Huskies stymie Morton in showdown

Updated: August 25, 2011 5:09PM

In the showdown of soccer powers Naperville North and Morton, the scintillating individual talent was marked by an asterisk denoting two significant absences.

Two returning first-team Sun-Times all-area players were unable to play. Huskies senior forward Evan Trychta is recovering from a foot injury he suffered at a Michigan State camp earlier in the summer.

Morton played without senior forward Joel Salmeron, who suffered a sprained MCL last Friday during a team scrimmage.

The visiting Huskies nullified Morton’s impressive start by scoring a goal in each half to snare a 2-0 victory Wednesday afternoon in the season-opener for both teams.

Even without Trychta, Naperville North possessed too many weapons for the Mustangs. The Huskies return eight other starters from last year’s Class 3A Final Four team.

In the first half, senior forward Kyle Lindberg controlled a pass on the the right wing and nailed a cross that pulled the Morton keeper out of the net.

North senior forward Nanad Komlijenovic took advantage and raced to the open net for the game’s opening goal with 15:55 remaining in the first half.

“Kyle is the guy right now that we want to run everything though,” Komlijenovic said. “He made a great play on the ball and I was able to run to the ball and finish.

“It was a huge play, because at the start of the game they really had us in lockdown and they really controlled us. That goal was huge in giving us the momentum,” he said.

The Huskies rode that momentum to start the second half. Senior forward Austin Maggard drove the right wing and fed senior forward Kevin Brickett for a score three minutes into the second half.

“Both of their goals were hustle plays where they just beat us to the box,” Morton coach Mike Caruso said. “I thought we dominated the first 10 minutes of the game, but I don’t know if they got their legs or whatever but they dominated the next 30 minutes and that was the game.”

Behind senior defenders Max Auden and Lee Grander, Naperville North continually stymied Morton. Goalie Kevin Anderson made four saves for the Huskies.

The lithe, quick Salmeron is one of the state’s most lethal offensive players who registered 26 goals and 17 assists last year. “I planted on my left leg and a guy rolled into it and I heard something snap,” he said. He is expected to undergo four weeks of rehabilitation.

“Right now, for this [first month] of the season we’re going to have to learn how to play without Joel,” Caruso said. “We only have two starters back now, so it’s going to be a learning experience.

“We played [Naperville North] last year and we tied them 1-1, and I saw that most of their best players are back. They’re the real deal.”

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