Oidtman's free kick ties up Wheaton N.

Glenbard West coach John Gosling was quick with a reply when asked what he saw that he liked most from his boys soccer team in Saturday's game against Wheaton North.

"The free kick," Gosling said.

With time running out and his squad facing a 1-0 deficit, Hilltoppers senior Geoff Oidtman hit a free kick on the screws from 22 yards out, sending it flying to that place where no goalkeeper saves it -- the upper corner at the far post.

"That was a great kick," teammate Alex Pole said. "It felt like we won the game."

Oidtman's goal salvaged a 1-1 tie against a Falcons team that had the better of play by dominating in the air and never allowing the Hilltoppers much space to pass the ball around the park.

While neither team's defense allowed play to get behind them, Wheaton North held a wide edge in dangerous restarts on the Hilltoppers' half of midfield and sent bodies in after numerous free kicks throughout the game.

"I'd say they had the majority of possession and the majority of chances," Gosling said. "But most of the chances in the game were sent in from (long range)."

"I wish we would have finished more opportunities," said Falcons coach Bryce Cann. "We had three or four golden opportunities in the first half, but we put all four of them right at the goalkeeper."

Both Falcons keeper Josh Giuliano and Hilltoppers keeper Lee Mathieu had 5 saves on the day, and both aggressively left their lines consistently to grab the steady stream of long balls sent their way throughout.

"You just have to have confidence coming out," Giuliano said. "Whether you're skilled or not, you just have to have that confidence to come out."

The game took place on the Hilltoppers' inaugural Soccer Fest, replete with a large number of fans and a vocal throng of cheerleaders in Glen Ellyn. The Hilltoppers' John Kando and the Falcons' Jason Lollar set the tone early with a physical midfield battle that eventually required a lecture from the middle official.

After a scoreless first half the Falcons' Kristian Rosenberger achieved a rare feat on the day by turning the left corner, dribbling up the end line and laying off a ball on a play that led to Lollar being tripped in the box.

Rosenberger's penalty-kick goal in the 41st minute held up until Oidtman's perfect free kick in the 73rd minute.

Both coaches also applauded the defensive efforts put forth in a game that featured the third-seeded Falcons (7-1-2) and the fourth-seeded Hilltoppers (10-2-2), both as part of the West Chicago sectional.

"It's a nonconference game against a good team, and we played well," Cann said. "I thought we held our ground."