Boys soccer: Mundelein absorbs a big win over Waukegan

Staying in contention for the North Suburban Conference championship was what Mundelein's boys soccer team had in mind on Saturday morning.

The Mustangs had to deal with rainy conditions but found a way to endure, as they edged host Waukegan 1-0 on a goal from Kenny Adiyiah.

Mundelein (11-4) finished 5-2 in the NSC. Waukegan (7-7-1) is 4-2 with its conference finale at Libertyville on Tuesday night. Libertyville (5-1) has clinched a tie for first place, but a win or tie can give the Wildcats the outright title. If Waukegan beats Libertyville, there would be a three-way tie.

"Technically, we have a chance," said Mundelein coach Ernie Billittier, whose team has won four straight matches, including a decision over Barrington. "We needed a (good) result in this one after the way (Waukegan) beat us in regionals (last year). We were motivated and hungry to play. It was a sloppy game with the rain. I'm just happy with the way the boys responded. We'll just wait to see what happens on Tuesday night."

Mundelein notched the game's only goal in the opening 10 minutes. Adiyiah hit a shot that keeper Jonathen Esquivel stopped, but Adiyiah followed up and knocked in his fourth goal of the season.

"This was a game that I was looking forward to after last year," Adiyaih said. "We were motivated for this one and didn't give up."

Mustangs keeper goalkeeper Eric Munoz made 7 stops for the shutout. On the back line, Danny Ford led the way along with Ethan Butler, Nam Le and Elliott Sachnoff.

"It was tough back there," Ford said. "The grass was slippery and the ball was skipping a lot. You just have to win dirty sometimes. We had to play hard. The defense and the midfield stayed connected. There were no gaps between each other. We have three seniors that have been here before, and playing with each other for a long time helps. We know how each other plays and how to work together."

Waukegan had trouble penetrating Mundelein's defense and generating quality chances.

"We did have some chances," Waukegan coach Peter Valdez said. "The conditions didn't help, but both teams were playing on the same field. You have to adapt. (Mundelein) was strong and big (defensively). They played technically very sound and didn't make many mistakes. When they had to clear it, they did. They did a great job, and their goalie made the saves he had to make."