Glenbrook North blanks Barrington

It was not the result Barrington was looking for.

The Broncos hosted Glenbrook North Tuesday evening, and it was too much Nick Olsen and Jeremy Albert for the hosts, who fell 4-0 in the season opener for both.

The Spartans' talented captain Olsen helped create the first goal of the match at nine minutes with a bit of trickery bordering on absolute magic, then ended the scoring on the night with a superb touch to find the back post from 25 yards to finish off coach Scott Steib's squad.

"Obviously we were looking for a different outcome (tonight), but GBN is a much improved team from a year ago, and they have a dynamic player (in Olsen) who is the type of player any team would love to have," said Steib. "We're going to put this match behind us, get back and train hard tomorrow, and get ourselves ready for our MSL opener with Palatine on Thursday."

The visitors, just 7-13-2 last season, started brightly when Olsen turned around his marker at the near touchline before sending a well-paced low ball through the box to an onrushing Albert, who finished at the back post for the only goal the Spartans needed.

Just moments before the break, Albert doubled the lead for his mates when he was allowed enough time and space to fire past Broncos keeper Steve Polasik, who had little chance to react to the 20-yard missile.

"We didn't even step up to challenge their guy, and that's the kind of thing we cannot do, especially just before the break," said Steib.

"It's always gives a team a huge lift to score so late," said Spartans coach Paul Vignocchi, "but what pleased me more was (getting) that third goal just minutes into the second half to all but put this match away for good."

Just moments after Albert put the Spartans up 2-0, Broncos senior Taylor Williams rattled the bar with a blast from the right side following a David Pacheo free kick sent into the box.

Steib made several changes in his lineup to open the second half and went with four defenders in hopes of containing the Spartans, but the visitors' ability to keep alive a second ball allowed Jonathan Weber to finish in close to increase the lead to 3-0.

Talented Spartans keeper Quinn McAnaney, strong all evening in the air and all around the 18, punched out a Dan Barber attempt at 46 minutes, then eight minutes later the senior elevated with ease to pull Barber's long ball down safely.

"I think we are all disappointed with how this match ended, but we've got to pull ourselves back together and get ready for our match with Palatine and our tournament which begins next week," said Barber. "There were a lot of positive things out there tonight, and we played hard all night, especially some of the younger guys, who were given a chance to show what they could do."