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| Team bonding in Burlington
Players from Lake Park and Marmion are infinitely more familiar with one another after playing in a three-day, five-game tournament in Burlington, Iowa. "We had a lot of fun on the bus ride," said Marmion's Max Rosenfelder. "We got to know each other a lot better than we did." Marmion The Cadets -- who will move from Class 3A to 2A this fall -- got a good taste of 2A competition at last weekend's tournament at Burlington, Iowa, playing five games against teams like Quincy Notre Dame, and defending 2A state champion Peoria Notre Dame. Marmion went 2-3 at Burlington, but out-possessed their opponents throughout the five-game stint. The Cadets have scored well throughout summer league play, but struggled to finish in their three losses at Burlington. "Scoring hasn't been a problem, up until Iowa," Rosenfelder said. "We had a lot of possession and shots, but their goalies were making saves and we weren't able to follow up on any rebound shots." "But we showed good possession, and we just have to finish our chances. Coach (Kevin O'Connor) was happy with the way we possessed it, and it shows that we have potential this year." O'Connor was happy to take his team on the four-hour trip to the Iowa border. "The whole purpose there is to see who the guys are that we can count on when the going gets tough, and we’re under pressure," he said. Marmion will rely on players like Steven Anderson and Eliot Anderson in back, Tom Cruger at midfield, plus Rosenfelder and returning all-conference player Sam Duffield. Rosenfelder has been Marmion's most consistent finisher this summer, as O'Connor has experimented with numerous forward combinations in the final third. Duffield has moved around from midfield to forward, and forward Rosenfelder is happy to have him as a running mate up top. "Sam's a great player, and he's so big," Rosenfelder said. "When you're going into the attacking third on a two-on-one or two-on-two, it's easy to find Duff. He makes great runs, so it's easy for me to get it to him. He's a big, fast player." Marmion went 2-3 overall in Iowa. "They were all close games and we kept possession in most of the games. The two games we won were the two games we scored in," Rosenfelder said. Marmion held possession well against Peoria Notre Dame, the defending but state champs scored off a few corner kicks to secure the win. "They were a very big team," Rosenfelder said. "Their two forwards were huge, and we're not the biggest team ever. But we held our own against them, and their goalie made a few big saves in that game." "The trip definitely helped our on-field chemistry. We all hung out together, and it makes everyone more comfortable talking to each other out on the field." Lake Park
"We played pretty well," said Lancers coach Norm Hillner. "We never trailed during the tournament." Lancers' senior Mike Keane was glad to see this year's squad take a step forward in Iowa. "Overall, we played really well," Keane said. "We got a lot more camaraderie at the tournament, and we gained a lot of confidence in each other. I definitely think we improved, and we've got good potential this year." Keane applauded the play of teammate Louie Cesario at midfield during tournament play, and was happy with the play of his fellow seniors around the pitch. "And I think some of the younger guys proved that they deserve a place on the field," Keane said. "We had a lot of possession, and a lot of buildup to some nice goals. I'd say our defending in the box needs a little work, and we need to eliminate some mental lapses that hurt us. We gave up a goal with five seconds left (in a tie with Freeport), and that can't happen." As a central midfielder, the senior has also been encouraged by the attacking potential the Lancers have shown this summer. "I thought scoring might be a problem, but we haven't had a problem scoring during the summer league," Keane said. "We've had a lot of nice buildups to goals, so I don't think scoring will be a problem."
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While a four-hour bus ride in the rain may not be anyone's idea of a good time, it can go a long way to putting a soccer team on the road to chemistry.
The Lancers played one more game than Marmion, going 2-0-4 in Burlington. Lake Park held leads over Freeport, Quincy, and defending 2A champion Peoria Notre Dame before settling for ties against all three.
