Resilient Fremd scrapes by pesky Hersey
Adrian leads Vikings to 2-1 tally with game-winner in 75th minute
By Ken Keenan
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS -- Like a pair of boxers going toe-to-toe for 12 rounds, Fremd and Hersey slugged it out in Mid-Suburban League play Wednesday night before the Vikings emerged with a 2-1 win.
Fremd, playing without a trio of key veterans due to injury, snapped a 1-1 tie with just 5:29 remaining in the second half on a goal by senior midfielder Missy Adrian. Adrian, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match, tapped the ball in at the goal line during a wild scramble following a deep throw-in by sophomore midfielder Marissa Wade.
"The ball popped out right in front of me, and I placed it in the net," Adrian said.
Ranked no. 7 in the latest Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 poll, Fremd took the pitch minus senior defender Julia Szykle, senior forward Emilijia Peleckas and senior midfielder Katie Kiolbassa, each a key factor in the team's 6-0-1 start to the 2017 season. The Vikings suffered their first loss of the campaign by a 1-0 count against Palatine on Monday.
"We have three quality players injured, so we're a different team right now," said Fremd head coach Steve Keller, whose squad improved to 7-1-1 overall and 6-1-0 in MSL action with the win over Hersey (1-4-3, 1-2-2). "We have to sort that out, figure what works for us and move forward. We're gonna have to scrape and fight more. Hopefully, we'll get Szylke back soon. But we're going to be a different team."
Keller said that Peleckas (ACL) and Kiolbassa (fractured wrist) are both likely done for the season. He expects Szykle (deep bruise) to return sometime next week.
Hersey skipper Darren Llewellyn, whose squad features seven freshman and three sophomores, said, "It's a bummer to lose by one goal ... would have been good to get a tie. Fremd is still good, despite the three injured players. We've been getting better -- inch by inch, not leaps and bounds. But we're young, so it's a learning process."
The Vikings opened the scoring when ace senior forward Julia Leonard tapped in a corner kick from Wade with 33:17 left in the first half. Hersey knotted the score at 1-1 on a goal by freshman forward Chloe Sena with 24:40 to go before the break. Sena tapped in the rebound of a close-in shot by senior forward Grace Kozurek.
Much of the match was played in the center of the field, with neither team able to maintain long possessions. Working in tandem, Adrian and Leonard marched through the midfield with a give-and-go approach that was often thwarted by Hersey's aggressive marking.
"There was a lot of play in the middle, but a lot of that was us just not looking to go wide," Keller said. "Players want that instant gratification of going forward, and in our rush to do that we forget to use our width. And you create more opportunities with width."
Adrian had a good look from the left side less than a minute after Hersey tied the score, but her chip shot from a wide angle was grabbed by Huskies' senior goalkeeper Andrea Canon. In the 20th minute, Leonard unleashed a 30-yard riser that missed high.
A steal by Leonard in the 29th minute led to a left-footed try by Adrian that Canon stopped. Four minutes later, Canon made a leaping save at the far post to spoil a sizzling 40-yard free kick by Leonard from the right side. Leonard sent another free kick over the crossbar with 3:20 to go in the first half.
In the 38th minute, Vikings' senior forward Tara Bergles ripped a hard, 40-yard shot that Canon handled nicely. Canon also stopped a 30-yard try by Adrian off a feed from Leonard with 50 seconds left before the break.
Adrian and Leonard then worked their give-and-go magic in the final seconds of the first half, resulting in a 30-yard strike by Adrian -- and another save by Canon.
"I felt possession time was 60-40 in our favor," Keller said. "We got two goals, but we need to create more chances, not settle for shots long distance. But that goes back to clogging the middle by Hersey. The space wasn't there to penetrate."
Hersey's Sena said, "We kept them in the middle a lot. I thought we played a pretty decent game."
Adrian said, "I think there were defenders on us every time we shot the ball."
Added Leonard: "It was a good test for us. Hersey played really well."
The Huskies had a few chances of their own, including a wide-angle try from the left side in the 27th minute by senior forward Claire Callahan that Fremd senior keeper Kelsie Stone stopped, as well as a similar strike by senior mid Erin Redding with 34:50 left in the second half.
Stone also foiled a 25-yard attempt by Callahan in the 54th minute, and did the same on a 40-yard rocket by Hersey senior middie Erin Smetana with 13:15 to go.
Smetana was all over the field, whether blocking shots, clearing loose balls or trying to push the Huskies' attack through the midfield.
"She's expected to be the workhorse," Llewellyn said.
In the end, the solid effort by Smetana and Co. wasn't enough to get past the Vikings.
"It was a tough one to lose," said Huskies' freshman midfielder Katie Fredian. "But even though we lost, I think we played them evenly. It was really back and forth ... very intense out there.
"I definitely think we're starting to mesh more as a team."
Llewellyn agreed, adding, "We've definitely improved. We had some nice sequences (vs. Fremd), but we still break down a lot. We're trying to build a team culture, and it's step by step."
Starting lineups
Fremd
G: Kelsie Stone
D: Jennifer Josten
D: Marta Cholewa
D: Morgan Perkins
M: Missy Adrian
M: Mckenna Miller
M: Lauren Burk
M: Layla Dib
M: Marissa Wade
F: Angie Zara
F: Julia Leonard
Hersey
G: Andrea Canon
D: Mckenna Kopeny
D: Claire Magnuson
D: Emma Wilson
M: Allison Busby
M: Erin Redding
M: Jenna Hill
M: Laura Burckhardt
M: Erin Smetana
F: Grace Kozurek
F: Claire Callahan
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Missy Adrian, sr., MF, Fremd
Officials: Mohammed Mushtaq, Mariusz Folta, Marek Zacios
Adrian leads Vikings to 2-1 tally with game-winner in 75th minute
By Ken Keenan
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS -- Like a pair of boxers going toe-to-toe for 12 rounds, Fremd and Hersey slugged it out in Mid-Suburban League play Wednesday night before the Vikings emerged with a 2-1 win.
Fremd, playing without a trio of key veterans due to injury, snapped a 1-1 tie with just 5:29 remaining in the second half on a goal by senior midfielder Missy Adrian. Adrian, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match, tapped the ball in at the goal line during a wild scramble following a deep throw-in by sophomore midfielder Marissa Wade.
"The ball popped out right in front of me, and I placed it in the net," Adrian said.
Ranked no. 7 in the latest Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 poll, Fremd took the pitch minus senior defender Julia Szykle, senior forward Emilijia Peleckas and senior midfielder Katie Kiolbassa, each a key factor in the team's 6-0-1 start to the 2017 season. The Vikings suffered their first loss of the campaign by a 1-0 count against Palatine on Monday.
"We have three quality players injured, so we're a different team right now," said Fremd head coach Steve Keller, whose squad improved to 7-1-1 overall and 6-1-0 in MSL action with the win over Hersey (1-4-3, 1-2-2). "We have to sort that out, figure what works for us and move forward. We're gonna have to scrape and fight more. Hopefully, we'll get Szylke back soon. But we're going to be a different team."
Keller said that Peleckas (ACL) and Kiolbassa (fractured wrist) are both likely done for the season. He expects Szykle (deep bruise) to return sometime next week.
Hersey skipper Darren Llewellyn, whose squad features seven freshman and three sophomores, said, "It's a bummer to lose by one goal ... would have been good to get a tie. Fremd is still good, despite the three injured players. We've been getting better -- inch by inch, not leaps and bounds. But we're young, so it's a learning process."
The Vikings opened the scoring when ace senior forward Julia Leonard tapped in a corner kick from Wade with 33:17 left in the first half. Hersey knotted the score at 1-1 on a goal by freshman forward Chloe Sena with 24:40 to go before the break. Sena tapped in the rebound of a close-in shot by senior forward Grace Kozurek.
Much of the match was played in the center of the field, with neither team able to maintain long possessions. Working in tandem, Adrian and Leonard marched through the midfield with a give-and-go approach that was often thwarted by Hersey's aggressive marking.
"There was a lot of play in the middle, but a lot of that was us just not looking to go wide," Keller said. "Players want that instant gratification of going forward, and in our rush to do that we forget to use our width. And you create more opportunities with width."
Adrian had a good look from the left side less than a minute after Hersey tied the score, but her chip shot from a wide angle was grabbed by Huskies' senior goalkeeper Andrea Canon. In the 20th minute, Leonard unleashed a 30-yard riser that missed high.
A steal by Leonard in the 29th minute led to a left-footed try by Adrian that Canon stopped. Four minutes later, Canon made a leaping save at the far post to spoil a sizzling 40-yard free kick by Leonard from the right side. Leonard sent another free kick over the crossbar with 3:20 to go in the first half.
In the 38th minute, Vikings' senior forward Tara Bergles ripped a hard, 40-yard shot that Canon handled nicely. Canon also stopped a 30-yard try by Adrian off a feed from Leonard with 50 seconds left before the break.
Adrian and Leonard then worked their give-and-go magic in the final seconds of the first half, resulting in a 30-yard strike by Adrian -- and another save by Canon.
"I felt possession time was 60-40 in our favor," Keller said. "We got two goals, but we need to create more chances, not settle for shots long distance. But that goes back to clogging the middle by Hersey. The space wasn't there to penetrate."
Hersey's Sena said, "We kept them in the middle a lot. I thought we played a pretty decent game."
Adrian said, "I think there were defenders on us every time we shot the ball."
Added Leonard: "It was a good test for us. Hersey played really well."
The Huskies had a few chances of their own, including a wide-angle try from the left side in the 27th minute by senior forward Claire Callahan that Fremd senior keeper Kelsie Stone stopped, as well as a similar strike by senior mid Erin Redding with 34:50 left in the second half.
Stone also foiled a 25-yard attempt by Callahan in the 54th minute, and did the same on a 40-yard rocket by Hersey senior middie Erin Smetana with 13:15 to go.
Smetana was all over the field, whether blocking shots, clearing loose balls or trying to push the Huskies' attack through the midfield.
"She's expected to be the workhorse," Llewellyn said.
In the end, the solid effort by Smetana and Co. wasn't enough to get past the Vikings.
"It was a tough one to lose," said Huskies' freshman midfielder Katie Fredian. "But even though we lost, I think we played them evenly. It was really back and forth ... very intense out there.
"I definitely think we're starting to mesh more as a team."
Llewellyn agreed, adding, "We've definitely improved. We had some nice sequences (vs. Fremd), but we still break down a lot. We're trying to build a team culture, and it's step by step."
Starting lineups
Fremd
G: Kelsie Stone
D: Jennifer Josten
D: Marta Cholewa
D: Morgan Perkins
M: Missy Adrian
M: Mckenna Miller
M: Lauren Burk
M: Layla Dib
M: Marissa Wade
F: Angie Zara
F: Julia Leonard
Hersey
G: Andrea Canon
D: Mckenna Kopeny
D: Claire Magnuson
D: Emma Wilson
M: Allison Busby
M: Erin Redding
M: Jenna Hill
M: Laura Burckhardt
M: Erin Smetana
F: Grace Kozurek
F: Claire Callahan
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Missy Adrian, sr., MF, Fremd
Officials: Mohammed Mushtaq, Mariusz Folta, Marek Zacios