Patryk Linski from Bartlett has regained his form recently. So, when he got fouled in the final minute on Monday night, he confidently decided to take the penalty kick. “I won that,” said Linski as the Hawks trailed with only 43 seconds remaining. “I felt motivated and confident.”
Bartlett coach Anthony Glorioso hadn’t planned it this way, but Linski’s successful penalty kick tied the game at 2-2 against Hampshire. Edwin Santillan also scored for Bartlett (3-11-1) in the first half, equalizing at 1-1. Brian Vega had put Hampshire (10-2-2) ahead 33:31 into the first half, and Momo Allnoch gave Hampshire a 2-1 lead early in the second half.
“I told Pat from the sideline, pointed to my head, ‘Be smart,'” Glorioso mentioned. “It somehow turned into taking the PK, thankfully he scored. That was on me.”
Linski executed his plan cleverly. “When the referee took time, I kept looking at the corner I planned to shoot at but glanced at the other corner just before shooting. I shot at the corner I focused on from the start,” Linski explained.
Coach Glorioso is pleased to see Linski back to his usual form following a slow start. Linski improved after a team trip to Iowa. “He’s appeared more like himself since the trip,” Glorioso noted. “Earlier in the year, he struggled, but now he plays aggressively, winning balls and staying true to how he plays.”
A conversation with his father helped Linski clear his mind. “Before Iowa, I faced many distractions,” Linski shared. “My dad gave me a big speech telling me to seize the moment. It cleared my head, and now I feel confident and back to myself.”
Hampshire is managing a packed schedule with three games in four days, focusing on winning the Fox Valley Conference. Coach Chayanne Martinez rotated players to maintain their health, crucial for the remaining games. “We must stay healthy and manage our rotations,” Martinez stated. “It’s a long week, and our priority is player health.”
Bartlett seems ready for a positive change. Drawing a tie in the match’s final moments against a strong team is a good sign. “The record doesn’t matter in playoffs,” Linski remarked. “We’re here to compete.”