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Lions erase some memories of recent past with semifinal berth
By Curt Herron Reaching the state semifinals and assuring yourself of a trophy for a top four finish is a big deal to any program. And that's especially the case when they've been there many times before but have fallen short of that accomplishment in recent seasons. Such is the case with Saint Viator, which was a staple on the awards stand at the state meet during a stretch from 1996 to 2004. During that nine-year run, coach Mike Taylor's Lions walked away with six trophies, including the ultimate prize in 2003 with a Class A title. But in the next four years, Saint Viator's fortunes turned and it found itself struggling just to get out of regionals. Following a sectional semifinal loss to Fremd in 2005, the Lions failed to advance out of the regional for the next three years. Things were particularly frustrating the past two seasons when the Lions posted great records before getting upset in the postseason. In 2007, they owned an 18-0-3 record and a number-two seed before getting upset by darkhorse Jacobs in the regional semifinals. The frustration continued last season when they took a 19-2 mark into the regional finals, where they were beaten by Palatine. With a talented group of players on hand for the current campaign, the pressure was on Saint Viator to make a run for the Class 2A crown. And thus far, they've taken care of business and again been able to assure their program of a state trophy with a top four finish. That was guaranteed on Tuesday when the 22-4-1 Lions rallied to claim a 3-1 win over St. Joseph at the Benedictine University Super-Sectional. With a win over Triad in Friday's 1:00 p.m. semifinals at North Central College in Naperville, the Lions would advance to their third state title match. Longtime rival Peoria Notre Dame, who beat Saint Viator 3-2 late in the season, and upstart Freeport are the other Class 2A semifinalists. So while their goals are certainly not all achieved, the Lions are relieved that they've been able to return to a position of prominence. Hear Saint Viator's Brendan King interview Tuesday's super-sectional was the first real challenge of the postseason for the Lions, who outscored their opponents 25-2 in the first four matches. Saint Viator had to run into East Suburban Catholic rival St. Joseph, who had finished third in Class 2A last year and tied the Lions 1-1 this season. After falling behind on a last-minute goal in the opening half, the Lions scored three times during the final 40 minutes to claim a 3-1 victory. Hear Saint Viator's Bill Krawzak interview St. Joseph's score with 48 seconds left in the first half was a bad sign for the Lions, who had enjoyed the better of the play in the first 40 minutes. Then the Lions went over 14 minutes into the second half without being able to find the net and concerns began to grow as the clock kept ticking away. But Saint Viator finally connected with 25:48 remaining when Billy Hamilton put in a long shot, following passes from Trevor Wheeler and Alan Aboona. Hear Saint Viator's Alan Aboona interview The Lions kept the pressure up against the ESCC co-player of the year, Charger keeper Jovani Castanon, who came up with several big stops. But Saint Viator was able to move in front for good with 15:51 left when Hamilton scored again, this time on an assist from Kevin Cavers. That score relieved much of the pressure on the Lions, who now needed to defend well if they hoped to move on to the state semifinals. Hear Saint Viator's Matt Morsches interview St. Joseph threatened with seven minutes left but keeper Scott Faul came out of the net to stop a shot attempt by All-Stater Marco Gutierrez. The Lions finally ended the drama with 3:21 to go when Cavers found the net to close the scoring and wrap up their first state trip since 2004. As Saint Viator's players celebrated in the aftermath of their victory, there was a feeling of a sense of relief over taking this step forward. Now the Lions are two wins away from the ultimate goal, which would no doubt erase many of the disappointing memories of recent postseasons. Hear Saint Viator's Jack Horvath interview
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Lions state appearances
Lions Schedule
Postseason play
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