Tigers drop third straight vs. Blackhawks

By Eddie Burns

A week that started with so much promise has turned extremely sour for Wheaton Warrenville South.

The Tigers lost for a third straight time with West Aurora providing the latest blow, a 3-1 beating on a damp, raw Thursday night in Wheaton.

“This was supposed to be a grand week and it’s turned out be a bit of a disappointment to date,” WW South coach Guy Callipari said. “It is frustrating.”

When the week began all the Tigers had to do was beat Naperville Central and West Aurora at home to claim the DuPage Valley Conference championship, but instead they lost both games by a combined score of 7-2.

“It is pretty stunning that we’ve lost three straight,” WW South sophomore defender Will Huesing said. “It is stunning after started the season so well. On our whole team, our heads are not clear. We need to get our heads clear and focus on our games and it is not happening.”

The Blackhawks (17-3-2, 4-2-1 DVC) blitzed the Tigers (16-4-2, 4-2-1) for three goals in a 17-minute span in the opening half to build a three-goal halftime lead.

“It was another really slow start,” Huesing said. “They had some good shots. They were physical. We had problems today. We didn’t track our men back into the box and that is how they scored two of their goals.”

Goalie Derek Babb didn’t really have a chance on any of the three goals scored by the Blackhawks because each was perfectly placed.

“None of those goals were cheap,” Callipari said. “Those were three quality goals.”

However, after spotting the Blackhawks a 3-0 lead the Tigers began to show signs of life and actually had the better of the play for most of the final 60 minutes of the match.

WW South’s Andrew Guerrero pulled the Tigers within 3-1 when tallied a score in the 45th minute and from that moment on most of the action took place in West Aurora’s side of the field.

“We didn’t play very well against Naperville Central and we didn’t deserve to be in the game, but tonight I thought we fared well,” Callipari said. “We had 80 percent of the play, but that wasn’t enough. We have to play 80 minutes and you have to perform defensively and we’ve struggled in that department a little bit.”

There is no one particular area that is struggling, but WW South had issues leaving West Aurora players unmarked.

“We are not talking well and we’re not communicating,” Huesing said. “We’re just looking for other people to do our jobs and nobody is stepping up and doing their part.”

Callipari said it isn’t the defense’s fault the Tigers are struggling.

“We’re having trouble in the midfield,” Callipari said. “We’ve fallen too deep into a hole, which allows the opponent a second look and we missed a few tackles, which allowed them chances.”

WW South sophomore Jarrod Jakubowski, Ricky Munguia and Matt Krieger each had chances to pull the Tigers closer, but their attempts either sailed wide or high of the net.

Callipari’s squad also played without the services of Manny Munguia, Alden Marton and George Doran because of injuries that trio played huge role in WW South’s success earlier this season.
Callipari also pointed the fact that other teams are converting on chances when they present themselves against the Tigers.

“We haven’t changed very much, but what we’re finding is that teams are becoming much more capable, more groomed and more polished toward the later part of the year and they are finishing on opportunities that they perhaps weren’t earlier on in the year,” he said.

“I know we got out of the gate very early because our experience (13 returning players) showed and now teams are finding their own mix a little bit and they are putting away the few opportunities they have and earlier on when teams had those opportunities they weren’t closing on them.”

The Tigers close out the regular season on Friday afternoon at Wheaton Academy.

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WW South starters vs. West Aurora