HOFFMAN ESTATES – Some may have thought recent state history gave Althoff a slight advantage over Lemont in Friday’s Class AA state semifinal game.

The Gateway Metro Conference member has probably memorized the directions from Belleville to Hoffman Estates High School. The Crusaders advanced to the state tournament for the fourth time in their program history, but this year marks the third time in the last four seasons.

Finishing in second place in Class A in 2021 and 2022, the Crusaders have proved that they are up to the task of playing in Class AA.

On the other side of the field, Lemont made its first appearance in the state semifinals in program history. In 2007, the school reached the state quarterfinals but lost to Boylan.

However, Lemont head coach Rick Prangen’s hyper-successful background – he is one of two coaches in IHSA history to have won 400-or-more games in both boys and girls soccer – pointed the needle toward his team having a slight edge.

Lemont was looking to add to its historic season on Friday afternoon.

But Althoff rode a first-half goal by Tyler Birdsong, the coach's son,  to a riveting 1-0 victory and advanced to Saturday’s state title game. The Crusaders (25-4-0) received six saves from goalie Zach Winkler and played stellar defense in the second half to earn a meeting with DeLaSalle at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

In a jovial and light interview session in the band room at Hoffman Estates, Althoff coach Skip Birdsong, who is also the school’s principal, credited his players for reaching the title game while tossing praise toward Lemont for playing a tough game.

“That’s a really good team that we played that obviously had a really good season and had just three losses,” Skip Birdsong said. “I’m super proud of boys’ effort today. A 1-0 game obviously takes a lot out of you. I’m very proud of them all the way around and hats off to Lemont and their season and the game today. That’s a 50/50 game, but we were fortunate to get one in and get the win today.

“Their games are usually pretty tight; we know that. But we’ve had a number of close games as well, and we try and be prepared for those types of games. I’m not sure we’ve had to hold on to a game like we had to today. That’s saying something, because we play some quality competition. So hats off to them for their effort. They put a lot of pressure on us all game, but we were able to withstand it.”

Lemont (23-4-1) will open Saturday’s slate of five games at 9 a.m. at Hoffman Estates in the AA third-place match against Prairie Ridge (19-5-1).

Prangen, who has a 436-254-80 record in 34 years coaching the boys team, said he enjoyed his first trip to the state semifinals on the boys side. He has reached the state tournament six times coaching the girls team at Lemont.

“It’s humbling,” Prangen said. “We told the guys at the beginning of the year that we thought we could get here. I’m usually a pretty humble guy at the beginning of the year, but we set this as a goal. We put it out there right away, and they got to it.

“I know they are all disappointed, because you want to go that next step forward. But to be fair to the game, I don’t think we were outclassed by any stretch of the imagination.

“They scored on a set piece, but we knew that was their danger point. We knew that really well, and they get a goal on it. Props to them for defending really well, and their keeper made some big saves. It was awesome to be here.

“For me, as a career and (advancing to the state finals) six times with the girls, to be here with the guys kind of leaves something behind with the guys program when I leave next year. I’m super proud of the guys.”

Besides one mistake on a set piece, Lemont played stellar soccer. Goalie Adrian Lisowski was a rock in the net, playing aggressive and showing no fear in the big-game atmosphere. Lisowski finished with two saves, both in the second half to keep Althoff, which has four players with nine goals or more this season, in check.

Althoff nearly scored a goal in the sixth minute, and scored the game’s lone goal when a long throw-in by Tyler Pollock set up Tyler Birdsong, who knocked it in at the 23rd minute.

The goal created some controversy over whether the ball was saved by a Lemont player who cleared the ball out, but the referees ruled the ball had crossed the goal line for a 1-0 lead for the Crusaders.

“I couldn’t see anything,” Prangen said of the goal. “They were packing guys in the box. Some people thought it wasn’t in. Our players didn’t think it was in, but it was called in. What are you going to do? They got the goal and then defended with all their might, so props to them for that.”

Tyler Birdsong, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, said his eighth goal of the season will always be a special one for him.

“From what I saw, (the Lemont player) was behind the line,” Birdsong said.  

Trailing 1-0, Lemont made a major move in the second half in an attempt to tie the game in regulation, picking up four corner kicks and six free kicks.

Lemont forward Andrew Guzy had the best shot for a goal, just missing the net after he put a head on one of the many long free kicks that Lisowski offered. The sophomore’s header required Althoff goalie Zach Winkler to punch the ball away late in regulation.

“It was the end of the game, and we’re trying to push for the last goal to tie it up and get some momentum,” Guzy said. “Adrian put the ball in the box. and there was a lot of commotion. I go up for the header and the keeper makes a good save.”

Keeper Lisowski gave the downstate team a new look by coming out of his box to hit numerous free kicks. Lisowski nearly set up Guzy for a game-tying goal.

“I was just trying to get a rebound or maybe hit it off the goalie’s hands and maybe get a flick on and try and get a goal,” Lisowski said.

Winkler admitted it was unusual to try and combat Lisowski’s free kicks.

“That was definitely something different having the goalie come up, but you have to treat it like it’s something normal, and we all did a good job all around,” Winkler said. “I just tried to do what I can to stop anything. A lot was happening, so it was something to win this game.”

Prangen goes in search of win no. 437 early Saturday morning. Through 28 games, Lemont has allowed just 20 goals, including just seven goals scored against them in the last 14 matches.

Prangen said he’s pushing his players to be ready to compete Saturday morning.

“After regionals, they got up for every game,” Prangen said. “Today, I don’t think we started slow, were poor or in awe, and the same with Althoff. I think on the big stage, jitters went away and they just played. It was a comfort zone for a lot of players. I told guys after the game that I’m not unhappy with the way we played. I don’t like the result, but the effort was there, and we were a bit unlucky..”

Lemont senior midfielder Tyler Chrisman, a four-year starter, was understandably disappointed in the result.

“We definitely tried to put the ball up in the box, because the goal was to get something scrappy like they did,” Chrisman said. “They did a good job of clearing it out. Adrian and a few of our outside backs put some good balls up and that helped us a lot, but unfortunately, we weren’t able to get anything.”

Chrisman added that Lemont can’t have a letdown on Saturday because the team is aiming to be one of two teams in Class AA to finish the season with a win.

“We’re also going to realize that we’re playing for a trophy tomorrow, so it might as well be a bigger trophy to bring home for our school and the boys soccer program,” Chrisman said.

 

Starting lineups

Althoff
GK: Zach Winkler
D: Ben Ysursa
D: Hayden Tell
D: Tyler Birdsong
D: Sam Medlin
MF: Tyler Pollock
MF: Luke Smith
MF: Nate Pitre
MF: Jack Sorgea
MF: Nash Johanigmeyer
F: Bo Gomric

Lemont
GK: Adrian Lisowski
D: Ali Nabulsi
D: Aidan Ontiveros
D: Luciano Mancini
MF: Vincenzo Mancini
MF: Gabriel Zarycki
MF: Tyler Chrisman
MF: Faraz Ayub
F: Billy Eliadis
F: Andrew Guzy
F: Mitchell Sowa

Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Tyler Birdsong, jr., D, Althoff

 

Scoring summary

 

First half
BA: Tyler Birdsong (Pollock), 23’

Second half
No scoring