Bird's early goal sets tone in Schaumburg's win

Mid-Suburban League boys soccer champion Schaumburg enjoyed a terrific night at the expense of No. 16 sectional seed Glenbard West on Wednesday.

The 3-0 victory puts the top-seeded Saxons in the finals of the Class 3A Lake Park regional Saturday at Krupke Field in Roselle. Schaumburg will face Willowbrook, which edged the host Lancers 1-0, at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Andrew Bird quickly set Schaumburg (18-2-0) in the right direction when he ran behind the Hilltoppers' defense on the left side. He then sent his left-footed drive into the back of the net in the third minute to give the the Saxons the only goal they would need to advance.

"I thought we played well all throughout, especially along the back, where we stayed organized, kept our shape and held our line the entire match to help keep them from creating any chances of note against Edgar (Avila), who was never tested," said coach Hamid Mehreioskouei.

"It didn't take us long to adjust to playing on grass, instead of turf," said Avila, who shared his shutout with Kolby Miller, who was brought up for the postseason to back up the Saxons' all-state candidate. "And when we did, we played fast and attacked with a lot of energy. Scoring scoring that first goal is always important, especially at this time of the year."

The Hilltoppers (6-13-0) were undone for most of this match by the pace, speed and strength of Schaumburg.

"We played with a lot of heart and effort, and the idea was to keep it close for as long as we could, then see what happens," said Glenbard West coach Maciej Kusmierz. "But in the end, we were no match for a team with such quality and talent, who deserved to win and move on."

With Glenbard West unable to get out of its own end, senior Alex Ruckstaetter was called upon several times to help keep his club in the match. He turned around attempts from Jason Schoo twice, and Bird one more time just minutes after his goal.

Freddy Arreola's wonderful free kick to the back post resulted in Alexis Flores doubled the Saxons' advantage at 32 minutes.

Ruckstaetter's brilliant goal-saving stop on Jessie Lopez kept his club close. But Arreola scored at at 44 minutes, not only putting the result beyond doubt but also outlining the differences between the two sides, according to Kusmierz.

"We felt like this was a bonus game for us after winning our play-in game the other day," he said. "But Schaumburg was a very tough, and first-class opponent, and in the end their experience, pace and overall skill is something we cannot approach right now."

Both coaches began to bring many of their starters off near the hour mark. That allowed those who have worked and trained all season to enjoy significant time on the field.

"Jessie (Lopez) was his typical clinical genius, (Schoo) owned the midfield once again, and our back line, led by (Bird), who allowed nothing on his side all game, led us to a nice result," Mehreioskouei said. "I am excited for this team to be in the championship this Saturday, and I know everyone associated with this team feels the same way."