 |
|
Neuqua Valley wins rematch with Lyons Township for Pepsi title By Gary Larsen
Lyons Township goalkeeper Sully Fox is one of the best in the business, but he had no chance on the game-winning shot that Neuqua Valley’s Patrick Doody hit on Sunday at Toyota Park. Doody slid along the top of the penalty area to his left before unleashing a left-footed shot to the upper right corner of the net. “It was one of those goals where you think ‘there’s not much I could do about that’,” Fox said. “I don’t what to say. It’s just a great shot.” Neuqua Valley (13-0-1) topped Lyons Township (10-2) for the second time this season, in a 2-1 game that was far from the 4-0 hurt the Wildcats put on the Lions the first time around. “The first time we played them, I don’t think they were ready for the pace that we had or the pressure that we put on them,” said Neuqua senior Scott Davis. “Plus it was on our home field. I think we just caught them off guard.” “Today they came out fighting, and they were much, much faster on the ball, and moving off the ball, and it just results in a much closer game.” The Pepsi Showdown title game featured attacking momentum swings that ruled the second half and two overtime periods. Through almost 75 minutes of soccer, neither side managed to punch home a goal as both teams defended well. “They were going to give us a certain amount of possession and then they were going to tighten it up as we went forward,” Neuqua coach Tony Kees said. “I knew they were going to be more organized. We knew that the first time we played them it wasn’t a four-goal game.” Neuqua-Lyons Part II could potentially be a precursor to Part III, which would take place if both sides reach this year’s supersectional round. On a rainy night across the wide open range of Toyota Park’s field, scoring was absent until Davis broke towards net to gather a Bryan Ciesiulka feed and scored with five minutes left in regulation. “I saw it was going to be a throw-in … and I just made a run,” Davis said. “(Ciesiulka) made a great throw-in. It went over the head of one defender and I was able to turn on their last defender and go to goal.” Ciesiulka wasn’t present for the post-game interview, but his contributions were also pivotal to the Wildcats’ title win over Lyons Township. He also assisted on Doody’s game-winner. “We do down, score a goal, and there’s exactly five minutes left to go,” Turanchik said. “Our philosophy all year has been that after we score a goal, we shut it down. There shouldn’t be anything in the back.” The Wildcats had the better of play in the first overtime and the Lions answered with some pressure in the second, before Doody stepped into the spotlight. “I yelled out ‘heel’ and (Ciesiulka) dropped it right on my foot,” said Doody, who found himself with a defender on his hip. “I just started going on a sideways run. I finally got enough space and I let a shot go.” “I didn’t know if I could bend a ball from that distance, so I just went laces.” Doody sat out Saturday’s 1-0 semifinal win over Morton with a fever of 102, but had no intention of missing Sunday’s title game. Kees rarely took Doody off the field on Sunday. Afterward, he was as happy with the win his squad posted as he was for the chance his boys got to play at Toyota Park. “This is my first time as a coach in the tournament. What a great carrot for the teams in the tournament, to get to play here,” Kees said. “It’s such an extraordinary experience for the boys, to get to see real soccer on a real field.” “It’s a tribute to Joe (Trost) to put this tournament together, and we’re glad to be a part of it.”
|
Man of the match: Bryan Ciesiulka By Gary Larsen
There's an art to quietly being the best player on the field, and Neuqua's Bryan Ciesiulka has mastered it. Whether he's directing traffic in the middle, tracking back to defend, or flashing all the foot skills you'd ever want to see, the Wildcats' senior is a throwback. "He's involved in every aspect of our game," Neuqua coach Tony Kees said. "When you watch our games you can't help but notice that the ball follows him around the field." Ciesiulka assisted on both goals in Neuqua's 2-1 overtime win against Lyons Township, and he leads the team in points with 8 goals and 14 assists this year. "He's just enjoying himself," Kees said. "He's such a positive force on the field for us, he has all those goals and assists, and yet he still does so much of the dirty work for us." “It’s no secret among our guys that Bryan is our best player.” |
A perfect shot at the perfect moment.
