Think fast: Warren edges Maine West

Be alert and play heads-up soccer.

That seems to be the leadership-by-example provided by Warren’s Daniel Szczepanek, who scored the winning goal on a quick restart kick in the 69th minute against Maine West.

The Blue Devils prevailed 2-1 on Saturday afternoon in a nonconference match in Gurnee.

It wasn’t the first time that Szczepanek netted a goal by catching the other team napping — in fact, he’d done it twice before this season.

This time, he connected from outside the box with a straight-on blast.

“I saw the keeper off the line and decided to take a shot,” said Szczepanek, who leads the team with 14 goals and 10 assists. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

“The referee asks if you want your 10 yards — then you have to wait for a whistle. But if you don’t ask for the 10 yards then you can go whenever you want.

“I saw the keeper setting up the wall too early and decided to take the shot and put it in.”

Szczepanek also set up the other Warren goal in the 35th minute with a corner kick. Alexis finished it with a header near the back post.

Maine West (11-5-1) cut the Warren lead to 1 with some good ball movement in the 72nd minute as Spencer Walton scored after taking a touch pass from Nelson Herrera.

“We had a nice combination and worked the ball around,” said Walton of his seventh goal of the season. “Nelson (Herrera) tried to get the ball through and I was able to get a shot on goal.”

The Warriors had a chance to tie the game three minutes later, when Herrera slipped ahead of a couple of Warren defenders and had a one-on-one with Blue Devils keeper Brady Walsh.

Herrera made his move and attempted the shot, but alsh stepped forward and denied the scoring opportunity with a diving save to his right.

“It was a dangerous ball and I did my best to come out,” said Walsh, who made 3 saves. “I just guessed (Herrera) was going that way.”

Though the Warriors fell short, they were pleased with some aspects of the game.

“I thought we had the better possession and the better opportunities,” said Maine West coach Mike Divincenzo. “(Warren) scored on two set pieces, and that’s been an issue all year.

“We just have to learn from the quick restart. We know that we can play with the best in the state. It will be good to move forward.”

Warren (13-2-2) played without junior forward Aunor Solis for the third straight game. He’s been out with an ankle injury and hopes to return at some point in the next couple of weeks.

The Blue Devils, meanwhile, lost Alex Brunnell to a leg injury and Patrick Schulz to a calf injury against Maine West.

“Eventually, injuries are going to be part of the game and it caught up to us in this game,” Warren coach Jason Ahonen said. “If you’re not banged up at some point of the year, then you’re not playing hard enough.

“We’re a quality team and (Maine West) was a quality team. It was not a pretty game, but we did well enough to win.”