Saint Viator falls to downstate opponent in Pepsi play

By Mike Garofola

How do you dominate play for 40 minutes on your own pitch, trail at the break, and then do the same in the second half of an eventual 2-0 loss?

And all, one day after a sparkling, 4-0 domination of Fenwick in a nonconference match?

That’s what Saint Viator head coach Mike Taylor and his staff had to address after the Lions’ 2-0 loss  to visiting O’Fallon on Friday afternoon in Arlington Heights, but the positives far outweighed the negatives for Taylor as his club heads into the final day of play of the Pepsi Showdown on Saturday.

The downstate Panthers (6-2-0), in for the weekend to grab a couple of matches with their northern Illinois' foes, used a goal just before intermission from Tyler Collico and another later in the match to seal the deal and earn the shutout victory.

Afterwards, coach Jason Turkington's lads also earned some much needed rest following the 5-plus hour bus ride to Arlington Heights.

"We've been coming up three or four years to participate in the Pepsi to get another look at teams from this half of the state,” Turkington said. “The opportunity to play the defending 2A state champs is a great one for us because we know they’re always a strong side, with plenty of talent to challenge us."

O’Fallon will play Plainfield Central on Saturday, who earlier in the tournament defeated No. 1 seed Morton during pool play.

"I know we were all a little tired from the long bus ride and it showed, especially in the first half. Saint Viator completely dominated us from front-to-back, but somehow we found a way to hang in there,” Turkington said. “We got that late goal on our only chance of the half, and after that I think we gained more confidence and had a pretty showing in the second half.

"That's a very well run program that Jason runs," began Taylor of his younger counterpart. "They played hard, and with a good work rate, while doing a very good job of defending. They proved to be another terrific opponent for us during the regular season."

"We're disappointed that we continue to allow goals that don't even come during the run of play, and we really have to stop that from happening, but on the grand scale of things, this was a good performance from our ball club. We continue to improve in our possession, and our ability to get forward and create opportunities."

Which is exactly what the home side did.

In the first 10 minutes, the Lions (5-3-1) produced a trio of solid chances, with a long throw from Nick Abel flicked forward and nearly inside the back post from Jack Horvath. That came just before a blast from the right end line by Horvath to force Panthers' keeper Blake Hunter to save at the near post.

The Panthers' back line, led by David Cole, Evan Figeroa and Nick Cherry, was forced to work harder than it would have liked, as the Lions attacked hard from opening whistle.

"I really like the way we're getting forward, and with the way we're playing through the middle with me and Ashwin Cornelius, who plays alongside me," said Lions junior Adam Fetter, who was recently paired with the sophomore after Taylor made Horvath and Bill Krawzak running mates up top.

"I think you've seen the team in our recent games begin to build our attack from the back, then through both 'Ash' and me, and the two of us are finding our guys up front on a more regular basis."

The Lions continued attack nearly produced good results, with a header going wide by Krawzak after he took a Fetter serve in close, but its best chance to solve the Panthers' came at 27 minutes when Matt Morsches gave Jack Simpson a wonderful ball at the back post - only to see O’Fallon keeper Hunter save the open net goal.

"Saint Viator could have one or two in that first half, to be sure, but we survived with some good work from our keeper, and a strong effort from our back line during that time," offered Turkington.

Moments after the Simpson strike, sophomore Troy Wheeler's tackle on Brandon Hall stopped what could have been a 1-vee-1 situation on Lions keeper Scott Faul, but two minutes later Hall would instigate the Panther's goal when his long throw found Collico.

Collico thumped in the first goal of the game at 35 minutes.

"We haven't been as sharp as we need when defending set-pieces, and today we gave up both goals that way. We've got to be better at that," Fetter said.

Just after the break, Hunter would fumble consecutive serves to the spot from Horvath and Fetter, but the keeper managed to hang on and not to allow a rebound inside his area to an awaiting Lion.

Another long throw from Abel sailed to the far post at 53 minutes, but no one from the home side was there to finish into an open net.

At the hour mark, the Lions found  its pace to mount another heavy attack, but Hunter saved a blistering low drive from 20 yards by Krawzak, which signaled a chance in the run of play that clearly went O’Fallon’s way.

"I thought the last 10-15 minutes we kind of controlled the play, and begun to play through our guys in the middle and take advantage of Saint Viator pushing up a little bit to look to equalize," said Turkington.

O'Fallon junior Bryan Lucas would put a dagger in the hopes of the Lions when he finished easily from in close after a throw, and bar busting drive from Collico kept the ball alive in and around the 6 long enough for Lucas to score.

"Two goals off of two chances, and both on dead balls, not good, but we'll deal with that and go forward," began Taylor.

"Wins and losses are not as important to us because we know that we're playing terrific teams nearly every time out, and our focus is winning the ESCC first, then making a long run in the state tournament after that."

"We're going to be fine."