Speech lights fire under Lane
Deep Indians turn up heat in 2nd half, top Highland Park 3-0
By Dave Owen
CHICAGO – With excellent depth and an influx of new talent, Lane soccer fortunes are on the rise.
If those factors weren’t enough Monday’s 3-0 win over Highland Park, an old-fashioned halftime speech added fuel to the team's intensity.
After David de la Fuente’s goal in the 31st minute gave Lane a 1-0 halftime lead, Indians coach Andrew Ricks got his message across.
“Highland Park is seriously decimated (by injuries),” Ricks said. “I felt we were the better team, and I encouraged the guys to say it. We could pressure them and overpower them, and it worked. It’s just how badly do you want to win, because we should win this game. I tried to put it on them.
“I kind of used a boxing analogy of the rope-a-dope, body-blow, wear the guy down, and finally it happens. That’s what the speech was about.”
Second half goals by Kevin Mienta and Brandon Rivera were the knockout punches, as Lane added to its solid August record (3-0-1) and rising confidence.
“It’s my senior year, so I really want to win city,” Mienta said. “It’s good to start early in the season and work hard.”
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match Mienta’s maximum effort and hustle epitomized the night for the Indians. And he provided quick results to help his team pull away.
Receiving a pass upfield from Arniel Sinanagic, Mienta raced up the middle and lined a high shot just inside the box that glanced off leaping Highland Park goalkeeper Roi Lavi’s hands and into the net for a 2-0 Lane lead.
Three minutes later, Mienta nearly struck again when he won a 50/50 ball, sped in on net and rocketed a 20-yard shot just inches over the crossbar.
“You have to be aggressive,” Mienta said. “Their defense was good, and I had to do all I could to win the ball and help my team.
“It was important to increase the lead from 1-0 to 2-0, and I thought if I could pick up my pace, others will pick up their pace. And we all did for a 3-0 win.”
Rivera capped off a high-effort second half by Lane by adding an insurance goal in the 79th minute.
After combining with Zachary Rogers on a defensive play to deny a Highland Park attack, Rivera followed the play upfield.
Marcin Kieta’s cross from the left side went past a well-marked Mienta to an open Rivera, who powered a low 22-yarder into the net.
“Marcin had two assists tonight and is a very good player,” Ricks said. “I didn’t think he had a very good first half. I told him and he responded. Those assists were two important passes.
“In the second half he really stepped his game up and wanted to prove that he could do better to himself and me. And he did with that second assist and a couple of nice attacking runs that really put them under pressure.”
Kieta was also the architect of the game’s first goal, which ignited Lane after a largely back-and-forth first 30 minutes of play.
“I saw the ball from one side of the field came to our central-midfielder Marcin,” de la Fuente said. “I just opened up a little bit to open space from the defender, I got the ball and saw the open net before the defender could get to me. I just took a one-touch curler inside the right post.”
The perfectly struck low 20-yard skipping drive was de la Fuente’s first goal of 2016, but not his final offensive impact.
The junior appeared to have his second goal of the night with 17:20 left. Off a short pass from Kieta after a corner-kick, de la Fuente nicely chipped a shot inside the far post. But the goal was nullified when officials ruled the ball had deflected in off a Lane Tech player’s hand in front of the net.
Despite the bad luck on that play, de la Fuente noted the rise in the Indians’ performance.
“I felt like we were pressing as a team very well,” he said. “And as the game went on we started possessing much more than we had in the past, so that definitely helped us.”
A big help defensively for Lane has been the arrival of senior Alfredo Guzman, a top club player the last three falls.
“Alfredo Guzman is a rock,” Ricks said. “He missed 40 days of school last year playing at Academy, and he just decided ‘I can’t do this any longer.’
“The kid’s a beast. He covers a lot of ground, is fast, knows the game well and even starts the attack. He does a lot of things back there that you take him out and you notice it.
“He’s also a saxophone player, is in AP classes – he has a lot going for him,” Ricks added.
Guzman was also a key offensive weapon Monday.
“With defenders who can win the ball and start the attack – you get a (Franz) Beckenbauer-esque player who’s smooth out of the back, and it’s a beautiful thing to see,” Ricks said. “He wins possession and starts the attack as opposed to destroying it. It’s a luxury to have.”
Lane also has the luxury of a deep and talented squad, which was an especially big factor Monday.
“We have a lot of injuries,” Highland Park coach Blake Novotny said. “By the end of the game it was six guys (out) who I would consider our top players or starters. But I like the fact that my younger players are getting opportunities. Later in the year I think that will help.”
The Giants stood tall early – after denying an attack up left wing by Lane’s Alex Mezyk three minutes in, Highland Park answered with a 15-yard drive just over the net by Tommy Quirk 4:55 into the match. Indians goalkeeper Fabian Venegas then made a nice save on a chance inside the box by Mason Kimbarovsky 28:20 before halftime.
Lane was then held without a shot for a six-minute stretch, but soon found its footing.
Shots by Mezyk (partial block by a defender on goal) and de la Fuente (6-yarder smothered at the left post by goalkeeper Lavi 15:15 before halftime) preceded de la Fuente’s late-half putaway.
The home team's skill was not lost on Novotny.
“They move the ball well, they had a lot of pace,” Novotny said. “And physically they’re a lot bigger than we were.
“We had a couple chances in the first half, but we didn’t create nearly as much in the second half. I think we tired from lack of subs.”
Healthier opponents could face similar issues matching Lane’s depth.
“We have a big squad, and those 12th through 20th guys are solid players,” Ricks said. “We’re blessed with some depth.”
Mienta noticed a difference even before kickoff Monday.
“We bettered our warm-ups and had a longer warm-up in general, and that helped,” he said. “The team took warm-ups more seriously, and that paid off in the game.
“This was a great game,” Mienta added. “We came in undefeated, and that was a big part of playing hard. We wanted to keep that undefeated title. It’s a great boost, and it gives us a goal other than winning. We want to keep a clean sheet. We have to keep doing that.”
Mienta isn’t the only Lane player thinking big.
“As we go on I think this team can go on, win city and possibly even state if we keep progressing farther,” de la Fuente said. “It could be a great season.”
Ricks sees that potential as well, with a few keys to making it happen.
“Mental stuff, and everyone buying in,” Ricks said. “We’re talented, and if someone gets injured someone can step in and not miss a beat. Last year (a five-win season), we weren’t like that.
“We have to work together and compete, fight out games and make teams beat us and don’t beat ourselves.”
Starting lineups
Highland Park
GK- Roi Lavi
D- Matt Zurek
D- Jack Jarvis
D- Brian Vasquez
D- Alejandro Cruz
MF- Rodrigo Pozo
MF- Ronin Moore
MF- Alex Forman
MF- Mason Kimbarovsky
F- Tommy Quirk
F- Ethan Ochoa
Lane
GK- Fabian Venegas
D- Alfredo Guzman
D- Dennis Deresevic
D- Alex Rydberg
D- Zachary Rogers
MF- Marcin Kieta
MF- Arnel Sinanagic
MF- Tiago Franco
MF- Patrick Fejkiel
F- Kevin Mienta
F- Alex Mezyk
Man of the Match: Kevin Mienta, F, Lane
Deep Indians turn up heat in 2nd half, top Highland Park 3-0
By Dave Owen
CHICAGO – With excellent depth and an influx of new talent, Lane soccer fortunes are on the rise.
If those factors weren’t enough Monday’s 3-0 win over Highland Park, an old-fashioned halftime speech added fuel to the team's intensity.
After David de la Fuente’s goal in the 31st minute gave Lane a 1-0 halftime lead, Indians coach Andrew Ricks got his message across.
“Highland Park is seriously decimated (by injuries),” Ricks said. “I felt we were the better team, and I encouraged the guys to say it. We could pressure them and overpower them, and it worked. It’s just how badly do you want to win, because we should win this game. I tried to put it on them.
“I kind of used a boxing analogy of the rope-a-dope, body-blow, wear the guy down, and finally it happens. That’s what the speech was about.”
Second half goals by Kevin Mienta and Brandon Rivera were the knockout punches, as Lane added to its solid August record (3-0-1) and rising confidence.
“It’s my senior year, so I really want to win city,” Mienta said. “It’s good to start early in the season and work hard.”
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match Mienta’s maximum effort and hustle epitomized the night for the Indians. And he provided quick results to help his team pull away.
Receiving a pass upfield from Arniel Sinanagic, Mienta raced up the middle and lined a high shot just inside the box that glanced off leaping Highland Park goalkeeper Roi Lavi’s hands and into the net for a 2-0 Lane lead.
Three minutes later, Mienta nearly struck again when he won a 50/50 ball, sped in on net and rocketed a 20-yard shot just inches over the crossbar.
“You have to be aggressive,” Mienta said. “Their defense was good, and I had to do all I could to win the ball and help my team.
“It was important to increase the lead from 1-0 to 2-0, and I thought if I could pick up my pace, others will pick up their pace. And we all did for a 3-0 win.”
Rivera capped off a high-effort second half by Lane by adding an insurance goal in the 79th minute.
After combining with Zachary Rogers on a defensive play to deny a Highland Park attack, Rivera followed the play upfield.
Marcin Kieta’s cross from the left side went past a well-marked Mienta to an open Rivera, who powered a low 22-yarder into the net.
“Marcin had two assists tonight and is a very good player,” Ricks said. “I didn’t think he had a very good first half. I told him and he responded. Those assists were two important passes.
“In the second half he really stepped his game up and wanted to prove that he could do better to himself and me. And he did with that second assist and a couple of nice attacking runs that really put them under pressure.”
Kieta was also the architect of the game’s first goal, which ignited Lane after a largely back-and-forth first 30 minutes of play.
“I saw the ball from one side of the field came to our central-midfielder Marcin,” de la Fuente said. “I just opened up a little bit to open space from the defender, I got the ball and saw the open net before the defender could get to me. I just took a one-touch curler inside the right post.”
The perfectly struck low 20-yard skipping drive was de la Fuente’s first goal of 2016, but not his final offensive impact.
The junior appeared to have his second goal of the night with 17:20 left. Off a short pass from Kieta after a corner-kick, de la Fuente nicely chipped a shot inside the far post. But the goal was nullified when officials ruled the ball had deflected in off a Lane Tech player’s hand in front of the net.
Despite the bad luck on that play, de la Fuente noted the rise in the Indians’ performance.
“I felt like we were pressing as a team very well,” he said. “And as the game went on we started possessing much more than we had in the past, so that definitely helped us.”
A big help defensively for Lane has been the arrival of senior Alfredo Guzman, a top club player the last three falls.
“Alfredo Guzman is a rock,” Ricks said. “He missed 40 days of school last year playing at Academy, and he just decided ‘I can’t do this any longer.’
“The kid’s a beast. He covers a lot of ground, is fast, knows the game well and even starts the attack. He does a lot of things back there that you take him out and you notice it.
“He’s also a saxophone player, is in AP classes – he has a lot going for him,” Ricks added.
Guzman was also a key offensive weapon Monday.
“With defenders who can win the ball and start the attack – you get a (Franz) Beckenbauer-esque player who’s smooth out of the back, and it’s a beautiful thing to see,” Ricks said. “He wins possession and starts the attack as opposed to destroying it. It’s a luxury to have.”
Lane also has the luxury of a deep and talented squad, which was an especially big factor Monday.
“We have a lot of injuries,” Highland Park coach Blake Novotny said. “By the end of the game it was six guys (out) who I would consider our top players or starters. But I like the fact that my younger players are getting opportunities. Later in the year I think that will help.”
The Giants stood tall early – after denying an attack up left wing by Lane’s Alex Mezyk three minutes in, Highland Park answered with a 15-yard drive just over the net by Tommy Quirk 4:55 into the match. Indians goalkeeper Fabian Venegas then made a nice save on a chance inside the box by Mason Kimbarovsky 28:20 before halftime.
Lane was then held without a shot for a six-minute stretch, but soon found its footing.
Shots by Mezyk (partial block by a defender on goal) and de la Fuente (6-yarder smothered at the left post by goalkeeper Lavi 15:15 before halftime) preceded de la Fuente’s late-half putaway.
The home team's skill was not lost on Novotny.
“They move the ball well, they had a lot of pace,” Novotny said. “And physically they’re a lot bigger than we were.
“We had a couple chances in the first half, but we didn’t create nearly as much in the second half. I think we tired from lack of subs.”
Healthier opponents could face similar issues matching Lane’s depth.
“We have a big squad, and those 12th through 20th guys are solid players,” Ricks said. “We’re blessed with some depth.”
Mienta noticed a difference even before kickoff Monday.
“We bettered our warm-ups and had a longer warm-up in general, and that helped,” he said. “The team took warm-ups more seriously, and that paid off in the game.
“This was a great game,” Mienta added. “We came in undefeated, and that was a big part of playing hard. We wanted to keep that undefeated title. It’s a great boost, and it gives us a goal other than winning. We want to keep a clean sheet. We have to keep doing that.”
Mienta isn’t the only Lane player thinking big.
“As we go on I think this team can go on, win city and possibly even state if we keep progressing farther,” de la Fuente said. “It could be a great season.”
Ricks sees that potential as well, with a few keys to making it happen.
“Mental stuff, and everyone buying in,” Ricks said. “We’re talented, and if someone gets injured someone can step in and not miss a beat. Last year (a five-win season), we weren’t like that.
“We have to work together and compete, fight out games and make teams beat us and don’t beat ourselves.”
Starting lineups
Highland Park
GK- Roi Lavi
D- Matt Zurek
D- Jack Jarvis
D- Brian Vasquez
D- Alejandro Cruz
MF- Rodrigo Pozo
MF- Ronin Moore
MF- Alex Forman
MF- Mason Kimbarovsky
F- Tommy Quirk
F- Ethan Ochoa
Lane
GK- Fabian Venegas
D- Alfredo Guzman
D- Dennis Deresevic
D- Alex Rydberg
D- Zachary Rogers
MF- Marcin Kieta
MF- Arnel Sinanagic
MF- Tiago Franco
MF- Patrick Fejkiel
F- Kevin Mienta
F- Alex Mezyk
Man of the Match: Kevin Mienta, F, Lane
