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Homewood-Flossmoor gets by Lockport
Updated: September 14, 2011 8:18PM
A couple struggling SouthWest Suburban Blue teams met Wednesday at Homewood-Flossmoor, as the Vikings and Lockport squared off in a conference showdown.
The Porters came in having not won since the team’s opening game Aug. 24 and H-F had come out of the gates slowly as well, going 2-3-2 to start the season.
H-F got back on track, while Lockport’s woes continued, as the Vikings defeated the Porters 1-0.
“We got the lucky bounce today, we capitalized on it and then we played phenomenal defense,” H-F coach Charlie Ward said. “We haven’t had the lucky bounce all season.”
Before the season, H-F (3-3-2, 1-0) suffered an unlucky break, rather than a bounce. All-Section, All-Area and All-Conference goalie Phil Huang broke his left hand in May and his return was questionable.
A brace on Huang’s left hand hasn’t stopped him from being the last line of defense, directing the team and blasting free kicks in the last six games. The only difference is he’s playing midfield/defender rather than goalie and those free kicks are a lot closer to the opposing goal.
“He’s scored or hit a post six times out of his 10 free kicks in range,” Ward said. “He fires a laser.”
Huang didn’t need a laser to score his sixth goal on the season and the game’s lone goal, scoring on a penalty kick on a handball in the box on Lockport 10 minutes into the game.
“When we aren’t doing goalkeeper training, I practice penalty kicks and a lot of practice makes you good,” Huang said.
Huang has a pretty simple reason why six goals in six games aren’t going to change what position he wants to play.
“I love the field, but goalie is my spot,” Huang said. “I’ve been there forever.”
After a check-up with the doctor on Friday, Ward could be subbing Huang right back to the goalie position he’s played since he was 5 years old.
“Playing goalie is like second nature to him,” Ward said. “We can replace him on the field, but it’s impossible to replace him in goal.
“He’s just that good.”
Lockport (1-5-1, 0-2) could only muster six shots on goal as the woes continued.
“We were missing 10 kids at the start of the season,” Lockport coach Chris Beal said. “We’re still missing our best player in Phil Tomas, but we’re starting to build.”
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