DGN, Lyons looking to sort things out
By Matt Le Cren
Lyons and Downers Grove North are no longer in contention for the West Suburban Conference Silver Division championship.
That doesn’t mean Thursday’s match at Carstens Field in Downers Grove North lacks meaning.
On the contrary, both teams are hungry for a victory after recent struggles. The host Trojans (6-8-4, 1-3) are looking to snap a nine-game winless streak while the
Lions (11-6-0, 3-2-0) are licking their chops after losing WSC Silver games to York and Glenbard West last week.
Adding to the intrigue is the fact that both teams are in the Class 3A Lyons Regional and are seeded to face each other in the regional title game on Oct. 19. So it will be interesting to see whether either team holds anything back in terms of strategy.
While the league race will come down to Hinsdale Central, Oak Park and River Forest and York, with the winner of the Hinsdale Central-OPRF game gaining at least a share of the title, this has been a fall full of parity for the league. Every team has at least one loss.
“They way things are shaking out, everyone seems to be beating everybody almost,” Downers Grove North coach Mike Schmitt said. “It’s a really competitive conference this year. Usually a couple teams break away but (at one point) there was a four-way tie for first at 3-1-0.”
LT was in the driver’s seat early after knocking off Hinsdale Central in the Silver Brick game, but the Lions fell to York on penalty kicks and were shut out 2-0 by Glenbard West after losing junior defender Zack Kristy to a traumatic injury early in the game.
Kristy’s feet got tangled up with a Glenbard West player and both boys went to the ground, with the Glenbard West player’s knee landing on the face of Kristy, who suffered a seizure and serious damage to his front teeth before being taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Kristy was diagnosed with a severe concussion and will need dental work, but he was on the bench Saturday to watch the Lions beat Riverside-Brookfield 6-0.
Historically, the Lions have succeeded against the Trojans, who last beat Lyons in 2014. But Labbato said his team can’t take anything for granted.
“Traditionally we’ve been OK against them but traditionally we’ve also had York’s number and Glenbard West’s number,” Labbato said. “I know Downers Grove North has lost a bunch of games, but they are all close, at least in conference. The conference games are super-close.”
Indeed, the Trojans have lost twice in double-overtime, including to Hinsdale Central, and have lost by more than one goal only twice during their current 0-6-3 skid.
“Downers Grove North, all the teams we’ve squeaked by or lost to, they’ve taken to OT or lost too, also, so I imagine we’re very evenly matched,” Labbato said. “We’re also in the same regional, so this game is going to decide how teams are going to play it.”
The Lions figure to have the edge -- they are seeded third and the Trojans sixth. Lyons has the better resume, with three of their losses coming to Naperville North, Libertyville and New Trier. Naperville North and Libertyville are ranked 1-2 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 poll.
But Schmitt thinks the Trojans aren’t far from a breakthrough.
“I think we’ve been playing really well, and I think LT is going to be a good challenge,” Schmitt said. “Anyone can win on any day.
“I think our record doesn’t reflect how well and competitive we have been in games. We’re just a little unlucky.
“We’re struggling finishing out games and giving up late goals. If we can sort that out in the next couple weeks heading into playoffs I think we’ll be in good shape. It’s the little details.”
Neither team has any Division I standouts. The Lions, in fact, will probably go a second-straight season without having anyone play college soccer, a rarity for the program.
But Lyons does have a consistent scorer in senior forward Jonny Gray and Labbato likes the way senior Kyle Williams has been playing in the back in front of goalkeepers Bradley De Boer, Mark Jareczek and Gavin Fertitta.
“We rotate all three goalkeepers,” Labbato said. “That’s different for us but each of those boys have been working very hard, and they’re all quite similar to one another.”
This Lyons team can best be described as a lunch pail gang, a description that also can apply to the Trojans.
“When they’re all working together as a group, it’s quite fun to see how good they can be,” Labbato said.
Schmitt, likewise, thinks the best days are ahead for the Trojans, who don’t have a star player, though Ramsey Forst, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, has been a force at times with eight goals.
“We need to get him a little more consistent in front of goal,” Schmitt said of Forst. “Ryan Newstrom has been playing really well, and (Nick) Eshghy has been good.
“Braeden Gagliano’s work rate has been exceptional. He causes a lot of chaos for other teams.
“We’re just trying to find someone to click and get consistent going into playoffs and get goals from one specific person instead of spreading it around.”
By Matt Le Cren
Lyons and Downers Grove North are no longer in contention for the West Suburban Conference Silver Division championship.
That doesn’t mean Thursday’s match at Carstens Field in Downers Grove North lacks meaning.
On the contrary, both teams are hungry for a victory after recent struggles. The host Trojans (6-8-4, 1-3) are looking to snap a nine-game winless streak while the
Lions (11-6-0, 3-2-0) are licking their chops after losing WSC Silver games to York and Glenbard West last week.
Adding to the intrigue is the fact that both teams are in the Class 3A Lyons Regional and are seeded to face each other in the regional title game on Oct. 19. So it will be interesting to see whether either team holds anything back in terms of strategy.
While the league race will come down to Hinsdale Central, Oak Park and River Forest and York, with the winner of the Hinsdale Central-OPRF game gaining at least a share of the title, this has been a fall full of parity for the league. Every team has at least one loss.
“They way things are shaking out, everyone seems to be beating everybody almost,” Downers Grove North coach Mike Schmitt said. “It’s a really competitive conference this year. Usually a couple teams break away but (at one point) there was a four-way tie for first at 3-1-0.”
LT was in the driver’s seat early after knocking off Hinsdale Central in the Silver Brick game, but the Lions fell to York on penalty kicks and were shut out 2-0 by Glenbard West after losing junior defender Zack Kristy to a traumatic injury early in the game.
Kristy’s feet got tangled up with a Glenbard West player and both boys went to the ground, with the Glenbard West player’s knee landing on the face of Kristy, who suffered a seizure and serious damage to his front teeth before being taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Kristy was diagnosed with a severe concussion and will need dental work, but he was on the bench Saturday to watch the Lions beat Riverside-Brookfield 6-0.
Historically, the Lions have succeeded against the Trojans, who last beat Lyons in 2014. But Labbato said his team can’t take anything for granted.
“Traditionally we’ve been OK against them but traditionally we’ve also had York’s number and Glenbard West’s number,” Labbato said. “I know Downers Grove North has lost a bunch of games, but they are all close, at least in conference. The conference games are super-close.”
Indeed, the Trojans have lost twice in double-overtime, including to Hinsdale Central, and have lost by more than one goal only twice during their current 0-6-3 skid.
“Downers Grove North, all the teams we’ve squeaked by or lost to, they’ve taken to OT or lost too, also, so I imagine we’re very evenly matched,” Labbato said. “We’re also in the same regional, so this game is going to decide how teams are going to play it.”
The Lions figure to have the edge -- they are seeded third and the Trojans sixth. Lyons has the better resume, with three of their losses coming to Naperville North, Libertyville and New Trier. Naperville North and Libertyville are ranked 1-2 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 poll.
But Schmitt thinks the Trojans aren’t far from a breakthrough.
“I think we’ve been playing really well, and I think LT is going to be a good challenge,” Schmitt said. “Anyone can win on any day.
“I think our record doesn’t reflect how well and competitive we have been in games. We’re just a little unlucky.
“We’re struggling finishing out games and giving up late goals. If we can sort that out in the next couple weeks heading into playoffs I think we’ll be in good shape. It’s the little details.”
Neither team has any Division I standouts. The Lions, in fact, will probably go a second-straight season without having anyone play college soccer, a rarity for the program.
But Lyons does have a consistent scorer in senior forward Jonny Gray and Labbato likes the way senior Kyle Williams has been playing in the back in front of goalkeepers Bradley De Boer, Mark Jareczek and Gavin Fertitta.
“We rotate all three goalkeepers,” Labbato said. “That’s different for us but each of those boys have been working very hard, and they’re all quite similar to one another.”
This Lyons team can best be described as a lunch pail gang, a description that also can apply to the Trojans.
“When they’re all working together as a group, it’s quite fun to see how good they can be,” Labbato said.
Schmitt, likewise, thinks the best days are ahead for the Trojans, who don’t have a star player, though Ramsey Forst, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, has been a force at times with eight goals.
“We need to get him a little more consistent in front of goal,” Schmitt said of Forst. “Ryan Newstrom has been playing really well, and (Nick) Eshghy has been good.
“Braeden Gagliano’s work rate has been exceptional. He causes a lot of chaos for other teams.
“We’re just trying to find someone to click and get consistent going into playoffs and get goals from one specific person instead of spreading it around.”