Barrington's unbeaten streak stopped by Palatine
By Mike Garofola

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Pretty, attractive, stylish – none of those words describe the Barrington-Palatine match at Chic Anderson Stadium Thursday night.

But there is nothing quite like the last day of the season for making the most straightforward tasks feel akin to scaling the highest mountain peak, and it was Palatine that reached the top.

A quite incredible regular season ended in the most dramatic way possible with Palatine snatching victory away from the Broncos to end up atop the MSL table, earning a hard-fought 1-0 decision on a cold blustery night in Barrington.

Palatine now books a trip to the 36th  MSL Cup Thursday at Buffalo Grove, which defeated Hoffman Estates 3-1 as MSL East division rival Hersey fell 2-0 to Conant.

The Pirates, like Buffalo Grove, would wait until the final match of their league schedule to finally be clear of its closest challenger, using a goal in the 38th minute from Jeremy Velinski and 80-minutes of pure pressure from endline-to-endline, frustrating the Broncos and ending their 13-game unbeaten streak..

For Velinski, teammate Kyle Clancy, and the rest of the Pirates, the victory helped keep the MSL West champs undefeated in conference play. This was no small feat when many, including Palatine coach Willie Filian, weren't so sure where the 2012 side would finish.

But the Pirates’ players had no doubt.

"We always felt we could be playing for the MSL title," Velinski said. Clancy agreed.

"This is a team that plays hard a hundred and ten percent of the time, and as a team, not for themselves,” Clancy said. “That can go a long way towards having a successful season."

Central defender Clancy -- who on this night and many others this season -- helped keep an opponent far away from its talented keeper, Kyle Leber, with the capable help of defenders Matt Fleischhauer and Ulises Alcaraz.

Fleischhauer was particularly active throughout, first as a menace in the countless corners the Pirates would create. Second, Fleischhauer was asked to mark the Broncos’ top scorer and most dangerous player in its first-11, Kendall Stork, who entered the night with a team high 11 goals.

Stork was a key figure in what would be a semi-controversial moment when his fourth-minute strike was waved off by an offsides flag.

"We didn't argue much at the time but from where I was - which at the time was just about even with the assistant -- it looked as if Kendall was on. That goal could have changed the entire course of how we played thereafter, and the way Willie’s team played as well," said Broncos manager Scott Steib.

"You can bet we'll watch that play over and over again on tape, but in reality it won't change things. Or the fact that (Palatine) played with tremendous energy and a very high work rate, which is something you have to credit both he and (assistant coach) Charlie (Gries) for. Year-in and year-out, regardless of their talent level, they seem to put together a team that totally buys into the system, and succeeds with it."

Ethan Claes would initiate the Stork touch past Leber after his freekick serve to the right side helped put his mate past - then in on the Pirates keeper, but after the initial celebration from the Broncos bench and its faithful, that would be the only dangerous attempt on frame in the first half from the visitors, while the home side began to pile up several - most from corners and deep throws, which, in trademark style, the Pirates created time-after-time.

"We knew how they were going to play, and I thought we were ready for it, but they bring so much pressure, especially on the ball, and we just fell into how they were playing,” Claes said. “We never got to where we could play our game, which includes possession, quick touches, and upbeat soccer.”

"I know none of us like to play that way, but (Palatine) is so good at it, and we started to just play kick-ball, which totally played into their hands."

If it wasn't Velinski on the touchline with his searing long throws, or Fleischhauer bending in his left-footed corners to meet Dave Clark's head, it always seemed to be something to help keep the Broncos backline of Fernando Telles, Dylan Nelson, Zach Rowe and Tyler Anderson pinned back into their own end. Barrington was unable to build its attack through Claes, Connor Hennelly and Craig Zahour through the middle, as it has all season long.

"We created seven or eight corners or deep throws in the first seven minutes, but didn't put one in, and that concerned us because we knew in order to play our style, we had to get out in front because we're not exactly a high-scoring, attacking machine," Filian said.

"No doubt, that early goal of theirs that was pulled back helped us, because then we're chasing the lead, but the boys never really allowed Barrington to get into their game, regardless of that early goal that was called back."

For 38 long minutes, the Pirates could not find their way through the Barrington defensive blanket, despite all of its dead-ball chances, until a Sergio Hernandez corner helped set-up the fatal blow.

Placing his serve within striking range of Clark, who had a go on frame at Broncos keeper Pat Deroche, the initial shot spilled to Johnny Enriquez, who gave way to Velinski and his close- range strike that roared into the net.

"We did a great job of keeping the ball in the mix and when Johnny left it for me, I just drove it in," Velinski said.

Steib reminded his club at the break to try to play simple with confidence, and with some possession in order to make the Pirates chase the ball more than they would have liked, towards creating some much-needed space and time to set his best attacking players free.

But it was not to be on this night.

"It is so against what we preach; we like to play the way it’s meant to be played, and we try very hard to get the boys to do it every time we go out there,” Steib said. “But quite frankly, it was just ugly stuff out there tonight. We struggled with it, and never found a way to work our way out of it.

"I can't be disappointed -- maybe frustrated, because our guys played hard -- but against a well-organized team like Palatine, whose work rate is way up there, that just isn't enough."

The second period was filled with plenty of anxious moments, many coming when one club would send a well-placed serve or dead-ball attempt into the box. Barrington’s Fernando Telles sent in a handful that forced Leber to elevate in a crowd to pull out of the air, away from the likes of Zahour, Stork, Danny Jaderholm and others.

Barrington’s Dylan Nelson entered as a key figure in the final 10 minutes before time, tossing a handful of flip throws at Leber, his best coming when Jack Hoots' flick redirected it dangerously through a crowd.

An early ball down the right side from Clark put Josh Lee through for Palatine, forcing Deroche to save the low strike from the Palatine striker. Later, a long clear out of the back from Clancy nearly saw Lee beat the Broncos’ keeper, but Deroche’s smart challenge off his line thwarted the play.

Barrington’s Logan Morris was a hero in the Broncos’ 2-1 overtime victory over Prospect on Tuesday, which kept his club alive in the race. Morris nearly duplicated his success when he drove a shot off the bar, but when Clark cleared a loose ball out of the Pirates end it was all over, and the Pirates had booked their 9th trip in program history to the MSL Cup.

"From the back with Kyle, Matt and Ulises, to a hard-working group in the middle and Clark and Luis Vargas, and the two guys up top (Lee and Cesar Valdez) who make so much happen for us, it all kind of works really well for us,” Filian said. “It’s a great group of guys, who get along so well and enjoy playing with and for each other.”

The Pirates (15-1-2, 10-0-1-31 points) conceded just 11 goals during the regular season, three in their first two matches, while recording nine clean sheets along the way.

The Broncos will now begin training for their regional opener with Dundee-Crown (14-2-1) on October 16 at Barrington Community Park.

"It's kind of disappointing to lose the way we did,” Claes said. “It ended our unbeaten streak. But this was a good game for us to experience, because play in the post-season can get pretty rough and ugly, and I have to believe this will prepare us for just about anything.

“I know we'll be better for it after going through eighty minutes like tonight.”