Barrington tops Prospect, takes MSL West lead
So, look who's atop the Mid-Suburban West.
Off to a dreadful 0-4-2 start to the season, Barrington has roared back to win 10 of its last 12 and six in a row, including three this week in conference play to overtake Fremd for the division lead after a 1-0 victory Saturday afternoon over Prospect before a big homecoming crowd.
The win gives coach Scott Steib's club 21 points 3 more than its closest division rival Fremd, who has a game in hand heading into the final week of the regular season.
"Between Fremd, Conant and ourselves, we would all like one match back here or there to give one of us a bigger, more comfortable lead in the division," said Steib. "But for today, we're at least ahead of everyone else and that says a lot about this team, which in the early stages of the season looked to be in a bit of trouble.
Steib credits part of the resurgence to an airtight backline in front of keeper Will Cotopolis, who got his fourth straight shutout when the Broncos finally got to .500 in a 2-0 victory over Conant just over a week ago.
"We have four seniors who have experience, and other qualities in their play have helped solidify things along the back, while others have finally settled into their individual roles and responsibilities," said Charlie Giovenco, who recently was moved to join Dan Barber, Max Mohr and Grant McAndrew to form a solid defensive unit in front of Cotopolis.
Unfortunately for the visiting Knights (10-4-2, 5-4-0-15), their ride of late has been a bumpy one. Prospect has lost three straight, dropping out of the lead in the MSL East for the first time this season after Elk Grove defeated Wheeling 5-2 to take over the division with 18 points.
"I am real proud of the way the guys have battled and not given up, even during this rough stretch," said Prospect coach Kurt Trenkle. "We're knocking the ball around, playing great defense, having our guys in the middle playing both sides of the ball very well. But in that final third, we just have not been able to finish, and that's not for lack of trying, either."
With a strong wind at their back for the first 40 minutes, the Knights went about their search to end their scoring drought yet failed to test Cotopolis with any serious chances.
The hosts, meanwhile, took advantage of their lone opportunity of the half.
Giovenco hit the eventual game-winner near the spot after a scrum created by himself and teammates David Pacheo and Austin Walsh, who both earned assists on the goal at 32 minutes.
Soon after, the Broncos (10-6-2, 7-2-0-21) defended a corner initiated from a marvelous cross-field serve by Brayhan Nunez, and did the same on a Mario Morales corner sent from the area by Walsh.
The work rate from the Knights quartert of Patryk Ruta, Stefano Dolomas, David Spudic and Nunez exerted a measure of control in the middle to help keep the ball in the Broncos' end for a higher percentage of time after the break. But the Knights still were could not test Cotopolis with anything on frame.
The Broncos nearly doubled their lead late in the match when Taylor Williams and Reid Strain sprung to life up top, but a rocket from Strain was saved beautifully from keeper Brad Reibel, and Williams' run onto a ball out of the back from Barber was slammed into the right-side netting.
"It's been a long road to get back to where we are now, and to beat a team that plays as well as Prospect does at the end of a tough week says a lot about the character of this team," said Steib. "But the season isn't over yet."
The Broncos host Wheeling on Tuesday, then travel to Rolling Meadows to finish up their regular season.
Fremd has back-to-back home games beginning Monday with Wheeling and followed by Hoffman Estates before closing the things out on the road at Hersey on Friday.