Torrid Eagles soar past Wauconda

The Lakes boys soccer team has been flying at a different level the last few weeks -- and they've taken control of the North Suburban Prairie Division.

The Eagles soared past Wauconda 3-0 on Thursday in Lake Villa and remain the only unbeaten team in the division at 4-0.

Lakes (7-6), riding a five-game winning streak, has remaining division games against Vernon Hills and Antioch.

"At the beginning of the season, it wasn't that we weren't playing well, we just weren't playing full games, said Lakes coach Kevin Kullby, whose Eagles have eclipsed the .500 mark for the first time this season.

"Over the last five games, we've played excellent soccer. There's not much of a difference between winning and losing. We're putting things together, and thankfully we're having the results to show it."

The Eagles had beaten Round Lake 2-1 on Monday.

"We're putting all things together now," Kullby said. "We're getting good goals and great defense. We're not letting teams get into the box or get good chances."

Defensively, Lakes has stepped up its game behind senior goalkeeper Matt Laine, who made 3 saves against Wauconda (6-4-4, 2-1-1), and defenders Matt Braden, Timothy David, Matt Heisel and Mark Polanin.

"We play a great team defense and that's how we win games," Laine said. "It's all defense, and the midfielders are getting back. The entire defense means a lot to me. Without the defense, then I'm nothing."

The Eagles got their first goal in the 20th minute when freshman Alex Dinca scored after Steve Korosis fired a shot off the crossbar.

Lakes' Edwin Martinez made it 2-0 just 19 seconds into the second half after taking a cross from Jon DeGrave.

"(Andrew) Stein played a great ball down to the corner," DeGrave said. "I just tried to get the ball to Edwin, and he made a great play.

"We just saw an opening and went for it. It's nothing that we really practice, but it was open today."

DeGrave added a goal in the 77th minute off a Charlie Scupham assist.

Wauconda keeper Eugene Nagawiecki made 7 saves.

"Wauconda's goalie is outstanding," Kullby said. "It takes special goals to beat him. All of our goals were very good."

"We didn't play well and (Lakes) outplayed us," said Bulldogs coach Terry Stevig. "We didn't get a lot of shots and we didn't make passes. I thought we had a good second half, even though they scored a couple of goals on us."