Downers South withstands Naperville North pressure
After losing to Naperville Central two Saturdays ago and tying with Lemont last Saturday, Downers Grove South's soccer team took the field against Naperville North on this Saturday determined to apply its "A" game.
That's just what the Mustangs did in a 1-0 win over the host Huskies.
"We know that we can play with the best," said Downers Grove South goalkeeper Brett Petricek. "Today, we played well."
The Mustangs (12-1-3) got a first-half goal from Mark Dismang and strong efforts around the park throughout.
"We found some consistency, and that's what you're looking for this time of the year," said Mustangs coach Jon Stapleton. "This was one of the best games we've played in a long time."
Naperville North (11-2-3) pressured well in search of a tying goal through the second half, but Downers Grove South made Dismang's goal stand up.
"In the first half they completely took it to us," said Huskies coach Jim Konrad. "They beat us to every ball, and (Dismang) hit a wonderful shot. That was a great goal."
Dismang took one touch to settle a ball 18 yards out and ripped it inside the far post in the game's 16th minute.
"I knew we needed to get something on goal because we had the wind in the first half," said Dismang, after scoring his 10th goal of the year. "I just saw it and I took it. It just ended up going where I wanted it."
The Mustangs stayed organized in back and built their attack well through 40 minutes.
"In the second half I thought we had the better of play," said Konrad, who only bemoaned his squad's struggle to find truly dangerous shots on net during the run of play, with corner kicks and long Riley Breese throw-ins making up the Huskies' primary threat.
Petricek left his line aggressively all day to cut those plays off, and his defense retreated to the goalmouth to back him up.
The Mustangs' Mitch Larva kick-saved a Huskies shot in the first half with Petricek off his line, and did it again in the second half amid a crowd at the goalmouth.
"When Brett leaves the goal it's a scary thing, but you've just got to get back there and do your best not to let a shot go in," Larva said.