Boys soccer: Crystal Lake South's goal before half crucial in win over Dundee-Crown
If there was one productive thing Crystal Lake South took from last week's 6-0 loss to Palatine, it was a Pirates' goal scored in the final second of the game.
The lesson learned was to play all the way to the end.
As the final seconds ticked down in the first half against Dundee-Crown, South midfielder Hayden Stone made a run down the right side and crossed a ball in front. All forward Ali Ahmed had to do was a slight touch to send it inside the far post for a goal with 1.4 seconds remaining.
It was an uplifting goal for South and a demoralizing one for D-C. The Gators rode that momentum through the second half for a 2-0 Fox Valley Conference win in boys soccer Tuesday at D-C.
"Hayden made a fantastic run out of the mid, and I knew he was going to cross it," Ahmed said. "It was right on the money. That was easy for me.
"I think it knocks them out. They're ready to go to halftime and we put another one up. It felt great."
South (4-1-1, 1-0 FVC) scored its first goal on a set piece with Nick Prus assisting Nolan Getzinger with 15:35 remaining in the half.
"The goal is to play a full 40-minute game and a 20-minute half and that (goal) exemplified that," Gators coach Brian Allen said. "Hayden got it and played a great ball and Ali (Ahmed) finished the run. That's all it takes is a little redirect.
"A 2-0 lead at half is totally different, especially against a team as dangerous as D-C. That goal really gave us a boost."
D-C generated some good chances early in the game before Getzinger's goal came off a free kick. D-C keeper Braeden Hayes approached the front of the goal box to play a long, bouncing ball. While his feet were in, the referee ruled a handball saying Hayes reached outside the box for the ball.
Getzinger and Prus talked for a few seconds as the ball was placed just outside the box on the right side. Prus rolled the ball a few feet and Getzinger, just past D-C's wall, ripped a shot inside the far post.
"We had one like that in one of our first games and it did not go like that," Getzinger said. "We knew what we had to do. The keeper was pushing to the far side. I wouldn't have been able to hit it over the wall, so I took it and I got lucky and it went in."
Allen said it's a set play on which Getzinger and Prus can decide how to attack.
"They have enough of a soccer IQ and we say, 'Think about this and this,'" Allen said. "They saw a little space and Nolan hit a great shot low. Sometimes with the keeper they think you're going to go over the wall and you have to do different things.
"We got a great goal to open the game up for us. We started to get momentum after that. Before that we were fighting it. You have to give all credit to D-C before that."
D-C coach Rey Vargas thought Hayes was within the box when he caught the ball, but was disappointed by the second goal.
"We just seemed to fall asleep with the clock ticking away and we didn't have any urgency to clear that ball," Vargas said. "That's a great play by them for following through and making it count."
South keeper Chris Slawek finished with six saves. Hayes had two and Manuel Hernandez had five for D-C.
Getzinger really liked the way the Gators played defense against what is perennially one of the FVC's top teams.
"The entire game our back line held its own," Getzinger said. "Keeping a clean sheet for the first conference game was huge for us. I am proud of our back line today."
Allen was equally impressed with his team's effort.
"You have to absorb their pressure. They're super skilled, they're athletic all over the field," Allen said. "Once we got used to their speed and figured out what they were trying to do, our shape got better.
"We relaxed and played with the lead and got some really good chances. You have to credit their keepers, we could have extended the lead. I'm glad we kept it at zero."