Gacek leads early charge in Stagg win

Stagg forward Robert Gacek turned in his best performance of the season at the perfect time.

Gacek scored three first-half goals and added an assist to lead the Chargers to a 5-2 win Monday over St. Laurence in the Class 3A Andrew Regional semifinals in Tinley Park.

No. 3-seed Stagg (15-4) will meet Andrew, which beat Eisenhower 2-0, in Friday's regional title contest.

"That was my first hat trick of the season," Gacek said. "It was definitely at the right time. My confidence is up right now and that was the difference, I guess."

Gacek scored his first goal before most in attendance had settled into their rain-soaked seats, capitalizing on a corner kick just over a minute into the contest.

Two minutes later, Dale Judickas earned a penalty kick when St. Laurence goalkeeper Jeremy Guillen fouled him on a breakaway. Judickas buried the penalty kick into the right corner of the net to push the Chargers' lead to 2-0.

Stagg, and Gacek in particular, continued to put a ton of early pressure on Guillen, with the Vikings goalkeeper making two of his four saves on Gacek shots - and catching a break when a Gacek header went off the side of the net.

Gacek couldn't be held down long, though, scoring his second goal 23 minutes in to push the lead to 3-0.

With St. Laurence (13-11-4) unable to generate much offense going toward the net, midfielder Cody Goldman was able to stun the Stagg defense with a shot from a distance, firing a perfect shot just inside the far post from 30 yards out to get the Vikings on the board.

Gacek shot down the middle of the field, splitting St. Laurence defenders, to complete the hat trick with eight minutes left in the first half. It was a backbreaker, sending the Vikings into the locker room with a seemingly mammoth three-goal deficit.

"Gacek is a very explosive player," Stagg coach Mike Kealy said. "When he really turns it on, there are few better than him. St. Laurence kept coming at us, and you have to give them credit. The pressure was never really off for us."

The Vikings did generate more offense in the second half, but were still unable to put much pressure on Stagg goalkeepers Jehovany Jimenez and Bill Gembara. Both of St. Laurence's shots on goal in the match resulted in goals.

Matt Niecienski scored the final goal for Stagg, with an assist from Gacek. Hector Villazana scored in the closing moments for St. Laurence.