Bartlett struggles to finish against counterattacking Wheeling

By Gary Larsen

Close is never good enough in soccer and it didn’t get the job done on Saturday for Bartlett.

The Hawks chipped some paint off the frame of the north-end goal at Streamwood’s Millennium Field, but couldn’t finish in a 2-0 loss to Wheeling.

“This is the third time this year that this has happened to us,” Bartlett coach Ben Beary said. “And it’s frustrating for my guys because it’s the third game we’ve had good scoring chances, but couldn’t put one in the back of the net.”

The loss came in the title game of this year’s Bartlett Invitational, dropping the host’s record to 7-3 on the season.

After posting wins over Carmel, Rockford East, and Jacobs in tournament play, the Hawks applied attacking pressure from the opening whistle against Wheeling.

Finding a goal was another issue, however.

“Bartlett got a little unlucky today, but we also had a few chances early on that we could have done better with,” Wheeling coach Ed Uhrik said. “But we’ve been focusing on defense a lot this year.”

“I was happy with the way we stayed organized. Defensively we let them pass the ball all around, which is fine, and we’ve got some good counterattack ability.”

Wheeling’s Ricky Garcia converted a penalty kick in the game’s 22nd minute to put his squad up 1-0, and Beary sensed a perceptible drop in play from his side thereafter.

“They have a lot of speed,” Beary said. “On the (penalty kick), we had to foul a guy to stop him. And after that I didn’t think we were really the same team in the first half.”

Bartlett goalkeeper Jeff Gal made a nice save on an offering from Wheeling’s Jose Felix 33 minutes in, and kept his wits about him throughout Wheeling’s flashes of dangerous counters.

“Jeff Gal was outstanding in back,” Beary said. “They had so many opportunities in the first half. Jeff Gal was definitely our leader today.”

“After the PK he had some amazing saves. He didn’t let it stop him from playing his absolute best today.”

Bartlett sent three shots off the post and one off the crossbar in the second half, and Wheeling keeper Matt Rosen made an outstanding save on an Eric Kennebeck head shot in the 59th minute of play.

Mere minutes later, Wheeling stuck the dagger in when Yonic Carillo finished a shot taken from close range.

“We were pressing and we got caught up,” Bartlett junior Brett Dini said. “They got a lucky bounce off one of our guys and scored.”

Wheeling improved to 5-4-1 in winning its first tournament title of the year.

“We’re young. We only have four returning players from last year’s team,” Uhrik said. “I thought Ricky Garcia and Bryan Rodriguez played very well today, and they’ve done that all year.”

Bartlett faces two good tests in the week ahead against Upstate Eight foes South Elgin and Streamwood.

“I’m very happy with out team. We’ve been working hard and winning games,” Dini said. “We’ll take this loss and move on, and hopefully win the next couple.”

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