Ustupski to rescue

Lemont striker Kyle Spoo (right) congratulates Krystian Ustupski after Ustupski scored Lemont's first goal in a 2-0 Class AA supersectional win over Minooka. Spoo later assisted on Ustupski's second goal.
(John Patsch/Staff Photographer)

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BRIDGEVIEW -- Krystian Ustupski saved one of his biggest games for the one of the biggest stages in high school soccer -- anywhere.

Ustupski scored 2 first-half goals in Lemont's 2-0 victory over Minooka in the second game of a supersectional doubleheader Monday night at Toyota Park . Hinsdale Central defeated Argo 1-0 in three overtimes to win the first game on the home playing field of the Chicago Fire.

Jeffrey Graham's goal in the 102nd minute finally broke the scoreless deadlock.

Hinsdale Central and Lemont both advance to the Class AA state quarterfinals Friday at North Central College in Naperville .

Lemont (22-2-3) will be riding the momentum wave of an 11-match unbeaten streak.

Ustupski, a senior midfielder, gave Lemont a 1-0 lead over Minooka with 22:51 left in the first half of the nightcap. He curled a corner kick at the near-side goal post and caught Minooka keeper Jordan Cabrera by surprise.

Cabrera went up in an attempt to make a leaping two-handed save. He batted at the ball but could not prevent it from trickling into the back of the net.

"Well, what happened on the first goal, I was far post -- maybe a little bit too far post," Cabrera said. "And I wasn't really expecting him to curve it near post, that close at all. Kids just don't try that.

"So, I saw him bend it in. I ran over. It had a lot of spin on it. I tried to slap it out. It skidded right off my hands and went in. We had a guy near-post. It was over his head. Even if he jumped, and even if he got a head on it, it probably would have skipped off his head and probably would have went in anyway."

Minooka senior defender Nick Mancini described Ustupski's goal this way: "It was either a phenomenal shot or lucky."

Ustupski connected for his second goal of the game and 17th of the season a few minutes later. He banged in a one-timer after taking a crossing pass from sophomore striker Kyle Spoo. The goal gave Lemont the cushion it was looking for heading into the locker room at intermission.

"I was just trying to aim for the top of the 6, just like we do in practice," Ustupski said of his first goal on the corner kick. "And it worked out how it worked out -- it went in. In the last two games, I had some problems putting the ball in the back of the net.

"But today, you know, a little luck and a good ball from my teammate Kyle (Spoo) and it's two-nothing."

Next up for Lemont is an 11 a.m. quarterfinal game vs. Rockford Boylan on Friday. Boylan beat Schaumburg 2-1 in overtime to win the Northern Illinois Supersectional.

"I told the guys in the locker room they've gotten me to someplace I've never been able to get to as a player," Lemont coach Rick Prangen said. "To play the game for my whole high school career and never get to an Elite Eight, and 15 years of coaching, I've never been there.

"To have them bring that home for us has been really special. We talked about being here last year at this same time and really having our heart broken (in a 1-0 loss to Lincoln-Way Central). We wanted to avoid that as much as possible. And I thought tonight the boys played a really good game."

No other Lemont team ever has reached the Class AA quarterfinals in any sport. The last Lemont team to play in the quarterfinals was the 2005 football team that lost to Rock Island Alleman in 5A.

Lemont outshot Minooka 14-4 and finished with a 5-2 edge in corner kicks.

"Well, obviously coming in here, it's a great step for Minooka soccer, getting as far as we did," Minooka coach Jason Boe said. "We came out here anticipating playing like we have been playing -- on a nice high. But we came out flat. We came out kind of in shock and awe.

"We never really seemed to get into this game today. It's kind of tough losing as we did. I was just mentioning this is the first time we've been shut out since Naperville Central (1-0 loss) in the first game of the year."

The sting of the setback for Minooka was eased somewhat by the surroundings.

"I was honored to play here," senior midfielder Ryan O'Rourke said. "This is where pros play. To have an opportunity like that is amazing. I enjoyed it."