DGN thrives under Papa, ties DGS
Trojans' dominate but can't put 1 past Patera
By Matt Le Cren
DOWNERS GROVE – You may or may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but can an old dog teach some young soccer players new tricks?
That’s the experiment Downers Grove North is trying this spring and so far it’s going well.
The Trojans, who made their debut in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 this week at no. 23, won their first three games under new coach Brian Papa, who came out of retirement to replace Bob Calder, who resigned last summer.
Papa, an IHSSCA Hall of Famer and the current president of the organization, retired from Lincoln-Way East last year after racking up more than 800 wins coaching boys and girls teams. With Papa and assistant coach Chris Tomek, the Trojans now have two Hall of Famers on the bench.
“I was very fortunate,” Papa said following Saturday’s 0-0 tie with Downers Grove South at Carstens Field. “I found out about the position being open when Chris called.
“I was thinking (it would be) as an assistant but they were looking for a head coach. I never thought that they would hire me, because I had retired and usually people in-house (are preferred). It worked out, and I’m very happy.”
So are the players, who are adapting to Papa’s cerebral style.
“He’s an awesome coach,” Downers North junior midfielder Abby Swanson said. “It’s a very different approach from last year.
“We spend a lot more time in the classroom setting to really drawing it out and looking at each play individually. I think that’s helpful. We’re undefeated so far so we’re doing something right.”
The Trojans (3-0-1) failed to win for the first time thanks to a determined defensive effort by Downers Grove South, which battled hard despite chasing the ball for most of the match. Downers North outshot the Mustangs 19-2 and only some great play from Downers South goalkeeper Paige Patera kept the Trojans off the scoreboard.
Patera earned Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors by stopping 10 shots, including nine in a first half which was utterly dominated by the Trojans.
Patera’s best stop came as time expired before the intermission. North’s Emily Redpath won a ball on the right side and slid a lead pass ahead to Carissa Mysliewiec, who cut inside and fired a shot toward the far post. It would have gone in, but the lunging Patera got a piece of it to tip it wide as the horn sounded.
“Paige is a phenomenal player for us,” Downers South coach Chris Hernandez said. “She’s a calming influence on our backline. Obviously her play is important but her leadership is just as important as well.”
Patera was busy throughout, directing defenders Emily Brindac, Veronica Tannenbaum, Amy Ganschow and Jennifer Masello to snuff out threats. She also aggressively came off her line several times to kick balls away before breakaways could develop, and she denied Swanson three times on hard shots from outside the box, including a sharp rebound off a blocked free kick midway through the second half.
“I think I played pretty well,” Patera said. “They have a lot of really great shooters, and they have a lot of great players. I give them that.
“It’s good because we can test each other. They get a lot of touches and shots, and I also get some touches, so it equals out for both of us.”
But there was nothing equal about the play in the midfield, where the Trojans dominated behind the play of Swanson, Carli Nehls, Julia Kramper and Simone Gardner.
That quartet has been dominant so far and is one reason why the Trojans have allowed only one goal so far.
“Our midfield is our strength,” Papa said. “Our midfield is as good as anybody’s.
“I’ve got four girls that can play in there and then you throw in Carissa. I made a mistake today because I should have mixed it up a little bit more by bringing her into the middle to get her more touches, because we go through Carissa.
“She’s pretty tough and today they did a good job of keeping on her backside and not letting her turn, because she’s dangerous.
“Give the girls from South credit. They played hard, and they made our shots difficult.”
But the Trojans made South’s shots nearly nonexistent. On the few occasions when the Mustangs (0-2-2) were able to cross midfield, they didn’t have much luck getting past the backline of Elizabeth Hodonicky, Olivia Bull, Chloe Nowka and Isabella Scarlati.
“We really start from the back and work our way up,” Swanson said. “We like to have a solid defense because without that you can’t even get into their half to work on the final third.
“That’s been a focus this year and last year to really build the back and then we’ll figure out the front of it as we go. We have to keep (opponents) out.”
The Trojans did that as senior goalie Grace Stevenson made two saves to record her third shutout. She easily stopped a 51-yard free kick from Masello with 30:25 left in the second half and a long attempt by Abby Wissler 22 minutes after that.
The anemic offensive effort was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have conceded only two goals but have yet to score this season.
“We’re young,” Hernandez said. “We’re going to defend first, and we’re hoping as we go forward (the offense) is coming.
“We’re seeing it in training. The girls have a learning curve, like we had three sophomores as our forwards today, so it’s a little bit of a step up. We had a freshman playing an attacking role as well, so it’s a deep learning curve but the girls are starting to get it. We’re looking big picture.”
The big picture already is coming into focus for Downers Grove North, which seems poised for a solid season.
“We’ve come out really strong,” Swanson said. “The girls are working well together, and its’ been going our way so far.
“Experience contributes to it, but even the new girls coming in, they’re just eager to learn and eager to be a part of it. Their excitement helps bring that out of the returning players, too.
“It’s a team effort. They’re all ready to contribute and I think that’s why we’re doing so well.”
Starting lineups
Downers Grove South
GK Paige Patera
D Emily Brindac
D Veronica Tannenbaum
D Amy Ganschow
D Jennifer Masello
M Jill Paladino
M Sarah Casey
M Vivian Pierropoulos
F Megan Albers
F Lauren Travis
F Paige Reichert
Downers Grove North
GK Grace Stevenson
D Elizabeth Hodonicky
D Olivia Bull
D Chloe Nowka
D Isabella Scarlati
M Carissa Mysliwiec
M Abby Swanson
M Carlie Nehls
M Simone Gardner
F Delaney Forst
F Emily Redpath
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Paige Patera, sr., GK, Downers Grove South.
Trojans' dominate but can't put 1 past Patera
By Matt Le Cren
DOWNERS GROVE – You may or may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but can an old dog teach some young soccer players new tricks?
That’s the experiment Downers Grove North is trying this spring and so far it’s going well.
The Trojans, who made their debut in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 this week at no. 23, won their first three games under new coach Brian Papa, who came out of retirement to replace Bob Calder, who resigned last summer.
Papa, an IHSSCA Hall of Famer and the current president of the organization, retired from Lincoln-Way East last year after racking up more than 800 wins coaching boys and girls teams. With Papa and assistant coach Chris Tomek, the Trojans now have two Hall of Famers on the bench.
“I was very fortunate,” Papa said following Saturday’s 0-0 tie with Downers Grove South at Carstens Field. “I found out about the position being open when Chris called.
“I was thinking (it would be) as an assistant but they were looking for a head coach. I never thought that they would hire me, because I had retired and usually people in-house (are preferred). It worked out, and I’m very happy.”
So are the players, who are adapting to Papa’s cerebral style.
“He’s an awesome coach,” Downers North junior midfielder Abby Swanson said. “It’s a very different approach from last year.
“We spend a lot more time in the classroom setting to really drawing it out and looking at each play individually. I think that’s helpful. We’re undefeated so far so we’re doing something right.”
The Trojans (3-0-1) failed to win for the first time thanks to a determined defensive effort by Downers Grove South, which battled hard despite chasing the ball for most of the match. Downers North outshot the Mustangs 19-2 and only some great play from Downers South goalkeeper Paige Patera kept the Trojans off the scoreboard.
Patera earned Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors by stopping 10 shots, including nine in a first half which was utterly dominated by the Trojans.
Patera’s best stop came as time expired before the intermission. North’s Emily Redpath won a ball on the right side and slid a lead pass ahead to Carissa Mysliewiec, who cut inside and fired a shot toward the far post. It would have gone in, but the lunging Patera got a piece of it to tip it wide as the horn sounded.
“Paige is a phenomenal player for us,” Downers South coach Chris Hernandez said. “She’s a calming influence on our backline. Obviously her play is important but her leadership is just as important as well.”
Patera was busy throughout, directing defenders Emily Brindac, Veronica Tannenbaum, Amy Ganschow and Jennifer Masello to snuff out threats. She also aggressively came off her line several times to kick balls away before breakaways could develop, and she denied Swanson three times on hard shots from outside the box, including a sharp rebound off a blocked free kick midway through the second half.
“I think I played pretty well,” Patera said. “They have a lot of really great shooters, and they have a lot of great players. I give them that.
“It’s good because we can test each other. They get a lot of touches and shots, and I also get some touches, so it equals out for both of us.”
But there was nothing equal about the play in the midfield, where the Trojans dominated behind the play of Swanson, Carli Nehls, Julia Kramper and Simone Gardner.
That quartet has been dominant so far and is one reason why the Trojans have allowed only one goal so far.
“Our midfield is our strength,” Papa said. “Our midfield is as good as anybody’s.
“I’ve got four girls that can play in there and then you throw in Carissa. I made a mistake today because I should have mixed it up a little bit more by bringing her into the middle to get her more touches, because we go through Carissa.
“She’s pretty tough and today they did a good job of keeping on her backside and not letting her turn, because she’s dangerous.
“Give the girls from South credit. They played hard, and they made our shots difficult.”
But the Trojans made South’s shots nearly nonexistent. On the few occasions when the Mustangs (0-2-2) were able to cross midfield, they didn’t have much luck getting past the backline of Elizabeth Hodonicky, Olivia Bull, Chloe Nowka and Isabella Scarlati.
“We really start from the back and work our way up,” Swanson said. “We like to have a solid defense because without that you can’t even get into their half to work on the final third.
“That’s been a focus this year and last year to really build the back and then we’ll figure out the front of it as we go. We have to keep (opponents) out.”
The Trojans did that as senior goalie Grace Stevenson made two saves to record her third shutout. She easily stopped a 51-yard free kick from Masello with 30:25 left in the second half and a long attempt by Abby Wissler 22 minutes after that.
The anemic offensive effort was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have conceded only two goals but have yet to score this season.
“We’re young,” Hernandez said. “We’re going to defend first, and we’re hoping as we go forward (the offense) is coming.
“We’re seeing it in training. The girls have a learning curve, like we had three sophomores as our forwards today, so it’s a little bit of a step up. We had a freshman playing an attacking role as well, so it’s a deep learning curve but the girls are starting to get it. We’re looking big picture.”
The big picture already is coming into focus for Downers Grove North, which seems poised for a solid season.
“We’ve come out really strong,” Swanson said. “The girls are working well together, and its’ been going our way so far.
“Experience contributes to it, but even the new girls coming in, they’re just eager to learn and eager to be a part of it. Their excitement helps bring that out of the returning players, too.
“It’s a team effort. They’re all ready to contribute and I think that’s why we’re doing so well.”
Starting lineups
Downers Grove South
GK Paige Patera
D Emily Brindac
D Veronica Tannenbaum
D Amy Ganschow
D Jennifer Masello
M Jill Paladino
M Sarah Casey
M Vivian Pierropoulos
F Megan Albers
F Lauren Travis
F Paige Reichert
Downers Grove North
GK Grace Stevenson
D Elizabeth Hodonicky
D Olivia Bull
D Chloe Nowka
D Isabella Scarlati
M Carissa Mysliwiec
M Abby Swanson
M Carlie Nehls
M Simone Gardner
F Delaney Forst
F Emily Redpath
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Paige Patera, sr., GK, Downers Grove South.