Boys soccer: Urias, Glenbard East blank Elgin

When the going gets tough some goalkeepers are at their absolute best.

Glenbard East senior Michael Urias is one of those clutch athletes and he came up huge during Wednesday's Upstate Eight boys soccer match at Elgin as the Rams won 2-0 behind his stellar play in the net.

"I think he gets better when there's more pressure in the game," Rams coach Josh Adler said. "I like his composure and I just kind of think in some ways he thrives in that scenario. And with it being his third year on varsity you can just see his experience of managing the back and recognizing situations, and his positioning and angles of shots or where shots might end up. Cool, calm and collected Mike is big-time."

The Rams (2-2-2, 1-0-1) had just added an insurance goal with 29:09 left in the game when junior Zach Pfister pounced on a rebound from senior Ryan Heatley. While it made it a 2-0 game it seemed to awaken the Maroons, who proceeded to attack Urias.

Elgin senior Isaac Espinosa had a bit of bad luck as his free kick just outside the penalty box caromed hard off the left post with 25:20 left to play. A little more than a minute later and senior Ronnie Umana's header looked like it may have sneaked in, but Urial was on the prowl to deny it.

Then, with 21:44 remaining, junior Jose Hernandez was tackled in the box and awarded a PK but the Maroons were denied on the attempt as Urias made the diving rejection, his second straight of the young season.

"He kept looking one way so I was guessing he was going to go the other way and I just dove there and got the save," he said. "I was glad to see the boys smiling after that."

They have reason to be smiling with a stalwart in charge in net.

"His shot stopping ability, his positioning on things, his command of the box was just phenomenal again," Adler said. "This is the second game in a row where he's been our Golden Boot winner just because he kept things at bay. To step up like that, what he's done these last two matches is outstanding."

Elgin (1-1-2, 0-1-1) fell behind 1-0 late in the first half as the Maroons were pressing but the Rams answered with a breakaway from Edgar Duenas.

"We were getting pressed a lot but then I got the one breakaway and did a little 1-2 and took the shot from the 30," Duenas said. "I hit the bottom left and it was a good momentum swing. They were very technical, very skillful, but our defense held (its) ground. We weren't used to our formation but settled in and played pretty well."