Boys soccer: Avon Lake coach Pete Klepek notches 100th career win

HUNTING VALLEY — Avon Lake coach Pete Klepek spent the offseason stuck on 99 wins. It didn't take long for the Shoremen to get him No. 100. Luke Bellenir's 19th minute penalty kick gave Avon Lake an early one-goal advantage and set the stage for the Shoremen to pull away in the second half and defeat the Preppers 3-1 in a non-league game. Senior Brendan Stupp was taken down from behind in the box to draw the penalty but it was Bellenir who calmly stepped up to take the kick and placed it perfectly in the lower left corner of the net. "Luke is a senior and he's taken penalties for me before so I was very confident when he walked up there to take it," Klepek said. "As soon as a referee pointed to the middle, Luke ran right to get the ball. Luke chose to take that penalty. I like the boys on the pitch to decide who is going to take the penalty." The Shoremen (1-0) made all the right decisions, extending the lead to 2-0 on goal from Lincoln Rose five minutes into the second half. Ten minutes later, Alex Solaff scored the final Avon Lake goal. Despite the fact that Stupp didn't get his name in the scoring column, he was a big part of almost everything the Shoremen did in their offensive third. "Expect to see Brendan in every single thing this year," Kelpek said. "He's dynamic, talented and highly skilled. He has a great burst of 10- to 15-yard speed. I don't know if anyone else in the Cleveland area can keep up with his speed." Avon Lake usually schedules high-level opponents early, but University School (0-1) presented a unique challenge. The Shoremen, like seven of the eight teams in the Southwestern Conference, play their home games on turf in a multipurpose stadium. The Preppers home field is a natural grass, soccer specific venue with no shade, tucked away in a valley on University School's over 200 acre campus, behind their turf stadium. "The boys said they liked it but it forces you to play a different style of soccer," Klepek said. "When we play, we want the ball to move fast, our forwards and wingers coming through. After the first 10 minutes, you could see we started to figure it out." The three-goal lead allowed Avon Lake to rest some of their starters late and allow younger players to log important minutes. The Preppers finally took advantage of Avon Lake's substitutes in the 75th minute, scoring off the foot of senior Charls Gilson off a Brady Farah assist. Klepek will only have a short amount of time to celebrate as the Shoremen will be back on the pitch Monday for their home opener against Rocky River. "Getting No. 100 means everything," said Klepek, the winningest coach in program history. "Last year, they were trying to get me that win and it wasn't meant to be. This year, I think we have a really special team." One game into his ninth season, Klepek is 100-35-15. Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Avon Lake 3, University School 1 Goals: AL - Luke Bellenir (19th minute PK), Lincoln Rose (45th minute), Alex Soloff (55th minute); US - Charls Gilson (75th minute) Assists: AL - Silas Spagnola, US - Brady Farah Goalkeepers: AL - Lukas Pentz (3 saves); US - Colin Wright (10 saves) Shots on goal: AL - 13; US - 4 Fouls: AL - 9; US - 4 Corner kicks: AL - 5; US- 5 Offside - AL - 2 Yellow Cards: AL - Rose (46th minute), Andrew Krupitzer (52nd minute); US - Owen Blaut (19th minute. Halftime - Avon Lake , 1-0