
Boys Soccer: Mount Carmel’s Farias comes up big in win over St. Laurence
By Steve Millar
Correspondent
Sophomore goalkeeper Efrain Farias saved Mount Carmel’s win over St. Laurence on Sept. 21.
Farias stopped a penalty kick with under two minutes to go to preserve a 2-1 victory for the visiting Caravan in a big Catholic League Blue game.
Mount Carmel (6-3, 1-1) led 2-0 before St. Laurence (8-3, 1-2) came storming back. The Vikings had a golden opportunity to tie the game when Andres Lemus was fouled in the box with 1:55 to go.
Jessie Cardiel took the penalty kick, but Farias denied him, lunging to his right to knock the shot away with his hand.
“I was talking to him at the beginning, trying to get him scared and clapping at him,” Farias said. “I listened to one of my players say he was going to go that way. I put my trust in him. As soon as he shot it I went for it and it hit my left hand. It was a good save.”
Farias and his teammates began jumping up and down and sharing hugs.
“It feels good,” Farias said. “Once they cleared it out, we were celebrating and that felt good to celebrate with the team.”
Mount Carmel struck first in the 31st minute when Irving Moreno drew a foul in the box and Marco Antonio Valencia converted the penalty kick.
“It was a tough game,” Moreno said. “We were controlling the middle. Me and Christian Leon were communicating good in the middle and that’s what led us to the first goal. I committed to my run. Christian was like, ‘Go for it, I’ll stay back and defend.’ I went for it, I cut back and ‘boom,’ penalty.”
Valencia ripped a perfectly placed line drive under the crossbar on the penalty kick to make it 1-0.
Moreno made an impact again in the second half, with the help of a fortunate bounce.
After Andrew Torres sent a long pass into the box, it deflected off Moreno’s head, off a defender, off the back of Moreno’s head and in to make it 2-0 with 32:20 to go.
“What can I say? How lucky can I get? It went off the back of my head and it went in,” Moreno said. “I turned around, I heard the fans cheering and I was like, ‘I’ll take it.’
“I love these types of games. I live for these types of games.”
St. Laurence battled back as Bryan Rivera took a throw-in from Edgar Perez and fired from 45 yards out along the sideline, stunning the Caravan with a high, looping shot that found its way inside the far post to make it 2-1 with 19:50 left.
The Vikings then appeared set to tie it when Cardiel’s pass found Lemus in the box and Lemus was taken down to earn the penalty kick.
Farias, though, had other ideas.
“I’d rather us not bury ourselves in those holes,” St. Laurence coach Jaime Alonso said. “The first goal was 100 percent our fault. The second one was a little unlucky. I’m glad that we reacted the way we did. We adjusted, put ourselves in a good situation and we missed. I told (Cardiel) the only players that don’t miss PKs are the ones who don’t take them.
“Their goalie made a big play. He owned the moment.”
Local News

Warn of burglars in Garfield Ridge
Spread the loveFrom staff reports A cluster of residential burglaries in Garfield Ridge has prompted police to issue a warning to the community. Crime scenes include: 5200 block of South Normandy on Jan. 1. 5600 block of South Mobile on Jan. 7. 5300 block of South Mason on Jan. 10. 6000 block of West 60th Street…

Casten scolds sheriff on new gun control law
Spread the loveSays he can’t pick which laws to enforce By Tim Hadac U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-6th) and several other Democratic members of the state’s Congressional delegation recently sent a letter to DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, expressing concern over his Jan. 13 statement that he will not enforce the Protect Illinois Communities Act…

Bust accused shooter in Clearing
Spread the loveBy Tim Hadac Chicago Police and the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force visited Clearing late last month to apprehend a man wanted in connection with a West Side shooting. Shaheer Muhammad, 24 of the 3800 block of West Grenshaw, was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at a home in the 6000 block…

2023 Illinois tax filing season now open
Spread the loveFrom staff reports The Illinois Department of Revenue began accepting 2022 state individual income tax returns on Monday, the same date that the Internal Revenue Service began accepting federal individual income tax returns. “Taxpayers are encouraged to file electronically as early as possible in the tax season and choose direct deposit in order…

Palos Park tries to stay ahead of the curve on sextortion scams
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva The Palos Park Police Department is trying to stay ahead of a disturbing trend that has not been talked about publicly very much. When it comes to the topic of sextortion scams, the Palos Park police are monitoring things very closely and Detective Ross Chibe was called on to provide…

Obituaries January 26, 2022
Spread the loveTHOMAS A. BEEMSTERBOER Thomas A. Beemsterboer, age 71, passed away January 1. Beloved husband of Judith A. Beemsterboer (nee Kuklovsky); loving father of Timothy J. (Erwan LeMoing), Michael D. and Stephen M; devoted brother of Mary Adduci, the late Paul (Alice) Beemsterboer and the late Agnes (the late Thomas) Cooke. Uncle to many…

Former hospital employee charged in Palos Heights identity theft
Spread the loveFrom staff reports A Hazel Crest man was charged last week with aggravated identity theft stemming from an incident that happened on December 27. Palos Heights police took a report on December 27 from a patient at Northwestern Palos Hospital who reported their wallet was missing and then observed two unauthorized charges on…

Boys Bowling | Stagg charges to first state finals appearance
Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent For Stagg, it’s a first. For Sandburg, it’s a return trip. Both teams survived the Plainfield North Sectional at Town & Country Lanes in Joliet to advance to the state tournament. The finals will be Friday, Jan. 27 and Saturday, and 28 at St. Claire Bowl in Fairview Heights. The…
Neighbors

‘Omnibus’ health care bill passed amid criticisms
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A law recently signed by Gov. JB Pritzker will extend the deadline for the state to transfer criminal defendants deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial from jail to a mental hospital. That same bill, House Bill 240, also gives nursing homes in Illinois two more years…

Veteran Statehouse reporter Hannah Meisel joins Capitol News Illinois reporting team
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS [email protected] Longtime Statehouse reporter Hannah Meisel has joined the Capitol News Illinois team as a full-time state government and politics reporter. She’s had a number of assignments covering the Statehouse and Illinois government since the 2014 legislative session, most recently serving as Statehouse editor for NPR Illinois from 2020 until after…

Replacing Illinois institution as secretary of state, Giannoulias makes modernization push
By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – For newly sworn-in Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, customer service is the central mission as he assumes the state’s second-largest constitutional office, replacing the man who had held it for nearly a quarter century. “Modernization and bringing new technology is going to be at the forefront…

UPDATED: State preparing further defense of assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Monday filed a petition asking an appellate court to vacate a temporary restraining order that was issued late Friday afternoon blocking enforcement of the state’s recently-passed assault weapons ban. Raoul’s office filed the petition in the 5th District Appellate Court in…

State preparing further defense of assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker and legislative leaders said they were disappointed but not surprised by a judge’s decision late Friday putting a temporary and limited halt to enforcement of the state’s recently-passed assault weapons ban. Effingham County Judge Joshua Morrison issued the temporary restraining order late Friday…

Rifle Association files federal suit against assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Rifle Association has joined forces with other gun rights advocates in filing a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s new ban on the sale and manufacture of semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. It’s the latest legal challenge to the law, which went into effect…

DCFS, director face lawsuit filed on behalf of jailed wards
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on Thursday was named in a federal class-action lawsuit on behalf of children in state care who have been held in juvenile detention centers after a judge ordered their release. Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert is a…

At World Economic Forum, Pritzker plays role of Illinois’ ‘best chief marketing officer’
By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – After his second-term inauguration amid a frenzied “lame duck” legislative session last week, Gov. JB Pritzker took the global stage this week at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The governor and high-ranking members of his staff joined a bipartisan delegation of U.S.…

Watchdog seeks harsher penalties in wake of abuse at Choate
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois & MOLLY PARKER Lee Enterprises Midwest This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Lee Enterprises, along with Capitol News Illinois. The watchdog for the Illinois Department of Human Services is seeking harsher penalties against health care workers who obstruct abuse and neglect investigations. IDHS…

Rifle Association files federal suit against assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Rifle Association has joined forces with other gun rights advocates in filing a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s new ban on the sale and manufacture of semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. It’s the latest legal challenge to the law, which went into effect…