Barrington gains final, tops DGN
Herr goal in 7th minute stands up, D stifles Trojans in 1-0 win
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – Barrington’s current players were just starting elementary school when the Fillies made their first appearance in a state championship game.
New Trier defeated Barrington 2-1 to win the AA title in 2006, capping a run of three state titles in four seasons.
Eleven years later, the Fillies will get a second crack at winning it all and the opponent will be a familiar one.
Junior Michayla Herr headed home a cross from senior Sophie Spinell in the seventh minute Friday night and Barrington held on to end Downers Grove North’s Cinderella run with 1-0 victory in the Class 3A state semifinals at North Central College.
Waiting in Saturday night’s title bout will be – you guessed it – New Trier, which edged Collinsville 1-0 in double overtime in the other semifinal.
New Trier (24-2-1) has won 27-consecutive playoff games and will be trying to win its fourth-consecutive championship, a feat accomplished by only one other school, St. Charles, which won five straight from 1996-2000.
But one of the Trevians’ losses this season came at the hands of the Fillies (27-1-0) in the Naperville Invitational semifinals.
“This is our second time playing in the game,” Barrington coach Ryan Stengren said. “We’d love the opportunity.
“We know we’re playing a well-coached, hard-working team that’s done it before. That’s where we want to be.”
The Fillies beat the Trevians 1-0 on a second half goal from Ashley Prell. The rematch also figures to be low-scoring, with both teams entering with confidence.
“Anyone that’s in this game is going to be a confident team,” Stengren said. “I know their team has gotten better, and we’ve gotten better, too.
“It’s going to be two really good teams going at it. It’s going to come down to executing.”
The Fillies executed just enough to put away the pesky Trojans, who made their state semifinals debut. Downers Grove North (20-3-2) mustered only three shots, including two in the first half off the foot of junior defender Olivia Bull that Barrington goalie Samantha Schmitz handled easily.
“We’ve given up two goals in the tournament,” Downers North coach Brian Papa said. “The problem is we can’t generate any offense.
“Like I told the girls, when you’re scoring from the midfield the majority of the year, when it gets to playoff time you've got to play small ball. You’ve got to control the ball, and we were not doing that.
“I like what we did between the 35s. They just ran us down.”
That’s what happened on the game’s only goal. Spinell made a run down the left wing, shook off a defender and sent a perfect high ball over the defense to Herr, who powered a header into the upper right corner of the net for the early lead.
“I got the ball at my feet, and I wanted to take it endline because that’s usually what I do,” Spinell said. “The defender up against me had a ton of momentum going this way, so I cut it back to create a window so I could cross it.
“I looked up and tried to loft it over the first two defenders so it could find her head.”
Spinell had nearly found the back of the net 40 seconds earlier when she launched a rocket that hit the right post.
The Fillies dominated the entire first half, outshooting the Trojans 8-2 and putting all sorts of pressure on the Downers North defense.
“We were buzzing around their goal a lot tonight, so other than the fact that we didn’t finish as many chances as we should have, I liked the fact that we were in their end and creating a lot of chances,” Stengren said. “That’s very, very good for us.”
Junior goalkeeper Grace Stevenson was sharp for the Trojans, making four great saves in the first half to keep her team in it. That included two tremendous diving stops on Anna Brodjian and one each on Lauren Caffe and Herr, whose point-blank volley was denied with 6:45 to go before intermission.
“Grace gives me heart attacks,” Papa said. “The ones that are easy, she makes a nightmare.
“But, boy, on the ones you don’t expect her to make, she kept us in the game. Grace kept us in every game.”
So, too, did North’s back line of Elizabeth Hodonicky, Chloe Nowka, Olivia Bull and Francesca Marconi, which teamed with Stevenson to hold Chicagoland Soccer’s top-ranked team scoreless for the final 72 minutes.
“Our backs played as strong as they could,” Papa said. “There’s not enough superlatives I can say about those five girls; they kept us in it.
“Look what they accomplished. (The Fillies) scored in the first seven minutes and then we held them off.”
That effort drew praise from the Fillies, who rose to the challenge.
“They kept working,” Spinell said. “They kept the intensity and urgency up, but we did as well. We came out, and we had to reciprocate that.”
Now the Fillies get a chance to end New Trier’s reign.
“We’ve always dreamed of it so it’s always nice when you’re in the process of accomplishing dreams and you’re getting closer and closer,” Herr said. “(Advancing to the final) became a reality today.
“I think we’re going to take it like we’ve never played them before and go out there 100 percent, because this is part of the process of completing a huge goal of ours, and we just want to come out and fly. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Downers North’s success is a testament to that. The Trojans had never advanced past the sectional semifinals until this season, when they shattered the school record for victories and eliminated traditional powers Lyons and Naperville North to earn the program’s first state trophy.
“I think we gave it our all,” Stevenson said. “We played together. We were with each other the whole time.
“Obviously there were things we could have done better. We could have shot on goal more, but overall I think we did what we could, and it wasn’t enough in our favor today.”
Perhaps it might happen in 2018.
“I think it gives us something for next year to look forward to for everyone who is coming back,” Stevenson said. “It’s been really awesome to be here.
“We’re looking to take third tomorrow and make the point that we belong here, and we were here for a reason.”
Starting lineups
Barrington
GK Samantha Schmitz
D Jackie Batliner
D Kayla Keck
D Haley Tausend
D Madi Rosen
M Michayla Herr
M Sophia Spinell
M Lauren Caffe
M Sydney Bowling
F Anna Brodjian
F Ashley Prell
Downers Grove North
GK Grace Stevenson
D Elizabeth Hodonicky
D Chloe Nowka
D Olivia Bull
D Francesca Marconi
M Abby Swanson
M Carissa Mysliwicz
M Simone Gardner
F Haley Reynolds
F Carli Nehls
F Delaney Forst
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Michayla Herr, jr., MF, Barrington
Herr goal in 7th minute stands up, D stifles Trojans in 1-0 win
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – Barrington’s current players were just starting elementary school when the Fillies made their first appearance in a state championship game.
New Trier defeated Barrington 2-1 to win the AA title in 2006, capping a run of three state titles in four seasons.
Eleven years later, the Fillies will get a second crack at winning it all and the opponent will be a familiar one.
Junior Michayla Herr headed home a cross from senior Sophie Spinell in the seventh minute Friday night and Barrington held on to end Downers Grove North’s Cinderella run with 1-0 victory in the Class 3A state semifinals at North Central College.
Waiting in Saturday night’s title bout will be – you guessed it – New Trier, which edged Collinsville 1-0 in double overtime in the other semifinal.
New Trier (24-2-1) has won 27-consecutive playoff games and will be trying to win its fourth-consecutive championship, a feat accomplished by only one other school, St. Charles, which won five straight from 1996-2000.
But one of the Trevians’ losses this season came at the hands of the Fillies (27-1-0) in the Naperville Invitational semifinals.
“This is our second time playing in the game,” Barrington coach Ryan Stengren said. “We’d love the opportunity.
“We know we’re playing a well-coached, hard-working team that’s done it before. That’s where we want to be.”
The Fillies beat the Trevians 1-0 on a second half goal from Ashley Prell. The rematch also figures to be low-scoring, with both teams entering with confidence.
“Anyone that’s in this game is going to be a confident team,” Stengren said. “I know their team has gotten better, and we’ve gotten better, too.
“It’s going to be two really good teams going at it. It’s going to come down to executing.”
The Fillies executed just enough to put away the pesky Trojans, who made their state semifinals debut. Downers Grove North (20-3-2) mustered only three shots, including two in the first half off the foot of junior defender Olivia Bull that Barrington goalie Samantha Schmitz handled easily.
“We’ve given up two goals in the tournament,” Downers North coach Brian Papa said. “The problem is we can’t generate any offense.
“Like I told the girls, when you’re scoring from the midfield the majority of the year, when it gets to playoff time you've got to play small ball. You’ve got to control the ball, and we were not doing that.
“I like what we did between the 35s. They just ran us down.”
That’s what happened on the game’s only goal. Spinell made a run down the left wing, shook off a defender and sent a perfect high ball over the defense to Herr, who powered a header into the upper right corner of the net for the early lead.
“I got the ball at my feet, and I wanted to take it endline because that’s usually what I do,” Spinell said. “The defender up against me had a ton of momentum going this way, so I cut it back to create a window so I could cross it.
“I looked up and tried to loft it over the first two defenders so it could find her head.”
Spinell had nearly found the back of the net 40 seconds earlier when she launched a rocket that hit the right post.
The Fillies dominated the entire first half, outshooting the Trojans 8-2 and putting all sorts of pressure on the Downers North defense.
“We were buzzing around their goal a lot tonight, so other than the fact that we didn’t finish as many chances as we should have, I liked the fact that we were in their end and creating a lot of chances,” Stengren said. “That’s very, very good for us.”
Junior goalkeeper Grace Stevenson was sharp for the Trojans, making four great saves in the first half to keep her team in it. That included two tremendous diving stops on Anna Brodjian and one each on Lauren Caffe and Herr, whose point-blank volley was denied with 6:45 to go before intermission.
“Grace gives me heart attacks,” Papa said. “The ones that are easy, she makes a nightmare.
“But, boy, on the ones you don’t expect her to make, she kept us in the game. Grace kept us in every game.”
So, too, did North’s back line of Elizabeth Hodonicky, Chloe Nowka, Olivia Bull and Francesca Marconi, which teamed with Stevenson to hold Chicagoland Soccer’s top-ranked team scoreless for the final 72 minutes.
“Our backs played as strong as they could,” Papa said. “There’s not enough superlatives I can say about those five girls; they kept us in it.
“Look what they accomplished. (The Fillies) scored in the first seven minutes and then we held them off.”
That effort drew praise from the Fillies, who rose to the challenge.
“They kept working,” Spinell said. “They kept the intensity and urgency up, but we did as well. We came out, and we had to reciprocate that.”
Now the Fillies get a chance to end New Trier’s reign.
“We’ve always dreamed of it so it’s always nice when you’re in the process of accomplishing dreams and you’re getting closer and closer,” Herr said. “(Advancing to the final) became a reality today.
“I think we’re going to take it like we’ve never played them before and go out there 100 percent, because this is part of the process of completing a huge goal of ours, and we just want to come out and fly. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Downers North’s success is a testament to that. The Trojans had never advanced past the sectional semifinals until this season, when they shattered the school record for victories and eliminated traditional powers Lyons and Naperville North to earn the program’s first state trophy.
“I think we gave it our all,” Stevenson said. “We played together. We were with each other the whole time.
“Obviously there were things we could have done better. We could have shot on goal more, but overall I think we did what we could, and it wasn’t enough in our favor today.”
Perhaps it might happen in 2018.
“I think it gives us something for next year to look forward to for everyone who is coming back,” Stevenson said. “It’s been really awesome to be here.
“We’re looking to take third tomorrow and make the point that we belong here, and we were here for a reason.”
Starting lineups
Barrington
GK Samantha Schmitz
D Jackie Batliner
D Kayla Keck
D Haley Tausend
D Madi Rosen
M Michayla Herr
M Sophia Spinell
M Lauren Caffe
M Sydney Bowling
F Anna Brodjian
F Ashley Prell
Downers Grove North
GK Grace Stevenson
D Elizabeth Hodonicky
D Chloe Nowka
D Olivia Bull
D Francesca Marconi
M Abby Swanson
M Carissa Mysliwicz
M Simone Gardner
F Haley Reynolds
F Carli Nehls
F Delaney Forst
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Michayla Herr, jr., MF, Barrington