Knights' strong 2nd half not enough vs. Mustangs
By Mike Garofola

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Noe Zarate had a hand in Rolling Meadows first goal, then struck the game-winner moments before intermission to help keep Prospect (0-3-1, 0-2-0) from earning its first win after a 2-1 loss Tuesday night at George Gattas Memorial Stadium in Mt. Prospect.

The Mustangs’ (1-2-0, 1-0-1) first victory of the season puts coach Peter Mikulak's lads ahead of Buffalo Grove on the MSL table in the MSL East after its draw with Elk Grove in its opener gives them four points overall.

"That was an easy one," joked a relieved Mikulak, who watched his club withstand heavy pressure for nearly all 40 minutes of the second half as the Knights basically camped out in the Mustangs end.

Prospect put the visitors under fire with over a dozen long-throws and free-kicks which landed inside the box and near keeper Alejandro Camarillo, who made two big stops to help give his club the result it desired coming into the match.

"They were all over us in that second half, but somehow we maintained enough defensive composure to keep them out of the net," added Mikulak. "It was a good win for us."

For Prospect head coach Kurt Trenkle, the rebuilding job continues to move along with baby steps.

In the first half, the Knights were in trouble almost from the onset, conceding a goal in the first six minutes, then struggling to breakdown an organized Mustangs side which won most of the 50-50 balls in the middle of the park.

Rolling Meadows attacked with enough verve to keep Trenkle's club from building and getting forward to challenge Camarillo and a backline made up of a quartet of new starters as well.

"It was not a good first half of soccer on our behalf," admitted Trenkle. "I really challenged them at the half to go out and play like a varsity team, and to their credit they responded, and likely played the best half of soccer of the season."

Without the dynamic scoring power of the likes of Bill Cooney, Richard Lenke, Patryk Ruta and Alex Schnepf, who helped the Knights bag 65 goals on its way to a 20-1-2 record in 2011 - the reigning MSL champs have seen its inability to find the back of the net put a cramp in its plans to make another run at the top spot on the table this fall.

"This team is putting in the effort, but this is not the same team that you saw out here last year," began senior backline star Matt Burikas.

"When you look around and see who is gone from that team, many of them three-year starters, then see how many new guys we have either starting or playing important roles off the bench, you know it's going to take some time for us to come together."

Prospect senior midfielder Avi Chitman agreed.

"That's why it's important for veterans like Matt and myself to set a good example with hard work in training, and during the games," Chitman said.

"It's so early in the season so we know we can improve with each training session and game. But, again, guys like Matt and myself can help the players who will be the leaders next year and beyond with the way we lead and play."

The Knights were in trouble in the early stages when Noe Zarate found teammate Enrique Avellaneda on the edge with his corner, and allowed the senior to finish into the right corner after coming up from his place along the back.

The Knights came right back to fashion a chance of their own, with Matt Wruskyj smashing one off the glove of Camarillo, and later hitting another on frame but over the bar from Joe Tuczak, after he collected a ball from Curtis Glennon.

But those random attempts by the Knights were nothing close to what the Mustangs were putting together in possession, which usually went through Noe Zarate, as well as Freddy and David Zarate, in addition to Arthur Giedrojc and Peter Nickle, who were alternating up top for the visitors.

"Noe has been our best player thus far, and he's shown he can run the attack, and be the type of player who can control the play when he's on the  ball," said Mikulak.

Glennon and Burikas would link up at 38 minutes to bring the Knights even, with sophomore Bryan Velazquez initiating it all by giving Glennon a quality ball to help free the senior, who would get to the endline.

Once there, Glennon’s perfect serve provided all Burikas would need to thump a header into the right corner.

However, the home side was unable to keep the Mustangs out of net in the two minutes before halftime, when Noe Zarate who seized an opportunity with a bending smash high into the corner.

"Not a good goal to give up," agreed both Burikas and Chitman.

"It was huge for us because it immediately stopped any momentum Prospect might have gained going into the second half," offered Mikulak.

In theory, the Meadows head coach might have been right about a momentum shift, but it didn't take long for the Knights' to find its pace following intermission.

After Giedrojc had a go at the Knights Jack Cooney at 45 minutes, the Mustangs were clearly troubled by the Prospect’s ability to attack on the flanks, and create countless dead-ball opportunities for the next half hour.

Chitman set up McNamara to force Camarillo into a save, and next came a well-played ball up the right side by Ethan Graven to Brett Abraham, resulting in a trio of blocked shots inside the box by various Mustangs defenders.

A Chitman feed to Robert Moskawa resulted in a corner in the 56th minute, and would start a series of dead-ball chances, most of the foot of Glennon, who took all of the Knights freekick chances when not tossing piercing throws from deep in the Mustangs’ end.

"We had so many chances in their end, but the final piece (finishing) was something we just were not able to do," said a disappointed Trenkle.

Wruskyj would spray a shot wide of Camarillo following a Glennon freekick, and moments later Burikas nearly caught the Mustangs’ keeper way off his line when he redirected another long throw, but Camarillo reacted quickly when he tipped the shot up and over the bar to save a sure goal at 60 minutes.

In the 76th minute, Abraham struck his shot straight at an open near post, but Camarillo somehow covered the opening to turn the would-be equalizer around the left stick.

"Credit (Meadows) for two top-shelf goals," said Burikas, "they did what they had to do, in that first half, and we didn't until the second half."

"We let up big time in that first half, but at least we came back to play 40 good minutes after the break” Chitman said. "We need to go to Palatine on Thursday and put two good halves together, and see what happens."