Ari Chen plays an unheralded yet vital role for Lyons.
Chen is the sweeper on the Lions’ three-man back line that also includes fellow seniors Harrison Kittridge and Owen Kachmarik.
“He’s one of the biggest leaders on our team,” Kittridge said. “I have been playing this formation (3-5-2) for a while and I feel comfortable with him behind me in the back line.”
The Lions have allowed only seven goals this season while posting seven shutouts. The latest clean sheet came when they beat St. Laurence 3-0 to win the BodyArmor Tournament championship on Oct. 4 in LaGrange.
Kittridge scored his first two goals of the season to give the Lions (13-0-1) a 2-0 lead before senior forward Julian Avdiu volleyed home a pass from senior forward Cormac Moran to cap the scoring with 2:42 left in the second half.
The match pitted the top two teams in the state and Lyons handed St. Laurence (17-1-2) its first loss of the season.
“I think Ari Chen was a difference-maker today,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “He just dominated the back line.”
Chen, the smallest of LT’s defenders, deflected the praise.
“We’ve just got dogs back here,” Chen said. “Me and Harrison and Owen (Kachmarik), Marty Svelnis, Brendan Sullivan, we all rotate and talk a little bit.
“They do most of the work. They’re all bigger than me. I just stand back there, wait for all these 6-foot dudes.”
So Chen’s job is basically to sweep away anything that gets past the trees?
“I guess, but not much gets by them,” Chen said. “They take care of it themselves. They’re physical. They just body kids.”
That impressed St. Laurence coach Jaime Alonso, whose team has scored 60 goals.
“They did a great job of withholding the pressure that we had,” Alonso said. “They defended well in the wide areas, which I think we have some great players in wide areas.
“They really contained them today, so props to them. They deserved to win today.”
Kittridge scored his first goal on a rebound at the 33:57 mark of the first half.
The Lions clung to the 1-0 lead until Kittridge headed home a corner kick from Rocco King with 15:15 left in the second half.
“I felt like we had some momentum going,” Alonso said. “I felt like the tide was about to turn. I think if we would have gotten one, the game would have been a lot different.
“I told the boys, when you’re playing these top teams, it is going to come down to a couple moments, and they were just a little sharper than us in those moments.”
Kittridge’s second goal was especially impressive because the sun was shining in his eyes as he went up to head the ball.
“I really didn’t think I was going to get that good of a header on it because I really couldn’t see,” Kittridge said. “It just landed perfectly. It was great celebrating with our team.”
Chen said the celebration will be short-lived. The Vikings and the Lions are seeded first and second, respectively, at the Class 3A Reavis Sectional.
“They’ve been No. 1 all season, so they’ve been on our list,” Chen said. “But we’ve still got four games ahead of us, and they’re a great team, so I’m sure we’ll see them again.
“We’ve just got to keep working, keep grinding.”