GBN Lax Falters in Top Ten Match Up

The last time Glenbrook North faced a top in-state opponent, New Trier, the Spartans simply couldn’t match up. This time, against Lyons Township, it was execution that cost GBN a chance to win.

The Spartans lost 14-9 to the Lions, the second ranked team in the state according to Laxpower.com, at the slick on Tuesday.

Lyons took advantage of a number of turnovers early for a 7-1 lead in the second quarter. The Spartans fought hard, but dug themselves into too deep of a hole to come back.

“I think the problem early on in the game was we come off too soft,” Kyle Fernitz said. “We come off slow and we expect a lot of our bigger middies, the people who score a lot. We expect them to do more. You can’t do that in lacrosse. It’s a big team sport. Everyone’s gotta work together.”

GBN rallied with two straight goals from Ryan Maksimovic and went into halftime down 8-3. Maksimovic finished with five goals and three assists.

Trailing 10-4, Ryan Davlantes scored the first of three straight Spartan goals to make it a game and put pressure on LT. GBN would cut the lead to 11-8 and later 12-9, but GBN ran out of time and allowed a couple of late goals while pressing to regain possession.

Maksimovic said the team knew not to quit on the game because they’ve made comebacks before.

“When we played Arrowhead up in Wisconsin (a 10-9 win) that was the same situation,” he said. “We came back.”

As coach Justin Georgacakis said after the game, the Spartans didn’t make enough saves or plays on offense to win.

GBN (8-2) is ranked seventh and has ambitions for going higher despite the loss.

“I think we can definitely be in there with Lake Forest and Viator,” Maksimovic said. “I think we can beat this Lyons team. We just gotta have the momentum and keep our heads up.

“They’re second in state. I think we hung with them the whole game. We made a couple mistakes in the first quarter.”

Fernitz called the loss a reality check.

“We’ve been doing really well and we’ve had a really great record,” he said. “We’ve kind of gotten that mindset of, we’re a very good team, we can come out and start off slow and beat any team, but reality is we needed a wake up call.”

Fernitz said his goals for the year are to make all state as a long pole and have the team go deeper in the playoffs than last year, when GBN lost in the second round to Stevenson.

On Thursday, the Spartans will make a trip to compete against Central Suburban League opponent Maine South.