After sectional loss, Lisle looks to next season

Sure, it hurt, but Lisle's Class A sectional semifinal loss to Somonauk just added fuel to a growing fire under a growing boys soccer program.

"Konrad (Raclawski) just told me, 'Next year, we're winning this game,' " said Lisle coach Paul Kohorn.

Raclawski is a junior on a team that loses only one senior to graduation.

In a game that was played closer than its 5-2 final score, third-seeded Lisle (16-4) led second-seeded Somonauk 2-1 in the second half before the Bobcats' 4-goal outburst buried the Lions in Hinckley.

After withstanding a strong Somonauk push to start the game, Lisle traded punches to halftime and beyond against a team they lost to 3-0 on Sept. 18.

"We just wanted to hold them through that first 10 minutes and get ourselves going," said Lisle senior David Fencl, who scored a goal in each half.

The attacking trio of Raclawski, Fencl and freshman Grant Fitzgerald were consistently dangerous, and goalkeeper Jay Osika and defenders Kyle Zomick, Kyle Leonard, Max Boheme and John Soukop battled throughout.

Raclawski's hard work in the attacking third earned a handful of corner kicks early on, and his hustle play in the box led to a foul that gave Lisle a penalty kick in the 17th minute.

Fencl converted the PK, and Lisle led 1-0 at halftime. Somonauk tied the game on a penalty kick early in the second half, but Fencl took the ball from midfield on the ensuing kickoff, dribbled up and fired from 18 yards out on the right side to give Lisle a 2-1 lead.

The game's turning point came when Somonauk tied the game at 2-2 on a head shot off a corner kick, which sparked the Bobcats' attack to another level. Somonauk scored 3 goals in the game's final 14 minutes.

"I really thought we would counter again after my second goal," Fencl said. "I thought the momentum would keep us going. Our momentum was killed with that tying goal."

For long spurts of play, Fencl alone seemed to have the ball on his foot at midfield -- winning balls, distributing, dribbling up and creating. Midfielder Viktor Vajda's play was also prominent.

"They moved the ball extremely well in the midfield," said Somonauk coach Dave Erasmus. "We won't run into too many more midfield guys like that."

"David came to play tonight, and he has for four years," Kohorn said.

In its fifth season as a program, Lisle won its first Interstate Eight Conference title, won the Orion tournament and posted the program's best season record to date.

"I'm real pleased with where we are," Kohorn said. "We've made some great strides."

"We just had to get it into our minds that we could go far," Fencl said. "We really wanted more than this, but I'm so pleased with the team this year."