Missouri powerhouse shuts out Libertyville

Playing a couple of outstanding opponents to finish the regular season was the plan for Libertyville's boys soccer team.

The Wildcats got the experience they wanted, just not the results.

Gateway Legacy Christian Academy visited Libertyville on Tuesday night, and the Missouri powerhouse left with a 4-0 victory.

Libertyville (13-2-3) played its starters for only the first 20-30 minutes of the first half.

On Saturday, Libertyville faced Peoria Notre Dame at Bradley University's Shea Stadium and lost 5-2.

"We scheduled these two games because we want to play the best teams," said coach Kevin Thunholm, whose Wildcats start the Class 3A state tournament next week. "Like I've said all year long, 'Everybody plays their best against us.' (Gateway Legacy) was unbelievably skilled. We wanted to get out of this game healthy. We got a chance to play other players that haven't had the opportunity to play. We're looking ahead to the playoffs."

The loss to Peoria Notre Dame was the first for the Wildcats this season and their first regular-season defeat in three years. Libertyville is the top seed in its own sectional and will play Saturday's winner of between No. 17 Waukegan and No. 16 Palatine at 4:30 p.m. next Tuesday in the Palatine regional semifinals.

Gateway Legacy (14-2-1) just finished playing its fourth and final game on its trip. The team shut out Stevenson 7-0 last Friday, blanked Morton 2-0 on Saturday and topped Solario Academy 4-0 on Monday.

"(Libertyville) was well-organized, physical and very fast," Gateway Legacy coach Dave Reddan said. "I knew that the playoffs are coming up and I knew that their starters weren't going to play the whole game. They keep the ball and the midfield shows how fast they are. They play the American style and keep the ball on the ground. They know how to play futbol."

Gateway Legacy scored twice in each half. Eduardo Rodrigues netted a pair of goals, while Luca Ferreira and Tiago Ramos had the others.

I'm extremely proud of what we did against them," Thunholm said. "Nobody wants to lose two games in a row, but when you play probably the two best teams in the nation, you should be OK. We just want to get better."