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La Salle-Peru, Streator play to 1-1 tie 6 days before regional rematch · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  La Salle Peru, Streator played a 1-1 tie six days before Regional
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  rematch. This article is being read by an
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  automated voice brought to you by Everlit. If next Wednesday's Streeter vs.
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  LaSalle Peru semi-final of the Class III A Orion Regional plays out
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  anything like Thursday's friendly preview between the old rivals, it will be
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  a good one. The host Cavaliers and Visiting Bulldogs played to an
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  intense 1-1 tie on the rain-soaked LP Athletic Complex Artificial Pitch Thursday.
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  Streeter's goal was
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  a rebound strike late in the first half from Enrique Rodriguez. LP's
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  was late in the second half, a direct kick off the foot
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  of Soly Johnson of the impressive but somewhat fluky variety. Otherwise it
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  was a physical, intense, defensive minded battle. Both teams played well. I
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  don't think either one of us held back, Cavaliers coach David Spoudic
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  said. I We both had big week. And played strong teams yesterday,
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  and in addition to that the weather tonight wasn't the best. I
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  think we were both a little worn down, and it showed at
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  different parts of the game. We'll see them in a week. Battles
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  against Streeter are always tough, but come next Wednesday, we're gonna toughen
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  it up a notch, and be looking to win that game. Ties
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  have been no stranger for Streator this season. The Bulldogs are now
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  nine ten five heading into regionals. LaSalle Peru, which received its goal
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  in the 69th minute off a laser beam of
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  a forty one yard direct kick off the foot of Johnson and
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  through the rain wetted hands of streeter keeper Colin Byers moves to
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  March 2nd fourteen. I had an opportunity and I took it, Johnson
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  said. We needed a goal, I had an opportunity, and I just
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  shot it. Johnson's shot was the equalizer at the tail end of
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  a second half largely dominated by LP. After a strong start by
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  the home team, Streeter controlled the opening half, finally cashing in at
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  6.51 before the break, when LaSala Peru keeper Logan Driziwa came out
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  to grab a bloop kick but had the wet ball slip through
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  his hands. Rodriguez was right there, outbattling Griziwa for the ball and
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  kicking it in for a 1-0 Streeter lead. Ever since club, I
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  was taught to keep playing through the ball, Rodriguez said. I saw
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  the ball in the air and I always attack and try to
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  get the ball. You never know what can happen, and in that
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  case They goalie had a loose grip. As soon as he dropped
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  it, I just ran right through it and was able to get
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  the shot off. We came out of here with a lot of
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  confidence, knowing we're going to be playing them next week, and this
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  was a really big game for us to see how they're gonna
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  play. They played well. We played well, and I think we can
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  beat them. Other than the two precipitation aided mishandles, the keepers and
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  the defenders in front of them were fantastic. Brzeziwa made seven saves
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  against one goal allowed, his top defenders including Ryan Bubella, Culfranson and
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  Johnson. Byers finished with eleven saves against one goal permitted, with standout
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  plays in front of him made by Brendan Fleming, Diego Flores, Keegan
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  Gassman, and in two memorable stops during LP's final push as time
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  was expiring, Adrian Granado's. The No. 4 seeded Cavaliers and No. 5
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  Bulldogs will meet in Orion at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the late
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  semifinal following the matchup between top-seeded Peoria Notre game and the winner
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  of Saturday's play-in match between No. 9 Ottawa and the 8th seeded
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  host Chargers. For his part, streeter coach JT Huey expects another good
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  match against the Cavaliers, but has no expectation it will play out
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  like Thursday's 1-1 draw. It is a confidence boost. Huey said of
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  The tie, but we can have a situation where it's a totally
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  different game next week. We're going to go practice, we're going to
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  go study, and of course they're going to go do the same
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  thing. But just from my experience, when it gets to regionals, everything
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  changes. I just think there's a vibe about regionals that you're going
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  to get two totally different teams showing up. The urgency is going
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  to be higher, the shot flurries are going to be higher, the
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  emotion is going to be higher.