Every field player that started for St. Laurence in Thursday’s game against Lemont also started for the Vikings in the 2025 Class 3A state championship game.
Except for Cristiano Koloffon, that is.
Koloffon, a junior midfielder, is the new face of St. Laurence’s attack. He and senior goalkeeper Noah Mendez joined a lineup with nine returning starters. Koloffon confirmed it was a bit daunting stepping into that spot.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure, but I’m ready for it,” he said. “It excites me. I worked a lot in the offseason and I knew I’d be ready for my chance when I got it. I just play my hardest and I’m letting my play do the talking.”
It’s speaking loudly in the first week of the season. On Thursday, Koloffon scored his second goal in three games to spark the Vikings on their way to a 3-0 win over host Lemont in a Windy City Ram Classic second-round game.
Kris Caravantes and Adan Gutierrez also scored for St. Laurence (3-0), which advanced to take on Homewood-Flossmoor (2-0) in a quarterfinal set for 8 a.m. Saturday at Reavis.
Maven Marquez, Jesus Salazar and Cesar Rivera added assists. Mendez made three saves for the shutout, getting plenty of help from his defense led by Pauly Rzadkosz, Heriberto Luna, Josue Garcia and Hilario Sanchez.
“I can’t give those guys on my back line enough credit,” Mendez said. “It’s just chemistry, really. That’s three clean sheets in a row.”
Benjamin Pokorny made five saves for Lemont (1-1).
Koloffon started the scoring for the Vikings in the ninth minute, taking a pass from Marquez and ripping in a hard shot from 15 yards.
Koloffon also scored in Monday’s season-opening 3-0 win over Kennedy. His teammates are impressed.
“It’s amazing for him to come in like that,” Caravantes said. “To not have any fear or not be nervous to come in and start. Him starting out strong like this, it’s good for him. He’s making an impact on the team.
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“I love how he doesn’t give up on the ball. The ball will be on the other side of the field and he’ll still chase it down. He never gives up on a play.”
Koloffon displays a passion for soccer that has been passed down through generations. His dad, Chris, is the head men’s soccer coach at Moraine Valley and his grandfather, Manny, coached at St. Laurence.
“I’ve been around soccer my whole life, and yeah, I got tired of it sometimes, but I always loved it, deep down,” Koloffon said. “My dad taught me a lot about pushing through tough times, dealing with it when you’re not playing and being ready for your moment because you never know when it’s going to come.”
Koloffon played most of last season on the junior varsity before joining varsity just before the playoffs. He played sparingly but was along for the ride as the Vikings finished as state runner-up.
“It was wonderful to be around all that winning and I think it taught me a lot,” Koloffon said. “I learned I have to be focused all the time and always play my hardest, otherwise I don’t belong on the field.”
Right now, St. Laurence coach Jaime Alonso has no doubts about whether Koloffon deserves a spot in the lineup.
“He’s put in a ton of work,” Alonso said. “He’s taken a ton of strides technically and physically, and you can see that right now. All the work he’s put in is coming to fruition, and I’m really happy for him.”