Palatine, Schaumburg prepare for playoffs
With the Mid-Suburban West crown about to be earned by either Barrington or Fremd this weekend, both Palatine and Schaumburg can allow themselves to begin turning their attention toward the state tournament, which is less than two weeks away.
The Pirates (9-8-1, 5-4-1, 16 points), looking to jump-start their postseason hopes, got themselves headed in the right direction Wednesday night with a 4-2 victory over the visiting Saxons (4-12-0, 3-7-0). That ended a 3-game skid for the defending MSL champs.
Senior Ivan Garcia had a hand in 3 of the Pirates' goals, including the equalizer at 12 minutes after the undermanned Saxons, themselves struggling of late, got out of the gate to surprise the home side when Bobby Khalili broke free from a pair of defenders to get in on rookie keeper Kyle Leber just four minutes into the match.
“We had a bright start and finish, but in between there were still too many mistakes for us to compete tonight with Palatine, and for that matter, in the postseason if we hope to get a little run going and doing some damage here and there, said Saxons coach Hamid Mehreioskouei.
The Saxons battled bravely through the first quarter hour despite a bench shortened to just three reserves after illness and injuries took most of Mehreioskouei's fresh legs away.
“We've been trying to prepare for the playoffs, he said, “but it's been very hard because we've been losing players at an alarming rate for various reasons, as (tonight) when we list eight players unable to dress for the match.
The Saxons coach did receive a most pleasant surprise from his freshman duo of Alan Santana and Norikazu Honda, with Honda providing plenty of pace on the left flank as a natural left-footed player, while Santana was singled out as the best player on the pitch during the final 15 minutes of action.
It still wasn't enough.
After Garcia followed a long throw from Jeremy Velinski and slotted past Saxons keeper Ben Beard, junior Jon Clark gave the Pirates the lead for good with a gem of a shot when he ran onto a Garcia helper to smash in his teammate's looping serve.
“This team is quite capable of having a great postseason, because what we lack in overall talent we make up for with a lot of heart and desire, said Clark, who along with senior Kosta Risteski were key figures in the Pirates' championship run last season.
“You have to remember this is a very young team, with many of the players in their first full year with the varsity, and both (Jon) and myself have to provide that extra leadership as we head into the tournament, said Risteski.
Clark's goal helped the Pirates come alive, and they kept producing their best attacking play of the match, with Stephan Thabuteau and Jack Reynolds both part of the vibrant effort.
“That is what will be the difference for us in the postseason, if we can close the gap in all phases of our game in order to put together a complete 80 minutes on both sides of the ball, said Palatine coach Willie Filian. “On some nights, like the other against Fremd, we defended well, but couldn't put the ball in the net. Against Buffalo Grove, I thought we dominated the run of play, but gave up 2 goals, one in OT, and could only score one of our own. If we can even things out, then we can surprise teams and have a good chance in two weeks to go far.
In the second half, Tim Murphy made an immediate impact when brought on at 65 minutes.
The junior stepped onto the pitch and hit a highlight film blast from 35 yards to open up the final quarter hour, which featured a blistering finish. Garcia used a bit of creative footwork to get free and beat Beard in close, and Joey Faleni redirected his fifth of the season past a diving Leber.
“Joey has been a solid player all year, and he's one who will play wherever he's needed, box-to-box, while giving 110 percent in each match, said Mehreioskouei.
The Saxons finish up in the MSL tonight with Wheeling before traveling to Streamwood for a noon kickoff on Saturday at Millenium Field.