Boys soccer: Montini reverses fortunes vs. ICCP
George Lambesis and his Montini boys soccer teammates found out Tuesday that it doesn't take much to go from cloud nine to down in the dumps.
On Thursday they found out the reverse also is true.
Two days after being routed 7-0 by St. Edward, the Broncos got 2 goals each from Lambesis and Anthony Burger to rout IC Catholic Prep 6-1 in Lombard.
So what was the difference?
“Our attitude, for sure, because after the game two days ago we were broken,” Lambesis said. “We were coming out of (the Glenbard South Raider Invite) with excitement and we thought we were going to break the other team.
“Then they came out with more intensity and we lost it. But our organization and our intensity this game definitely helped us out.”
That was evident from the outset. Burger scored on the game's first shot and the Broncos (3-2) never let up, outshooting the visiting Knights 34-2.
IC (1-4) tied the game when Thomas Sloan used some nifty dribbling to set up an easy score by Alex Meurer with 22:06 left in the first half.
But the Broncos regained the lead on an own goal when an IC defender booted the ball into his own net at the 12:27 mark. Burger, who was the closest Montini player, was credited with the goal.
After that things quickly unraveled for the Knights, who were on their heels for the rest of the match. Lambesis made it 3-1 when he scored on a rocket with 6:43 to go in the half.
It was the first varsity goal for the junior midfielder, who bagged his second eight minutes after halftime on another blast from outside the box.
“(Lambesis) tends to play a more defensive role for us,” Montini coach Barry Briggs said. “But we're trying to get him to push up and stop things up in the middle sooner and pick those balls up for us.”
The Broncos picked up just about every loose ball and often did something good with it. Time after time, a pass from the back or the midfield found the foot of Burger or one of the other forwards from a great scoring chance.
“Our possession was terrible two days ago, so we practice yesterday and we were just working on our touch the entire time,” Lambesis said. “Our possession today was completely different.”
John McManus and Nathan Lukasik also scored for the Broncos, who will go as far as their precision passing game will take them.
“That's what we've been working on because we have some fast guys that can play the ball up for us,” Lambesis said. “So when we get some sweet balls over the top or thread through the (defense), we've got guys that can run onto them and score.”
The score would have been more lopsided if not for the terrific play of IC goalkeeper Zen Tverdokhlib, who made 12 saves, several from point-blank range, in 53 minutes of action.
“He did a nice job,” Briggs said. “He was big for them, especially in that first half.”