Lakes, Vernon Hills making progress
A year ago, Lakes' boys soccer team won the North Suburban Prairie Division title.
The Eagles went on to become the first Prairie Division boys team to claim the overall league title, topping Lake Division champion Lake Forest in the championship game.
Lakes opened division play with a much younger and inexperienced team Tuesday. The Eagles are learning on the fly in the early part of the season and ended up with a 1-1 draw with visiting Vernon Hills.
“All in all, it was a good performance for us,” Lakes coach Kevin Kullby said. “We were looking for another goal and had our moments. We could have done better, but their goalie (Brennan Reback) made some nice saves (7 stops). It's tough because we (graduated) four dynamic players, and those players only come around once in a while.”
The Eagles (1-4-2) got off to a slow start this season, dropping their first three games in Lake Forest's North Shore Shootout. But they have shown steady improvement since then.
“We're doing a lot better,” said Cesar Murua, who scored Lakes' goal. “We've gotten better together, working and communicating. We're spreading out the field and finding each other. We're getting to know each other and how we play.”
Vernon Hills (4-3-1) scored in the first five minutes, as Nikita Mikhaylov netted his third goal of the season on a header. It was set up on a Anakin Ruiz cross that Ilya Kravtsev redirected with his head Mikhaylov.
“I just put myself where I needed to be,” Mikhaylov said. “I just headed the ball over the keeper.”
Lakes got the goal back in the 33rd minute after applying pressure in the penalty area. Sean O'Brien hit a low cross that Murua placed in the goal.
“We had a good cross on that one,” Murua said. “We had some good teamwork.”
Like Lakes, Vernon Hills has been showing progress.
“This group of guys continues to work hard,” Vernon Hills coach Mike McCaulou said. “They're going to make mistakes through inexperience. ... The second half was a matter of who was more physical and who wanted it more. We were playing a little more direct. Fitness comes into play there.”