SCHILLER PARK, ILLINOIS-Expecting physical play, unfriendly AAC Eagles fans, and partial officiating, the Lightning displayed the class and poise that have powered their current NISL U-11 Platinum 2 Championship with a perfect 10-0 record. The season finale was a 4-1 thrashing of the AAC Eagles. Down 0-1 at half, the Lightning refocused their efforts and adjusted their tactics to counter the AAC Eagles' defensive strategy. Faced with eight defenders in the penalty box, James and Sean battled inside while their teammates moved out for longer-range shots. From distance, two goals by Peter and two by Chris were surrounded by many quality chances set up by outstanding midfield play by Billy. Danny P. and Daniel W. controlled the back, knowing that the referee was looking for an excuse to award a free kick to the AAC Eagles. Michael distributed the ball well from goal as Kyle and Ted channeled their frustration into an outstanding second half display of ball movement and composure.
FRANKFORT, ILLINOIS-The Lightning controlled this NISL Under-11 Platinum 2 match but could not finish many quality scoring chances. The 2-0 final score did not truly reflect the Lightning's quality of play. Michael earned the shut out in goal as Sean and Kyle finished nicely. James just missed as Daniel W., Peter, Billy, Danny P., Chris, and Austin communicated and distributed the ball well.
ALGONQUIN and FRANKFORT, ILLINOIS-The Lightning rolled to their 19th and 20th wins of this Fall 2002 season. In the morning match, the Lightning looked sharp as they pounded the Alithsa Eagles, 10-1. Excellent ball movement by the entire squad allowed keepers Ted and Peter time to distribute the ball effectively. Two goals by Dan W., Sean, and Peter, plus one each by Billy, Danny P., Chris, and Ted were set up by excellent play by Kyle, James, and Chad.
In the day's second match, the Lightning returned to their home pitch and defeated the Glendale Heights Attack, 7-1. Again, the well-balanced attack featured numerous players scoring. Michael, Dan W., and Sean were strong in goal. The play of the day came in the first half on Dan W.'s textbook slide tackle on the left side.
FRANKFORT, ILLINOIS-Although not at their sharpest, the Lightning defeated the WC United 6-2 at Frankfort. Three goals by Sean, two by Austin, and one by Peter were set up by strong backline play by Kyle, Daniel W., Chad, and Danny P. James, Billy, and Ted worked hard in the midfield for keeper Michael.
GLENDALE HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS-In their first ever game under the lights, the Lightning dominated the Glendale Heights Attack, 6-0. Two goals by Sean, one each by Billy, James, Dan W., and Chad were the result of some impressive ball movement. Keepers Michael, James, and Peter combined in goal for the shutout. Kyle, Ted, Danny P., Chris M., and Austin played well and did a nice job switching the ball from east to west.
WEST CHICAGO/ST.CHARLES, ILLINOIS-West Chicago United, using the Lightning's old blue/black pattern on their jerseys, were no match for the Lightning and their white jerseys. The shutout was earned by keeper Michael, whose second half was much busier than the first. Goals by Danny P., Billy, Kyle, Sean (2), and Austin Z. were the result of some excellent ball movement by Daniel, Peter, James, and Chris.
FRANKFORT, ILLINOIS-The Lightning dominated the AAC Eagles and rolled to a 6-1 victory in front of the team's Director of Coaching, Mike Matkovich. Chad Riggs, Ted, James (two goals), Sean, and Kyle scored. Michael was outstanding in goal and Peter, Billy, Danny P., Chris and Austin controlled the ball, spinning away from pressure.
WOODRIDGE, ILLINOIS-Michael Hughes and Chris Meingast combined in goal on Sunday for the Lightning's 5-0 shut out victory over Woodridge Storm. Sean McGonagill figured in all five goals, scoring two and assisting on the other three. Billy McGuinness, James Wing, and Michael Hughes each scored as the Lightning's quality of play impressed Head Coach John Hannan. James Wing had the team's 500th goal as Kyle Kurfirst, Daniel Wielgos, Peter Gabrek, Ted Bruce, and Danny Paice played big. In Saturday's league opener, the Lightning also shut out the Woodridge Storm, 4-0, at Lightning's Frankfort fields. Michael Hughes earned the shutout in goal. Sean McGonagill scored twice and Kyle Kurfirst and Billy McGuinness each had one. The play of the game was provided by Daniel Wielgos with his solid tackle on the right flank. Peter Gabrek, James Wing, Ted Bruce, Danny Paice, and Chris Meingast played outstanding two-way soccer.
CRYSTAL LAKE, ILLINOIS-Great scoring opportunities that just missed and much improved passing powered the Lightning to a dominating performance in the heat at Crystal Lake. Chris Gleason was incredible in goal, turning away several strong chances by Copa FC and earning the 1-1 draw. Sean McGonagill scored the only goal for the Lightning, but created a thrill in the closing moments. First, James Wing drove the ball down the left side with a Copa defender hanging on him, spun away, and passed to a wide open Chris Meingast. In mid-shot, the referee ignored the clear advantage and stopped play for a Lightning free kick. Sean curled a beautiful ball through the goal mouth which just missed the feet of Kyle Kurfirst, James, and Billy McGuinness as time expired. Daniel Wielgos, Jeff Rogers, Peter Gabrek, Michael Hughes, Ted Bruce, Danny Paice, and Anthony Appleyard made sure the heat stayed on Copa throughout the match.
RICHTON PARK, ILLINOIS-Capturing the 2002 Old Plank Trail Challenge title behind victories over Kickers SC White (4-0), Fox Valley Strikers White (4-2), Crossroads SC (7-1), and Orland Park Fusion (3-1), the Lightning tuned up for the upcoming National Championships in July at Disney's Wide World of Sports. Outstanding goalkeeping by Michael, Chris G., and Jeff started the Lightning's potent attack as ten different players found the back of the net. Kyle, Daniel W., Sean, James, Brian, Billy, Danny P., Chris M., and Anthony weathered the hot and humid conditions, showing that they're on track with preparations for the National Championships. Ball movement and runs into the seams were on-field bright spots. More importantly, the players conducted themselves with poise, dignity, and the character of champions.
LINCOLNSHIRE, ILLINOIS-Like their previous match, the Lightning dominated early and late. Outstanding first half keeping by Michael and goals by Kyle, Chris M., and Daniel W. offset Euro's penalty kick conversion as the half-time score of 3-1 held up. Danny P. was covering huge amounts of ground to help second half keeper Jeff post a shutout. Crosses and corners by Sean had Euro looking for help. Peter, James, Brian, Billy, Ted, Anthony, and Luke showed brilliant flashes of ball movement, player movement, and shape.
LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS-Early ball movement and intelligent relative spacing allowed the Lightning to jump to a 3-0 lead behind goals by James, Brian, and Sean. Copa's two consecutive goals coincided with the Lightning's brief regression to over-dribbling and poor shot selection. Fortunately, the team cashed in on recent training sessions and returned to proper form behind goals by Ted and Kyle (2). Jeff and Chris M. were awesome in goal. Daniel W. and Danny P. moved the ball masterfully in the back while Peter and Anthony played the ball into the seams.
LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS-A dominating performance by the Lightning could not overcome two unlucky bounces which resulted in two goals for the Sockers FC. Improved communication, ball movement, and passing highlighted a strong performance by Kyle, Daniel, Sean, Jeff, Peter, James, Michael, Brian, Billy, Ted, Chris M., Chris G., and Luke. Ted scored the team's only goal while Luke was solid in goal once again. A renewed focus on team play with a "pass-first" mentality should serve the Lightning well in future matches.
COLLINSVILLE/BELLEVIEW, ILLINOIS-The Lightning opened the 2002 spring season with an impressive showing at the Collinsville Classic. The team earned an undefeated 2-0-1 record and the largest goal differential in the Under-10 bracket.
In the first match of the outdoor campaign, the Lightning dominated the Avalon FC (Saint Louis, Missouri) but settled for a 2-2 tie on the scoreboard. A strong outing by Luke in goal and tallies by Sean (on a corner kick) and Kyle did not reflect the strong ball movement and near misses by Kyle, Daniel, Jeff, James, Brian, Michael, Billy, Ted, Danny, Chris M., Anthony, and Chris G.
In Day 1's afternoon match, the Lightning looked sharp as they rolled over Fox Valley Strikers White (Saint Charles, Illinois), 6-1. In the first half, Luke was once again outstanding in goal. Chris G. scored two first half goals, one assisted by Chris M. and the other assisted by Billy; then posted a shutout in goal in the second half. James earned the assist on goals by Kyle (on a cross) and Brian (on a through). Sean found the corner of the net and Brian set up Anthony for another. Daniel, Jeff, Michael, Ted, and Danny played strong two-way soccer.
Day 2 arrived early for the Lightning, as the Windy City Pride (Plainfield, Illinois) were on a mission to gain the respect of the outdoor affiliate of the Polar Bear Winter Soccer Club. The Polar Bears had thoroughly dominated the Pride indoors. The long grass at Belle-Clair Field 9 was not the only dissimilarity with indoors--the Lightning was down 1-3 with 5 minutes left to play. Up until this point, the only goal by the tired Lightning was a penalty kick by Sean. With time winding down, Sean brought the team to 2-3 with a laser from the right, inside the far post. A corner kick by Sean, redirected by James from the near post, was finished by Daniel from the far post with a strike in the upper corner to level the match. With less than a minute remaining in regulation time, Chris M. was taken down on the left side. The direct kick by Brian found the upper right hand corner of the net and the Lightning had its first lead of the day with 25 seconds remaining on the clock. 2 minutes of stoppage time were added by the referee, but the Lightning kept the ball out of our defensive 1/3. Luke directed a strong game from the goal and Kyle, Jeff, Michael, Billy, Ted, Danny, Anthony, and Chris G. displayed their championship mettle.
LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS-In a strange twist, the Lightning won their final game of the Fall 2001 season as their opponents, the Lombard Firebirds, forfeited. Based on current standings, the Under-10 Lightning are in 3rd Place in the Under-11 NISL Platinum I division. More importantly, the Lightning velocity really picked up in the final four weeks of the season. Let's build on this momentum!
LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS-Excellent goalkeeping by Michael and strong team defense by everyone kept the Eagles in their own end most of the match. Dan, Danny, and Sean stepped in front of the Eagles' passes to control the ball. Sean hit the crossbar, Billy pounced on the rebound, and Kyle put in the bouncing ball for a 1-0 lead. Earlier, excellent teamwork sent James in, but his shot slid by the far post. Fabulous two-way soccer by Kyle, Jeff, James, Brian, Billy, and Chris was a pleasure to watch. A wind-aided shot by the Eagles floated under the crossbar and just above Michael's fingertips to tie the game 1-1. Great work, Lightning!
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS-An early goal by Kyle reflected the early dominance by the Lightning. Excellent passing to the open spaces by Brian and James created many quality scoring chances which just missed the mark. Sean, Chris, and Kyle were frustrated by some good saves by the Sockers' keeper and some unlucky bounces. Dan, Danny, and Billy turned away the opponents while Michael and Jeff directed the attack from the nets. Will and Tom played strong two-way soccer. A few more passes to the open players and some back-angled crosses would have broken the game wide open in favor of the Lightning.
ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS-The Lightning stormed to the Under-10 SuperClubs Central Region Championship. A 4-0 record with 3 shutouts not only earned the team First Place, they qualified for the National Championships at Walt Disney World's Wide World of Sports Complex, July 21-25, 2002.
In the tournament's opening match, Luke posted his first of three consecutive shutouts. Sean curled in a corner kick and Chris M. outraced the Ela Lions (Lake Zurich, Illinois) defense to provide the insurance goal. The final score of 2-0 did not truly reflect the dominating performance by Kyle, Daniel, Jeff, James, Brian, Michael, Billy, Will, Danny, and Chris G.
In the matinee match, the Lightning sprinted past the Little Illini Orange (Champaign, Illinois), 6-0. Chris G.'s game winning goal was all Luke needed in another dominating performance in the nets. Extra breathing room was provided by goals from Michael, Will, Sean, Kyle, and Chris M. Dan, Danny, and Jeff anticipated the Little Illini's every move as James, Brian, and Billy controlled the midfield.
In Day 2, a determined Flint Steelers Quest 92 (Flint, Michigan) took on the Lightning in what the referee later described as the finest game he had ever called. The 1-0 final score saw the Lightning seize the momentum at the 10 minute mark of the first half and never look back. Kyle's rebound strike after Chris M.'s blast off the crossbar again gave Luke all he needed for another shutout victory. Many quality scoring chances resulted from the Lightning's excellent ball movement. Chris G., Danny, Will, Billy, Michael, Brian, James, Jeff, Sean, and Dan played with poise and character.
In the Championship Match, the Lightning defeated a familiar opponent, the Sockers FC (Arlington Heights, Illinois), 4-2. Michael and Jeff did an outstanding job in goal, as their teammates dominated play from the outset. Two goals by Chris M. and one apiece from Kyle and Sean were set up by anticipation, creation, and domination by Daniel, Jeff, James, Brian, Michael, Billy, Will, and Danny.
ST. CHARLES, ILLINOIS-The Lightning played well, creating far more quality scoring chances than the Campton United Navy, but came up on the short end of a 1-3 score. A goal by Billy, chased into the goal by Michael, accounted for the only tally by the Lightning. Bad luck kept good shots by Brian and James out of the net. Physical play by the home team also limited the shots by several of the Lightning attackers. Overall, the Lightning continued their recent improvement with better ball movement and runs without the ball. Keepers Michael and Jeff were again excellent. Kyle, Sean, Will, Tom, Danny, and Chris played with passion and pride.
LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS-After two strong development sessions this week, the Lightning came out playing their best soccer of the year and defeated the Wheaton Wings Gold, 6-2. 50/50 balls were won by the Lightning, as passing and movement were much improved. Three goals by Sean, two by Michael, and one by Brian were only part of the story. Three assists by James and excellent two-way soccer by Kyle, Jeff, Billy, Will, Tom, Danny, and Chris allowed the Lightning to control the match in front of keepers Michael and Jeff.
ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS-The Lightning had a mixed bag at the Under-10 IYSA State Cup. In their first match against the Chicago Wind, the two squads crammed 18 players onto an undersized pitch. The lack of space and some bad bounces worked against the Lightning, leading to a 1-5 loss. Billy's aggressive move to the goal accounted for the team's first goal of the tournament.
In the second match of the day, a sharp Lightning side dominated the Trevian. A laser from James found the side netting, just inside the second post, after a well-played cross by Chris. The team surrendered a surreal goal on a throw-in and waist-level header, but otherwise had the Trevians searching for ways to simply clear the ball. Ball movement and passing were much improved from the first match, but the Lightning were unlucky to emerge with a 1-1 draw.
In the final match of the day, a tired and undermanned Lightning saw two bouncing balls go in for the Downers Grove Roadrunners while repeated quality scoring chances by the Lightning missed the mark. Although beaten to too many 50/50 balls in the 0-2 loss, the Lightning never gave up, even with Brian and Danny missing time due to injuries. Jeff, Michael, and Will did an excellent job in goal. Kyle, Daniel, Sean, Brian, Tom, and Danny gave it an inspiring effort.
WHEATON, ILLINOIS-A nice finish by Sean from a perfect cross by James gave the Lightning an early 1-0 lead. The Lightning kept the ball in their offensive 1/3 of the field for most of the match. However, the Wings found a bouncing ball in front of the net and came away with a 1-1 draw. Michael and Jeff did another great job in goal as Kyle, Daniel, Sean, Brian, Billy, Will, Tom, and Danny kept the Wings frustrated for most of the game. Better pursuit of 50/50 balls and movement without the ball will be featured in the Lightning's upcoming weekend matches in Rockford.
GLENDALE HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS-In a physical match, the Lightning played well, but fell to the American Eagles, 1-5. The Eagles used disciplined ball movement in the midfield to keep the Lightning off balance. A first half tally by Brian brought the score to 1-2 in a closely contested first half. However, three unanswered goals were too much for the Lightning. Keepers Jeff and Michael played extremely well. Chris, Danny, Tom, Will, Billy, James, Sean, Daniel, and Kyle gave it their full effort.
LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS-In the first half, keeper Jeff and the Lightning not only shut out the Sockers, they did not allow any quality scoring chances. Dan W. gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead early in the half with a laser-guided shot, just under the crossbar. Near misses by Chris and James kept the score at 1-0 at half time. A few unlucky bounces into the second half and the Lightning were faced with a 1-2 deficit. But the team never gave up. Better ball movement and winning the 50/50 balls allowed the team to regain control of the match. Well-placed goals by Chris (off the far post) and Billy (corner) gave the home team the lead. A final unlucky roll of the ball allowed the Sockers the equalizer. Second half keeper Michael did a great job, including action as the first attacker with his perfect clearing punts to midfield to start the offense. Dan, Danny, and Sean played one of their finest games, anchoring the back. Kyle, Brian, Will, and Tom controlled the midfield.
LOMBARD, ILLINOIS-The Lightning came out with improved ball movement and stronger midfield coverage as they dominated the opening 30 minutes. Michael made a spectacular save, fully stretched out, to send the team into the intermission with a 2-1 lead. Goals by Kyle and Billy, after outstanding crosses, put the hard working team in front. Excellent work by Will in the nets during the second half yielded just one goal to the Firebirds. Pressure by Daniel, Sean, Jeff, James, Brian, Tom, Danny, and Chris could not find the back of the Lombard nets and the team came away with a well-played draw.
LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS-In this Under-11 Platinum I season opener, the Lightning spotted the Campton United Navy two long range, first half goals which found the cavernous 24' x 8' goals. The St. Charles squad showed a strong central defense throughout the match, as the Lightning could not take advantage of the width of their larger field. Second half goals were scored by Jeff, who pounced on a loose ball on the left side of the 18; Brian, after Sean was brought down in the penalty area; and Chris, with a side netting strike. Keepers Jeff and Will were awesome in their "super-sized goals" debut. Strong play by Daniel, Danny, and Kyle effectively delayed most of the initial attacks by Campton. James, Billy, Tom, and Michael kept pressure on the midfield. In their upcoming match in Lombard, look for the team to attack on the sides, increase their relative movement, and improve ball possession.
ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS-In the elite tournament for the top 24 Under-11 teams, the Under-10 Lightning 91/92 proved they belong with a 2-3-0 record and 2 shutouts. Saturday's action began with the team controlling the action against the Bartlett Highlanders U/11. Unfortunately, the Highlanders found a way to squeeze out a 3-1 victory. Jeff scored the first goal of the season for the Lightning. In the second game of the day, the team could not overcome early goals by the Sockers U/11 in each half. Daniel capped some nice ball movement with an upper 90 goal to make the final 1-7. After a lot of pizza and swimming on Saturday night, the Lightning came out re-energized on Sunday and dominated the Crystal Lake Force U/11. Sean's first half goal accounted for the only scoring. The team claimed their first shutout of the year by keeping the play in the offensive 1/3 for most of the game. Sunday's middle match found the Lightning in complete control early; however, the Alithsa Eagles U/11 weathered the storm and overcame the Lightning's early lead, 1-4. Brian's first of the fall was hard earned in front of the net. Finally, in the tournament's closing match, the Lightning aggressively won more 50/50 balls and shutout their old foes, the Wheaton Wings Gold U/11. Wheaton, who finished just ahead of the Lightning in this spring's U/10 Bronze standings, was blitzed by Sean's first half hat trick. The final score of 3-0 did not fully indicate the tremendous effort of keepers Jeff and Will (and Chris' goal-saving header) as they directed Kyle, Daniel, Sean, James, Brian, Billy, Tom, Danny, and Chris in a great effort all weekend long.
WHEATON, ILLINOIS-The Lightning, playing without three players, dominated the first half versus the Wheaton Wings Gold. Unfortunately, our ten warriors ran out of energy and came up on the short end of a 2-5 score. Scores by Kyle and Will had the Lightning poised for another comeback victory as they trailed 2-3 early in the fourth quarter. Keepers Jeff and Michael did a great job, as Michael stopped a Wheaton penalty kick in the third quarter. Brian controlled much of the action from the sweeper position in the first half. Daniel played excellent two-way soccer in the middle 1/3. James delivered pinpoint passes and pressured well. Billy used his energy to cover a lot of the field. Tom played strong in the midfield, effectively delaying the Wheaton attack. Danny played well at both ends of the field, including several spectacular runs which resulted in excellent scoring chances. We're proud of our team, and proud of their character. It's what's inside that makes a champion, and they are truly champions.
LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS-In a game controlled by the Lightning, the Sockers pulled off a last-second upset, 1-2. The ball did not bounce the Lightning's way as their opponents managed few shots on goalkeepers Michael and Jeff. Michael, returning to the nets for the first time this season, looked awesome as he jump-started the offense with his deep and precise clearing kicks. Jeff was also outstanding, as his speed and instincts turned away potential attacks before a shot could be taken. Kyle scored the equalizer after the Sockers had taken a 1-0 lead. Dan, Sean, James, Brian, Billy, Will, Tom, Danny, and Chris played hard in the steamy conditions.
GLEN ELLYN, ILLINOIS-Jeff showed the first place Lakers why he's one of the top keepers in the league, directing a strong defensive effort while making great saves. The Lakers used the wind in the first half to fire two perfect shots past the well-positioned Jeff. A cross from Kyle was volleyed into the side netting by Will to close the gap to 1-2. A brief defensive lapse made the score 1-3 at half-time. In the third quarter, Daniel would not be denied as he fired one into the left corner with two defenders draped on him. After being taken down in the box, Brian converted the ensuing penalty kick, finding the right side netting. Sean, Daniel, Danny, and Kyle did an outstanding job in the defensive 1/3 of the field as they controlled the action and moved the ball quickly to our midfielders. James, Billy, Michael, Tom, K.C. and Chris used speed and desire to earn the tie and spoil the Lakers' quest for a perfect season.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS-In the second half, the Lightning played their best soccer of the year and overcame a one goal half-time deficit to earn a 2-1 victory over the Sockers FC. Keepers Jeff and Will limited the Sockers to a few long shots while the Lightning's improved team defense controlled the ball. The comeback began as Billy put in the equalizer, finding the left side netting. After 110% efforts by Michael and K.C. on the right side, Chris found Daniel who delivered another left side netting strike. Excellent play by Jeff, Danny, and Daniel as marking backs; and James, Michael, K.C., Will, Chris, Kyle, Sean, Billy, Tom, Daniel, and Brian in the midfield and offensive 1/3 contained the Sockers for the majority of the match.
LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS-Using relentless pressure while displaying poise in the second half, the Lightning topped the Plainfield Wildcats, 2-1. Will and Jeff played another great game in goal, directing a much improved team effort in our defensive 1/3 of the field. Trailing 0-1 after three quarters, Billy scored the equalizer after a stellar individual effort. Then, a well-placed through-ball was defended by Plainfield and the entire team turned up the heat, setting up Kyle to put home the game winner. Daniel and Danny bottled up the Wildcat attack, providing the offense with many opportunities, including near-misses by Michael and Will. Sean, James, Brian, Tom, K.C., and Chris played their hearts out.
LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS-Although a little sluggish after the long Memorial Day weekend, the Lightning quickly jumped on top of the visiting Wheaton Falcons. Strong team defense led to a quick tally by Brian. Excellent hustle earned Jeff his first goal of the season as Will easily turned away the few shots he faced in the first half. In the last thirty minutes, Jeff preserved the shutout in goal. Kyle found the netting after some nice movement by Billy, James, and Chris in the offensive half of the field. Sean and Tom set up Daniel's first of the season, a rocket that the keeper could not hope to touch. Danny and K.C. controlled the midfield, sending Will on an outstanding run that split the defenders and found the back post for his first of the season.
ST. CHARLES, ILLINOIS-At the elite Best of the Midwest tournament, the Lightning opened over 13 hours behind schedule, at 7AM on Sunday morning, with a 2-2 tie with the host club, Campton United Navy. Keeper Jeff directed a dominating performance by the Lightning, as the final score did not reflect the action on the field. Kyle and Brian provided the goals as Daniel, Sean, James, Michael, Billy, Will, Tom, K.C., Danny, and Chris worked hard after a very short night's rest.
In their second match of the day, the Lightning faced a well-rested Chicago Magic squad. Although the scoreboard showed a 1-5 result, the match was closely contested throughout the first forty minutes. Keepers Jeff and Will played well as the Magic focused on offense. After some fine passing by Billy and James, Kyle narrowed the match to 1-2 early in the second half. The Lightning had their chances, until the final ten minutes, when their tanks ran dry. Daniel, Sean, Brian, Michael, Tom, K.C., Danny, and Chris gave it everything they had in a full effort.
On Monday, the Lightning overcame a slow start and two goal deficit to control every aspect of the match during the final 45 minutes and earn a 2-2 tie with the disappointed Sockers FC. Will and Jeff were outstanding in goal as they directed the team. Sean and Brian each scored first half goals as the cool Lightning took control of the match. Daniel, Will, Jeff, Danny, Billy, and Sean frustrated the Sockers with excellent defense that forced the Sockers into the first move which was then hammered by the Lightning defense. Michael, James, Chris, Brian, K.C., Tom, and Kyle provided excellent offensive and defensive pressure in the midfield and offensive one-thirds of the field. Overall, it was an excellent tournament for the Lightning as they improved their game from the beginning of the weekend.
LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS-Returning to form, the Lightning limited the scoring chances of the Wheaton Wings Gold U/10, earning a 1-1 tie. Although our side controlled the majority of the match, we could not find the netting after several impressive set-ups. Keepers Jeff and Sean played extremely well, sparking the offense with outstanding clearing kicks. Kyle netted the equalizer after a nice pass from Chris. Danny, K.C., Tom, Will, Billy, Brian, James, and Daniel played unselfishly as they controlled the midfield and consistently created offensive opportunities with great through balls and sharp passes.
LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS-Keeper Jeff played his finest game ever in the nets as the Lightning jumped out to a 1-0 half-time lead. However, the speed of the Glen Ellyn Lakers spread out the Lightning defense in the second half. Will turned away many shots, but the Lightning will have to limit their opponent's scoring chances in the future. Chris made an outstanding pass to Kyle whose finish beat the Laker keeper in the first quarter. Daniel, Sean, James, Brian, Michael, Billy, Tom, K.C., and Danny displayed improved combination passing.
WHEATON, ILLINOIS-Goalkeepers Jeff and Will directed a much improved Lightning defense. The only goals given up by the "Blue and Black Wall" were an own goal and a late score in the 68th minute. Chris found the side netting shortly after the opening kick-off and Kyle scored two hard-earned and well-placed goals. Daniel, Sean, James, Brian, Michael, Billy, Tom, K.C., and Danny dominated the midfield and defended as a team.
PLAINFIELD, ILLINOIS-Goalkeepers Jeff and Sean were spectacular in the Lightning's season opener at the Plainfield Wildcats U/10. Facing long range shots and point blank crosses from the Wildcats (winners of the 2000 Team Chicago Summer Classic), Jeff and Sean led the team in an impressive outing. Although they ended up on the short end of the score, 3-4, the team looked strong and never trailed in the match until the final two minutes. Billy put the team up 1-0 with a left footed blast. James responded with a side-netting strike to retake the lead at 2-1. Chris slotted a shot from the right to again take the lead, 3-2. Kyle, Brian, Tommy, K.C. and Danny played with passion as they were cheered on by Michael.
, We're Cool
