Vernon Hills' heart out-beats GBN
Cougars top Spartans 2-1 on Aguilar, Lebedev goals
By Gary Larsen
NORTHBROOK -- Vernon Hills joined the Central Suburban League in 2016; in its first two annual conference meetings with Glenbrook North, the Cougars lost to the Spartans by scores of 7-0 and 8-0.
But Vernon Hills’ heart, hustle, and guts won the day in this year’s renewal. The Cougars scored twice in the first half and then hung on in the face of a vigorous Spartans attack for a 2-1 road win Thursday in a CSL North Division showdown.
“We’ve been out-working everybody,” Vernon Hills midfielder Carlos Aguilar said. “That’s what we do.
“We’re underdogs coming into this game, and the last two years against this team didn’t go as we planned. But we got the result today.”
Vernon Hills (5-2-1, 1-0-0) got goals from Aguilar and Dmitri Lebedev. Glenbrook North (4-4-2, 1-1-0) got a goal from Joey Martens in the loss.
“We’re a good team but we’ve definitely been struggling in chasing the game early,” Martens said. “We’re making little mistakes that can add up and cause a deficit. But we’re a young team, we’re growing, and we have a lot of potential.”
Vernon Hills applied high pressure from the game’s outset, giving Glenbrook North little decision-making time and space.
Aguilar sent a shot just over the crossbar from 23 yards at seven minutes, set up by a corner kick from Stephen Auw. The Cougars’ Tyler Gonzalez took a ball to the right corner at 12 minutes but his low serve to the goalmouth was cleared out.
Vernon Hills flirted with another potential shot near the goalmouth at 17 minutes, but the Spartans were again able to clear the ball out.
Glenbrook North’s David Schueler ran onto a ball sent to the box at 17 minutes but Vernon Hills keeper Nick Burrows raced off his line and got to it first near the 18. Burrows saved a hard-hit shot at the post taken from the right side at 21 minutes by the Spartans’ George Luke.
The draw was disrupted when Aguilar scored on a free kick from 29 yards. Aguilar’s shot sailed under just under the crossbar at 26 minutes.
“I saw the space. The goalie was kind of standing in the middle, probably cheating to go over the wall,” Aguilar said. “I saw the opportunity and took it. I tried to get it a little more to the (upper 90), but it ended up working out.”
The Cougars stunned the Spartans again a mere minute later when Lebedev broke free up the left side and banged a shot off a defender that popped up and curled to the back netting.
“The first half was just heart and hard work,” Vernon Hills coach Mike McCaulou said. “To be honest, (Glenbrook North) is more gifted than us in terms of speed and technical ability. But in terms of organization and pure dedication and commitment to one another, I couldn’t be more proud of them. It was just a solid effort.”
Down two goals, Glenbrook North fought hard for a goal before halftime. Midfielder Ben Gordon saw his header saved at the far post on a corner kick serve from Martens, and Nico Adducci nearly got a foot on a Konrad Kulesza cross sent to the goalmouth at 37 minutes. The Spartans played a short corner in the final 30 seconds before halftime, and the ensuing cross saw Gordon blast a head shot just over the crossbar.
Glenbrook North coach Paul Vignocchi credited Vernon Hills for its play through 40 minutes.
“In the first half we just gave up some bad opportunities, and they punished us for it,” Vignocchi said. “It’s growing pains. We graduated a lot of seniors from last year but hats off to Vernon Hills, because they played great. They were all over us. They’re a very disciplined team, and they wanted it more in the first half.”
Chasing a two-goal deficit, Glenbrook North found another gear in its attack in the second half.
Kulesza reached the endline on the right side and crossed at 45 minutes but Gordon’s attempt was blocked by a defender. Burrows raced off his line to beat Kulesza to a ball sent just inside the top of the box at 48 minutes, and Martens turned the corner on the left side and sent a ball across the goalmouth that went untouched at 49 minutes.
Kulesza sent a cross whizzing just past the far post from 25 yards at 51 minutes, and the junior mid broke in alone on Burrows on the right side and sent a prime chance high of frame one minute later.
The Spartans finally found a goal at 62 minutes on a hustle play from Martens. The junior raced into the box with a defender on his hip and tapped a ball past a charging Burrows. The ball caromed lightly off the post on the left side and Martens got to it first and buried it to cut the Cougars’ lead in half.
Martens’ hustle throughout the second half earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
“We didn’t quit. We kept going,” Martens said. “That’s kind of the legacy that’s been created here and the motto we have. We never stop going and always work our hardest, and that’s kind of the GBN way.”
The Glenbrook North attacking storm intensified, pitted against the gritty defending of Vernon Hills.
“We knew in the second half they had to press us,” McCaulou said. “So in the last 20 (minutes) we moved to a 4-5-1 and tried to play it defensive.”
Defenders Matthew Quandt, Brandon Kim, Zach Hanson, and Edgar Uribe fought the good fight in front of Burrows down the stretch.
Burrows saved a Martens header on a Gordon serve at 68 minutes, Martens turned the corner on the left side and took a touch up the endline before sending a low cross that went untouched across the box at 69 minutes, and Burrows saved a Scott Phadnis shot at the post at 72 minutes.
The hero of the day for Vernon Hills had to be senior mid Fred Sides, who made a header save at the goal-line, on a header taken by Adducci from 15 yards at 78 minutes.
“(Burrows) came out of the box to punch (a cross) away,” Sides said. “I don’t go very far, so I just dropped back in goal. Had to do it for the team.
“It was a team effort today. We were all putting in the same work intensity, high pressure, and we got the result with two good goals.”
Vignocchi will continue to have patience with a talented, but young, team still finding its way.
“We didn’t quit, which was the important part,” Vignocchi said, “and our attacking players are starting to play well together.
“It was one of those games. We’ve been in that situation too much this year. We play our best when we score first and when that doesn’t happen, we’re finding ourselves fighting. It’s happened too much and I hope we’ve learned from it so it doesn’t happen once the (state) playoffs start.”
Spartans defender Sam Sullivan knows his side has to come out in games with more urgency in order to right the ship.
“We seem to get down early, and it’s almost like we need something to happen to get us going,” Sullivan said. “Unfortunately they scored two, but then we started to lock in, and we were all over them in the second half.
"We need to get into the mindset earlier, lock in earlier. It seems like that’s been hard for us to do.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook North
GK: Ronan Kerrigan
D: Sam Sullivan
D: Scott Phadnis
D: Patrick O’Brien
D: David Schueler
MF: Nico Adducci
MF: Ben Gordon
MF: Nate Aronson
MF: Konrad Kulesza
F: Joey Martens
F: George Luke
Vernon Hills
GK: Nick Burrows
D: Matthew Quandt
D: Brandon Kim
D: Zach Hanson
D: Edgar Uribe
MF: Carlos Aguilar
MF: Fred Sides
MF: Stephen Auw
MF: Tyler Gonzalez
F: Dmitril Lebedev
F: Cooper Guillame
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Joey Martens, jr., F, Glenbrook North
Scoring summary
First half
Vernon Hills - Aguilar (FK) 26th minute
Vernon Hills - Lebedev (UA) 27th minute
Second half
Glenbrook North - Martens (UA) 62nd minute
Cougars top Spartans 2-1 on Aguilar, Lebedev goals
By Gary Larsen
NORTHBROOK -- Vernon Hills joined the Central Suburban League in 2016; in its first two annual conference meetings with Glenbrook North, the Cougars lost to the Spartans by scores of 7-0 and 8-0.
But Vernon Hills’ heart, hustle, and guts won the day in this year’s renewal. The Cougars scored twice in the first half and then hung on in the face of a vigorous Spartans attack for a 2-1 road win Thursday in a CSL North Division showdown.
“We’ve been out-working everybody,” Vernon Hills midfielder Carlos Aguilar said. “That’s what we do.
“We’re underdogs coming into this game, and the last two years against this team didn’t go as we planned. But we got the result today.”
Vernon Hills (5-2-1, 1-0-0) got goals from Aguilar and Dmitri Lebedev. Glenbrook North (4-4-2, 1-1-0) got a goal from Joey Martens in the loss.
“We’re a good team but we’ve definitely been struggling in chasing the game early,” Martens said. “We’re making little mistakes that can add up and cause a deficit. But we’re a young team, we’re growing, and we have a lot of potential.”
Vernon Hills applied high pressure from the game’s outset, giving Glenbrook North little decision-making time and space.
Aguilar sent a shot just over the crossbar from 23 yards at seven minutes, set up by a corner kick from Stephen Auw. The Cougars’ Tyler Gonzalez took a ball to the right corner at 12 minutes but his low serve to the goalmouth was cleared out.
Vernon Hills flirted with another potential shot near the goalmouth at 17 minutes, but the Spartans were again able to clear the ball out.
Glenbrook North’s David Schueler ran onto a ball sent to the box at 17 minutes but Vernon Hills keeper Nick Burrows raced off his line and got to it first near the 18. Burrows saved a hard-hit shot at the post taken from the right side at 21 minutes by the Spartans’ George Luke.
The draw was disrupted when Aguilar scored on a free kick from 29 yards. Aguilar’s shot sailed under just under the crossbar at 26 minutes.
“I saw the space. The goalie was kind of standing in the middle, probably cheating to go over the wall,” Aguilar said. “I saw the opportunity and took it. I tried to get it a little more to the (upper 90), but it ended up working out.”
The Cougars stunned the Spartans again a mere minute later when Lebedev broke free up the left side and banged a shot off a defender that popped up and curled to the back netting.
“The first half was just heart and hard work,” Vernon Hills coach Mike McCaulou said. “To be honest, (Glenbrook North) is more gifted than us in terms of speed and technical ability. But in terms of organization and pure dedication and commitment to one another, I couldn’t be more proud of them. It was just a solid effort.”
Down two goals, Glenbrook North fought hard for a goal before halftime. Midfielder Ben Gordon saw his header saved at the far post on a corner kick serve from Martens, and Nico Adducci nearly got a foot on a Konrad Kulesza cross sent to the goalmouth at 37 minutes. The Spartans played a short corner in the final 30 seconds before halftime, and the ensuing cross saw Gordon blast a head shot just over the crossbar.
Glenbrook North coach Paul Vignocchi credited Vernon Hills for its play through 40 minutes.
“In the first half we just gave up some bad opportunities, and they punished us for it,” Vignocchi said. “It’s growing pains. We graduated a lot of seniors from last year but hats off to Vernon Hills, because they played great. They were all over us. They’re a very disciplined team, and they wanted it more in the first half.”
Chasing a two-goal deficit, Glenbrook North found another gear in its attack in the second half.
Kulesza reached the endline on the right side and crossed at 45 minutes but Gordon’s attempt was blocked by a defender. Burrows raced off his line to beat Kulesza to a ball sent just inside the top of the box at 48 minutes, and Martens turned the corner on the left side and sent a ball across the goalmouth that went untouched at 49 minutes.
Kulesza sent a cross whizzing just past the far post from 25 yards at 51 minutes, and the junior mid broke in alone on Burrows on the right side and sent a prime chance high of frame one minute later.
The Spartans finally found a goal at 62 minutes on a hustle play from Martens. The junior raced into the box with a defender on his hip and tapped a ball past a charging Burrows. The ball caromed lightly off the post on the left side and Martens got to it first and buried it to cut the Cougars’ lead in half.
Martens’ hustle throughout the second half earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
“We didn’t quit. We kept going,” Martens said. “That’s kind of the legacy that’s been created here and the motto we have. We never stop going and always work our hardest, and that’s kind of the GBN way.”
The Glenbrook North attacking storm intensified, pitted against the gritty defending of Vernon Hills.
“We knew in the second half they had to press us,” McCaulou said. “So in the last 20 (minutes) we moved to a 4-5-1 and tried to play it defensive.”
Defenders Matthew Quandt, Brandon Kim, Zach Hanson, and Edgar Uribe fought the good fight in front of Burrows down the stretch.
Burrows saved a Martens header on a Gordon serve at 68 minutes, Martens turned the corner on the left side and took a touch up the endline before sending a low cross that went untouched across the box at 69 minutes, and Burrows saved a Scott Phadnis shot at the post at 72 minutes.
The hero of the day for Vernon Hills had to be senior mid Fred Sides, who made a header save at the goal-line, on a header taken by Adducci from 15 yards at 78 minutes.
“(Burrows) came out of the box to punch (a cross) away,” Sides said. “I don’t go very far, so I just dropped back in goal. Had to do it for the team.
“It was a team effort today. We were all putting in the same work intensity, high pressure, and we got the result with two good goals.”
Vignocchi will continue to have patience with a talented, but young, team still finding its way.
“We didn’t quit, which was the important part,” Vignocchi said, “and our attacking players are starting to play well together.
“It was one of those games. We’ve been in that situation too much this year. We play our best when we score first and when that doesn’t happen, we’re finding ourselves fighting. It’s happened too much and I hope we’ve learned from it so it doesn’t happen once the (state) playoffs start.”
Spartans defender Sam Sullivan knows his side has to come out in games with more urgency in order to right the ship.
“We seem to get down early, and it’s almost like we need something to happen to get us going,” Sullivan said. “Unfortunately they scored two, but then we started to lock in, and we were all over them in the second half.
"We need to get into the mindset earlier, lock in earlier. It seems like that’s been hard for us to do.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook North
GK: Ronan Kerrigan
D: Sam Sullivan
D: Scott Phadnis
D: Patrick O’Brien
D: David Schueler
MF: Nico Adducci
MF: Ben Gordon
MF: Nate Aronson
MF: Konrad Kulesza
F: Joey Martens
F: George Luke
Vernon Hills
GK: Nick Burrows
D: Matthew Quandt
D: Brandon Kim
D: Zach Hanson
D: Edgar Uribe
MF: Carlos Aguilar
MF: Fred Sides
MF: Stephen Auw
MF: Tyler Gonzalez
F: Dmitril Lebedev
F: Cooper Guillame
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Joey Martens, jr., F, Glenbrook North
Scoring summary
First half
Vernon Hills - Aguilar (FK) 26th minute
Vernon Hills - Lebedev (UA) 27th minute
Second half
Glenbrook North - Martens (UA) 62nd minute