Mustangs top Hornets for 3rd in West Suburban Gold

 

By Matt Le Cren

Kyle Wolf and Nick Suker wanted their final home game to be a memorable one and it was.

The two seniors scored the first and last goals, respectively, in leading Downers Grove South to a 3-0 victory over visiting Hinsdale South Thursday night in Downers Grove. The match decided third place in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division as well as possession of the Southern Bell.

The host Mustangs won the Bell for the third straight year and lead the overall series 16-14-5.

“It’s our last game as seniors on our home field,” Wolf noted. “It’s great to end on a win. We’ve been having some struggles lately. [It’s good] to get some momentum going into the playoffs.”

The Mustangs (11-5-4, 4-2) had gone 1-4-2 in its previous seven matches after beginning the season on a 9-1-2 run. But Wolf quickly put them ahead with his seventh goal of the season just 5:15 into the contest when he took a great lead pass from junior Gabriel Diaz and got behind the defense before lofting an 18-yard shot past Hinsdale South goalie Paras Patel.

The score would stay 1-0 until 10:38 remained in the second half. That’s when Downers South sophomore Sam Lalonde tallied his second goal of the season, alertly pouncing on a loose ball nearly the penalty spot after Suker had the ball knocked away by a Hinsdale South defender.

Suker then scored his seventh goal with a tremendous individual effort at the 6:20 mark. He won a challenge at the top of the penalty area and then slide-tackled the ball away from a charging Patel just to the right of the Hornet net. Without getting up, Suker used his left foot to roll a 10-yard shot into the net.

“It was a great hustle play,” Wolf said. “[He] took it out from the goalie and scored right from the ground.”

“I really wanted it,” Suker said. “The ball was played through by someone – I don’t know who, it was hectic – and I was just fortunate to poke it past the goalie. I knew the goalie didn’t have it when I poked it past him and I turned and [shot] it with the other foot.

“It will be pretty memorable because it was our last game here [and we are] leaving on a good note.”

Ironically, Hinsdale South (7-11-4, 2-4) outshot the Mustangs 7-3 in the first half and 13-9 overall. But the Hornets could not capitalize as Mustangs goalie Sam Hadley made five saves before backup Mike Paczkowski came in for the final 1:36 to finish the team’s eighth shutout.

Nick Henry and Joe Petrak both saw hard shots from outside the box either saved or sail wide of the post and Matt Schuster missed high with two headers for the Hornets, whose best chance came with 13:45 left in the second half. A Henry corner kick was punched out by Hadley but the ball went straight to Hinsdale South’s Tyler Langosch, whose volley was deflected by Hadley around the left post.

“They were putting us under a lot of pressure in the back,” Wolf said. “It’s just all about who can finish their chances. It just went our way.”

Defenders Tim Herlihy, Mike Leahy, David Masolak and Joe Sombeck were a big reason why.

“The back line did pretty good, just locking it in,” Suker said. “We had a shutout again. I thought they did a pretty good job with the pressure and they rest of the guys did good.”

Hinsdale South coach James VanDenburgh agreed.

“They were playing with one forward and he snuck one in at the beginning of the game and they play a good brand of soccer,” VanDenburgh said. “We definitely had our chances but just couldn’t finish. It was not a great result but for the most part I’m happy with how we played.”

The play of Langosch, a senior defender who moved up to take part in the attack, will be a key for the Hornets in the playoffs.

“We went to a sweeper/stopper from a four-flat and that gives us a little more versatility and ability to get those guys up the field, Tyler being one of them,” VanDenburgh said. “I think he had more shots [tonight] than anyone on the field. Unfortunately, it wasn’t on goal, but he was very active today, so I’m going to credit [Downers South’s] offense for holding down the fort. But I think my guys passed the ball well, got some opportunities. We just couldn’t finish.”

The Hornets hope the offense will come through when they host Fenwick in a regional semifinal on Wednesday. Hinsdale South, seeded ninth at the Class 3A Argo Sectional, will be facing the sixth-seeded Friars in the opening round of the playoffs for the third straight year. Fenwick eliminated the Hornets in 2008 and 2009.

“They’re a lot like us,” said VanDenburgh, whose team has scored five goals in each of its last three victories, the latest a 5-1 drubbing of Proviso East on Tuesday. “There’s no real stud, but they work hard. We’re going to have our work cut out for us.”

Downers South has an easier path, though they will have to get it done on the road. The fourth-seeded Mustangs will face Clemente or Whitney Young on Tuesday at Oak Park and River Forest. A regional final matchup with the host school seems likely. The Mustangs beat the fifth-seeded Huskies 1-0 in Downers Grove on Sept. 23.

Wolf said the Mustangs will be confident playing on Oak Park and River Forest’s artificial field.

“We feel like we’ve got a good advantage on turf because of our passing game,” he said.