Schaumburg survives fast, furious finish at Wheeling
AJ Syvertson’s game-winner at 100 minutes finished off an avalanche of goals in the final 15 minutes Tuesday night as Schaumburg defeated Wheeling 5-4 in two overtimes in a Mid-Suburban League boys soccer crossover hosted by the Wildcats (5-10-0, 3-7-0).
The two sides combined to put 4 goals into the back of the net after 75 minutes. Jose Aguilera stunned the visiting Saxons (4-7-3, 4-5-1) in the 79th minute to send the match into OT before Syvertson ended it all when he steered in his close-range shot.
“We lost one like this the last week to Conant, and I bet we’ve given up half of our goals this season just like that game-winner,” said Wheeling coach Ed Uhrik. “But even with that, I can say the boys played hard and with great heart for 100 minutes in what turned out to be a very exciting game to be a part of.”
“We really needed this one,” said Saxons coach Hamid Mehreioskouei. “To go up two (at 4-2), then allow 2 to get them even was not very good on our part. But we finished them off nonetheless, and I hope this is one of those victories that will help inspire us from here on out and into the playoffs.”
Although the Saxons opened well early, the host took the lead 14 minutes in thanks to Fabian Acosta, who ran onto a ball sent in from Erik Nava and somehow redirected past a pair of defenders and keeper Marty Faleni.
Kacper Wasilewski, recently moved up top alongside Christian Huerta by Mehreiouskouei, added some firepower to the Saxons’ attack. He drew the Saxons level at 22 minutes when he finished what his new frontline partner started from a long throw.
It wasn’t long before the Wildcats regained the lead as junior Jose Garcia bent his free kick around the Schaumburg wall and past a diving Faleni in the 29th minute.
Wasilewski answered almost immediately with his 10th of the season.
Raul Alcala orchestrated a Saxons equalizer by connecting with Alan Santana, who put a shot on frame at Wheeling’s Javier Ocampo. The rebound went to Wasilewski, who drove his shot home.
“All of the goals we got today were a result of hard work,” said Wasilewski, “and that’s the way is has to be from now and through the playoffs.”
Huerta was finally rewarded for a match’s worth of work when he put his club ahead in the 61st minute with a well-placed strike.
It appeared the Saxons had finally distanced themselves when Patrick Jost, just called up from the junior varsity, doubled the Schaumburg lead in the 75th minute. Huerta had key role in keeping things alive inside the Wildcats’ box.
“It’s just about working hard,” Huerta said.
The visitors were able to enjoy the Jost goal for only a few moments as Garcia stepped up and put yet another free kick into the net to set the stage for Aguilera’s OT-forcing goal.
The Saxons dominated the first OT period, having a couple of good chances at Ocampo, and also had an edge in the second. Wheeling did produce a brief flurry as Garcia and Luis Herrera forced keeper Dan O’Connell to save well-aimed shots.
Following a scrum off a Santana serve, Syvertson snuck in close enough to beat a sprawling Ocampo.
“That was just a wild ending in regulation, but we fought back to get a big win,” said Wasilewski.