No. 17 Jacobs upsets Cary-Grove for regional title

Danny Scheuer, and Mark Kyszka react to Brad Schmickley's (right) goal in the second half. Schmickley's goal tied the match at one and sent the game into three overtimes. (Rob Winner photo)

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ALGONQUIN – Another day, another upset.

Jacobs’ unlikely run through the IHSA Class AA tournament continued Saturday, as the Golden Eagles, the Lake Zurich Sectional’s No. 17 seed, defeated Cary-Grove, 2-1, for the Class AA Jacobs Regional title.

Mark Kyszka scored the game-winning goal 3:23 into the third overtime period.

“Cinderella, huh?” Eagles coach Jim Dzialo quipped.

“I mean, I think we all thought we were a decent side, but ... we were [seeded] 17th! Out of 18!”

The Eagles, who finished the regular season 7-15, knocked off 16th-seeded Prairie Ridge, second-seeded St. Viator and seventh-seeded C-G to capture the program’s first postseason title in eight years.

Jacobs will play sixth-seeded Palatine, the winner of the Palatine Regional, in the second of Tuesday’s Class AA Lake Zurich Sectional semifinal matches.

Top-seeded Barrington and fifth-seeded Deerfield round out the four-team field.

“We just have a different mind-set now,” said Kyszka, who in the 103rd minute received Brian Obmalay’s pass near the edge of C-G’s penalty box, turned, and sent a laser into the upper-right corner of the goal.

“Ever since [beating St. Viator], we just know we can win,” Kyszka said.

Andy Martin’s 3rd-minute goal put C-G (15-6) up, 1-0 – a lead it kept for the majority of the match. With less than 9 minutes in regulation, however, Brad Schmickley tied the contest on a wind-aided free kick from his own end of the field.

The ball, which landed in the Trojans’ penalty area, bounced over C-G goalkeeper Keenan Walsh and toward the net. Walsh, hurried by Obmalay, could not prevent the ball from crossing the goal line.

“Those things happen,” C-G coach Mark Olson said. “Without Keenan, we wouldn’t have gotten to this point anyway. He’s been outstanding all year.”

Trojans midfielder Phil Hansen appeared to lift his team to victory with 2 minutes left in the second overtime, but his goal was disallowed due to an offsides penalty.

Eagles goalkeeper Danny Trevor made two of his match-high 11 saves in the second overtime, setting the stage for Kyszka’s heroics.

“That kid’s on fire right now,” Dzialo said about Kyszka.

Olson, who led the Trojans to a pair of one-goal victories  against Jacobs in the regular season, applauded the Eagles’ effort.

“I have to give [Jacobs] all the credit,” Olson said. “It was a great shot.

“I think we’re all a little disappointed the season ended the way it did. But we have nothing to hang our heads about. I’m very proud of the year we’ve had.”