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Lyons pushes past Downers North
Sun-Times Media.
Updated: October 22, 2011 9:40PM
Three different Lyons players scored goals in Saturday’s Class 3A York Regional final, but it seemed most appropriate that Elliot Borge was one of them.
Borge actually scored LT’s first goal in a 3-1 victory over 11th-seeded Downers Grove North. Third-seeded LT beat the Trojans for the second time this season, winning 1-0 Sept. 20 in a West Suburban Conference Silver Division match in La Grange.
Borge scored the game’s only goal in the first half on a rebound shot that Trojans goalkeeper Aaron Menyes could not control. Borge struck a left-footed kick from nearly 15 yards out with 19:35 remaining.
Borge is the only four-year varsity player for LT (14-4-3), which entered the week ranked No. 6 by YourSeason.com. Borge, who played for the 2009 state championship team, ends his career by going 4-for-4 in regional titles as a player. LT won its eighth consecutive regional title and 14th overall.
LT will play second-seeded and fourth-ranked Morton (19-3-1) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Hinsdale Central Sectional semifinal. The two teams did not meet in the regular season, but LT defeated Morton 2-1 in last year’s sectional final.
“We’ve played Morton so much, once or twice a season at Pepsi Showdown or in the playoffs,” LT coach Paul Labbato said. “We knew we’d see them. We know they’re a good team. The have a multiple amount of good players. We know we have our hands full.”
There was a chance LT could meet Morton to end this year’s Pepsi Showdown, but LT played Libertyville in the final, and lost 2-1 in overtime, at Toyota Park Sept. 18.
“We have found the rhythm at the end of the season,” said Borge. “We have the potential to go pretty far.”
LT won its seventh consecutive game and is unbeaten in its last eight. LT’s last loss was 5-1 to Marquette Sept. 24 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Downers North (7-15-2) played without leading scorer Cullen Cummings, who served a disciplinary suspension. Cummings also missed the first contest between LT and the Trojans. Downers North started two seniors in the regional final.
“I thought we did a lot of good things,” Downers North coach Brian Gervase said. “There was a lot of pressure on them. Something they wanted to do at the end was finish nice, but we had opportunities to score goals.”
After Brett Heimerdinger scored LT’s second goal with 26:21 to go in the second half, Downers North scored its only goal less than two minutes later when LT committed a foul in the penalty area. Joshua Treichel converted on the penalty kick with a low line drive to the right of keeper Max Hadley.
The regional final’s final goal was easily the most impressive. Ben Larson’s free kick from about 40 yards out was headed toward Menyes, but sophomore defender Spiros Kass sprinted from the wing to cut in front of the keeper. He tapped in the free kick with his right foot before it reached Menyes. After the goal, Gervase replaced Menyes with senior Garrett Lems for the remaining 16:50 in the game.
Kass started the season as a midfielder, but has found a new home as a defender with Kevin Shaw, Matt Thomas and Larson.
“Our four defenders shut things down,” Labbato said. “Matt Thomas and Kevin Shaw make things go.”
“Playing outside back is not that bad,” Kass said. “I enjoy it. I have opportunities to go to the forward line, but playing defense is good for the team if it gets us to win.”
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