Zion-Benton gets past Grant

Grant’s boys soccer team hope of rolling through its own regional was stopped abruptly in the later stages on Saturday afternoon.

The No. 4 seed Bulldogs gave up 2 late goals and lost to No. 5 Zion-Benton 3-2 in a Class 3A regional quarterfinal in Fox Lake.

“We weren’t able to close things out,” said Grant coach Shane Rivette, whose team ended its season at 10-11. “(Zion-Benton) was able to stay in the game. Give them credit — they finished it up on us.

“It’s unfortunate, because we got fired up in the second half. We just didn’t play good enough defense, and defense wins games.”

Zion-Benton (9-13-2) next meets top-seeded Warren (17-3-3) at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Grant. No. 2 Round Lake (16-2-3) meets No. 3 Hononegah at 6:30 p.m. at the same site.

This is the second straight year the Zee-Bees have pulled off an early upset. They beat Buffalo Grove in the opening game last year.

“Our season from game to game, minute to minute is just like a rollercoaster,” Zion-Benton coach Cliff Pontillo said. “We play beautiful soccer at times and then we have defensive lapses. But our guys never give up and fought to the end.

“Grant was a good team and they played hard to the end, too. We could’ve been easily on the other side of this.”

Meanwhile, Dalton Cmiel scored the first Zee-Bees goal in the 35th minute.

The Bulldogs countered with 2 goals in the second half against a strong wind.

First Nick Kramer served a free kick toward Gabriel Velarde, whose header tied the game in the 44th minute. Then Kyle Hatton won a challenge with Zee-Bees keeper Josue Bueno at the top of the box for an empty-net goal in the 74th minute.

But Zion-Benton buzzed back in 26 seconds, tying the game at 2-2 when Pollo Wence connected on a long range kick.

“(Zion-Benton) picked things up and we slowed down,” Kramer said. “Some of our backs got out of position and stopped talking. (Zion-Benton) were the ones that played harder at the end then we did.”

Wence also added the winning goal in the final two minutes for the Zee-Bees.

“I had one man in front of me and I had to take him on,” said Wence, who has 4 goals this season. “I took a step, hit a shot into the low corner. It’s really big to win in back-to-back years.”