Scouting the MSL Cup: Prospect at Palatine
33rd Mid-Suburban League Cup
Prospect (13-3-3) at Palatine (18-1-1)
7 p.m. today
For the record: Prospect broke the four-year stranglehold Hersey held as the MSL East representative to give the Knights their third appearance (1994, 2004) in school history. The Pirates booked their ninth trip after defeating Conant 2-0 last week and now lead all of the MSL in total visits to this storied match, which began in 1977 when Wheeling beat Forest View 5-2.
This year: Palatine beat vistiing Prospect 3-0 on Sept. 15.
Stats to savor: Palatine gave up 2 goals once (vs. Lake Zurich) while allowing just 9 in 20 matches. Prospect has outscored its opponents 41-16, including 15-4 in MSL East play.
Players to watch: Palatine: Willie Filian Jr. (MF, 17 assists), Josh Clark (F, 9 goals), Kyle Held (GK, 13 shutouts), Tim Conklin (D), Josh Feldman (DMF), Jake Velinski (F, 11 goals), Jon Clark (MF). Prospect: Mike Stankiewicz (MF, 5 assists), Sam Slusher (MF, 6 assists), Kyle Mataloni (D), Jim Brault (GK, 9 shutouts), Patryk Ruta (F, 12 goals), Will Hall (MF), Richard Lenke (F, 10 goals).
Palatine update: Palatine was the pick to click in the preseason, but it appeared all of that would change after the Pirates lost all-state candidate Matt Marturano for the year in the second match of the season (broken leg) and Josh Clark (stress fracture, foot), easily one of the most dynamic duos in the area, if not the state.
Palatine's Willie Filian, Jr. says: "I think we were all worried about the state of our team (those) injuries. But everyone else has to step up, like Jake Velinski, Jon Clark, and others, and it always seemed like someone different would come through for us."
Palatine's Josh Clark says: "When Matt went down, we were all demoralized, but all of us went over to visit (Matt) at the hospital and it really helped us bond as a team, and with the support of the coaching staff, our friends and the school, we were able to re-focus and get back to what we had set out to do."
Prospect update: Last year, with nearly the same first 11 as this season, the Knights finished 5-11-3, while giving up 33 goals in front of keeper Jim Brault, including a season ending 4-2 loss to Lake Forest in its regional opener. With fellow senior Kyle Mataloni as the glue, a young backline has helped Brault pull within one of the school record in shutouts (10).
Prospect's Jim Brault says: "The way last year ended left a bad taste for all of us, and since summer league, right through preseason, you could sense we were all together and anxious to make this season a memorable one for us and the program."
Prospect's Sam Slusher says: "Last year we gave up a lot of goals, and despite creating chances, we (just) never finished on those chances. But after a terrific off-season of work, we all knew how important it was to start strong, and to stay strong, and our confidence has grown each time out."
Coaches corner
Palatine's Willie Filian, Sr. says: "Prospect is very good on the ball, especially in the midfield, and we have to make sure to disrupt (their) possession game and make them work more than they would like to defensively. Kyle Held has been making the big saves of late, so we feel good about that part of the game, and if the majority of the match is in their end, then we'll have a good chance."
Prospect's Kurt Trenkle says: "Palatine is a talented, physical team that is good at disrupting ball movement, dangerous in set pieces and has a terrific work ethic. If we can play through our strength (midfield), be disciplined, and finish on the chances we create, then it should be quite a soccer match."
- Mike Garofola