Conant passes another key Mid-Suburban test
Conant took a big step forward in the first two tests of its biggest week of the boys soccer season.
Tuesday night the Cougars (9-4-1) used an early strike from Thomas Kozlowski just 37 seconds into the match, then exploded for another three more before intermission en route to a 6-0 win over Wheeling in an important Mid-Suburban League crossover match in Hoffman Estates.
The victory gives the MSL West leaders 3 vital points to stay atop of the league table with 18 points, and ahead of challengers Barrington and Fremd, who are hoping for some help on Thursday when the Cougars travel to Rolling Meadows for an afternoon match on the road.
"It felt good to finally get out to an early lead, and (to) put a team away when there was an opportunity to do so, and take some of the pressure off (at) least another night," said Cougars coach Jason Franco, who on Monday night watched his team fight off a game Buffalo Grove club 1-0 to kick-off what Franco and his club wish to be a successful week in the MSL.
"There's 9 points out there for us this week, and we need to take advantage of (that) to help set us (up) for the home stretch when we face both Prospect and Palatine to finish up the regular season."
"We all know what we've got to do," offered Cougars' senior Shivan Patel, who scored twice in the match.
Patel's first came at eight minutes after Kozlowski headed a rebound high into the back of the net to open the scoring from which teammate Bobby Iatomasi initiated with a close-range blast saves by Wheeling (3-9-0, 1-5-0) keeper Arturo Escobedo.
"It makes things a little easier when (we) can get a lead like we did in that first-half, and on Thursday we hope to continue playing as well as we did tonight."
The pace of the Cougars' front men, Kozlowski, Iatomasi and Nathan Cornell was immediately obvious and the trio were a constant bother to the visitors backline, as were Patel and his mates in the middle, who were sharp and so quick on the ball from the opening whistle.
Patel would score his first with an easy one-timer at the end of an unmarked center channel run in which Cornell neatly provided the helper on.
Zach Conrad would convert a penalty kick at 25 minutes to make it 3-0. Two minutes later Michael Natalino would add to the Cougars lead when, on the turn from in close, he went by a helpless Escobedo, who on three separate occasions would make superb point-blank saves to help keep his club within reach, until the home-side would open things up for good.
"I said at the start of the season that we had some very good talent on this team, and if we could learn to play together," said Wheeling coach Ed Uhrik, "and figure out what it takes to compete each night in the MSL, that our year, despite all of our youth then we would have a pretty good 2010 season.
"From tonight's effort, and our weekend at the Glenbrook North Invite, it's obvious we still haven't gotten there yet."
The Cougars' would continue to hound their guests after the break, and its backline of Michael Zentner, Billy Belmonte, Mike Miller and Dan Ruzich would make sure to keep the 'Cats talented sophomore, Irving Eloiza, far enough away from its keeper Bobby Potratz until late in regulation.
Patel would combine with Kozlowski once again to increase the lead to 5-0 in the 51st minute, while Belmonte would finish the scoring on the night at 76th minute with some help from Cornell.
Schaumburg 1, Hoffman 0: Blake Nelson's goal gave the Saxons the MSL West victory.
Leyden 6, Proviso East 0: David Wisniewski scored both first-half goals for Leyden (11-0-2, 3-0) to increase his season total to 16 in the West Suburban Gold victory. Juan Recendez had a goal and an assist and Arnoldo Reyes had 2 assists.