Short-handed Lions record shutout victory over Ramblers

 

 

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By Dan Santaromita

Saint Viator is finding its way through the season with four starters out and a lot of youth so for now the it will take a win no matter how it comes.

The Lions had few quality chances at goal and survived a number of attacks from Loyola Academy to squeak out a 2-0 win Thursday in Glenview in a Pepsi Showdown match.

With starters Troy Wheeler, Kevin Patzke, Michael Decker and Mateo Leudo missing from the game, the Lions relied on a younger group to pick up the win.

While the end result was positive, it wasn’t a pretty performance for much of the game.

“For 15 minutes we played well and we let the ball do the work and then (Loyola) stepped up and pressed us a little bit,” Saint Viator coach Mike Taylor said.

“I’ve only got three or four seniors on this team so some of the little guys stepped back a little bit under pressure.”

Taylor is hoping a player will step up to guide the young team.

“It’s trying to get some leadership on the field,” Taylor said. “It’s just trying to get some guys right now that can lead and settle these kids down and just get them in the flow of it.”

The Lions began well in the match, but the host Ramblers took control of the match from about midway in the first half through the hour mark. A number of Loyola chances were left for the taking.

Free kicks, shots in the box and breakaways, but no goals.

“I’m not gonna lie, a lot of the time we got lucky,” senior defender Adam Fetter said. “I don’t think we gave up in the back, but we definitely got lucky a lot of times.”

Then Saint Viator did something that Taylor demanded they do all game: they reversed the field.

That gave Andrew Ferrante a clear path to goal in the box. Ferrante converted the chance with a far post shot in the 69th minute.

“There was a lot of open room on that left side,” Ferrante said. “Spencer (Moore) was wide open in the middle. I kept talking to him, telling him to switch the ball and he finally got open and just played that ball perfectly.”

The score inspired Saint Viator, who played its best stretch of the match following the goal.

“We started to play simple that was basically it,” Fetter said. “We needed to play simple the whole game.”

The Lions got a second goal at 77 minutes when a quality long ball from junior midfielder Ashwin Cornelius found Kyle Sukowicz.

Rambler goalkeeper Sebastian Chavannes (3 saves) saved Sukowicz’s shot, but the rebound caromed to Nick Winter for the easy finish on the open goal.

Both Lions’ central midfielders, Cornelius and Moore, showed great skill on the ball and had a hand in the build up on the goals, but Taylor wants to see more from his young talents.

“Ashwin and Spencer are very skilled, but they don’t ever explode off the ball,” the coach said. “I’m screaming at them to explode off the ball. They both have great speed, but they don’t seem to.”

With players out, Taylor is looking for someone to fill their void from a leadership and experience standpoint.

Patzke is one of five seniors on the roster while juniors Wheeler and Decker have been on varsity since they were freshmen.

The young Lions will take the experience and the win for now, but they expect to be stronger when they get the experienced players back in the starting eleven.

“If you take four guys out it hurts a little bit, but at the same time you say ok the others guys should be able to step up and play,” Taylor said.

“It’s good experience for those kids and it gets us ready for the end of the year.”

The Lions have a busy weekend ahead with a home match against O’Fallon on Friday and a Pepsi Showdown contest with Larkin on Saturday at Lyons Township.

And Saint Viator could also play on Sunday morning at Toyota Park against Oak Park and River Forest, if Metea Valley defeats Lyons Township in Saturday's Pepsi Showdown semifinals.