Streamwood notches big win over Geneva

The Streamwood boys soccer team has had some struggles to start the season.

Sabres coach Matt Polovin hopes Monday's 2-1 victory over Upstate Eight Conference River Division foe Geneva at Millennnium Field is a springboard into better things.

"If it's not (a confidence booster), something's wrong," Polovin said. "It's a young team. To play against one of the best teams in the state and do what they did and finish it, I can't say enough about those guys."

Streamwood (1-4, 1-0) took a 1-0 lead less than a minute and a half after the Vikings (2-1, 0-1) wasted a great scoring opportunity when Craig Hancock went just wide with a shot. The Sabres' Ivan Arce ran onto a through ball from Christian Vences. Arce beat Geneva goalkeeper Steven Soderstrom with a far-post shot for a 1-0 lead with 25:31 remaining in the first half.

The Vikings had several chances to tie the game, but were either denied by Sabres junior goalkeeper Jose Resendiz or the shots were off target. Resendiz made 8 saves, four in each half.

"We didn't really have urgency to score," Geneva senior Robbie Johnson said. "Going into the second half, we were getting the ball in the box, being dangerous with it and earned ourselves a (penalty kick)."

Geneva was given a penalty kick with 9:45 left and Brady Wahl converted it to tie the match 1-1.

The Sabres went back on the attack and got the game-winning goal with 1:55 remaining. Resendiz took a corner kick. The ball eventually deflected to Victor Aguilar, a defender up in the attack only because it was a corner kick. Aguilar headed the ball home for the Sabres' first victory and handed the Vikings their first Upstate Eight loss in their first conference game since joining the now 14-school league.

"He was at right spot at the right time," Polovin said of Aguilar. "We weren't playing for a tie. I don't care if we're playing the national team, I want to win. That's why I brought Victor up."