North Stars can't connect in regional finals loss to Hawks

By Chris Walker

Bartlett coach Ben Beary told his team to think back to when they first tried out for the team, to recollect all the strenuous training and running they did to prepare for the season and then he smiled and told them that they had made history.

It took nearly 48 hours from when they first took the field, but on Monday night, in the completion of the suspended Class 3A St. Charles North Regional championship game from Saturday, the Hawks edged the North Stars 1-0 in St. Charles.

The victory advances Bartlett to the Class 3A Schaumburg Sectional where it will take on Elk Grove Village on Tuesday. It also gave the Hawks their first soccer regional title in school history.

"This team had so much determination and has been together for so long that it feels so good to see them stick together and come up with something as big as this," Beary said.

"Some of these guys have been playing together since they were eight years old so this is pretty special."

The game began on Saturday at St. Charles North but was postponed at the 25:27 mark of the first half after a nearly two-hour lightning delay.

Because of poor field conditions at St. Charles North, the coaches from both schools considered playing at Schaumburg, but that plan didn't work out, so the game was completed at St. Charles East.

Neither team could create much in the first half. At last, in the final 40 minutes, and with an ever-increasing wind at their backs, the North Stars (16-6-4) went on the attack.

North's Matt Rasmussen sent a shot off the keeper Alex Busch's hands in the 43rd minute but Busch corralled it. Then Alex Karl couldn't reward Noah Anthony's cross in the 44th minute.

Rasmussen again came up empty after hustling down a loose ball only to lose to Busch on a one-on-one attempt. Jared Casey got the North Stars even closer, slamming a shot into the crossbar at the 51st minute.

And then Zack Matuszak and Anthony worked the ball to each other moving quickly downfield before Anthony sent a perfect feed to Rasmussen who appeared to rush his shot and misfired in the 59th minute.

Bartlett (13-6-4) spent nearly the entire second half on the north end of the field trying to keep the ball out of the net. But finally, the Hawks got a chance to put one in, and they delivered.

From near midfield, Joey Morgan served a deep ball into the wind toward the penalty area. The ball amazingly went untouched right in front of teammate Tyler Lake.

Lake, who was quite surprised to be given such a great opportunity in the 60th minute, punched it in and the Hawks pulled ahead 1-0.

"It just came down right over the defender and landed right near me," Lake said. "I don't think it touched anybody and I couldn't believe it was right there."

Allowing this type of goal wasn't entirely new for a North Stars team that prides itself on their defense but has had their share of lapses at inopportune times this fall.

"It's been a problem all year defending the box," North coach Eric Willson said. "We ought to know by now that you have to be focused all the time."

North kept the pressure on the Hawks for the final 20 minutes of action but just couldn't score the equalizer.

"It shows if you make one mistake that can be it," Willson said. "We didn't put away any of our chances and that's going to come back and haunt you eventually, just like it did tonight."

Anthony took eight corner kicks in the final 20 minutes and also orchestrated as pretty of a play as you'll see that doesn't result in a goal.

The senior dribbled through three defenders before sending a cross that Mike Winhoffer just wasn't able to catch up to in time to attempt to tie the contest in the 75th minute.

Matuszak, Casey and Drew Smith all had their share of chances but Busch and the Bartlett defense were determined to keep the lead.

"They (St. Charles North) kept pushing and pushing and we just kept trying to stop them and then when we scored, that was a huge weight off my shoulders," Busch said.

"I think we got into a rhythm after awhile. Then it all came down to willpower. I think we figured we've come this far so now we're not going to let them get one in."

Bartlett, which beat the North Stars 1-0 last year and tied them 2-2 in the regular season, figured they could challenge the North Stars but would have to play a near-perfect game to win.

"We've never played a team that was as dominant in the air as they are," Beary said. "They could've scored on every single one of those set plays but they didn't and it came down to one mistake."

It's a slip-up that the North Stars won't forget anytime soon, especially its strong group of seniors who were playing in their final game.

"The senior group we've had will be missed," Willson said. "This class helped carry on the tradition that was here before they started and they did a good job of carrying it on."

Meanwhile, the Hawks, after waiting around all day Sunday and Monday for the continuation game, will now turn right around and play Tuesday night.

"That was killer on Saturday waiting and waiting," Busch said. "First we're playing in 30 minutes, then an hour and then not at all. It doesn't matter now, though. Now we need to focus on tomorrow."