GLENVIEW – The mood will be sky high Tuesday night at Glenbrook South High School.

The annual Central Suburban League South Division battle between visiting Glenbrook North and the home side kicks off at 7 p.m.

Glenbrook South (14-0-2, 3-0-1) is ranked second in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25; previously 15th-ranked Glenbrook North is 6-3-4, 1-2-1. 

Every edition is packed with subplots: influence on sectional seeding; it’s a game with playoff ambience; bragging rights; conference implications; and an edge in case of a playoff rematch.

Glenbrook North is trying to recapture the magic of its 2023 season, which finished with a fourth place Class 3A finish. 

Last fall, Glenbrook South suffered a 3-2 defeat to Barrington in a regional semifinal last season and could only watch as the Spartans beat the Broncos the following match in their superb state run.

Glenbrook North held off the Titans 3-2 last season.

Glenbrook South coach Reggie Lara is expecting a physical, emotional and tense battle as the Titans fight for the conference title.

Click here to see the Central Suburban League South Division standings
 

“I think the keys will be handling Glenbrook North's dangerous set pieces while limiting our mistakes in costly areas and capitalizing on our scoring chances,” he said.

Glenbrook North coach Paul Vignocchi said his team has to come prepared and avoid lapses to knock off the undefeated Titans.

“I think it’s important to keep emotions in check and not let them become bigger than the game,” Vignocchi said. “Glenbrook South is an incredible team, and on paper they are the favorites. 

“We can’t let the emotions of the game outweigh what we want to do on the field. I don’t think we’ve played our best soccer lately. Hopefully we can turn it around before the playoffs.”

Lara said Glenbrook South’s last three games – a 1-1 league tie with third-ranked Evanston and a scoreless draw versus Verona (Wis.) and a 2-0 win over Glenwood at the Great River Classic in Iowa – tested his team. He feels that should help against the Spartans.

“In the Evanston game, we were able to face arguably the most difficult attacking team that we have played this season,” Lara said. “We were able to hold strong versus their speed and athleticism and really only allowed the single goal off a mistake in our defensive half.  

“Versus Verona, we learned a tough lesson of what could happen if we dominate a game but are unable to get the ball in the back of the net. 

“The play was consistently in our attacking half with over 20 scoring chances, but the game ended in a tie because we didn't capitalize on our chances, especially early in the game.  

“The game against Glenwood was an outstanding response to the two games prior. We were down multiple players due to injuries and had to rely on a next-man-up mentality to produce the 2-0 win.”

The coach said the Titans’ memorable season has been built on the entire roster playing a role in the strong run, but he did note the ascendance of several starters in the last few weeks.

“Goalkeeper Michael Falk had an outstanding game versus Evanston and is becoming more confident as the season continues,” Lara said. “He produced multiple saves where he had to come off his line to handle breakaways. He's also demonstrating more command of his box with difficult catches or punching clearances. 

“Jacob Ciszyk is showing his leadership as the longest tenured varsity player on the team at three years.  He has been very difficult to defend for opposing defenses. He is able to score from distance, connect passes and beat players on the dribble. 

“Yianni Biscotakis and Dennis Alickolli, our two outside backs, have showcased their versatility as scoring threats and key players within our possessional schemes.”

Lara said one of the key ingredients in the success of his team this season is the diversity of scorers. The Titans have a deep stock of talented players, which allow the team to spread the field and be even more dangerous.

“We have had 18 different goal scorers with an extremely difficult schedule of opponents; 11 players have even scored multiple goals,” he said. 

“In 16 games, several stats have looked encouraging to me. We average just under 60 percent possession in all of our games. We produce a shot every 6.5 possessions, while our opponents average a shot every 17.5 possessions. And our pass success percentage is an average of 10 percent higher than our opponents. 

“In my mind, these stats paint the picture that we are a well-balanced team that is difficult to defend and equally difficult to score on.”

Keeping the high-scoring Titans off the scoreboard is the job of Glenbrook North goalie Gil Meyers. The senior played strong in the net in the Spartans’ 2-1 loss to then-undefeated Evanston last week. He held the Wildkits to one goal until Joseph Sargent notched his 15th of the season for the game-winner with just over five minutes left in the game.

“Gil Meyers has come up with some big saves for us,” Vignocchi said. “He’s been carrying a knock the last couple weeks and has battled through the injury. He’s a tough kid.”