Time catches up to Saxons

When the horn sounded to end regulation Monday, the Schaumburg soccer team shrugged its shoulders.

No one needed to explain how overtime works to the Saxons.

Not when this was the fifth playoff game in a row Schaumburg put in extra time.

"Another walk in the park," senior defender James Rion said.

But the outcome was different.

Travis Haug's shot off Andrew Thappa's pass with 1:01 to go in the second overtime sent Boylan to a 2-1 victory, the Class AA Northern Illinois University Supersectional championship and a trip to State. The Titans, a No. 1 seed, reached the state quarterfinals for the seventh time in 10 seasons.

Several Saxons (16-6-1) dropped to the ground, knowing they had been oh-so close to their first appearance Downstate.

"I thought we were the better team," Rion said. "I'm speechless right now."

Eight minutes earlier, Schaumburg's Erhan Caglayan located Josh Beard's free kick and headed the ball past goalie Sean Cussen. The Saxons briefly celebrated their victory, but the referee signaled a foul on Caglayan that wiped out the score.

While it didn't seem to bother the players during the rest of the overtime, the Saxons clearly were frustrated by the ruling following the match.

"I don't know what the call was," Rion said. "I didn't see it. I was ready to hold that trophy high. It was a huge downer."

James Rion

Schaumburg talked all season about the way the ball bounces. For most of the playoffs, the ball bounced favorably in the team's direction, until Monday.

"It decided to go against us," said Schaumburg coach Hamid Mehreioskouei, a former Saxon player who graduated in 1999.

After a scoreless first half -- no surprise there -- Schaumburg found itself trailing 1-0 on Rocco Taglia's free kick, a low liner that snuck past Jordan Sandberg, with 38:55 to go in the second half.

Ten minutes later, the exciting Wesley Hollis sent a cross that found Caglayan, whose header tied the score at 1-all. Hollis also served the assist in the team's 1-0 victory over Larkin in three overtimes on Oct. 25 in the Streamwood Sectional final.

"When they scored, they hit us," senior defender Alex Christy said. "But we hit them right back."

Count Boylan coach David Bachta and the Titans (22-3) among those impressed with the No. 8 seed's performance.

"We knew they'd be a tough opponent, one of the hardest we played all year," Haug said.

Although all the tears hadn't dried yet, Rion spoke for his teammates without saying much.

"I can't explain it," he said of the team's surprising run. "We all know we could have gone further. It's sorry to see."

Mehreioskouei, who loses nine seniors off his roster, piled the praise on his players. The Saxons were the first team in program history to capture a sectional championship and came within one win of advancing to State. The coach expects as many as nine players back next year, including standouts Beard and Caglayan.

"It's a young crew," the coach said. "They tasted victory, and they know what it takes now. That's priceless."

CORNER KICKS: Sandberg, who posted two shutouts in the playoffs, finished Monday with eight saves on 10 shots on goal. ... The Saxons were the only No. 8 in the playoffs playing at a supersectional. ... Mark Czarny was the hero Oct. 25, when his goal with 3:12 to go in third overtime ended a scoreless draw with Larkin. Mehreioskouei's prep career ended with a loss to Larkin in a sectional final.