Boys soccer: Streamwood outlasts Elgin for sectional crown
Converting four straight shots from the mark enabled Streamwood to do what 100 minutes of soccer didn't achieve - get past Elgin.
The Sabres, who were thinking victory until Elgin got an equalizer with just 3:56 left in regulation, saw the 1-1 draw continue through the two additional 10-minute extra sessions forcing the shootout to determine the Class 3A Hampshire sectional champion.
Alex Chavez stepped up and calmly converted his attempt much the same as he had done two nights before late in a semifinal to defeat Dundee-Crown.
Streamwood goalie Hector Alfaro dove to his right to stop Ramon Orozco's shot. Jesus Limon's effort caromed off the underside of the crossbar and down. Alfaro dove to his left to deny Elgin's Jesus Millan sending Streamwood's hopes sky-high.
Sophomore Jose Ibarra, the youngest participant in the shootout, made it 3-for-3 for the Sabres. Elgin junior Almanza Albert kept the Maroons' hopes alive scoring to his right.
Jorge Bracamontes drilled his shot giving Streamwood an insurmountable 4-1 lead to keep the Maroons' last two shooters from even having an opportunity.
Streamwood (18-4-3) advances to Tuesday's 6 p.m. Hoffman Estates Conant supersectional to face a Lake Park squad (20-3-3) that earned its slot thanks to pulling off back-to-back, sudden-death shootouts, the later on Friday night over Benet.
Last year the Sabres were beaten in a shootout for the sectional title match when Jacobs got a save when the "PKs" became sudden victory after both sides went 5-for-5. As a result, this year's sectional becomes the second in Streamwood school history to go with one in 2014 when that unit went on to finish fourth in the state finals.
"This feels great because we should have one last year. We wanted to redeem ourselves," explained Limon.
"That was a great game and once again it comes down to these guys never give up," Sabres coach Matt Polovin insisted. "We thought we had it but one tiny mishap and Omar (Lopez) punished us."
The narrow gap between Elgin and Streamwood is virtually a tradition. Since the Sabres won the regional they hosted in 2014 by beating Elgin, the next four meetings all ended in draws - 1-1 in 2015, 1-1 in 2016, 1-1 in 2017, and 2-2 back on Sept. 19 of this year.
Was it any wonder that the previous 320 minutes or the first 40 of Friday night still had the two teams even? Alejandro Morales' third assist of the year enabled Chavez to crank a 21-yarder from the left wing that curved inside of the far right post just 5:04 into the second half. It was the first time in four postseason matches that a shot eluded Maroon goalie Martin Jimenez.
The combination of Elgin pushing for an equalizer and Streamwood in full defensive mode led to a number of Maroon threats. While Ibarra and the Sabres' defense were succeeding in limiting Maroon standout Lopez's touches or shots, that ended at 76:04. As he had done twice two nights before in a 2-0 semifinal win over Crystal Lake Central, Rafael Perez had a textbook cross to the far post.
Lopez sprinted to the ball and despite a tough angle, slotted the ball back from the left to the inside of the right post. As a result, the stretch of actual minutes without a winner between the two Upstate Eight Conference foes led to the overtimes and what is now 420 minutes of stalemate, if not for the shootout.
"I hate PKs," Elgin coach David Borg understandably stated. "It's so frustrating because I thought we had the ball in their half of the field about 70 percent of the time. Even though we didn't pass well in the first half, we still controlled things. In many ways I believe we outplayed them and had opportunities. Because it's been such a good season, it's still bittersweet."
Elgin (17-2-3) won the inaugural St. Charles tournament, earned a UEC banner for the second straight year and followed up with a regional plaque.