Dundee-Crown claims 1st conference title since 2005

A frustrating evening for Dundee-Crown senior Eduardo Arellano turned into a celebratory one.

Missing three golden opportunities to score during regulation time, Arellano pushed a shot past Cary-Grove goalkeeper Ethan Csoka with 29 seconds left in overtime to give the Chargers a 1-0 win in Fox Valley Conference Valley Division boys soccer action at Cary-Grove’s Al Bohrer Field Thursday night.

The win gives the Chargers (17-0-1, 5-0) no worse than a share of the conference championship, their first since 2005. D-C can wrap up the division title with a win over District 300 rival Jacobs next Tuesday.

“It should have never gotten to overtime,’ said D-C coach Rey Vargas. “We squandered a lot of chances. It was a frustrating night for Eduardo so I am glad he got the goal. Cary-Grove always plays tough so this is a good win.”

Arellano’s game-winning goal deflected off two Cary-Grove defenders.

“It was a tough night until the end,” said Arellano. “I had some great chances to score and I couldn’t get the goal. I am just glad I got the goal at the end and we won the game.”

D-C junior goalie Jose Gonzalez was also key to victory for the Chargers. Gonzalez turned back all 5 of Cary-Grove shots in the game. The Chargers junior made 2 spectacular saves in the second half that kept the game scoreless.

With 9:10 left in the match, Trojan senior Kevin Wilde broke through the Charger defense and blasted a shot from 10 yards out and Gonzalez made a diving save to preserve the shutout.

With 2:31 remaining in regulation time, Trojan junior Matt Scott had a rebound from a shot from Wilde in front of the net but Gonzalez got a hand on the ball for the save.

“Jose was absolutely outstanding,” said Vargas. “He kept us in the game with some great saves.”

Csoka was equally outstanding between the pipes for the Trojans (11-7, 2-4) with 7 saves.

The Cary-Grove junior netminder’s best effort of the night came in the second half when he turned back a 10-yard direct kick from the Chargers’ Ben Stone.

‘Congratulations to Dundee-Crown,’ said Cary-Grove coach Mark Olson. “Rey (Vargas) and (assistant coach) Sebastian (Falinski) have done a great job. We played our hearts out and we controlled the action in the second half. We played smart and with a great deal of desire. We played with great effort. It was a tough way to lose but I am proud of our guys.”