Barrington survives; Palatine stops Jacobs

In what was both a captivating and nerve-wracking night of soccer for Barrington, the top-seeded Broncos survived 103 minutes of madness before senior Jack Valentine ended Deerfield's upset hopes.

Valentine's finishing header helped the Broncos (20-2-0) get past the No. 6 seed Warriors 1-0 Tuesday night in the opening sectional semi-final match at Lake Zurich. It sets the stage for a Thursday final against rival Palatine, which defeated Jacobs (3-0) in the other semifinal.

"This match felt so much like (what) Hersey was able to do to us in the MSL Cup two weeks ago," said Barrington coach Scott Steib, who saw his team hit the goal frame four times before Valentine's strike went completely into the back of the net.

"Hersey really frustrated us with the defensive tactic they threw at us when they beat us in the MSL Cup. And tonight, as the match went on, and we continued to miss on chances to finish, you could sense that it was going to be one of those games that we could be in trouble if we didn't score."

With so many hopes and expectations thrown upon the Broncos, it appeared early that the task ahead of them would be an easy one to complete as a combination of a swift attack and tight defense would be too much for Deerfield to overcome.

"We had a very difficult start tonight and Barrington really put us on our heels with some exceptional play and quick ball movement," said Deerfield coach Elliott Hurtig. "But I feel that the longer the match went on and we stayed even with them, the more our confidence grew and the more I believed that we had a very good chance of beating them."

The Broncos looked to be unstoppable during the first half hour with the trio of Francesco Furio, Ata Ozbay and Cameron Reilly using enough trickery to dance their way through Deerfield (15-5-4) and create several scoring chances.

Reilly unloaded the first of 4 off the frame at 28 minutes from 30 yards. Much later on, defender Brian Bernal hit a beautifully weighted free-kick serve which Warriors keeper Brian Crane had no chance to stop -- bit the bar did, sending the match into a third 10-minute overtime period.

In regulation, Valentine burst through on the left side before having a shot on Crane, which the senior saved to register his best stop. Ozbay got sent through by Furio and broke free inside the box, only to miss wide after getting Crane all to himself in close.

"I think a lot of us were getting nervous and frustrated the longer we went without scoring," said Valentine. "It was how Hersey beat us and we all knew it could happen again.

"All I know, is that I wasn't going to (miss) my chance on that game-winner."

Ozbay helped create the eventual winner with a gritty tackle at the near touch line. He quickly looked for and found Alex Luedtke with a pass.

The duo would work together one more time before finding Valentine, who smashed in his header.

"All year long this team has found a way to win," said Steib. "Tonight is one of those games that was made for us to win."

Palatine 3, Jacobs 0: The stirring postseason adventure for Jacobs came to a resounding halt in Lake Zurich Tuesday night when No. 6 seed Palatine proved one giant too many for the Golden Eagles' late-blooming soccer team.

Having beaten No. 2 seed St. Viator and No. 7 Cary-Grove in two previous upset victories, No. 17 Jacobs (10-16-0) allowed 2 goals in 10 minutes during the first half before falling to the Pirates (16-8-0) 3-0 in the second sectional semifinal of the Lake Zurich sectional.

Palatine will face top-seed Barrington (20-2-0) at 6 p.m. Thursday in the sectional final, with the winner advancing into next Monday's supersectional at Benedictine University in Lisle.

"Just as last Saturday (against) Lake Zurich, we knew and felt scoring first would be so important against a team who has had a terrific tournament run," said Palatine coach Willie Filian. "I like the way that we continued to pressure (Jacobs) and look to add to our lead all throughout the match and to make it a tough match for them to get back into."

Senior Louis Vargas easily earned man of the match honors for the Pirates as his perceptive use of the ball never allowed the Golden Eagles to relax for a second, while his work created space and opportunity for his teammates -- and an ovation from Jacobs coach Jim Dzialo at night's end.

"We haven't seen anyone like No. 9 (Vargas) at all this season," said Dzialo. "We were unable to find an answer, particularly in the first half. And after giving up that first goal, the second, then third … they were just a little too much for us to overcome tonight."

The Golden Eagles' marvelous run began to unravel when Joshua Clark redirected a rebound off a wonderful punch-and-save inside the 6 by keeper Danny Trevor at 18 minutes to finish a strong start by the Pirates.

Vargas and front-line mates Haris Haskovic and Glenn Arnold had too much pace and energy for their opponents. That trio, along with an experienced midfield, recorded nearly a dozen set-piece, long throw and corner kick opportunities in the first quarter hour leading up to the Clark finish.

Matt Bliznick cleared a sure goal off the end line for Jacobs at 24 minutes on a Haskovic attempt before Vargas electrified the Pirates' bench when he blasted a 25-yard shot after a Matt Marturano helper.

"That first goal for us was huge," began Vargas. "But getting that third one was even bigger because a 2-0 lead is always a dangerous one to protect."

Pirates keeper Ben Calvopina had an uneventful first 40 minutes of action, but the senior was called upon on two occasions after intermission to help preserve his club's lead and eventual shutout, his seventh of the season.

After Zach Compton made it 3-0 with a header at 49 minutes on a superb Clark serve, Calvopina turned away captain Taylor Pignataro, who had a strong go in close, and again later, when Mark Kyszka's left-footed blast came from the near post side.

"We may have a good bit of luck and fortune during the last couple of matches, and maybe our luck ran out against a very skilled and talented opponent," said Dzialo.

"But I am real proud of all of the guys and what they accomplished."