STREAMWOOD — Jayden Plancarte admitted scoring his first goal of the season was a long time in coming. But when it arrived, the timing couldn’t have been better.

The junior scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal in Elgin’s 3-1win Saturday over Young in the final of the Streamwood Fall Classic. The victory gave the Maroons their second title in the event in the past three seasons.

Plancarte, who earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor for his effort, scored in the 53rd minute to give Elgin (7-1-2) a 2-0 lead. The goal came from the top of the penalty area after the center-mid moved inward for a better angle. 

Earlier in the game he’d missed two chances from the top corner of the penalty area on balls that hooked wide and high of the mark.

“It was my positioning,” Plancarte said of how the third time became the charm. “I shot it when I was in the middle, and the goalie was out of the net more. So, I decided to chip it over him.”

Beto Gaytan and Ian Diaz also scored for the Maroons, who won their seventh-straight match. 

Sam Henle scored for Young (7-4-2), which lost for only the second time
in its past 10 contests (7-2-1).

“There’s nothing we can do about that second goal,” Young coach Nick Maksa said.

“That’s a phenomenal goal. He’s a great player. He was giving us fits all day out there.”

Gaytan scored the only goal in a competitive first half, putting the Maroons on the board in the 39th minute. He converted a pass from Aaron Saldano into a goal from just inside the penalty area.

“They’re a very physical team and very organized defensively,” Gaytan said. 

“When I got the ball, I had a man on my back. He was holding me, so the other defender got the ball. I got it back and was able to score.”

It wasn’t the first time Gaytan had made a significant contribution in the Streamwood final.

Two seasons ago as a sophomore, he earned the assist in a 1-0 final victory vs. Lockport.

“It’s nice winning it again,” Gaytan said. “And it was nice coming back to the final and scoring the first goal. Obviously, Jayden scoring that beautiful second goal was big, and then getting the third goal, we kept fighting to the end.”

Trophies are more than a nicety for the Maroons and players took turns passing it around and posing for pictures long after the match ended.

“They’re hungry for trophies — that’s why we play,” Elgin coach Jimmy Romano said.

“It’s kind of been established in the culture of our program in the past couple years.

“We’re out to build a dynasty, and this is part of it. Any trophy we can win, we want to.

“Twice in three years we’re winning this trophy which is nice in a prestigious tournament like this,” Romano added. “It’s a very tough tournament, but we came out ready to play, ready to go. 

“We looked sharp all the way around. It was a good team performance.”

Young also put in a good team performance in its first year in the tournament. The Dolphins had several chances to score, especially in the first half. John Stanton had two point-blank shots turned aside by Elgin senior keeper Brody Grosenbach in the 12th minute.

Grosenbach robbed Stanton again in the 28th minute, diving to turn aside a hard blast after Stanton split the defenders with a charge into the attacking third. After Grosenbach’s save, Stanton looked to the sky and put his hands to his face in a show of
frustration.

“The goalie made a great save on that one for sure,” Stanton said. “My main frustration was he dived before I shot to make the save. But it happens. You just gotta keep working.”

Maksa was impressed with the way his team played and didn’t harp on missed opportunities.

“We had a couple chances,” he said. “I heard John talking. I’m sure he’s going to beat himself up about it. But it’s soccer. Some days you’re finishing everything, and then you have days where it won’t go in. 

“Maybe if we put in a couple of those away early, it’s a different game. But I’m proud of the way they fought.”

If not for some fine defensive plays for Young, Elgin might have led long before Gaytan’s goal.

Only seven minutes in, the Dolphins survived a wild scramble in which keeper Tommy Lyons was out of the play after making an initial save on a blast by all-stater Robert Salinas. An
ensuing shot on the rebound appeared destined to find the back of the net, but defender Toby Anthony was there to turn it aside from the goal line and keep the game scoreless.

Lyons finished with six saves; Grosenbach made four.

Even trailing 3-0, the Dolphins kept pressing. Eventually it paid off in Henle’s goal in the 68th minute. Henle and Stanton combined on a nifty 1-2 combination to break Grosenbach’s shutout bid.

“Down 3-0, we grab one back and start putting the pressure on them in the last 15 minutes,” Maksa said. “It’s just tough (after) the way we competed and played.

“It’s just a bummer to lose. You never want to lose a final. But my boys can keep their heads held high. We played well, made the final of a great tournament. 

“Playing more and more of these games is just going to get us where we want to go, so I’m definitely proud of the group.”

Young drew inspiration from Leyden, which scored two late goals against Elgin in the semifinals to draw even before the Maroons eventually pulled it out with a goal in the last 10 seconds.

“The game’s never over,” Henle said. “We saw Leyden come back on them, but they held us off. They did a good job. 

“They’re a strong team. The difference was they finished their chances, and we didn’t really finish ours. If we played them again, it would be a good game.”

Starting lineups

Young
GK: Tommy Lyons
D: Toby Anthony
D: Haiden Negrillo
D: Aidan Letourneau
MF: Leo Antoniewicz
MF: Oren Epstein
MF: Sam Henle
MF: John Stanton
F: Curtis Jackson
F: Evan Lee
F: Henrique Teles

Elgin
GK: Brody Grosenbach
D: Daniel Lemus
D: Robert Salinas
D: Tony Hernandez
D: Greg Suarez
CM: Jayden Plancarte
CM: Aaron Saldana
CM: Isaac Cuahquentzl
CM: Danny Perez
FW: Beto Gaytan
F: Bryan Diaz

Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Jayden Plancarte, jr., MF, Elgin

Scoring summary

First half
Elgin: Beto Gaytan (Aaron Saldana), 39’

Second half
Elgin: Jayden Plancarte (unassisted), 53’
Elgin: Ian Diaz (unassisted), 68’
Young: Sam Henle (John Stanton), 69’