Pirates' defense answers the challenge
By Bill Hupp

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After conceding goals in opening games against St. Viator and Wheeling, Palatine head coach Willie Filian challenged his defense to communicate better and tighten up.

They listened.
                                                                                               
Five games into the season, it will be hard for the Pirates to top Saturday morning’s defensive performance.
                                                                                            
Led by junior sweeper and co-captain Kyle Clancy, the Pirates defense conceded just two long-range shots and no corner kicks en route to a comfortable 2-0 win over visiting Deerfield in the second game of the Hogan Soccer Tournament.

Since it struggled to keep sustained possession, Deerfield resorted to playing long balls over the top of the defense. Pirates’ goalie Kyle Leber may not have officially recorded a save, but he communicated well with his backline of Clancy and senior fullbacks Matt Fleischhauer and Ulises Alcaraz to clear away all potential threats. Palatine’s defense was so dominant that Deerfield didn’t record a shot until 17:05 remained in the contest.

“I think the key was to outwork them, to communicate well and to stay organized,” Clancy said. “The more we talk, and get stuck in on tackles and win the first and second balls, the less chances they get. It really helps when you play good team “d”.

Senior midfielders Johnny Enriquez and co-captain Jeremy Velinski controlled tempo in the midfield and were big reasons why the defense was so sound.

“After the first two games, our focus has really been to shore things up at the back,” Coach Filian said. “As a team, we played very well defensively today, won a lot of first balls, and collected a lot of second balls.”

From start to finish on Saturday morning Palatine was the sharper team, winning 50/50 balls and setting each other up for scoring opportunities.

Senior forward Josh Lee was fouled in the box just over three minutes into the game after a nice step-over and go on the right wing, cut down in the box by Deerfield defender Jayson Lehrman. Clancy coolly stepped up to the spot and drilled it in off the inside of the left post.

“I just tried to stay confidant, pick a side and hit it hard and low,” Clancy said. “I took six [penalties] last season, so I knew I could step up and make it.”

It was all in a day’s work for Clancy, a veteran in the back who is a calming influence despite not being the biggest defender around.

“He’s been in at [sweeper] since his freshman year,” Filian said of Clancy. “He runs the team, he keeps up organized in the back, when things break down, he really breaks down a lot of chances and does a great job.” 

Long throw-ins from the wings by Velinski and sophomore midfielder Gavin Falotico had Deerfield on the back foot all day long. Much of the action was pretty narrow down the left wing, which helped the Pirates earn their second strike.

“It really puts pressure on teams defensively because they have to keep the ball on the field,” Filian said of the long tosses. “There’s no easy outs to relieve pressure because it turns into an opportunity for us. It’s a chance every time and it also allows us to rest and get our shape. It’s a weapon we’ve been fortunate to have.”

Palatine would add to their lead near the end of the first half. A corner from Serio Hernandez was cleared by Deerfield, but only out to Fleischhauer. The senior fullback floated an outswinging cross that skimmed over Abdul Aziz’s head. With the Warrior defense pinched in, senior forward Saul Gutierrez found himself all alone as the ball fell to him on the right side of the box. He took one touch, then lofted a delicate soft left-footed chip shot past goalie Troy Kayne to give Palatine a 2-0 lead.

In the second half, each team had equal amount of possession, but the Pirates had better chances. Senior midfielder Dave Clark narrowly scored on a couple of spectacular long-range rips that went just high.

It was the theme of the day for the Pirates, who created plenty of opportunities (12 shots) but only converted one that was not a penalty.

“We make a lot of chances, but we have to be more efficient,” Filian said. “It takes pressure off of our defense if you score goals. We’ve done well to make chances, we’re just having trouble finding the back of the net. Our efficiency isn’t very good right now. The majority of our chances come off of set plays.”

The win means that Palatine (3-0-1) stays undefeated and puts them in a good position to take home the title of the 22nd annual home tournament (named after Mike Hogan, a former Palatine player who died of cancer in 1980). A win or a draw against Prairie Ridge tonight would give them title.