Lancers' suffer second straight 1-0 loss in Elk Grove

By Dan Santaromita

The Lake Park Lancers probably thought they found their stride with a four-game winning streak entering yesterday’s match against Fenton.

They left Elk Grove Friday night with a two-game losing streak and two consecutive shutouts.

The Grenadiers beat the Lancers 1-0 in the Stach Memorial Tournament match, but it could have – and probably should have – been much worse.

The Grenadiers hit the post and the crossbar once each and had two balls cleared off the line.

Lake Park had a close call of its own when a Luca Giovine shot hit the crossbar and fell straight down, not quite crossing the goal line. However, the Lancers couldn’t create much else offensively.

The performance left Lancer coach Norm Hillner almost at a loss for words. Hillner didn’t have an explanation for his team’s recent struggles.

“I wish I knew. We’ve played a couple bad ones in a row now,” he said. “I thought we’d come back today after yesterday. They’re going to have to make some decisions about what they want to do with it.”

The Grenadiers (4-2) were more aggressive and played clean defense in the win over the Lancers (5-3-1).

Neither team controlled the run of play early, but the Grens caught a break when Lake Park committed a foul at the edge of the penalty box and Borys converted the ensuing penalty kick in the 22nd minute.

Lancers’ goalkeeper Eric Ahrens (10 saves) guessed correctly by diving to his right, but Borys pounded the penalty into the side netting.

About four minutes later the Lancers came devastatingly close to leveling the game when Giovine’s open shot in the box wouldn’t quite cross the line after bouncing straight down from the bar.

“They had a ball that bounced right on the goal line, which could have been a goal,” Bush said. “We had a couple of opportunities. For as well as both teams played there some open chances.”

Giovine’s close effort seemed to change the game because Elk Grove played with more confidence afterwards and controlled the play.

“We had some chances early,” Hillner said. “We had some opportunities. It’s hard to find something (positive) in it.”

Not even two minutes later Elk Grove forward Connor Murphy headed a cross at goal, but Ahrens just got a hand on it and the ball harmlessly hit off the post.

Murphy was at it again later in the half and this time his headed ball actually beat Ahrens. However, a Lancer defender was able to block the shot just in front of the goal.

The Grens’ pressure later resulted in Ahrens being stripped of the ball on an attempted clear. Ernesto Rodriguez raced to the loose ball and a put it on goal, but Ahrens was able to scramble back to touch the ball enough for another clearance off the line by his defense.

Both teams could have had gripes with the first half. Lake Park was trailing, but Elk Grove could have been up four.

“We’ve been talking about how we need to be tough in the box,” Bush said. “We weren’t as tough as we should have been, but we got the goal that we needed. Of course I’d like to finish more of those. We can knock the ball and we can get our chances but as you play tough teams we’re going to have to finish. We should be good.”

For all the action of the first half, the second half was a more defensive period. Bush’s team kept Lake Park at bay and the Lancers barely sniffed the goal.

Skilled Lancer forward Joe Passarelli’s touches were limited in the second half.

“Just shut down and neutralize their main attacker and you can control the game after that,” Elk Grove midfielder Carlos Cisneros said.

Elk Grove’s defense was so strong that keeper Frankie Ortiz only had to make one save.

“We played good defense and I think that’s what saved us the game,” Elk Grove defender Matt Ginter said. “We tried to hold the ball up front on our forwards, but (Lake Park) had a good solid core. They’re a tough team, they were really physical and we kept our composure so it was all good.”

Hillner was frustrated with his team’s performance, but liked the way Elk Grove played.

“When people are playing hard, getting their first touch, winning the ball. It makes a big difference,” Hillner said. “We seem to kind of just coasting, just a little complacent. I don’t know. That’s frustrating.”

For as many things as Hillner had reason to be upset about, Bush was pleased with about as many from his team.

“Lake Park is a good, good team and that’s a big win for us,” Bush said. “Defensively we were strong. We didn’t give up too many chances and we were good.”

The Lancers will try to turn things around Tuesday against South Elgin in Streamwood.