Boys soccer: Grayslake Central ousts Grayslake N. in kicks

For the second time this season, Grayslake Central's boys soccer team needed penalty kicks to get past district rival Grayslake North 1-0 in the Class 2A Antioch regional final on Friday afternoon.

The top-seeded Rams outlasted the fourth-seeded Knights 5-4 on the kicks. Grayslake Central (15-6-2) advances to meet the winner of Saturday's matchup between No. 2 Harvard and No. 3 Belvidere (to be played Saturday afternoon at Woodstock North) in a Grayslake North sectional semifinal at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"We knew it would be a tough game, and credit to Grayslake North," said Grayslake Central coach Tom Hamilton. "It's never easy, and they're always going to push us. We have to find ourselves every time we play them. This is the most complete effort we've put in all year. We preach that we're a family out there, and they really picked each other up. This weren't going our way the whole game, but they responded very well."

Both teams fought hard through 80 minutes of regulation and two ten-minute overtime sessions without a goal. But both sides had socring chances yet were denied.

In penalty kicks, Rams keeper David Young made one big stop (he finished with 10 total) with a dive off the line on the second kick, which proved to be the difference.

"You know going into PK's you want to get one up in goals," Young said. "If you make the one save, it's the turning point. I always try to get as many as I can. The one I made was enough."

Grayslake Central and the Knights were tied with 4 kicks a piece until the final kick for the Rams. Trevor Veenstra placed it right under the crossbar for the victory.

"It was nice to get the last PK to get the 'W'," Veenstra said. "I knew exactly where to put it. I knew it was going in."

The Knights (9-11-1) gave everything they had.

"I don't like the kicks," Grayslake North coach Adam DeCaluwe said. "It's the worst way to send the kids home. It is what it is. In the end (Grayslake Central) got us in PK's again. We outplayed them, just like last time. Unfortunately, when it comes down to PK's it takes away from the team game and makes it individual. In the end, (Grayslake Central) had the better PK's."