GLENVIEW -- Glenbrook South is playing like it never wants to lose. 

So far, so good.

The no. 2-ranked Titans fought off another sturdy challenge, this time against seventh-ranked visitor Maine South, and recorded a 2-1 Central Suburban League South Division victory Thursday night.

Ronan Kessler led Glenbrook South (11-0-0, 2-0-0) with a brace; Maine South (7-4-0, 0-2-0) got its goal from Cooper Larson. 

"(The Hawks) were a very good team," Glenbrook South coach Reggie Lara said. "I knew they would come at us with everything they’ve got. It's typical Maine South -- they're fast, athletic, hungry players. 

“I'm really happy that we were able to come out with the result, but it wasn't our best game in terms of trying to possess the ball. It's something that we need to get better at."

The match could/should serve as wake-up call.

"I'm hoping it might be," Lara said. "It's a good point. We had to remind them at practice, just because we had the great result against New Trier (a 1-0 win Sept. 17), that shouldn't be the highlight of the season. 

“It's about going 1-0 on the day. If it's a practice you go 1-0. If it's a game, you go 1-0 on that game. We just approach every single day that we're 0-0. 

“It's difficult, and we spend a lot of time on mental performance and trying to remind the guys that it's all about the process and not about the results. We don't compete with the scoreboard; we compete with a standard of excellence that we believe that we can achieve. That's our mentality every single day."

Kessler opened the scoring in the 18th minute when he found a loose ball in front of the goal after an Emil Cerimovic touch pass. 

Kessler extended the lead to 2-0 and upped his goal total to five with a 35-yard strike off a pass from Chris Vazquez in the 63rd minute. 

"I just hit that shot," said the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match. "I just took the defender on, and my confidence was up. I just looked up and saw the goal. I was confident with my ability to score that goal. 

“It was in the top right and slid in there. I've never scored a goal from that far before. That was a first for me. I just knew that we needed another goal, and it was a good opportunity to put one in."

Glenbrook South relies on numerous players to set up its attack. One of them is a workhorse midfielder by the name of Matheus Carvalho.

"Every game is an opportunity for me to get better," Carvalho said. "If I don't give my best every single game, how can I succeed to get better? I just go at it like it's another day at the office."

Carvalho is strong on the attack. 

"I try to stay higher, but I like to work the ball a little bit," Carvalho said. "I see the space and love to attack that space. It all comes from practice, and I keep working at it to get better." 

Maine South made its presence felt. The Hawks had chances to not only gain a draw but take the full three points. It was a much better effort than their 4-0 loss at no. 5 Evanston on Sept. 17.

"We did play a lot better," Maine South coach Dan States said. "We used a compliment of guys that were banged up (against the Wildkits) and had a chance to play in this one. 

“Some of those guys are working themselves back into the lineup. It was a good-spirited effort and an unfortunate result. A tie would've been more justified. I thought the guys fought hard, but we couldn't come back."

Maine South halved its deficit in the 70th minute. Will Smucker hit a free kick that went off the hands of Titans' keeper Michael Falk. Larsen put the rebound into the goal. 

"I just wanted to crash the net," Larsen said. "We needed to score a goal being down two. I saw that the goalie didn't catch it and went after it."

The Hawks had other opportunities. Kosta Loucopoulos beat a Titans' defender for a breakaway, but Falk was able to kick and clear the ball away in the 59th minute. 

In the 67th minute, Smucker caused excitement with a 30-yard shot that caromed off the crossbar, but Maine South was deemed offsides.  In the final minutes in front of the goal area, Finn Quitno headed a shot toward the goal that was knocked away by Glenbrook South defender Paul Scherer. 

"Every game in the CSL South is a battle," States said. "Glenbrook South is talented, and they caused some challenges in the middle of the park."

Maine South showed more determination in its attack after the break.

"I thought we were much better in the second half with controlling the ball and getting the ball out wide," States said. "I thought our guys were a little more dangerous in the second half. We did create opportunities, but we were only able to get one in."

The schedule-maker did the Hawks no favors with back-to-back opening conference games at Evanston and Glenbrook South. 

"It was really brutal for us," States said. "We knew what we had to do to survive this week. It was a rough one. We did have a lot of games in a short time. The best thing is that were still standing."

Starting lineups

Maine South 
GK-Joe Figula
D-Oscar Podraza
D-Wayne Kelleher
D-Augie Ladewski
MF-Andrej Oman
MF-Sean Shermerhorn
MF-Alex Petkovic
MF-Adrian Malic
MF-Charlie Kasicki
F-Will Smucker
F-Kosta Loucopoulos

Glenbrook South 
GK-Michael Falk
D-Paul Scherer
D-T.J. Philips
D-Dennis Alickolli
D-Yianni Biscotakis
MF-Chase Owens
MF-Emil Cerimovic
MF-Chris Vazquez
F-Jacob Ciszyk
F-Ronan Kessler
F-Matheus Carvalho

Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Ronan Kessler, sr., F, Glenbrook South

Scoring summary

First half
GBS-Ronan Kessler (Emil Cerimovic), 18

Second half
GBS-Ronan Kessler (Chris Vazquez), 63
MS-Cooper Larson (unassisted), 70