Vikings bring the effort vs. Kaneland
By Bill Stone

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Geneva boys’ soccer players viewed plenty of videotape after losing their third straight game to start the season.

Especially with the most recent 8-1 loss at Larkin Tuesday, the Vikings didn’t want a rerun Thursday at Kaneland.

“We came out really slow our first two games and then that third game really gave us a kick in the butt. I think we needed it really,” Geneva junior Phelipe Graske said.

“I think we really picked it up (today). We didn’t want that result again. We really came out and played our game.”

About the only disappointment after the Vikings earned a 1-1 tie in Elburn was that they easily could have won.

Geneva (0-3-1) led 14-8 in shots (7-4 in shots on goal) and never trailed after Graske’s first goal of the season with 20 minutes left in the first half.

The Knights (2-1-2) tied the game with 7:47 left in the half and came on strong in the final moments after goalie Marshall Farthing stopped the Vikings’ Matt Butz on a penalty kick with 25:23 remaining. There was no overtime.

“We played hard,” Geneva coach Ryan Estabrook said. “We looked like we got pretty tired there at the end, and I think Kaneland was throwing a lot of players forward. We had some great opportunities for (counterattacks), but our guys ran out of leg and just didn’t have the composure in the final 18 yards to get the quality shots. It’s unfortunate because we created a lot.”

Perhaps even better for Geneva are the opportunities the Knights didn’t have. Kaneland coach Scott Parillo winced about his team’s two near chances, but improved defensive play limited Geneva junior goalie Joe Mozden to requiring just one impressive save.

“We kind of saw some major gaps in the back (against Larkin) that had to be filled,” Geneva senior stopper Alex Zefron said.

“There was definitely a lot more communication in the back that has kind of been lacking in the past. Overall, I think we’re stepping to the ball more, we’re pushing up together as a team and everyone’s putting forth the effort. I think it was our best effort yet.”

Junior sweeper Brian Pacilio led the stronger defensive effort Thursday with Zefron and seniors Madison Oleson and Nick Konicek on the outsides.

It’s only the second game back for Pacilio from a knee injury. Estabrook said Oleson also made significant progress from the video session with several plays against Kaneland’s right side of its offense. Oleson and senior outside midfielder David Goodyear both were felled by muscle cramps in the final 18 minutes.

“We gave up two quality scoring opportunities. They scored one of them, my keeper made a save on another,” Estabrook said. “We watched game film the other night for a long time, and we talked a lot about positioning, and I saw a lot better stuff.

“(Pacilio) did a nice job leading us in the back, being vocal, having us organized. He’s really the heart of that defense. While he doesn’t have all of his confidence in his physical abilities yet, he makes up for it a lot with his leadership abilities.”

Geneva came out energized in the first half, even despite going against the wind. Butz got a header and another shot on goal in the opening minute.

The Vikings already led 5-1 in shots by the time Graske scored to complete a strong combination from junior Beck Nebergall to senior Joshua Poythress to Butz. Graske cut from the middle of the box toward even with the right post to accept the pass from Butz.

One of about seven players back from last season, Graske had just one goal in all of 2011.

“We had good play through the middle, and we really connected some passes. I think it is (the best passing) we’ve had,” Graske said. “It’s hard tying a game, but we really played well. I think we need to keep going with what we’re doing right now, and I think we can turn the season around for sure.”

Another nice combination set up the penalty kick. The ball went from Butz to junior Grant Bracken to Nebergall, who turned in the right of the box and made a cross that inadvertently hit the hand of a Kaneland defender.
Butz shot low to his right, about one-third of the way from the post, but an aggressive Farthing dove to the right side to stuff the attempt.

“I think (Butz) just over thought it a little bit and just didn’t get a good strike on the ball either,” Estabrook said.

Less than two minutes later, Kaneland’s Ivan Bohorquez blasted a ball from just outside the box that a leaping Mozden pushed over the crossbar.

“When you don’t convert a penalty kick, it makes the other team feel like they scored so the energy level shifts at that point,” Estabrook said. “I think that changed the outcome of the game for Kaneland. I thought we battled back hard after that, but it gave Kaneland a lot more confidence going forward. You’ve got to give credit to them for battling the way they did.”

With nine minutes left, explosive Kaneland senior forward Kushstrim Ismaili nearly scored his second goal of the game. Alex Gil sent the ball across the crease, but when the ball went off Mozden’s hands, a leaping Ismaili kicked an uncontested rebound over the goal.

Ismaili scored in the first half when Geneva couldn’t clear the ball to the right of the net. Against two defenders, Ismaili gained control of the ball with his back to the net, quickly turned and fired a blast inside the near post with his left foot.

“(Our few shots) were great shots. That’s kind of how we are,” Parillo said. “Unfortunately, they just didn’t go in. I honestly don’t know how we missed (the open shot). We were so close it should have gone.

“(Stopping the penalty kick) kind of boosted our energy a little bit. They controlled the first 10-to-15 minutes of each half, and I think we controlled the rest of it. We just couldn’t put in that extra goal.”

On paper, the teams were contrasts. Geneva has just seven seniors – Butz, Goodyear, Konicek, Oleson, Poythress and Zefron, who all started Thursday, and reserve forward Valentin Gonzalez. Kaneland has nine seniors and 10 juniors from last year’s Class 2A regional finalist that lost 1-0 to Marmion, which went on to finish fourth in state.

Kaneland also had shut out its previous two opponents. Geneva lost its opener at Waubonsie Valley 3-0 Aug. 21 and lost at Oswego 4-2 Aug. 23. Butz scored twice and Nebergall once over the first three games.

Besides looking past the Larkin loss, Estabrook said a more spacious field also helped the Vikings’ improved effort.

“On a big field like this, if your pass is off by a little bit, it’ll still stay in play so it makes you look a little better. At Elgin (Larkin), that field is about 20 yards more narrow,” Estabrook said. “On the other side, it made scoring opportunities harder because you’re a lot more stretched out. While we got more possession, we struggled getting quality attempts at the end.”

The Vikings play twice more on the road this weekend in St. Louis before their home and Upstate Eight Conference River Division opener against St. Charles North Sept. 4. Geneva will play Kickapoo High School (Springfield, Mo.) Friday and Chaminade College Prep (St. Louis) Saturday.