SouthtownStar’s boys soccer notes

Ever since its 2012 season ended with a loss to rival Sandburg in a regional championship, Stagg has been eager for revenge.

Defender Sean Runyon made it clear before the season what his priorities were.

“My personal goal is to beat Sandburg, first of all,” he said then.

The Chargers met that goal with a 1-0 win Saturday in Orland Park.

“I believe it’s only the third time we’ve beaten Sandburg,” Stagg coach Mike Kealy said. “It’s definitely a confidence booster. I think our guys always get up for that game. It’s our version of a crosstown classic.”

Matt Kois scored for the Chargers, while Erick Estrada recorded the shutout.

“Erick wasn’t tested a ton but he came up with one great save,” Kealy said. “There was a long ball from the back and I thought for sure it was going to be 1-1, but Estrada came up big.”

With the win and Tuesday’s victory over Joliet Central, Stagg improved to 3-1 in the SouthWest Suburban Blue, setting up a showdown Thursday against Lockport, the league’s lone unbeaten squad.

After that match and contests next week against Joliet West and Lincoln-Way North, the Chargers will turn their attention to the postseason and the wide-open Class 3A Andrew Sectional.

Stagg is seeded fourth and will host a regional.

“All of the coaches feel like it’s a wide-open sectional,” Kealy said. “There are at least eight or nine teams that can win a regional and contend for the sectional title. We’ll have a tough game right away against (T.F. United or Richards). Who knows if we’ll even get by that.”

Travel ball

Several Southland teams took long road trips over the weekend to play in tournaments. Bremen, Lockport and Homewood-Flossmoor all participated in the Rock Island Invitational, where Bremen went 3-1 and finished second behind West Aurora. Lockport finished 2-1-1 while H-F went 1-2-1.

Mount Carmel, meanwhile, traveled to St. Louis for the Gateway City Classic and finished 1-2 with a win over downstate Morton.

Player of the Week

Getenet Timmermans, of Chicago Christian, is the SouthtownStar Boys Soccer Player of the Week.

Timmermans, a senior forward, became the school’s all-time record holder when he scored his 89th career goal in a win over Wheaton St. Francis. He also recorded a hat trick against Rich South.