Boys soccer: Streamwood ousts Hampshire, 1-0

Streamwood seniors Oscar Chavez and Aldo Lazaro might know a thing or two about postseason experience.

The two were freshmen on the Sabres soccer team during their 2014 state run so it comes as no shock the savvy tandem would know what to do in the clutch during an elimination game.

Chavez and Lazaro accounted for the game's only goal on a night when scoring was a premium, as Lazaro's six-yard strike on pass from Chavez in the 59th minute gave Streamwood a 1-0 win over Hampshire in a Class 3A Streamwood sectional semifinal Wednesday.

Chavez's cross, which derived from a run on the outside, straddled the line from the right of the goalie box to end of it on the left side, where Lazaro waited and tucked it home inside the near left post for the game-winner. It gave the Sabres the right to play Jacobs Friday at 5 p.m. for the sectional title.

Jacobs also downed CL South by a 1-0 tally in the first of the doubleheader at Millennium Field.

"I knew he was going to center the ball so I just had to be in the right place at the right time," said Lazaro. "We know what each of us can do. We believe in each other and I believed in him and he gave me the assist."

It took the weight off Streamwood's shoulders, who finally broke through when it had so many chances go to waste previously. The Sabres (14-5-2) outshot the Whip-Purs 16-2, which included one shot off the crossbar in the first half and plenty of stops by Hampshire keeper Andrew Krajecki, who totaled 6 saves and included some acrobatic dives to keep the Sabres frustrated at times.

"We finally put one in and we just ... ugh," Streamwood coach Matt Polovin said with an exhale. "It's still a little frustrating. I'll take the win anytime, especially this part of the season. But the guys know their finishing still has to be so much better. And when we get those many opportunities as we had in both halves and one shows, it's a little frustrating."

Which exemplifies why it's so hard to score in the postseason and why a lot of games are won by slim 1-0 margins as the case was in Streamwood.

"You just have to calm yourself down and keep fighting," Chavez said. "I feel like everybody puts in more heart since it's a playoff game and they don't want their season to end."

The Whip-Purs' near Cinderella run ended at 12-8-3, which included a regional final win over Elgin in upset fashion last Friday. The glass slippers appeared to be on thanks to Krajecki, who missed part of the second half due to injury, as well as goalie Jason Polletta, who also made 6 saves.

But Hampshire's only pure chance of the night came with 24 minutes left on Sawyer Shores' point-blank shot from 10 yards out that lofted high and hit the crossbar.

"It was close, it was close," Hampshire coach Rick Schuster said. "With (Streamwood) you're not going to get 20 chances, you'll get three or four good chances and you have to bury one of them. Their one goal we were ball watching, but we defended well and we worked hard. We'll learn and know they know what it takes to get to the next step."