Boys soccer: Dundee-Crown comes back to beat Elgin

It has taken hard work and dedication for the Dundee Crown boys soccer team to get off to a great start this season.

The Chargers continued to apply those very same principles in Monday's 3-2 come-from-behind win over Elgin at Memorial Field in nonconference action. Trailing 2-1 at halftime the Chargers rallied with second half goals from Freddy Martinez and Jeremy Jareckyj to improve their record to 9-2-3.

"It was just a matter of continuing to work hard for every ball," Dundee-Crown coach Rey Vargas said. "That's what we have been doing all year. They are a very good team, but we know what we can do. We just kept grinding it out and eventually forced them into some mistakes that we were able to take advantage of."

With just over 18 minutes left to play the Maroons had a chance to clear out a ball just outside the box on their end, but failed to do so. Instead Martinez got an open shot and put it in the net while Elgin keeper Martin Jimenez Estrada was retreating to the net. The goal tied the score at 2-2 with 18-15 left to play.

The winning goal for the Chargers came with 3 minutes left to play when Jareckyj scored on a breakaway.

"On that play my teammate Carlos Sanchez did a great job of winning the ball at midfield," Jareckyj said. "He made a nice pass down the field and I was able to beat the defender and the goalie to the ball to get the score. The whole team got that goal not just me. We've had a problem starting games a little slow, but we never gave up and kept working hard."

The Chargers survived some heart-pounding moments in the final 2 minutes. A shot from 25 yards out by the Maroons' Andy Zavala was just out of reach of goalie Luis Cruz but went inches over the crossbar. Then, with just seconds to play, Cruz made a save on header by Elgin's Pedro Hernandez right in front of the net to seal the win. Cruz had 7 saves in the game.

"We were holding our breath at the end," Vargas said. "We knew coming in this was going to be a real tough match with the way they have playing. So this is big, to be able to be able to battle back and come out of here with a win."

Elgin had taken a 2-1 lead with 7:05 left in the first half on a goal by Omar Gonzalez. The Maroons' earlier goal came from Jon Ramirez. Dundee-Crown also had a goal from Daniel Maldonado. However, some defensive breakdowns cost the Maroons dearly.

"Three mistakes. Three goals," Elgin coach Dave Borg said. "It's all on us. There is not much more I can say."