Boys soccer: Glenbrook North denies South Elgin its first state berth

The exciting, memorable and record-setting season of South Elgin soccer came to a heartbreaking end Tuesday night at Barrington Community Field

That's where Glenbrook North, unbeaten in its last 17 games, used a superb night of work from keeper Jake Melnick and two second-half goals to claim a 2-0 victory over the Storm to lift the supersectional championship trophy and advance into the 3A state tournament Friday.

The Spartans (20-2-3) will play St. Laurence at Garber Stadium on the campus of Hoffman Estates High School in the 6 p.m. first semifinal of the night.

"We watched film of South Elgin and we saw a team that was so good technically, possessed the ball really well, and had a lot of attacking players that we needed to keep from doing what they do so well," said Melnick, whose two brilliant first-half saves, and another after the intermission, would stymie a South Elgin (22-4-1) attack that had netted 36 goals during a nine-game win streak.

"Their keeper was the difference maker in the first half, kept them in the game," said Storm coach Jerzy Skowron. "We played a very good first half of soccer, did all the things we do well, kept the ball in their end, defended well in our end, (just) a really good half.

"We did everything well except finish our chances, and when they scored their first goal just after the half, we got away from our game."

With the speed of lightning, the Storm' dynamic duo of Pelon Munoz and Matt Lipp would pry open the right side of the Spartans. And when Jacob Buthman ran onto an inch-perfect helper, it looked as if the senior would bag the opener.

However, it would Melnick who somehow got a glove the redirected effort from Buthman in the 14th minute to keep things level at 0-0.

Adam Kiel unleashed a 35-yard missile that rattled the bar in the 35th minute. Just moments before the break, Matt Lipp had a chance in close, but was unable to put much on his effort.

Munoz, Lipp and Buthman accounted for 50 goals and 23 assists on the season.

The Spartans’ breakthrough came in the 45th minute when a long cross field free kick from just inside midline found the head of Manuel Salto, who used his length and big frame to elevate high over a crowd to thump his 22nd goal of the season into the far inside netting.

"After that first goal we begun to hang our heads, and it was their constant pressure on the ball that caused us to stop playing our game," said South Elgin’s superb forward Pelon Munoz.

Munoz (22 goals) scoreded the eventual game-winner in a 3-2 overtime triumph over St. Charles North in the sectional final.

With the Storm pushing numbers in the final 10 minutes of regulation, sophomore Cam Taylor would deliver a crushing second goal in the 76th minute.

"Jack was amazing, just as he's been all throughout the playoffs, and our defense was strong against a very good South Elgin team," said Spartans senior Tommy Raptis.

"(GBN) is a very good team, that has great depth, and they play hard for 80 minutes, and tonight, they were the better team, and congrats to them for moving on," said Skowron.

"This has been a year to remember. We've accomplished so many things with a great group of young men, including a wonderful bunch of seniors who we will miss dearly. This is always the worse feeling to lose when you're this close to making it to state, but the guys have a lot to be proud of."

The Storm claimed a record number of victories (22) while earning their first sectional championship, and second regional title in program history.