South Elgin battles for vital league points
By Mike Garofola
The momentum of the surge felt from its 1-0 win Saturday over St. Charles East might be just what the South Elgin soccer club needs as it looks to turn the second half of the season into a productive one. The drive continues with an Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division road tussle at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Glenbard East.
When A.J. Kirkby converted his spot-kick to insure victory over St. Charles East last Saturday afternoon, he and his mates celebrated an important win.
"I'm pretty sure that was the first time South Elgin has beaten them. I am real sure it's the first time for me, and any of the others on the team who have been playing four years of soccer here," said Kirkby.
The senior stepped up for the Storm (4-5-2, 1-1-0) after Nick Flores was injured when he was hauled down in the box on the foul that created the PK. Just moments after Flores was helped off the field, Kirkby sent his attempt into the side netting for the game-winner.
"Last year we lost to them in the last 20 seconds of regulation, so this year we came in with a little bit of a chip on our shoulders," admitted Kirkby, who has been in South Elgin's first 11 for every contest since his sophomore year.
He and classmate Eduardo Carrillo agree things have slowly begun to turn around since their club dropped three straight after it began the fall season at 3-2-2.
"Maybe the biggest difference with this team is the chemistry that we've developed, both on the field, and more importantly off the field. We hang out a lot away from soccer, and now the spirit on the team is really good," offered Kirkby, who lists High Point University in North Carolina as his first choice to continue playing soccer next fall while pursuing a pre-med major.
"The St. Charles East win gave all of us a real boost in our overall confidence," began Carrillo, a three-year veteran whom manager Simon Brinklow deploys as his central midfielder after sometimes positioning him as an outside back.
"We're a much better team than we were early on. We know so much more about each other and how to play together as a team. And there's no doubt there's so much more good soccer ahead for all of us."
Carrillo, who also hopes to play collegiate soccer, says there are not one or two players who have improved more than any of the others.
"We've all improved as a team, that's what makes this a great team to be a part of," he said.
The Storm are led in scoring by the duo of Nicholas Young and Christopher Stanczyk, but Brinklow says the one constant from the very beginning of the season has been the play of his backline.
Led by Kirkby, who sits just in front of the South Elgin backline as a holding midfielder, Sergio Briones and Elijah Patrick solidify the middle as center backs while Lucas Reutimann and Jacob Zupan patrol the outside.
Former Northern Illinois University star and longtime Glenbard East manager Josh Adler will have his men ready to defend their home pitch after wins in four-of-their-last-five games.
"This team is a young but experienced group that needed the first three-to-four games to figure things out," said Adler. "And with plenty of attention to the details of the game, work rate and toughness, we started to create more opportunities in front of the net, and began to play with more confidence."
Nick O'Brien and Ian Moran are the go-to guys for the Rams (5-3-0) in the scoring department. Adler leans heavily on O'Brien, Alex Johnson and his keeper, Gerardo Galvez for their leadership and consistent play.
During the Rams recent stretch of success, Adler says its Galvez and his backline mates in front of him who have been the difference. The unit has conceded just four goals and recorded a pair of shutouts.
South Elgin will need to solve one of three formations Adlers' club has used: 4-2-3-1, 4-1-4-1, and the traditional 4-4-2.
"Everyday we work in different formations to force the players to adapt and gain some comfort in those systems," says Adler.
By Mike Garofola
The momentum of the surge felt from its 1-0 win Saturday over St. Charles East might be just what the South Elgin soccer club needs as it looks to turn the second half of the season into a productive one. The drive continues with an Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division road tussle at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Glenbard East.
When A.J. Kirkby converted his spot-kick to insure victory over St. Charles East last Saturday afternoon, he and his mates celebrated an important win.
"I'm pretty sure that was the first time South Elgin has beaten them. I am real sure it's the first time for me, and any of the others on the team who have been playing four years of soccer here," said Kirkby.
The senior stepped up for the Storm (4-5-2, 1-1-0) after Nick Flores was injured when he was hauled down in the box on the foul that created the PK. Just moments after Flores was helped off the field, Kirkby sent his attempt into the side netting for the game-winner.
"Last year we lost to them in the last 20 seconds of regulation, so this year we came in with a little bit of a chip on our shoulders," admitted Kirkby, who has been in South Elgin's first 11 for every contest since his sophomore year.
He and classmate Eduardo Carrillo agree things have slowly begun to turn around since their club dropped three straight after it began the fall season at 3-2-2.
"Maybe the biggest difference with this team is the chemistry that we've developed, both on the field, and more importantly off the field. We hang out a lot away from soccer, and now the spirit on the team is really good," offered Kirkby, who lists High Point University in North Carolina as his first choice to continue playing soccer next fall while pursuing a pre-med major.
"The St. Charles East win gave all of us a real boost in our overall confidence," began Carrillo, a three-year veteran whom manager Simon Brinklow deploys as his central midfielder after sometimes positioning him as an outside back.
"We're a much better team than we were early on. We know so much more about each other and how to play together as a team. And there's no doubt there's so much more good soccer ahead for all of us."
Carrillo, who also hopes to play collegiate soccer, says there are not one or two players who have improved more than any of the others.
"We've all improved as a team, that's what makes this a great team to be a part of," he said.
The Storm are led in scoring by the duo of Nicholas Young and Christopher Stanczyk, but Brinklow says the one constant from the very beginning of the season has been the play of his backline.
Led by Kirkby, who sits just in front of the South Elgin backline as a holding midfielder, Sergio Briones and Elijah Patrick solidify the middle as center backs while Lucas Reutimann and Jacob Zupan patrol the outside.
Former Northern Illinois University star and longtime Glenbard East manager Josh Adler will have his men ready to defend their home pitch after wins in four-of-their-last-five games.
"This team is a young but experienced group that needed the first three-to-four games to figure things out," said Adler. "And with plenty of attention to the details of the game, work rate and toughness, we started to create more opportunities in front of the net, and began to play with more confidence."
Nick O'Brien and Ian Moran are the go-to guys for the Rams (5-3-0) in the scoring department. Adler leans heavily on O'Brien, Alex Johnson and his keeper, Gerardo Galvez for their leadership and consistent play.
During the Rams recent stretch of success, Adler says its Galvez and his backline mates in front of him who have been the difference. The unit has conceded just four goals and recorded a pair of shutouts.
South Elgin will need to solve one of three formations Adlers' club has used: 4-2-3-1, 4-1-4-1, and the traditional 4-4-2.
"Everyday we work in different formations to force the players to adapt and gain some comfort in those systems," says Adler.