Maine West, Conant draw an even picture
Maine West and host Conant played to a 1-1 draw Monday night in Hoffman Estates the season opener for both sides.
The two clubs began play for 2010 with the hope of bigger and better things after each club finished a successful regular season, which would end all too soon in the post-season.
"This team is very close - like family, and that is easily one of the best things about our team this fall," said three-year veteran Emmett Turner-Jackson, one of four to wear the captains arm band for Maine West.
Jackson, along with his backline mates, Jayson LeSeth and Austin O'Toole, are among the reasons head coach Mike DiVincenzo believes the Warriors are capable of repeating as Central Suburban North champs, and much more, despite several key losses to graduation.
"We've got plenty of experience in the back, team speed, and depth, even if many of our players are new to the varsity scene," said DiVincenzo.
Both sides had a difficult time shaking the rust in the first quarter hour, which produced plenty of frantic and chippy play during that time.
However, the visitors easily had the run of play in the opening stages, and continued to successfully possess in the Cougars end for most of the first half. But they were unable to produce any quality chances on Cougars keeper Bobby Potratz, back for the second straight season in coach Jason Franco's first-11.
The homeside would come alive in the final minutes before intermission, with Michael Natalino and Bobby Iatomasi forcing Warriors rookie keeper Jecsan Torres to challenge, and win a 50-50 ball inside the box to keep things goal-less heading into the break.
Torres was especially busy as the second half began, taking a dangerous ball off the shooting boots of Shivam Patel in close, then going airborne to take a 50-50 ball away from an onrushing Joey Bosco, who was hoping to finish a ball sent in over the top from teammate Michael Zentner.
"I thought (Maine West) had the run of play in that first half, and it kind of provided a wakeup call to our guys who have been training against each other, and our junior varsity during the past two weeks," began Franco.
"But once we began to play, I thought we gained back the momentum leading up to (our) goal, but quickly lost (it) after we missed a PK."
After LeSeth would block a shot in close against Hugo Gonzalez, the Cougars would take the lead at 64 minutes after Torres used some nifty acrobatics to stop Iatomasi, only to give up a rebound in which junior Zach Conrad finished going right-to-left with a low, well-paced shot.
Moments later, Dan Ruzich would create a PK opportunity with a run and carry into the Warriors box, but Torres would stop the spot-kick from Thomas Kozlowski.
Three minutes later, Cristian Perez would equalize when he would redirect a LeSeth ball sent from the midline.
"Last year we did a great job of not giving up set-piece goals, and if we want to compete this season, we've got to stay away from doing that," said Franco, whose club moves on to the Lake Park Invite this Thursday against Wheaton North.
"We pretty much achieved want we wanted to tonight," said DiVincenzo. "We played a lot of people, had some terrific moments on both sides of the ball, and didn't panic when we got behind, which was all good as far as I am concerned."