Reserve’s first goal ties Neuqua

Updated: August 27, 2011 8:20PM

Shots on goal clearly favored Lyons over Neuqua Valley in the second half of Saturday’s nonconference game. But all it took was one goal from a sophomore off the bench to provide the equalizer for Lyons.

Lyons and Neuqua Valley battled to a 1-1 tie in Naperville in a game featuring a pair of teams that lost to Naperville North on the road to last year’s Class 3A state tournament.

Lyons lost to Naperville North in a supersectional and Neuqua lost in a sectional final.

Frankie Kocimski scored his first career goal with 25:35 to tie the game. Kocimski’s goal came off a crisp pass from another sophomore, Spiros Kass, as both players charged on a breakaway at the Wildcats’ net. Kocimski and Kass, the son of Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass, appeared in just their second varsity game after beating Sandburg 1-0 Aug. 24 in the season opener.

Kocimski’s right foot struck the ball just before Neuqua goalkeeper Hunter Hollingshead was able to get a hand on the ball.

“It feels great. It’s their home field and to come back with our fans [here],” Kocimski said. “There is no explanation. It’s a great feeling overall. It was a beautiful pass.”

Kocimski scored just a few minutes after Hollingshead broke up another breakaway attempt. Before that, Kocimski was called offsides twice on a couple of offensive chances.

Lyons coach Paul Labbato established a new tradition in the past few years where players meet their fans immediately after road games before the team huddles and then heads to the bus.

Neuqua Valley (1-0-1) scored the game’s first goal with 21:04 remaining in the first half when an unguarded Andrew Kovacevic gained control of the ball, stopped and then struck a left-footed boot to the left side of the goal to beat keeper Max Hadley.

The goal was Kovacevic’s first goal after the Wildcats beat Elgin 4-0 in their season opener earlier in the week.

“We have a completely new team with only five returning starters,” Kovacevic said. “We are a new team trying to find our way right now. As coach [Tony Kees] says, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’”

Neuqua took only two shots on goal in the second half as Lyons (1-0-1) controlled the tempo early in the half.

“I felt we dominated in the first half with possession, but didn’t take a lot of shots on goal. We had offsides a lot. There were positives. Our back three [Matt Thomas, Kevin Shaw, Kovas Zygas] did a great job,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said.

Lyons will try to continue without senior forward Hector Godinez, who is out for at least six weeks with an injured right foot. Labbato said doctors haven’t determined how severe it is. Godinez sat on the bench during the game with a cast.

“He aggravated it over the summer,” Labbato said. “[During the summer], he played one week and then took two weeks off to rest. He’s a very good player. We look forward to seeing him up top and see the things he can do this year. It allows others to step in. When he gets back, he’ll add another dimension.”

One of the newcomers stepping in for Godinez is Jon Jakob Lauser, a foreign exchange student from Stuttgart, Germany.

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