Senior’s first goal clinches for Lyons

Updated: October 11, 2011 8:44PM

Kevin Shaw’s first career goal was all No. 10 Lyons needed in its West Suburban Silver showdown at No. 4 Oak Park-River Forest Tuesday night.

The senior defender, who moves up the field for corner kicks and throw-ins, was in the right place at the right time for Matt Thomas’ throw-in early in the second half. Thomas’ sideline toss was headed by a Huskies defender, but the ball went across the goal and was headed in by Shaw with 33:02 remaining.

The goal stood as Lyons won 1-0 to clinch a share of the conference title with Glenbard West. Lyons won the conference for the third consecutive season. Glenbard West earned a share with its 2-1 victory at Hinsdale Central Tuesday night. The Hilltoppers defeated Lyons 1-0 on Sept. 13, but Glenbard West (12-5, 5-1) lost its only conference game to Proviso West.

“I thought, ‘Don’t mess up,’” Shaw said. “It was an open goal. It was a big game, so I had to put it in.”

Shaw joked that the only previous goal he has scored this season was actually an own goal for Marquette (Wis.) when Lyons lost 5-1 on Sept. 24.

Lyons (11-4-3, 5-1) won its third consecutive game and ended the seven-game win streak by OPRF (16-3-1, 4-2), which suffered its last loss to Glenbard West 1-0 on penalty kicks Sept. 22. Lyons and OPRF would not be able to meet again until the championship of the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional Oct. 29.

Top-seeded OPRF opens the playoffs against 17th-seeded Young or 16th-seeded Curie at 6 p.m. Oct. 18 at Downers Grove South. Third-seeded Lyons plays at 14th-seeded York at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 18.

Lyons had a goal called back against the Huskies to end the first half when it appeared Frankie Kocimski’s corner kick curled in for a goal. The referee called a handball against Jack Thomas.

OPRF leading scorer Stephen Golz had eight shots on goal in the second half, but could not convert. Seven of Golz’s shots were headers, but goalkeeper Max Hadley preserved the fourth consecutive shut out for Lyons, which last allowed a goal in a 1-1 tie against Reavis Sept. 30.

“We didn’t do anything differently [against Golz],” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “We played our taller guys on him for free kicks and throw-ins.”

The Huskies had one more chance to score in the final seconds when Ryan Huettel shot a free kick from just 30 yards out, but Hadley made the save on a one-hopper.

“We had our chances. We did not finish,” OPRF coach Paul Wright said. “We’re right on the cusp [of beating them]. We didn’t win as many balls in the midfield as we have in the past.”

OPRF attempted to win its first conference title since 2007. The Huskies have already won the most games in Wright’s seven seasons. He has won 15 games in four previous seasons. The Huskies won 15 games in back-to-back seasons while finishing second in the conference in 2010 and third in 2009. The Huskies finished third this season in the conference.

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