Cougars' offense explodes on Wheeling
Conant wins 2nd straight MSL game 6-0

By Mike Garofola

After missing out on a title last year in the very last week of the season, the mission is clear for Conant this fall - just win out.

The Cougars (9-4-1, 6-2-0-18 pts.) won again in one of their biggest weeks of the season, defeating Wheeling 6-0 at home Tuesday night to begin the week at 2-0.

More importantly, Conant stay ahead of both Fremd and Barrington, who remain in hot pursuit after each side won as well on Tuesday, to remain 3 points behind the MSL West-leading Cougars.

"This was a big win for us tonight, and for once to get out in front early, and finally put a team away early felt really good,” Conant head coach Jason Franco said. “It gave us a chance to get a lot of guys some extra minutes here and there in preparation of our third match of the week."

Franco’s side will look to go 3-0 this week against Rolling Meadows on the road on Thursday.

As Franco and every other head coach in the league will tell you, there is no easy opponent in the MSL. The Cougars certainly did not overlook Monday's crossover foe (Buffalo Grove) yet found themselves in a battle with a gritty Bison club full of life. Conant won 1-0 over Buffalo Grove, which went into the contest after a 3-2 comeback victory in OT over Schaumburg last week.

Monday’s low-scoring game coupled with its 2-0 loss to Barrington provided the inspiration needed to ignite Conant’s 6-goal explosion against Wheeling.

"That Barrington loss was still in the back of our minds," began both Shivam Patel and Michael Zentner following the match.

"It would have been a great game to win, but we allowed them (do) what they wanted to, and never really found our rhythm or possession game” Patel said. “It cost us a match and another three points.”

Zentner and Patel were each responsible for helping the home-side control play on both sides of the ball. Patel claimed a pair of goals on the night, while Zentner and his backline mates Billy Belmonte, Mike Miller and Dan Ruzich played air-tight defense for most of the night. Conant keeper Bobby Potratz recorded a rather easy clean sheet on the evening, in the team’s 6th shutout of the season.

Ruzich would leave the match at 63 minutes due to injury and not return, joining freshman midfielder Tristan Conrad, who remains inactive with the hope of returning to action early next week.

The Cougars looked sharp right off the opening whistle, and it was just a few seconds into the match when Thomas Kozlowski fired in what would be the eventual game-winner. The senior finished in close with a header, after Wheeling keeper Arturo Escobedo successfully turned away a close-range blast from Bobby Iatomasi.

"Obviously, with the way we've been playing of late, giving up a goal in the first 30 seconds against a team like Conant, or any team for that matter, is not the desired way to start a game," said a disappointed Ed Uhrik, the Wheeling head coach.

"We're awfully young in a lot of spots, and have a lot of skillful players, but we haven't figured out how to play as a team, and tonight you saw a team that fully understands how to do that."

The Cougars would continue to press after the Kozlowski goal, and despite a trio of brave saves from Escobedo, who turned away no less than 4 sure goals, the hosts would quickly build their lead to a comfortable 4-0 at the break.

Escobedo was at his best to take a dangerous ball off the boot of Kozlowski inside the area, then race off his line to stop a Patel attempt just moments after the senior made it 2-0 on a superb piece of combination work with Nathan Cornell.

"We had just a little too much pace for (Wheeling) tonight, and although they played hard for the entire match, we were not going to be denied in their end tonight," said Franco, who watched his lads score its highest goal total of the season.

"We haven't scored more than 2 goals in a game this year, so it was great to see the guys put a few in for once," Franco said.

"It really took the pressure off to finally get a big lead, and to have a little bit easier of a time," admitted Patel.

A bit of back luck would give Zach Conrad his chance to convert a PK at 25 minutes when Escobedo charged off the line to challenge Patel and took down the Cougars’ midfielder. Three minutes later, Michael Natalino would add to the Wildcats' woes when he zigged and zagged his way free before turning to make it 4-0 with a shot from 15 yards.

After the break, Franco would take many of his first-11 off to help keep everyone fresh for the night, including Stefan Zaharinov, who fired over the bar just before the break, as well as Dustin Garland, who had an impressive performance in the middle of the park during two long stretches of play on both sides of the half.

The Cougars' big win also gave Zentner a chance to play up front when Franco inserted one of the top backliners in the area on top in the 70th minute. The senior would immediately have a go on frame on the 'Cats second-half keeper, Matt Rosen, while helping create a corner for his club as well.

"I've always wanted to play up top," Zentner said. Patel was hardly able to hold back a laugh after hearing of his teammate’s wishes.

Patel and Billy Belmonte would get themselves into the scorebook in the 51st and 76th minute to end the scoring, and end what would be a happy night all around for the Cougars.

"This is the week that we need to grab the 9 points that are out there for us, to help us go into the final week of the regular season still in good shape with both Prospect and Palatine left on the schedule," said Franco.