Cougars start MSL play at 2-0 with a win at Hersey

By Gary Larsen

Conant played a rugged team in a rugged conference game on a rugged field, and escaped with its life on Wednesday.

In their second Mid Suburban League showdown in 24 hours, the Cougars were 1-0 winners over Hersey on the Huskies’ choppy home pitch, which gave Conant fits throughout.

“I’m really happy, especially considering the surface here,” Conant coach Jason Franco said of the road win. “The ball is jumping on everybody and they were much better than us at settling and clearing.

If we play them at our place maybe we can break them down more, but on this field and the way (Hersey) plays, this is a big win for us. Teams are going to lose to them here, that’s for sure.”

Conant’s other major problem on the night was a Hersey attack that is improving by leaps and bounds. Hersey kept the ball on Conant’s half for more of the game, sent more dangerous balls to the box, and had the Cougars playing for the counter throughout the second half.

Facing a road game atmosphere on a rough field that doesn’t fit Conant’s style, and the Cougars were fortunate to get the win against a team that’s getting better in a hurry.

“Last year we had four losses all season, and they were all on turf,” Hersey coach Darren Llewellyn said. “And I think if you’re going to beat us, you’re going to have to fight.”

One night earlier, Conant (5-2-1, 2-0 in MSL play) had overwhelmed a previously unbeaten Fremd team, winning in overtime on a Nathan Cornell goal. The Cougars were slick and sharp against Fremd on their artificial home soil, but couldn’t get its passing game going on the grass and mud of Hersey’s home field.

The night’s lone offensive hero was Conant’s Zach Conrad, who found some time and space in the game’s 26th minute, calmly took a touch to his right, and sent a shot tearing inside the post from roughly 20 yards out.

“I was hoping that was maybe what it was going to take – their clearance would knock down to us and we’d find a corner,” Franco said. “Zach did it for us and he’s done that a couple times this year. Him and his brother (Tristan), if they can knock one in, we’ll take it.”

After Conrad’s goal, Hersey (2-3-1, 1-1) fought tooth and nail for an equalizer and Conant found itself fending off a steady barrage of long throw-ins from the Huskies’ Jon Krok, whose play stood out throughout the contest.

Franco has been concerned about his team’s ability to defend set pieces, but Conant got it done on Wednesday and earned its second shutout of the year.

“You’ve just got to read the serves and drop back. Luckily the bounces went our way today,” Conant defender Michael Miller said. “We just muscled up, got up and put a head on the ball, and got it out. We communicated well tonight.”

“On those balls that were getting dumped over the top, I thought our center backs did a nice job on those,” Franco said of Miller, Chad Woytus, and Michael Zentner before he left the contest with a minor injury.

Prior to Conrad’s goal, Conant’s Billy Belmonte hit the first of three hard-hit shots from distance that he sent on net for the night. Hersey’s Joe Cappuccitti sent in a long shot in the 29th minute, handled by Conant keeper Bobby Potratz, who split time in net with Hugo Gonzalez.

Gonzalez left his line to cut off a Krok throw-in 53 minutes in, as Hersey’s deep throws began coming with more frequency. Hersey sent a ball off the crossbar in the 73rd minute with its final dangerous shot of the contest, and Gonzalez punched out a free kick sent to the goalmouth in the 75th minute.

“In the second half they started getting more chances, figuring out our defense a little more, but stuff like that happens. Good teams will break you down like that,” Miller said.

“We had a lot of momentum coming into this game and we wanted to keep that momentum. It’s only 24 hours that we put two wins together here, and it feels good.”

Conant aimed to counter off of Hersey’s pressure throughout the second half. Cornell sent in a shot from 20 yards out, Conrad hit a longer shot thereafter, and Shivam Patel streaked in on the dribble in the second 40 minutes. Patel squared a pass across the 18 to Conrad late in the game, but Hersey keeper Irvin Velasquez handled the shot.

Belmonte’s third shot of the night from long range hit the post and went wide with a minute left to play. “Overall it was a pretty solid defensive effort. But on the offensive side, it was just kind of blah,” Franco said. “Which is expected when you play on this field.”

“I knew Hersey would be a strong side. They’ve played good teams, they’re hanging in there, and they’re dangerous off the throw-in.”

The Huskies’ schedule includes games already played against the likes of Downers Grove South and Morton, and future games against rock-solid teams like Rockford Boylan and Glenbrook South.

Add MSL games that feature a lot of parity throughout the conference, and Hersey will continue aiming to improve in the face of top competition.

“Our runs are still inconsistent but today we were able to connect the first pass, and the second pass, a layoff or even a turn, and then look for a secondary ball,” Llewellyn said. “We’re not there yet but the week after next is when we should get in a flow.”

The only way you’re going to win the MSL is if you have an attack. We can play defense and try to keep scores low, but I’d like to see us get even 35 percent of the attack to their 65 because if you don’t even have that, then they leave their halfbacks in your half and they just sit. Then every time you try to attack they win it, and then just pin you in, and that won’t go in our conference.”

Llewellyn bemoaned his side’s inability to finish on any of the numerous balls sent into Conant’s box, but he got solid performances on the night from several quarters.

“Jon Krok is our most consistent player and defensively Artur Folta has been a rock,” Llewellyn said. “And I didn’t even expect David Pfeiffer to play, but he hasn’t let up a goal since we put him back there. Having him step up, now I can move Jared (Martin) around. I used Jared at forward tonight just because he’s pure speed.”