Lake Park stays in DuKane race, tops WWS
Lancers return to .500 mark with 3-1 win
By Bill McLean
ROSELLE — Some 11 years ago, in his first organized soccer match, Edgar Villagran wept.
“I was 4,” Villagran, now a Lake Park sophomore midfielder, recalled with a half-smile after a DuKane Conference meeting with visiting Wheaton Warrenville South on Tuesday night.
“I was scared.”
Beads of sweat — not teardrops — streamed down Villagran’s face in muggy conditions on the first day of October.
And perhaps the scariest part of Lake Park’s 3-1 victory at Krupke Memorial Stadium?
Villagran’s frighteningly good soccer skills.
The wispy, oh-so-smooth Lancer cut abruptly to his left, darted sharply to his right and slithered around opponents practically every time he possessed the ball. He scored the first goal of the night and the third of his season in the 20th minute, following a corner kick from junior midfielder Anthony Bartlett and a flick off the chest of senior forward Grayden McClellan.
“Crazy. Edgar is crazy good, isn’t he?” said Lancers senior Max Armas, who scored Lake Park’s second tally, in the 63rd minute, thanks to another helper from McClellan.
Wheaton Warrenville South (6-5-1, 1-3-0 in the DuKane) thought highly of Villagran too. The Tigers handed him a WWS Sportsmanship Award pin, which goes to the most deserving opponent after each match. The shiny prize features a Tigers paw.
“That’s a classy tradition,” Lake Park boys soccer coach Sean Crosby said after his crew improved to 7-7-2, 2-1-1.
Crosby’s boys had entered the contest determined to halt a disturbing trend — three-straight winless results, after having led in all three (vs. St. Charles North, Glenbard North and Streamwood between Sept. 24-28).
Lake Park watched its 1-0 advantage slip away on a quirky goal late in the first half. Lancers junior goalkeeper Kyle Czeremuga got his mitts on a cross by Wheaton Warrenville South senior defender Sam Schlegel but bobbled the ball a couple of times, with Tigers sophomore midfielder Christian Munoz standing nearby, before helplessly witnessing it settle in goal.
Seconds later, the keeper groaned loudly at the sky.
Neither team would score again in the half.
“Their keeper made up for that in the second half, with a couple of outstanding saves,” Tigers coach Guy Callipari said. “Did you see those? He kept his team spirited, kept his team alive.”
Lake Park reserve sophomore forward Jason Salwach capped the night’s scoring nine minutes after Armas’ ninth goal of the season. The sequence began with a Wheaton Warrenville South goal kick after Lake Park’s side had thought it should have been permitted to set up for a corner. The goal kick did not cross midfield.
An alert, hustling Salwach controlled the ball and swung a 30-yard shot past Tigers keeper Ramsey Khayal.
Another loss, or tie, after enjoying a lead, was the last thing Crosby wanted to absorb Tuesday night, and his club’s resolve made sure the Lancers would remain a contender for the DuKane title this fall.
“A fourth straight winless result, after taking a lead, would have been demoralizing to this group,” Crosby, the program’s fourth-year coach, said. “I like how we responded, how we worked to make sure this would be a bounce-back game for us. I liked how we responded after facing a halftime tie, when we thought for sure we’d be up 1-0.
“We stayed calm and relaxed in the second half, while putting together our best string of passes in the last week, maybe in the last two weeks. This win was great for our guys; it built their confidence.”
Lake Park’s slick, clock-eating possessions, particularly in the second half, prevented the visitors from getting into any semblance of a rhythm. The Lancers dictated most of the action in the midfield with their unselfishness and creativity.
“Good ball movement,” Schlegel said of the victors’ primary strength in their fourth DuKane match. “We had our chances, and I liked how we battled after being down 1-0.”
Lake Park’s work rate didn’t abate at any point in the 80-minute clash.
“We played with the same energy all game long,” Villagran said. “We kept the pressure high.”
“The key,” Armas added, “was our super-high work rate. What we did in that second half felt good. We kept our focus, showed nice composure.”
McClellan, with his speed along the flanks, dependability with the ball and sturdy overall game, has to be one of the most indispensable players in the DuKane. You watch him, and you can’t help but wonder: “Does this young man ever get tired?”
Lake Park senior defender Konrad Sagan, meanwhile, displayed his impact at both ends of the pitch, especially in the first 40 minutes. He’d stymie rushes one minute, initiate offensive threats the next.
Among the Tigers’ surges in the first half was a nice run by reserve sophomore midfielder Gabe Waszak, who came close to scoring some three minutes after the host school’s first goal.
But Lake Park’s collective motor proved too powerful, too efficient.
Something else lifted the Lancers, too.
“We looked at this night as a chance for us to reset,” Crosby said, alluding once again to that frustrating 0-2-1 stretch late last month. “That chance motivated the guys. This win was big, so big, for us.
“What a way to respond,” he added.
Lake Parks visits Wheaton North — an Honorable Mention team in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 — for a DuKane match at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Whetaon Warrenville South hosts nonconference foe York at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Footnotes
Lake Park’s lone shutout loss to date was a 2-0 setback to Addison Trail in the Lancers’ season opener Aug. 27. … Wheaton Warrenville South’s Schlegel works at a golf course on the weekends, as long as the job doesn’t interfere with his commitment to Tigers soccer. “I mow grass, mostly,” Schlegel said after Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to host Lake Park. … Twenty-ninth year Tigers coach Callipari, on why his program has been presenting a Sportsmanship Award pin to an opponent since the early 1990s. “I felt the game needed a recognition like that,” he said. “After a loss, you feel defeated as an athlete, but after honoring an opponent with a pin, you walk away feeling great as a person.” … October is Cancer Awareness month everywhere. Crosby wore a hot-pink shirt Tuesday night, and he noted his boys would wear Cancer Awareness togs at home matches for the rest of the month. They’ll have former Lake Park soccer player Alec Kubica on their minds. Kubica died from cancer in 2014. He was 21. … Crosby, on Wheaton Warrenville South’s Tigers before Tuesday’s match: “They’re unselfish, don’t rely on one player, share the weight. They defend hard and fly around the field, but Guy [Callipari] keeps them fresh.” … Wheaton Warrenville South celebrates its 50th season of boys soccer on Oct. 12, when the Tigers welcome Hoffman Estates for a 2 p.m. match. Callipari expects at least 70 WWS soccer alumni to attend the event.
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK: Ramsey Khayal
D: Jackson Moran
D: Sam Schlegel
D: Rolin Thang
D: Jack Cooper
MF: Ryan Dufty
MF: Kevin Stumbris
MF: Christian Munoz
MF: Paul Thalman
F: Nick McGrath
F: Nati Flores
Lake Park
GK: Kyle Czeremuga
D: Max Panek
D: Logan Pobloske
D: Anthony Magner
D: Konrad Sagan
MF: Francesco Caira
MF: Olek Melnyk
MF: Edgar Villagran
MF: Riccardo Ciaccio
F: Grayden McClellan
F: Max Armas
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match: Edgar Villagran, so., MF, Lake Park
Max Armas, sr., F, Lake Park
Referees: Guy Ross (center); Manou Chahmirzadi; Joe Wrobleski
Scoring summary
First half
Lake Park — Villagran (McClellan), 20’
WWS — Munoz (Schlegel), 38’
Second half
Lake Park — Armas (McClellan), 63’
Lake Park — Jason Salwach, 72’
Lancers return to .500 mark with 3-1 win
By Bill McLean
ROSELLE — Some 11 years ago, in his first organized soccer match, Edgar Villagran wept.
“I was 4,” Villagran, now a Lake Park sophomore midfielder, recalled with a half-smile after a DuKane Conference meeting with visiting Wheaton Warrenville South on Tuesday night.
“I was scared.”
Beads of sweat — not teardrops — streamed down Villagran’s face in muggy conditions on the first day of October.
And perhaps the scariest part of Lake Park’s 3-1 victory at Krupke Memorial Stadium?
Villagran’s frighteningly good soccer skills.
The wispy, oh-so-smooth Lancer cut abruptly to his left, darted sharply to his right and slithered around opponents practically every time he possessed the ball. He scored the first goal of the night and the third of his season in the 20th minute, following a corner kick from junior midfielder Anthony Bartlett and a flick off the chest of senior forward Grayden McClellan.
“Crazy. Edgar is crazy good, isn’t he?” said Lancers senior Max Armas, who scored Lake Park’s second tally, in the 63rd minute, thanks to another helper from McClellan.
Wheaton Warrenville South (6-5-1, 1-3-0 in the DuKane) thought highly of Villagran too. The Tigers handed him a WWS Sportsmanship Award pin, which goes to the most deserving opponent after each match. The shiny prize features a Tigers paw.
“That’s a classy tradition,” Lake Park boys soccer coach Sean Crosby said after his crew improved to 7-7-2, 2-1-1.
Crosby’s boys had entered the contest determined to halt a disturbing trend — three-straight winless results, after having led in all three (vs. St. Charles North, Glenbard North and Streamwood between Sept. 24-28).
Lake Park watched its 1-0 advantage slip away on a quirky goal late in the first half. Lancers junior goalkeeper Kyle Czeremuga got his mitts on a cross by Wheaton Warrenville South senior defender Sam Schlegel but bobbled the ball a couple of times, with Tigers sophomore midfielder Christian Munoz standing nearby, before helplessly witnessing it settle in goal.
Seconds later, the keeper groaned loudly at the sky.
Neither team would score again in the half.
“Their keeper made up for that in the second half, with a couple of outstanding saves,” Tigers coach Guy Callipari said. “Did you see those? He kept his team spirited, kept his team alive.”
Lake Park reserve sophomore forward Jason Salwach capped the night’s scoring nine minutes after Armas’ ninth goal of the season. The sequence began with a Wheaton Warrenville South goal kick after Lake Park’s side had thought it should have been permitted to set up for a corner. The goal kick did not cross midfield.
An alert, hustling Salwach controlled the ball and swung a 30-yard shot past Tigers keeper Ramsey Khayal.
Another loss, or tie, after enjoying a lead, was the last thing Crosby wanted to absorb Tuesday night, and his club’s resolve made sure the Lancers would remain a contender for the DuKane title this fall.
“A fourth straight winless result, after taking a lead, would have been demoralizing to this group,” Crosby, the program’s fourth-year coach, said. “I like how we responded, how we worked to make sure this would be a bounce-back game for us. I liked how we responded after facing a halftime tie, when we thought for sure we’d be up 1-0.
“We stayed calm and relaxed in the second half, while putting together our best string of passes in the last week, maybe in the last two weeks. This win was great for our guys; it built their confidence.”
Lake Park’s slick, clock-eating possessions, particularly in the second half, prevented the visitors from getting into any semblance of a rhythm. The Lancers dictated most of the action in the midfield with their unselfishness and creativity.
“Good ball movement,” Schlegel said of the victors’ primary strength in their fourth DuKane match. “We had our chances, and I liked how we battled after being down 1-0.”
Lake Park’s work rate didn’t abate at any point in the 80-minute clash.
“We played with the same energy all game long,” Villagran said. “We kept the pressure high.”
“The key,” Armas added, “was our super-high work rate. What we did in that second half felt good. We kept our focus, showed nice composure.”
McClellan, with his speed along the flanks, dependability with the ball and sturdy overall game, has to be one of the most indispensable players in the DuKane. You watch him, and you can’t help but wonder: “Does this young man ever get tired?”
Lake Park senior defender Konrad Sagan, meanwhile, displayed his impact at both ends of the pitch, especially in the first 40 minutes. He’d stymie rushes one minute, initiate offensive threats the next.
Among the Tigers’ surges in the first half was a nice run by reserve sophomore midfielder Gabe Waszak, who came close to scoring some three minutes after the host school’s first goal.
But Lake Park’s collective motor proved too powerful, too efficient.
Something else lifted the Lancers, too.
“We looked at this night as a chance for us to reset,” Crosby said, alluding once again to that frustrating 0-2-1 stretch late last month. “That chance motivated the guys. This win was big, so big, for us.
“What a way to respond,” he added.
Lake Parks visits Wheaton North — an Honorable Mention team in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 — for a DuKane match at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Whetaon Warrenville South hosts nonconference foe York at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Footnotes
Lake Park’s lone shutout loss to date was a 2-0 setback to Addison Trail in the Lancers’ season opener Aug. 27. … Wheaton Warrenville South’s Schlegel works at a golf course on the weekends, as long as the job doesn’t interfere with his commitment to Tigers soccer. “I mow grass, mostly,” Schlegel said after Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to host Lake Park. … Twenty-ninth year Tigers coach Callipari, on why his program has been presenting a Sportsmanship Award pin to an opponent since the early 1990s. “I felt the game needed a recognition like that,” he said. “After a loss, you feel defeated as an athlete, but after honoring an opponent with a pin, you walk away feeling great as a person.” … October is Cancer Awareness month everywhere. Crosby wore a hot-pink shirt Tuesday night, and he noted his boys would wear Cancer Awareness togs at home matches for the rest of the month. They’ll have former Lake Park soccer player Alec Kubica on their minds. Kubica died from cancer in 2014. He was 21. … Crosby, on Wheaton Warrenville South’s Tigers before Tuesday’s match: “They’re unselfish, don’t rely on one player, share the weight. They defend hard and fly around the field, but Guy [Callipari] keeps them fresh.” … Wheaton Warrenville South celebrates its 50th season of boys soccer on Oct. 12, when the Tigers welcome Hoffman Estates for a 2 p.m. match. Callipari expects at least 70 WWS soccer alumni to attend the event.
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK: Ramsey Khayal
D: Jackson Moran
D: Sam Schlegel
D: Rolin Thang
D: Jack Cooper
MF: Ryan Dufty
MF: Kevin Stumbris
MF: Christian Munoz
MF: Paul Thalman
F: Nick McGrath
F: Nati Flores
Lake Park
GK: Kyle Czeremuga
D: Max Panek
D: Logan Pobloske
D: Anthony Magner
D: Konrad Sagan
MF: Francesco Caira
MF: Olek Melnyk
MF: Edgar Villagran
MF: Riccardo Ciaccio
F: Grayden McClellan
F: Max Armas
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match: Edgar Villagran, so., MF, Lake Park
Max Armas, sr., F, Lake Park
Referees: Guy Ross (center); Manou Chahmirzadi; Joe Wrobleski
Scoring summary
First half
Lake Park — Villagran (McClellan), 20’
WWS — Munoz (Schlegel), 38’
Second half
Lake Park — Armas (McClellan), 63’
Lake Park — Jason Salwach, 72’