He comes in, and we don’t expect anything different. We just try to keep playing as a team, stay compact defensively and get what we get going forward.”
But St. Francis’ PK heroics almost never happened, thanks to another Timothy rush to close the second OT.
Thill made a big save on Stremler’s initial 10-yard left side try with 25 seconds left, then Hooker’s rebound bid near the right post was blocked by Conley.
“It’s just a gutsy effort,” Thill said. “Our backline held it down really well today.”
On a night for the defenses, the PK session fittingly began with saves by both goalkeepers on the first shooters.
Then with the session tied 2-2, Guiborat’s PK was followed by a Timothy shot off the right post.
Fifth St. Francis shooter Crabtree then stepped up and put away his PK. And after trailing late in regulation, the Spartans had endured to produce a happy bus ride home.
“You just have to keep working hard and keep going,” Yarusso said. “It feels amazing.”
Said Thill: “Obviously it’s very good for the team. It’s going to propel us forward hopefully and give us more momentum going on to the next game.”
With a top sectional seed in the Class A playoffs, Timothy has its own reasons to feel good despite Thursday’s tough loss.
“I’m a little disappointed for my guys,” Zielke said, “because they’re putting in a lot of work and effort and not seeing (results) right now.
“But we’re getting better every game and still hungry and confident. These are good learning experiences that down the road are going to eventually pay off for us.”
St. Francis also is staying focused on the challenges ahead.
“It is a big win, but I’m trying to hold them down a little bit because we have a lot more to do,” Ward said.
“I’m trying to stay focused. We have a big week next week, and then we try to get ready to go into regionals. I think we got seeded low (eighth in Glenbard South's subsectional A), so we want to be in a position to make some noise.”
The Spartans players also see Thursday’s emotional comeback as just one step towards bigger things.
“Hopefully this propels us in the right direction,” Gulli said. “In conference we’re still very much in it. We had tough nonconference games, but we’re just trying to get ready for the postseason and see where it goes from there.”
Starting lineups
St. Francis
GK: Adam Thill
D: Nathan Corrigan
D: Jack Hartle
D: Sam Premak
D: Michael Fasana
M: Sam Audy
M: Nick Gulli
M: Sean Conley
M: Brendan Yarusso
F: Nico Lajewski
F: Adrien Graffin
Timothy Christian
GK: Kyle Teune
D: Andrew Petrulakis
D: Michael Vogt
D: Andrew Vogt
M: Connor Teune
M: Zach Orange
M: Isaiah Whitaker
M: Josh Wise
M: Ben Rowell
F: Carson Hooker
F: Jonathan Stremler
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Nick Gulli, sr. M, St. Francis
Scoring summary
First half
None
Second half
TC: Andrew Vogt (Josh Wise assist), 60th minute
SF: Nick Gulli (PK), 78th minute
First OT
None
Second OT
None
PKs
St. Francis: Adrien Graffin (save), Nick Gulli (goal), Michael Fasana (goal), Alex Guiborat (goal), Jack Crabtree (goal)
Timothy Christian: Carson Hooker (save), Josh Wise (goal), Isaiah Whitaker (goal), Zach Orange (off post)
Gulli PK, 4-2 edge in shootout produces key conference win
By Dave Owen
ELMHURST – Last-minute heroics and big defensive stands turned St. Francis’ tough conference road battle Thursday into a penalty kick victory.
Host Timothy (9-7-1, 2-3-0) had the vast advantage in quality chances and a 1-0 lead in the final minutes of the Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division showdown.
But the Spartans (5-6-3, 3-1-0) dug deep to turn an uphill battle into an impressive ending.
Off a Brendan Yarusso throw-in with just 2:16 left, Nick Gulli’s touch pass sent Adrien Graffin into the box and produced a Timothy foul and penalty kick chance for St. Francis.
Gulli nailed the PK into the lower left corner to tie the game 1-1.
Then after two overtimes produced no winner, St. Francis won the decisive penalty kick session 4-2 behind Adam Thill’s strong goaltending and PK conversions by Gulli, Michael Fasana and reserves Alex Guiborat and Jack Crabtree.
“We have injuries, we’re down; it’s the name of the story this year,” St. Francis coach Kevin Ward said. “We’re just trying to get guys back right now and putting a lot of different things together and trying to make it work. I think we were fortunate tonight to come away and get this big conference win.”
Surviving the first 10 minutes and adjusting to Timothy natural grass field posed the Spartans’ first challenges.
Timothy came out blazing, nearly taking a 1-0 lead in the second minute when a would-be goal was called back by an offsides ruling.
“That almost goal was definitely a wake-up call,” Gulli said. “It got us going a little bit. And the grass is always an adjustment. We practice on turf which is definitely faster. This grass here was slower, so we had to play more direct than we play on the ground, but it is what it is.”
Timothy continued its fast start in the eighth minute with another tremendous chance.
Off a 35-yard free kick, Trojans forward Carson Hooker sent a header off the crossbar. Then on a Timothy rebound shot near the left post, St. Francis freshman Yarusso made a goal-saving block at the goal line as the Spartans twice came inches short of an early deficit.
That stand began a virtually night-long theme for St. Francis, as Timothy pressure in the box seldom yielded results.
“We just played defense as a team,” Yarusso said. “That was pretty much the key.”
Teamwork paid off in the 24th minute, when back-to-back blocks by Nathan Corrigan and Michael Fasana denied Timothy shot attempts in the box.
Then in the 37th minute, goalkeeper Thill made a high catch at the right post of an Andrew Vogt free kick. Thill followed 30 seconds later with another big stop, a low grab of Jonathan Stremler’s 8-yard drive.
Those first 40 minutes, and the next 35 for that matter, continued a recent string of poor luck for the hosts.
“The last few games we’ve really dominated the run of play for the most part,” Timothy coach Joel Zielke said. “We’re able to possess, and get some dangerous chances.
“We hit two crossbars again tonight. That’s been the theme the last five or six games, where we’ve probably outplayed our opponent, but the results aren’t always there to show it.”
The second half began with more pressure on the St. Francis defense – Sean Conley’s clear of a corner kick two minutes in, a Connor Teune header wide off an Andrew Petrulakis throw-in one minute later, then Thill’s save on a well-defended Stremler 18-yard shot in the half’s eighth minute.
Thill was up to the test on a bigger chance 11 minutes in, making a sliding deflection wide of Ben Rowell’s 15-yard shot.
St. Francis responded with a good chance off a set piece with 24:20 left in regulation. Gulli’s 25-yard free kick was juggled by Timothy goalkeeper Kyle Teune and was followed by Luke Herard’s rebound try deflecting wide off a Trojans defender.
But the next free kick would go to Timothy and produce a breakthrough in the defensive battle.
Josh Wise’s 35-yard free kick from the right sideline with 20:37 to play skimmed off a St. Francis defender attempting a header clear towards the back post. Andrew Vogt was there for a running line drive into the net and a 1-0 lead.
While the goal produced euphoria for Timothy, it generated resolve in the Spartans.
“We’ve been in that situation before this year, with our backs up against the wall,” said Gulli, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match. “You just kind of stay compact as a team, don’t let any balls through, try to limit our mistakes.
“That was important, to always keep ourselves in the game. Then we got that one chance at the end, and we put it away.”
But staying close for its big finish wouldn’t be easy for St. Francis.
Just 40 seconds after their go-ahead goal, the Trojans just missed another when Wise’s high lofting 18-yard chip off a Hooker throw-in went off the crossbar near the back (left) post.
The Spartans answered with their own scoring bid with 16:05 left, a nice run to the end line by Adrien Graffin and cross through a wide open crease to the far sideline.
A Gulli 25-yard indirect free kick with 5:40 left marked St. Francis’ next quality chance, but Graffin’s header towards the front off that send was cleared by the Timothy defense.
Then just as time appeared to be running out on the Spartans, the Graffin rush, a foul and the Gulli PK tied the score 1-1 and extended the match to two overtimes and PKs.
“I’ve been taking them (PKs) all four years and in club soccer, so I’m pretty comfortable,” Gulli said of the regulation PK, his third goal of the season.
But after pulling even, the Spartans had more challenges to withstand.
A Timothy corner kick with 1:40 left in regulation produced a scramble near the right post, with Thill ultimately diving on the loose ball.
Then two minutes into in the first OT, Thill needed to make a high catch at the right post on a Connor Teune 22-yard shot.
Stremler and Gulli would also generate shots on goal for their respective sides in the first OT, while several Spartans nicely denied Timothy chances.
A Graffin steal and a Fasana clear were two denials midway through the first OT. Then in the final 15 seconds, Yarusso made a great block of a 12-yard shot on a two-man Timothy rush.
On plays like that, freshman Yarusso hardly looked like one of the youngest players on the field.
“It’s harder with a lot bigger and faster kids,” Yarusso said of high school varsity soccer. “But it’s getting better.”
Despite adversity, the Spartans are seeing many improvements.
“In the midfield tonight we made some changes,” Ward said. “Brendan and Sam Audy were doing a really nice job. And Nick Gulli was just playing his butt off tonight.
“I’m pleased right now because we’ve got adverse conditions, and we’re pulling it together and doing the best we can.”
Second OT chances began with a Gulli 35-yard free kick saved by Kyle Teune with 8:15 left.
Fasana (block) and Conley (clear) combined to deny a Hooker 20-yard shot two minutes later, and Corrigan blocked a 12-yard Wise shot with 4:30 to go.
Scoring bids followed by St. Francis’ Gulli (a 22-yard free kick blocked with 3:20 to go in the second OT) and Crabtree (a left side rush and shot saved by Kyle Teune with 1:10 to go).
Having just entered the game, Crabtree made a big impact in the second OT and then by pounding in the clinching goal in the PK session.
“It’s been a next-man-up concept the whole year,” Gulli said. “If someone goes down, the next person steps up. He comes in, and we don’t expect anything different. We just try to keep playing as a team, stay compact defensively and get what we get going forward.”
But St. Francis’ PK heroics almost never happened, thanks to another Timothy rush to close the second OT.
Thill made a big save on Stremler’s initial 10-yard left side try with 25 seconds left, then Hooker’s rebound bid near the right post was blocked by Conley.
“It’s just a gutsy effort,” Thill said. “Our backline held it down really well today.”
On a night for the defenses, the PK session fittingly began with saves by both goalkeepers on the first shooters.
Then with the session tied 2-2, Guiborat’s PK was followed by a Timothy shot off the right post.
Fifth St. Francis shooter Crabtree then stepped up and put away his PK. And after trailing late in regulation, the Spartans had endured to produce a happy bus ride home.
“You just have to keep working hard and keep going,” Yarusso said. “It feels amazing.”
Said Thill: “Obviously it’s very good for the team. It’s going to propel us forward hopefully and give us more momentum going on to the next game.”
With a top sectional seed in the Class A playoffs, Timothy has its own reasons to feel good despite Thursday’s tough loss.
“I’m a little disappointed for my guys,” Zielke said, “because they’re putting in a lot of work and effort and not seeing (results) right now.
“But we’re getting better every game and still hungry and confident. These are good learning experiences that down the road are going to eventually pay off for us.”
St. Francis also is staying focused on the challenges ahead.
“It is a big win, but I’m trying to hold them down a little bit because we have a lot more to do,” Ward said.
“I’m trying to stay focused. We have a big week next week, and then we try to get ready to go into regionals. I think we got seeded low (eighth in Glenbard South's subsectional A), so we want to be in a position to make some noise.”
The Spartans players also see Thursday’s emotional comeback as just one step towards bigger things.
“Hopefully this propels us in the right direction,” Gulli said. “In conference we’re still very much in it. We had tough nonconference games, but we’re just trying to get ready for the postseason and see where it goes from there.”
Starting lineups
St. Francis
GK: Adam Thill
D: Nathan Corrigan
D: Jack Hartle
D: Sam Premak
D: Michael Fasana
M: Sam Audy
M: Nick Gulli
M: Sean Conley
M: Brendan Yarusso
F: Nico Lajewski
F: Adrien Graffin
Timothy Christian
GK: Kyle Teune
D: Andrew Petrulakis
D: Michael Vogt
D: Andrew Vogt
M: Connor Teune
M: Zach Orange
M: Isaiah Whitaker
M: Josh Wise
M: Ben Rowell
F: Carson Hooker
F: Jonathan Stremler
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Nick Gulli, sr. M, St. Francis
Scoring summary
First half
None
Second half
TC: Andrew Vogt (Josh Wise assist), 60th minute
SF: Nick Gulli (PK), 78th minute
First OT
None
Second OT
None
PKs
St. Francis: Adrien Graffin (save), Nick Gulli (goal), Michael Fasana (goal), Alex Guiborat (goal), Jack Crabtree (goal)
Timothy Christian: Carson Hooker (save), Josh Wise (goal), Isaiah Whitaker (goal), Zach Orange (off post)