Eagles score early, often in blowout win

Lakes' Steven Korosis (7) and Hampshire's Jason Bishop battle for the ball during their sectional soccer match at Grayslake North.
(Michael Schmidt/News-Sun)

October 30, 2008BY MIKE MADIGAN -- FOR THE NEWS-SUN

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GRAYSLAKE -- Talk about perfect timing.

In 23 previous games this season -- heck, never in his two-year high-school career -- had Tom O'Brien of Lakes High produced a hat trick.

But that all changed here Wednesday afternoon.

Not only did the sophomore score three goals, but his high-flying Eagle teammates came up with four more as Lakes humbled overmatched Huntley 7-0 in the semifinals of the IHSA Class 2A Grayslake Central Sectional.

Lakes (16-7-1) will face Marian Central of Woodstock here Saturday at 11 a.m., with a sectional-championship plaque and a berth in next Tuesday's Loyola University super-sectional in Chicago on the line.

O'Brien's first tally came just three minutes in. He finished after a corner by Steve Korosis bounced off the back of Dan Walsh and caromed free in the box.

"We weren't expecting to score so fast or so often," said O'Brien. "The first goal gave us the momentum right away, and we never gave it back."

Mark Polanin made it 2-0 in the fifth minute, Korosis scored at the 18-minute mark, and when Matt Beadle took a pass from Korosis and blasted it in from 25 yards out, the rout was on.

"I couldn't be happier with the way we played," said Lakes coach Kevin Kulby. "The turf suited our game really well and we really passed the ball well. I didn't expect us to score so fast or so often, but we played really well."

The Eagles carried the momentum into the second half and made it 5-0 on a goal by Ryan Rudynski before O'Brien added a pair of goals to finish off the scoring and shorten the game.

IHSA BOYS SOCCER SCOREBOARD

CLASS 2A

GRAYSLAKE CENTRAL

SECTIONAL

Wednesday's Semifinals

• Lakes 7, Hampshire 0

• Marian Central 2, Antioch 1

Saturday's Final
• Lakes vs. Marian Central, 11 a.m.

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY

SUPER-SECTIONAL

Tuesday, Nov. 4 Game

• Grayslake Central Sectional winner vs. Chicago Academy Sectional winner, 5 p.m.