Reinfranck accomplishes 1st goal
in Glenbrook N. win over CLS
Teams work on playoff preparedness in nonconference match
By Dave Surico
NORTHBROOK -- When it comes to goals, Glenbrook North defender Clark Reinfranck may be as far from an expert as you'll find, in either a general or personal nature. And that's part of what made his game-winning, 68th-minute score in the Spartan's 2-1 nonconference win Saturday so memorable.
When asked to trace his high school scoring history, the junior knew it was his first of the year. Then he remembered the goal in a freshman-sophomore scrimmage last season, but that didn't count. Freshman year? Hmmmm, nada. So that was his first career prep goal?
"It feels good," he said with a growing recognition and smile. "Yeah."
The start of the winning play came with sound soccer methodology on Reinfranck's part.
After coming off the bench and playing for about a 10-minute run, the defender crossed the field from his right outside back spot as teammate Allan Dontsis prepared to take a corner kick.
"The corner play was to curve the ball into the front post," Reinfranck he said. "So I was kind of hanging out at the back post. I was over there by the 10 just chillin', waiting for the ball to come through. And it actually did come through.
"It was bouncing, and I saw the ball. There were a lot of deflections. There was nobody in front of me. So I ran on it, nice header past the goalie, right in. The bench said I got like really high in the air.
"I was mentally freaking out. It's been a while since I scored a goal. It felt really good. It feels good to come off the bench and put one in for the team."
The game-winner earned Reinfranck Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors and delivered a welcome result for a team that made a startling statement early in the season, but has struggled as of late.
The Spartans unexpectedly burst into the early season spotlight when they upset the Northside College Showcase, taking the title from the likes of host New Trier, 2014 tourney finalists St. Charles East and Lyons, currently no. 2 ranked Schaumburg, and recent Class 3A fourth-place finisher Streamwood, who they beat 2-1 in the championship match.
But since that 4-1-1 start, the team was mired in a 4-5-1 run that included a loss to Deerfield that gave Glenbrook North its lone Central Suburban League North Division loss and blocked the Spartans from the conference championship match.
"Our team was pretty disappointed," said starting sophomore defender Mason Rose, who scored the first goal of the game. "We thought we should have won conference. We showed in the tournament that we could perform very well against the very good teams."
The hosts may be giving a hint of a turnaround after a 0-0 CSL cross-over tie with no. 6 Evanston on Tuesday and the Saturday win, but coach Paul Vignocchi is not satisfied.
"I thought we did some nice things, but I think there's a lot more there that we could have done," Vignocchi said of his largely underclassmen club. "We struggled to score goals and luckily we scored on a couple set pieces, but overall I think we've just got to find consistency in our attack."
On Saturday the Spartans (11-6-3) took control early and demonstrated excellent touch and passing on the turf field. After Glenbrook North put a ball on the goal line that forced defender Jeff Kirshenbaum to make a clear in the 7th minute, Rose broke the ice after a restart created by a nice run from sophomore left outside back Evan Goldberg. The advance led to a foul and a 30-yard free kick near the left sideline from junior midfielder Jackson Grabill.
"He saw me, and I raised my hand and said hey look at me, I'm going to get in," Rose said of his 10th-minute score. "He played it a little bit low. I ran onto it and deflected it off my right leg."
Crystal Lake South (9-7-4) had first half goalkeeper Spencer Traub to thank for only a 1-0 halftime deficit. After a strong save in the 28th minute, the junior keeper came up even bigger in the 33rd minute. He made a lunging save of a 20-yard shot from Eli Dryer and blocked the rebound attempt.
"I'm thinking I can't let it get to two. Two is a diffcult lead to come back from, so I wanted to keep it close for our guys," said Traub, who had to fight the Spartans and the sun in first half. "I did what I could because I knew that we would be able to keep fighting and get at least one."
Second half keeper Brandon Gorka also contributed a big stop when he dove to his left to deflect a 29-yard free kick from Dontsis in the 67th minute.
After going down a goal, Crystal Lake South kept with its direct attack and an aggressive style that was part of the game plan after a humbling 5-1 loss at Huntley on Thursday.
"We just always want to give a perfect effort, make sure that we're playing with intensity," said Gator coach Brian Allen. "Huntley bullied us, and today I just wanted them ... to play with energy, and I thought for the most part they did that. They just have to make sure that it's smart energy, and that it's not wasted effort.
Crystal Lake South Gators got its best and last chance to tie the game in the 79th minute. Getzinger lined up a shot from the middle of the field from about 20 yards, only to see Glenbrook North senior keeper Ian Albert tip it over the crossbar.
"It was unlucky," Getzinger said. "It was a great cross by Alex Aldridge. The goalie made a really nice save. It was unfortunate we couldn't get the draw. We played good today I thought.
"I thought we responded really, really well from that 5-1 loss Thursday. Ervery day we could do better, but it was good today."
The effort put Crystal Lake South back on the right path.
"We laid an egg on Thursday and today was about making sure we're playoff ready against a playoff-caliber team," said Allen. "That's why they're on the schedule. We know Paul always has a good program and a good team. And it's a good late in the season test to see where we'll be at for the postseason knowing if we can compete against them, we'll be ready. With McHenry looming on Thursday we've got to match the intensity and the tenacity of that. So this was a good little tune-up for that.
"I thought other than being errant on set pieces, in the run of play it was 100 times better than it was on Thursday. But you can't have micro-naps, you can't not mark on set pieces, especially this late in the season. So I'm extremely disappointed in giving up the two set-piece goals because I thought other than that, in the run of play we had some really goods looks, their keeper made some good saves and I was happy with that."
Unfortunately, the Gators late-season and postseason chances may have taken a major hit with a knee injury to star forward Andrew Grabowski. The junior went down at the end of the first half and could not return.
"It's going to force us to change how we attack teams," Allen said. "We play so much through Grabo, that now this makes it that we have to do a couple different things. So we'll try and utilize that in our favor. Obviously you can't replace a player like Grabo, but we'll continue to hope and pray for the best.
"I know he'll do the work to get better as quick as he can, so that we can hopefully have him available for the postseason. But again, credit the guys for coming out in the second half and getting a goal, having a great look late. We're right there. We'll train some different variations, but our approach and our mentality's not going to change. We just have to continue to work hard."
Starting lineups
Crystal Lake South
GK: Spencer Traub
D: Jeff Kirshenbaum
D: Zach Schmidt
D: Kennan Grissom
D: Ryan Yazel
M: Skyler Pentico
M: Ryan Coughlin
M: Nikolas Getzinger
F: Carlos Merida
F: Jake Canfield
F: Andrew Grabowski
Glenbrook North
GK: Ian Albert
D: Mason Rose
D: Evan Goldberg
D: Set Grossman
D: Max Knebelkamp
M: Allan Dontsis
M: Jackson Grabill
M: Tommy Arner
M: Robbie Fraser
F: Mauricio Lasso
F: Alex Kahn
Man of the match: Clark Reinfranck, D, Glenbrook North
Officials: Albert Khouri (center): Rommel Benjamin; Sargun Odishu
in Glenbrook N. win over CLS
Teams work on playoff preparedness in nonconference match
By Dave Surico
NORTHBROOK -- When it comes to goals, Glenbrook North defender Clark Reinfranck may be as far from an expert as you'll find, in either a general or personal nature. And that's part of what made his game-winning, 68th-minute score in the Spartan's 2-1 nonconference win Saturday so memorable.
When asked to trace his high school scoring history, the junior knew it was his first of the year. Then he remembered the goal in a freshman-sophomore scrimmage last season, but that didn't count. Freshman year? Hmmmm, nada. So that was his first career prep goal?
"It feels good," he said with a growing recognition and smile. "Yeah."
The start of the winning play came with sound soccer methodology on Reinfranck's part.
After coming off the bench and playing for about a 10-minute run, the defender crossed the field from his right outside back spot as teammate Allan Dontsis prepared to take a corner kick.
"The corner play was to curve the ball into the front post," Reinfranck he said. "So I was kind of hanging out at the back post. I was over there by the 10 just chillin', waiting for the ball to come through. And it actually did come through.
"It was bouncing, and I saw the ball. There were a lot of deflections. There was nobody in front of me. So I ran on it, nice header past the goalie, right in. The bench said I got like really high in the air.
"I was mentally freaking out. It's been a while since I scored a goal. It felt really good. It feels good to come off the bench and put one in for the team."
The game-winner earned Reinfranck Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors and delivered a welcome result for a team that made a startling statement early in the season, but has struggled as of late.
The Spartans unexpectedly burst into the early season spotlight when they upset the Northside College Showcase, taking the title from the likes of host New Trier, 2014 tourney finalists St. Charles East and Lyons, currently no. 2 ranked Schaumburg, and recent Class 3A fourth-place finisher Streamwood, who they beat 2-1 in the championship match.
But since that 4-1-1 start, the team was mired in a 4-5-1 run that included a loss to Deerfield that gave Glenbrook North its lone Central Suburban League North Division loss and blocked the Spartans from the conference championship match.
"Our team was pretty disappointed," said starting sophomore defender Mason Rose, who scored the first goal of the game. "We thought we should have won conference. We showed in the tournament that we could perform very well against the very good teams."
The hosts may be giving a hint of a turnaround after a 0-0 CSL cross-over tie with no. 6 Evanston on Tuesday and the Saturday win, but coach Paul Vignocchi is not satisfied.
"I thought we did some nice things, but I think there's a lot more there that we could have done," Vignocchi said of his largely underclassmen club. "We struggled to score goals and luckily we scored on a couple set pieces, but overall I think we've just got to find consistency in our attack."
On Saturday the Spartans (11-6-3) took control early and demonstrated excellent touch and passing on the turf field. After Glenbrook North put a ball on the goal line that forced defender Jeff Kirshenbaum to make a clear in the 7th minute, Rose broke the ice after a restart created by a nice run from sophomore left outside back Evan Goldberg. The advance led to a foul and a 30-yard free kick near the left sideline from junior midfielder Jackson Grabill.
"He saw me, and I raised my hand and said hey look at me, I'm going to get in," Rose said of his 10th-minute score. "He played it a little bit low. I ran onto it and deflected it off my right leg."
Crystal Lake South (9-7-4) had first half goalkeeper Spencer Traub to thank for only a 1-0 halftime deficit. After a strong save in the 28th minute, the junior keeper came up even bigger in the 33rd minute. He made a lunging save of a 20-yard shot from Eli Dryer and blocked the rebound attempt.
"I'm thinking I can't let it get to two. Two is a diffcult lead to come back from, so I wanted to keep it close for our guys," said Traub, who had to fight the Spartans and the sun in first half. "I did what I could because I knew that we would be able to keep fighting and get at least one."
Second half keeper Brandon Gorka also contributed a big stop when he dove to his left to deflect a 29-yard free kick from Dontsis in the 67th minute.
After going down a goal, Crystal Lake South kept with its direct attack and an aggressive style that was part of the game plan after a humbling 5-1 loss at Huntley on Thursday.
"We just always want to give a perfect effort, make sure that we're playing with intensity," said Gator coach Brian Allen. "Huntley bullied us, and today I just wanted them ... to play with energy, and I thought for the most part they did that. They just have to make sure that it's smart energy, and that it's not wasted effort.
Crystal Lake South Gators got its best and last chance to tie the game in the 79th minute. Getzinger lined up a shot from the middle of the field from about 20 yards, only to see Glenbrook North senior keeper Ian Albert tip it over the crossbar.
"It was unlucky," Getzinger said. "It was a great cross by Alex Aldridge. The goalie made a really nice save. It was unfortunate we couldn't get the draw. We played good today I thought.
"I thought we responded really, really well from that 5-1 loss Thursday. Ervery day we could do better, but it was good today."
The effort put Crystal Lake South back on the right path.
"We laid an egg on Thursday and today was about making sure we're playoff ready against a playoff-caliber team," said Allen. "That's why they're on the schedule. We know Paul always has a good program and a good team. And it's a good late in the season test to see where we'll be at for the postseason knowing if we can compete against them, we'll be ready. With McHenry looming on Thursday we've got to match the intensity and the tenacity of that. So this was a good little tune-up for that.
"I thought other than being errant on set pieces, in the run of play it was 100 times better than it was on Thursday. But you can't have micro-naps, you can't not mark on set pieces, especially this late in the season. So I'm extremely disappointed in giving up the two set-piece goals because I thought other than that, in the run of play we had some really goods looks, their keeper made some good saves and I was happy with that."
Unfortunately, the Gators late-season and postseason chances may have taken a major hit with a knee injury to star forward Andrew Grabowski. The junior went down at the end of the first half and could not return.
"It's going to force us to change how we attack teams," Allen said. "We play so much through Grabo, that now this makes it that we have to do a couple different things. So we'll try and utilize that in our favor. Obviously you can't replace a player like Grabo, but we'll continue to hope and pray for the best.
"I know he'll do the work to get better as quick as he can, so that we can hopefully have him available for the postseason. But again, credit the guys for coming out in the second half and getting a goal, having a great look late. We're right there. We'll train some different variations, but our approach and our mentality's not going to change. We just have to continue to work hard."
Starting lineups
Crystal Lake South
GK: Spencer Traub
D: Jeff Kirshenbaum
D: Zach Schmidt
D: Kennan Grissom
D: Ryan Yazel
M: Skyler Pentico
M: Ryan Coughlin
M: Nikolas Getzinger
F: Carlos Merida
F: Jake Canfield
F: Andrew Grabowski
Glenbrook North
GK: Ian Albert
D: Mason Rose
D: Evan Goldberg
D: Set Grossman
D: Max Knebelkamp
M: Allan Dontsis
M: Jackson Grabill
M: Tommy Arner
M: Robbie Fraser
F: Mauricio Lasso
F: Alex Kahn
Man of the match: Clark Reinfranck, D, Glenbrook North
Officials: Albert Khouri (center): Rommel Benjamin; Sargun Odishu
