Olson finds way to opponents' nets

After the Mustangs scored fewer than a goal a game last season, Chris Olson knew the Rolling Meadows boys soccer team could not afford a repeat.

He has done something about it with six goals in Meadows' first 10 games this season. Olson was the Mustangs' leading scorer a year ago with a meager total of four goals.

"I think that's good that we're putting some in the back of the net," Olson said. "Last year, we had only 12 goals during the whole season. The schedule has been odd. Everything we've done has been a win or a loss. We haven't gone on a (win) streak.

The Mustangs have lost three in a row after ending the Pepsi Showdown with a 5-3 loss to Streamwood Saturday in LaGrange. Olson scored twice while defender Blake Olson (no relation) scored his second goal of the season.

Meadows (3-7, 1-2 MSL) is closing in on last year's win total of five games, and there is still another half to the season.

Olson has been the offensive difference-maker that didn't step up last year, when the Mustangs' best player and leader was four-year starting goalkeeper Andy Ryan, who now plays for Western Illinois.

"(Olson) is at the top for us and has worked extremely hard," Meadows coach Peter Mikulak said. "He's constantly working. He's constantly making good runs and puts the ball in position for his teammates."

Olson scored in each of Meadows' final four games at the Showdown after Lake Zurich walloped the Mustangs 8-0 in the tournament opener Sept. 4. He owns three-game winning goals, coming through in a 1-0 win over Timothy Christian Sept. 6, a 2-1 win over St. Ignatius Sept. 8 and a 1-0 victory over Palatine Sept. 11.

The third tournament loss was 4-2 at St. Charles North Sept. 13. That was the first time this season that both Olsons scored.

The Mustangs have 10 goals this season entering Tuesday night's scheduled game against Elk Grove. The match is Meadows' first in the MSL East. Meadows' game at Wheeling today (Thursday) was moved up to 4:30 p.m. in observance of Yom Kippur.

One of the Mustangs' heart-breaking losses was 2-0 at Barrington (9-1) Friday night, when they put in an own-goal.

"We had a number of dangerous opportunities," Mikulak said. "We had two to three chances when kids were one-on-one with their keeper."

Chris Olson started the season at midfield, but scored his first goal of the season against Timothy when he moved to forward. Scoring has never been a strength of Olson's, who played midfield for his Glenview-based FC United club.

"It's been a pretty good change," Olson said. "I like working hard in the midfield, but it's nice to have the opportunity to score so much more."