Boys soccer: Fremd reclaims Kinsella Cup at Palatine
Fremd's boys soccer team dashed the hopes of crosstown rival Palatine on homecoming night Friday with a 2-1 victory at Chic Anderson Stadium to take home the Kinsella Cup.
The host Pirates (7-6-1, 4-5-0) had taken back the trophy last year following a 1-0 triumph.
Ryan Cox and Michael Lebarge grabbed a goal apiece in the first half to stun the hosts, who entered the match on a three-game winning streak.
"(Fremd) outplayed us in the first half," said Pirates keeper Dylan Ruzbasan, who could nothing about either goal, particularly the game-winner by Lebarge on a missile from some 35 yards out. "We played a little better in the second, but they we the better team for most of this game."
Even Lebarge, a senior, was a bit surprised when his long strike found the net.
"When it left my foot, I thought it was going over," he said. "But it dipped at the end, much to my surprise."
The Kinsella Cup is awarded to the winner of the Palatine-Fremd matchup to commemorate the founding of the Celtic Soccer Club some 21 years ago and is a focal point each season for both high school teams.
"We've been so much better than we were in the beginning of the season," said Fremd keeper Josh Kasser. "Although all of us are still making mistakes here and there, it's always good to get another win while beating Palatine at the same time, especially after they put it to us last year."
The play of Kasser helped Fremd (6-7-3, 4-4-1) weather the usual dead-ball and set-piece storm Palatine typically produces.
Although the Vikings struggled to get out of their own end in the early stages, they were first on the scoreboard as in the ninth minute James Lefevre and Anthony Tambellini helped break apart the Pirates' defense to help set free Cox to the right of Ruzbasan.
The Pirates manufactured three consecutive corners and a pair of deep throws after Lebarge and his backline mates cleared each of the inward swinging corners from Sebastian Fraczek near the half-hour to help keep the shutout bid by Kasser intact.
Palatine coach Willie Filian opened the second period with his group in a 3-4-3 formation, placing George Soipan, Johan Ballasco and Fraczek up top with the hope of generating more offense. But the best the Pirates could do was have a 40-yard freekick from Fraczek confidently pulled out of the air by Kasser, and a left-footed attempt by Soipan go over the bar in the 51st minute.
"They came at us pretty hard in the second half, and our ability to manage the lead with poise and composure wasn't were it should have been, which ended up costing us our fourth shutout in our last five games," said Fremd coach Steve Keller. "But nonetheless this was a good win for us tonight, and that's the bottom line at this point in the season."
Soipan drew the Pirates closer four minutes from time with some help from Danny Pacheo and Kevin Filian, but that would be it as Dalton Rogers, Bobby Burk, Ben Cuthbert and Lebarge stayed clean along the back in front of Kasser to help secure the victory.