Chicagoland Soccer

Knights edge Saxons on penalties to capture first MSL Cup

Reibel comes up big in goal to help winners overcome being a man down much of the way

By Mike Garofola

Long after Prospect lifted its first-ever Mid Suburban League championship trophy, and Richard Lenke pole vaulted up into the student section to celebrate his game-winner in a shootout - Kurt Trenkle brought his lads together just a few feet from where his keeper Brad Reibel starred under the bright lights and saved the day for the Knights.

Trenkle's statement was brief and to the point.

"We're not done yet." - and with that, the entire team continued to celebrate its 2-1 victory at Schaumburg (4-3 in PK's) out on the pitch - and a few minutes later when a noisy, and still cheering big crowd filled with friends, family and peers awaited their heroes at the gate before all would take one of their best bus rides home to Mt. Prospect.

A whistle would not bring an end to this match in regulation, nor during two 10-minute extra sessions, but instead in the dreaded shootout.

That's where its all-star keeper Reibel, who kept his club alive as it battled through playing a man down for 65 minutes, brilliantly stopped a sure conversion and then watched as Lenke buried his fifth round shot to send the Knights faithful into a frenzy in advance of accepting the silverware which has eluded the program in its three previous MSL Cup appearances.

"This all feels pretty darned good," said Trenkle, who seemed relieved after the entire 100 minute process, and shoot-out experience, during which each side converted three shots with ease.

That included Lenke, who fired his in from the spot when Saxons keeper Ben Beard guessed to his right, and the senior went left.

"I just don't know what to say," began Lenke, whose pace and constant running usually also brings about plenty of chatter from the high-energy striker.

"I just cannot think of the words that describe how I am feeling, but it's all so good, and it feels so great to finally bring a title to our school."

"I'm the same," chimed Reibel, who stood alongside his teammate afterwards and still seemed stunned by what had just happened, even as his mates tried in vain to give Trenkle the Gatorade treatment, and the host Saxons all had their heads hanging low in disbelief.

That the match was decided as it was is a story in itself.

A bit of a harsh call to send the Knights' top defender, Matt Burikas, off with a red card on a tackle of Saxons' striker Jake Savino, put Savino at the spot for a PK in the 35th minute.

But more importantly, it forced the Knights (17-0-2) to play a man down the rest of the way against a vibrant MSL West champion side, which was brimming with confidence after staying in the Knights' end for nearly a quarter hour before the center official's fateful call.

"Whether we agreed with the call or not, I think we all got a little nervous, especially losing a player like Matt, who has been so strong for us in the back, and is just great in the air, and in front of me," offered Reibel, who turned away Savino's PK attempt to keep things even at 1-1 as intermission neared.

"We didn't think, oh great, we've got this game now that (Prospect) is playing a man short, but with the way we were dominating possession, and creating chances, I know that if we kept up the pressure and pace in the second half, that sooner or later we would find a goal or two," admitted Schaumburg head coach Hamid Mehreioskouei, who was part of the Saxons' last MSL title in 1995.

"But we didn't play with the same pressure or high work rate that we're known for in the second half, and we created some chances, couldn't finish them (thanks in part to Reibel's heroics). Credit Kurt's guys, because they played so hard for 60+ minutes (short-handed) and that might have been the difference in the end."

The Saxons nearly got off to a rip-roaring start - and if not for diving block and save by Reibel on Drew Simon at four minutes, the start of this 34th annual soccer match could have been disastrous for the visitors.

Inspired by their keeper, the Knights fired back moments later when on the other end, Lenke finished easily with a header after Alex Schnepf and Bill Cooney provided the help to give their mate his strike from 10 yards out.

The speed of play increased even more from both sides, which showed their intent from the very beginning with high energy, quick passes, and plenty of entertaining soccer from front-to-back.

That helped to make sure that no fan among the big crowd wouldn't get the most for their soccer dollar on what had become a gorgeous fall night, after rain stayed in the area up until 30 minutes before kickoff.

Cooney found Lenke on the end of his 19-minute free kick, in which Beard would save on a well-played sequence by all.

But two minutes later, Savino, the Saxons' scoring leader, made something out of nothing when he turned around a long serve from Nick Abel into the equalizer, after Alan Santana kept the ball alive along the right side.

The Saxons took inspiration from the roar of approval from their adoring fans after the Savino equalizer at 21 minutes - and immediately flooded the area, while dominating play, and nearly found the go-ahead goal when Abel rattled the woodwork with his header off a Santana corner.

Savino was far too much during a 10-minute stretch, and his outstanding work, and lovely bit of invention in the Knights' end, seemed to be all the Saxons would need in its quest to get into the back of the net.

It will be up for discussion in the next few days for sure, but Burikas' tackle of Savino just inside the box - clearly a foul, and correctly called so - sent him to the spot, and Burikas out of the match, when the center official, to his credit, did not hesitate when showing the junior his red card.

"I don't know if it was the correct call or not, but we didn't immediately do well after all of (that) happened, and I was afraid at that time for (what) might happen now that we lost a quality backline guy, and that (we) would be down a man the rest of the way against a great team like Schaumburg," offered Trinkle.

Less anyone believe the slightest strategic tactical move could influence the eventual outcome of a soccer match should look no further to what Trenkle and his staff would do at the break, which came at a perfect time for his lads, who were struggling to keep their form after the biggest call of the night.

"We were all a little nervous, especially when you lose a player like Matt in the back," admitted Reibel, who has praised his central defender all season long.

After taking on water for the first 10 minutes after intermission, Trenkle would push Lenke up as the Knights sole striker, looking to counter when the chance came about.

He also moved Cooney into the midfield alongside Patryk Ruta and Schnepf, and rotated fresh legs in and out all throughout the second half.

The Knights received quality performances from the likes of Stefano Dolomas, Kennedy McNamara, Avi Chitman, Matt Wruskyj, and Johnny Fredericks, who stepped into Burikas' spot in the middle, and tackled with confidence while defending with all of his heart alongside regulars Conor O'Leary and Ethan Graven.

"(They) fought so hard in the second half, I mean they really did," began Mehreioskouei.

"We had our chances, and created some things here and there. But we didn't play like we did in the first half. We didn't pressure as much, and couldn't find feet like we did for most of the first 40. Bennie (Beard) had one of his best games for us tonight, but their guy is just amazing, and that was ultimately the difference."

A cold north wind blew in at the start of the first extra period, and along with the temperature change, and the emotion and physical beating both clubs had taken thus far, play would bog down some and become a bit chippy here and there, and cautious, as well, as a goal now would be the match.

The Saxons cleared Cooney's pace-filled free kick at 84 minutes and Abel hit the bar with his header of another Santana corner in the 90th minute.

A long throw from Abel gave Savino a chance, but Reibel turned that shot in close up and over the bar.

Once in the shootout, Abel, then Cooney converted easily to start the first round - setting up yet more dramatics from Reibel.

The senior took John Franco's goal-bound spot-kick literally out of the net when - after guessing to his left, he used a telescopic leg to extend behind him to kick away the Franco attempt to keep thing even at 1-1 after two rounds.

"I never doubted for a minute that (Brad) wouldn't come up with a big save for us in shootout, I've seen it way too often," said Lenke.

Schnepf and Ruta easily converted past Beard with well-placed kicks, before Lenke thumped home the winner to signal the start of what would be a long, loud and crazy postgame celebration for the players, who raced to the far touchline to take in the moment with their loyal fans - and later, again, when they departed the stadium and onto to bus.

"For all of us, this is just an unbelievable feeling, and I am so proud of the boys, and happy for all of them," said Trenkle, who like both Lenke and Reibel was struggling to find the words to describe what this first championship meant to all involved.

"What a great atmosphere tonight, and Schaumburg was a great host, and a great opponent, and I am not sure if we played for a third time this season, that it wouldn't go the same way - and an eventual 1-goal difference deciding the final outcome."

"It's true there's a lot of big soccer still ahead of us, but for (now) we're all just going to enjoy what the guys just accomplished."