Celtic Select U17 takes title in shootout
Down 2014 Celtic Cup champion Mundelein Magic
By Dave Surico
PALATINE – “The 12th man” is a phrase primarily used in American football to describe the crowd's impact on the game.
The Celtic Soccer Club's U17 Select team might want to create its own definition of the term to describe the effect their keeper Kelsie Stone has on the pitch.
The Fremd junior's frenetic activity on and off her line begs for the occasional recount to make sure the Celtic 11 haven't added a player.
Stone was her regular dynamic self as she led her club to a PK win over the Mundelein Magic Elite in the U17 championship division final Palatine Celtic Cup on Labor Day at the Hamilton Reservior fields.
"She's kind of like the rock for the girls," said coach Gordie Poluyanskis. "The one that they look to save them and keep them in games."
Mundelein made Stone do just that and started early with a shot on goal from Myah Strokosch in the third minute. The Magic's chances were the more dangerous of the two teams and included a ball that hit the crossbar in the sixth minute. Soon thereafter a Strokosch steal led to a pass that required Stone to rush up and deny the ball from the onrushing Eva Churchill eight minutes later.
Missed opportunities for both teams followed. A Magic throw-in near the Palatine endline rolled lose in the box, but went without a connection in the 15th minute. On the opposite end of the field, a great corner kick from Lauren Ellis floated just inches over the head of Katie Gillete at the far post in minute 24.
More too-strong through-balls from Mundelein had Stone covering more ground up the middle than a Major League shortstop. The trend continued and played right into the keeper’s strong suit.
"I just always like to be a part of the play, always helping out my team," Stone said. "They play so hard for me. I just want to give to them what they give to me."
After the break Palatine came out sharp. Missy Adrian made a skilled run down left side and sent in a ball that skimmed the crossbar in the early seconds of the second half. She followed it with a cross on the ground that Camille Jensen just sent wide at 43 minutes and a strong 20-yard shot that Mundelein keeper Alexis Pawlowski handled in the 45th minute.
The Magic made Stone display her athleticism a minute early. Churchill's sent a try that made the keeper go up to defend the right upper 90 on a ball that brushed the frame. Seconds later Brianne Barnes made the keeper traverse the goalmouth and deny a ball at the opposite corner.
Regulation ended in a 0-0 draw. After two 5-minute overtimes, it came down to PKs. When that happens, Celtic coach Poluyanskis feels his team has the upper hand.
"Kelsie's a special kid," he said. "And it makes it easier to feel comfortable in that situation."
That solace had to help the Celtic side after Adrian saw her attempt stopped by Pawlowski on the opening shot.
"I got so nervous," said Adrian. "I've taken so many I know exactly where to hit it. But this time I missed it.
Alexis Brown converted on Mundelein's first shot to give the Magic a 1-0 advantage.
Celtic took the lead on conversions from Katie Bondi and Tara Bergles that were sandwiched around a Mundelein miss over the crossbar.
That left the Magic's Sophia Richards at the spot with a chance to bring her team even. Her solid shot was stopped on a left-side dive by Stone.
"My coach tells me all you have to save is one," said Stone, who also stopped a PK on Saturday. "I just reacted to it. I tried to get big. I tried to intimidate her, because I could see she looked a little nervous. I just tried to go in flying, give it everything I've got."
A calm Katie Gillete converted next to give Celtic a two-PK advantage.
“I wasn't nervous, because I learned from my old coach (Brian Colicchia) a lot of tactics to keep yourself calm,” she said. “While I was in line, I would squeeze my hands and let it go, which calms me down, deep breaths and you don't doubt yourself once. Before the game ended, I knew if we went to PKs ended I would go bottom left.”
Mundelein's Rachel Hansen kept her team alive with a shot to the right that rolled in after Stone got a hand on it.
Celtic’s Sam Malak had a chance to end the session with a fourth tally but her PK sailed north of the crossbar. The match came down to Mundelein’s final shooter. Rachel Tipperreiter had the right idea on her attempt to extend the PKs but found the clang of the right post instead of the path inside of it.
That left the relieved Celtics with smiles, the title and respect for their opponent.
"We definitely underestimated them, because they tied teams that we beat," said Gillete. "We came prepared but not like we normally do. I think the nerves got the best of us, and we didn’t come out as strong as we could have."
That result left Mundelein disappointed. The Magic hoped to defend their 2014 Celtic Cup crown.
"It's tough to lose on PKs like that," said coach William Richards, who lamented the Magic's inability to make connections in the final third. "It was almost the same lineup I used last year when we won this tournament on PKs, so it's just how it breaks.
"I thought we played well, our backline did outstanding. Everything Palatine got in the box they had to earn it. We missed some opportunities up top, but that's the breaks.
"They packed in their backline. Only pushing two girls up, it kind of put us at a disadvantage. But that's why you end the game 0-0, you've got two teams playing not to lose."
Pawlowski, who has played keeper for the Magic since she was eight, matched her counterpart with a save in the shootout.
"You've just got to help your team out some way, so I guess that's the best I could do. You have to be there for your team and do what you can," said Pawlowski, who was the winning goalie in PKs for the Magic last Labor Day weekend.
Hansen was happy with her club's effort, but sees room for improvement after the first tournament of the fall season.
"I think we played pretty well overall. We played as a team," she said. "We possessed in the middle the best we could. We just didn't finish in the final third and we didn't persevere throughout the whole field as a team, (we needed) just a little more intensity.
"We were having a hard time finding seams and connecting throughout the middle, so we just sent it down the field with multiple people on us."
Defender Alexis Brown thinks her backline crew will remain a strong point for Mundelein this season.
“A few of their girls were a little faster than our backline but usually we have a sweeper for support in case they get beat,” she said. “There were a few moments of breakdown in the back, but they didn't manage to score off if it.
“We're pretty strong back there. We usually work from out back up the field. So as our backline is stronger, we're hoping to increase our offensive skills to finish in the final third.”
Starting lineups
Mundelein Magic Elite
GK: Alexis Pawlowski
D: Rachel Hansen
D: Alexis Brown
Brianne Barnes
Gracie Bouker
Leah Goldman
Sophia Richards
Myah Strokosch
Rachel Tipperreiter
Madelynn Westhoff
F: Eva Churchill
Celtic Select
GK: Kelsie Stone
D: Sam Malak
D: Jane Kapinos
D: Katie Bondi
D: Jennifer Josten
MF: Lauren Ellis
MF: Marissa Glaviano
MF: Kendall Kane
MF: Camille Jensen
F: Missy Adrian
F: Tara Bergles
MVP of the Match: Kelsie Stone, GK, Celtic Select
Down 2014 Celtic Cup champion Mundelein Magic
By Dave Surico
PALATINE – “The 12th man” is a phrase primarily used in American football to describe the crowd's impact on the game.
The Celtic Soccer Club's U17 Select team might want to create its own definition of the term to describe the effect their keeper Kelsie Stone has on the pitch.
The Fremd junior's frenetic activity on and off her line begs for the occasional recount to make sure the Celtic 11 haven't added a player.
Stone was her regular dynamic self as she led her club to a PK win over the Mundelein Magic Elite in the U17 championship division final Palatine Celtic Cup on Labor Day at the Hamilton Reservior fields.
"She's kind of like the rock for the girls," said coach Gordie Poluyanskis. "The one that they look to save them and keep them in games."
Mundelein made Stone do just that and started early with a shot on goal from Myah Strokosch in the third minute. The Magic's chances were the more dangerous of the two teams and included a ball that hit the crossbar in the sixth minute. Soon thereafter a Strokosch steal led to a pass that required Stone to rush up and deny the ball from the onrushing Eva Churchill eight minutes later.
Missed opportunities for both teams followed. A Magic throw-in near the Palatine endline rolled lose in the box, but went without a connection in the 15th minute. On the opposite end of the field, a great corner kick from Lauren Ellis floated just inches over the head of Katie Gillete at the far post in minute 24.
More too-strong through-balls from Mundelein had Stone covering more ground up the middle than a Major League shortstop. The trend continued and played right into the keeper’s strong suit.
"I just always like to be a part of the play, always helping out my team," Stone said. "They play so hard for me. I just want to give to them what they give to me."
After the break Palatine came out sharp. Missy Adrian made a skilled run down left side and sent in a ball that skimmed the crossbar in the early seconds of the second half. She followed it with a cross on the ground that Camille Jensen just sent wide at 43 minutes and a strong 20-yard shot that Mundelein keeper Alexis Pawlowski handled in the 45th minute.
The Magic made Stone display her athleticism a minute early. Churchill's sent a try that made the keeper go up to defend the right upper 90 on a ball that brushed the frame. Seconds later Brianne Barnes made the keeper traverse the goalmouth and deny a ball at the opposite corner.
Regulation ended in a 0-0 draw. After two 5-minute overtimes, it came down to PKs. When that happens, Celtic coach Poluyanskis feels his team has the upper hand.
"Kelsie's a special kid," he said. "And it makes it easier to feel comfortable in that situation."
That solace had to help the Celtic side after Adrian saw her attempt stopped by Pawlowski on the opening shot.
"I got so nervous," said Adrian. "I've taken so many I know exactly where to hit it. But this time I missed it.
Alexis Brown converted on Mundelein's first shot to give the Magic a 1-0 advantage.
Celtic took the lead on conversions from Katie Bondi and Tara Bergles that were sandwiched around a Mundelein miss over the crossbar.
That left the Magic's Sophia Richards at the spot with a chance to bring her team even. Her solid shot was stopped on a left-side dive by Stone.
"My coach tells me all you have to save is one," said Stone, who also stopped a PK on Saturday. "I just reacted to it. I tried to get big. I tried to intimidate her, because I could see she looked a little nervous. I just tried to go in flying, give it everything I've got."
A calm Katie Gillete converted next to give Celtic a two-PK advantage.
“I wasn't nervous, because I learned from my old coach (Brian Colicchia) a lot of tactics to keep yourself calm,” she said. “While I was in line, I would squeeze my hands and let it go, which calms me down, deep breaths and you don't doubt yourself once. Before the game ended, I knew if we went to PKs ended I would go bottom left.”
Mundelein's Rachel Hansen kept her team alive with a shot to the right that rolled in after Stone got a hand on it.
Celtic’s Sam Malak had a chance to end the session with a fourth tally but her PK sailed north of the crossbar. The match came down to Mundelein’s final shooter. Rachel Tipperreiter had the right idea on her attempt to extend the PKs but found the clang of the right post instead of the path inside of it.
That left the relieved Celtics with smiles, the title and respect for their opponent.
"We definitely underestimated them, because they tied teams that we beat," said Gillete. "We came prepared but not like we normally do. I think the nerves got the best of us, and we didn’t come out as strong as we could have."
That result left Mundelein disappointed. The Magic hoped to defend their 2014 Celtic Cup crown.
"It's tough to lose on PKs like that," said coach William Richards, who lamented the Magic's inability to make connections in the final third. "It was almost the same lineup I used last year when we won this tournament on PKs, so it's just how it breaks.
"I thought we played well, our backline did outstanding. Everything Palatine got in the box they had to earn it. We missed some opportunities up top, but that's the breaks.
"They packed in their backline. Only pushing two girls up, it kind of put us at a disadvantage. But that's why you end the game 0-0, you've got two teams playing not to lose."
Pawlowski, who has played keeper for the Magic since she was eight, matched her counterpart with a save in the shootout.
"You've just got to help your team out some way, so I guess that's the best I could do. You have to be there for your team and do what you can," said Pawlowski, who was the winning goalie in PKs for the Magic last Labor Day weekend.
Hansen was happy with her club's effort, but sees room for improvement after the first tournament of the fall season.
"I think we played pretty well overall. We played as a team," she said. "We possessed in the middle the best we could. We just didn't finish in the final third and we didn't persevere throughout the whole field as a team, (we needed) just a little more intensity.
"We were having a hard time finding seams and connecting throughout the middle, so we just sent it down the field with multiple people on us."
Defender Alexis Brown thinks her backline crew will remain a strong point for Mundelein this season.
“A few of their girls were a little faster than our backline but usually we have a sweeper for support in case they get beat,” she said. “There were a few moments of breakdown in the back, but they didn't manage to score off if it.
“We're pretty strong back there. We usually work from out back up the field. So as our backline is stronger, we're hoping to increase our offensive skills to finish in the final third.”
Starting lineups
Mundelein Magic Elite
GK: Alexis Pawlowski
D: Rachel Hansen
D: Alexis Brown
Brianne Barnes
Gracie Bouker
Leah Goldman
Sophia Richards
Myah Strokosch
Rachel Tipperreiter
Madelynn Westhoff
F: Eva Churchill
Celtic Select
GK: Kelsie Stone
D: Sam Malak
D: Jane Kapinos
D: Katie Bondi
D: Jennifer Josten
MF: Lauren Ellis
MF: Marissa Glaviano
MF: Kendall Kane
MF: Camille Jensen
F: Missy Adrian
F: Tara Bergles
MVP of the Match: Kelsie Stone, GK, Celtic Select