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newlenoxpatriot.com Sports
the New Lenox Patriot | September 7, 2017 | 47
fastbreak
Boys Soccer
Celtics score in waning seconds to win road thriller
James Sanchez/22nd Century
Media
1st-and-3
Spiking past
competition
1. Kylie Kulinski (above)
The Lincoln-Way
Central girls volleyball
team is off to a
hot start, in part to
the play of captain
Kylie Kulinski. The
senior setter/outside
led the Knights with
12 assists in an Aug.
28 win at Glenbard
North.
2. Cassidy Wyman
Not far behind in
assists was Wyman,
who finished with 11
against the Panthers.
The Knights use two
setter because of
Wyman and Kulinski’s
ability to effectively
pass and kill.
3. Layne Stevens
With two of Knights
middles gone, the
5-foot-11 sophomore
has been a big addition
to the lineup.
Coach Mary Brown
said Stevens is one
of the most efficient
hitters on the team.
Steve Millar
Freelance Reporter
Providence’s boys soccer
team seemed to be in trouble
when Marian Catholic scored
to take a 4-3 lead with just
4:48 during the Saturday,
Sept. 2 nonconference match.
The Celtics, though,
showed they have the firepower
to overcome a late deficit.
After Jack McAllister tied
the game, senior Silvio Gkizas
scored his fourth goal of the
day with just 36 seconds left
to lift the Celtics to a thrilling
5-4 win in Chicago Heights.
“We’ve got to learn how to
play with a lead,” Providence
coach Dan Potempa said. “We
let them come back too many
times, but I liked the way our
guys responded after giving
up the goals.
“They kept fighting all the
way until the last minute to
get the win. You’ve got to
bury teams. I just wish we
wouldn’t wait until there were
30 seconds left to do it.”
The game-winner for the
Celtics (2-2) came when
PRESSBOX PICKS
Our staff’s predictions for
the top games in Week 3
Lockport (1-1) hosts Thornton (2-0)
Providence Catholic (0-2) hosts St. Rita (2-0)
Sandburg (1-1) hosts Bolingbrook (2-0)
Andrew (1-1) hosts Lincoln-Way East (2-0)
Tinley Park (1-1) hosts Oak Forest (1-1)
Gkizas broke free down the
middle of the field. His initial
shot was saved by Marian
goalkeeper Kyle Rusin, but
Gkizas poked in the rebound.
“I had an open shot and
didn’t put it away, but the
goalie bobbled it back to me,”
Gkizas said. “I just made sure
to stay calm and finish.”
It capped a remarkable day
for Gkizas, who missed all of
last season with a broken left
leg and sat out much of his
sophomore year with a concussion.
He’s scored six goals
this season.
“Silvio is a game-changer,”
Providence coach Dan Potempa
said. “Having him back
adds so much to our team and
to our attack.”
Gkizas completed the hat
trick when he scored off a
Scottie Slocum pass to give
the Celtics a 3-2 lead with
14:05left.
Marian (0-4-1) fought back,
as Brian Mendez scored a pair
of goals less than three minutes
apart to put the Spartans ahead.
Mendez also had a hat trick.
After surrendering the lead,
8-2
Tom Czaja | Contributing
Editor
• Lockport 24, Thornton 7. The
defense is once again stingy at
home for the Porters.
• St. Rita
• Bolingbrook
• LW East
• Oak Forest
McAllister knew the Celtics
needed to respond.
“We had to show what we
were made of,” he said. “We
didn’t expect this kind of
game. We kind of underestimated
them. We’ve got to
make sure we don’t do that
again.”
Providence was behind for
just 29 seconds before McAllister
tied it, putting in a rebound
after Jack Land’s shot
hit the post.
“I thought the ball was already
in the net (on Land’s
shot), and the goalie kind of
tapped it out, but they didn’t
call it a goal and I know to
always crash the net to make
sure we score, McAllister
said.
“This comeback showed
the character we have.”
After Mendez gave Marian
the lead 11 minutes in, Gkizas
tied it when he saw Rusin out
of the net and fired a shot in
from 55 yards out.
The match went to halftime
tied 1-1, but Gkizas scored
again six minutes into the
second half off a Cam Cutler
7-3
Tim Carroll | Sports Editor
• Lockport 27, Thornton 24. A close
one decided by a field goal or less.
• St. Rita
• Bolingbrook
• LW East
• Tinley Park
7-3
Joe Coughlin | Publisher
• St. Rita
• Bolingbrook
• LW East
• Oak Forest
• Lockport 21, Thornton 10. Porters
are on the rise. Their defense
holds off the Wildcats.
6-4
Heather Warthen | Chief
Operating Officer
• Lockport 27, Thornton 24 The
Porters pull off a tough victory
at home.
• Providence
• Bolingbrook
• LW East
• Tinley Park
pass.
That lead lasted less than
seven minutes before Alfredo
Garcia tied it for the Spartans.
“There’s definitely some
things we need to do better
defensively,” Potempa said.
“We need to keep learning
and getting better as the season
goes on.
“Offensively, we’ve got a
lot of guys that can find the
back of the net. Silvio and
Jack did it in this game, but
(Slocum and Cutler) can definitely
do it, Jake Purvis can do
it. Even our center back Tristian
(Vidican) is a converted
forward and he can score. I
like all the weapons we have.”
The Celtics opened the season
by going 1-2 in the Windy
City Ram Classic.
After dropping their opening
game 3-2 to Joliet Central,
Gkizas scored both goals in a
2-1 win over Eisenhower.
Providence concluded tournament
play with a 5-0 loss to
Mount Carmel, the defending
Class 2A state runner-up.
“We’ve had ups and
downs,” Potempa said. “Playing
Mount Carmel was tough,
but I think it was good for us.
They play the game right and
my boys got the chance to see
that and see what they can
work on to play more like that.
It’s a learning experience.”
The Celtics are a veteran
squad. Eight seniors started
in the win over Marian, and
McAllister said it’s a tightlyknit
group.
“We’ve all played together
and we have good chemistry,”
he said. “We’ve got a good
core group of players that can
take us a long way.”
As Providence heads into
Catholic League play, Potempa
is searching for continued
improvement. He’s confident
his players have the right
mindset.
“The best thing about this
team is we don’t have any bad
attitudes at all,” Potempa said.
“Usually, you have at least
one or two. I have a bunch of
really good kids. Everyone is
willing to work and give what
they have for the team and
if we keep building on that,
we’ll get somewhere.”
Max Lapthorne |
Contributing Editor
• Lockport 20, Thornton 6.
Porters defense continues early
dominance against Wildcats.
• Providence
• Bolingbrook
• LW East
• Tinley Park
6-4
LISTEN UP
“This year, we’re a completely different team, and
everyone has a lot of energy. People are positive,
and people are doing their part.”
Kylie Kulinksi – Lincoln-Way Central setter/outside, on the formula to the Knights’
strong start
TUNE IN
Girls Tennis
9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9
• Lincoln-Way West and Lincoln-Way Central
will play nearby in Frankfort at the Lincoln-
Way East Invitational.
INDEX
40 – This Week In
40 – Athlete of the Week
FASTBREAK is compiled by Editor James
Sanchez, james@newlenoxpatriot.com.