CLS stays in hunt for soccer crown

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CRYSTAL LAKE – Crystal Lake South’s boys soccer players knew if they didn’t score during the second overtime Thursday, their Fox Valley Conference Valley Division title hopes would be slim at best.

Thanks to sophomore Charlie Oliver, who scored his second goal of the game with 1:48 to play in the second overtime, the Gators escaped with a thrilling 2-1 victory against rival Cary-Grove.

“I was just hoping [my shot] would go in, honestly,” Oliver said.

After Oliver’s game-winner, the referees had to stop the South fans – well over 100 of them – from storming the field as a celebration ensued.

“Both teams absolutely played their hearts out tonight,” C-G coach Mark Olson said. “It’s a tough game for either team to lose, and [our] guys can’t hang their heads. They fought to the finish.”

South (16-3-2 overall, 8-1 FVC Valley) is tied with C-G (12-2-0, 8-1) for first place in the division with one FVC Valley game remaining for each team.

“This is a great win for our program,” South coach Brian Allen said.

“But if we slip Tuesday, [at home against McHenry] what we did today doesn’t mean anything,” Allen added.

Adding to the game’s pulse-pounding finish was the fact it nearly was dark when the winning goal was scored on the recently rededicated Jonathan W. Collins Field, which does not have lights. However, both teams’ coaches said the conditions did not affect the outcome of the game.

“That was a complete non-factor,” Allen said. “I don’t want anyone to take anything away from what we accomplished tonight as a team.”

In the first 10-minute overtime period, neither team put a shot on goal, although there were several near misses and numerous blocked shots from point-blank range.
 
“You heart’s racing out there [in overtime] for sure, and sometimes you’ve gotta take a step back and compose yourself,” South junior defender Matt Biederwolf said.

In the second OT, the only shot on goal, from Oliver, gave the Gators the victory. His blast found the lower right side of the net after a throw-in deflected off a Trojans defender, landing right at Oliver’s feet about 25 feet in front of the net.

After playing most of the game on the right side of the field, Oliver switched to the left side late in the game, and in both overtimes. The move was made to try to catch C-G off guard.

“That was the coach’s idea,” Oliver said. “We were trying to throw them off.”

After a scoreless first half, Oliver scored with 21:03 to play in regulation off a pass by midfielder Cary Bienert. Trojans senior midfielder Matt Latawiec tied the score with 9:14 remaining when he leaped and emerged from a group of blue and white jerseys to head in a free kick by C.J. Arenberg.

The Gators outshot the Trojans, 6-5. They also gained a measure of revenge after losing to C-G earlier in the season, 1-0.