Boys Soccer: Lyons ends Morton’s 32-game home unbeaten streak

BERWYN – Lyons Township’s Patrick Kracker didn’t have a lot of room.

That wasn’t a problem for the senior midfielder.

Kracker got on the end of a corner kick from Larry Martinez and squeezed a five-yard shot in between Morton goalkeeper Brandon Flores and the near post.

It was Kracker’s third goal of the season and Martinez’s third assist, and it was all the visiting Lions needed to upset second-ranked Morton 1-0 on Sept. 17 at the Morton Premier Invite.

“I got to my spot where I was supposed to be and then all I had to do when the ball fell to me was to put it in,” Kracker said. “I saw there was a little window on that inside post and I did my best to hit it right there and that’s where I put it.”

The goal came with 26:07 remaining in the first half.

There was plenty of action to come in the ensuing 66 minutes, but the goal was a turning point.

“I think it was a critical moment in the game that really turned the tide for us,” Martinez said. “Patrick got his foot on the ball and put it in the back of the net.

“Against a great goalie like [Flores], it’s hard to get something by him. So it was really helpful to get that in.”

Goalkeeper Connor Schmitt made three saves to record the sixth shutout of the season for seventh-ranked Lyons (8-1-3), which snapped Morton’s 32-game home unbeaten streak.

The Mustangs (9-2) had gone 29-0-3 on their home turf since losing 3-2 to Lyons on March 11, 2021, the opening game of the pandemic-shortened season.

Neither Martinez nor Kracker were on varsity for that game, but Kracker was in the stands.

“I remember watching that game,” Kracker said. “We kind of got a trash goal at the end and that’s just what we do.

“We like to run teams. When the game is on the line, I feel like we always perform our best.”

That’s often true of the host Mustangs, though Morton coach Jim Bageanis felt that wasn’t the case this time.

“They just outhustled us,” Bageanis said. “We didn’t come out with the same effort they did early in the game and it caught up to us.

“It looked like we were a little tired, a little slower to the ball.”

Both teams were coming off victories Sept. 16. Lyons beat Libertyville 2-0. Morton knocked off Benet by the same score.

So what was the difference Sept. 17?

“They’re a great team overall,” Martinez said. “They pressure really high and move the ball really well and they’ve got some phenomenal players. I think it was just our engine.”

The teams could meet again in the playoffs.

The result was important for the sectional seeding. The teams are on track to be the top two seeds in their sectional.

That’s why Bageanis had a long discussion with his players after the game.

“It was a great game,” Bageanis said. “I just feel that we could have played a level higher.

“I just don’t think we gave our ‘A’ effort in that game. It wasn’t up to our expectations as coaches.”