Glenbard East seniors go out in style
Top Glenbard South 4-0 in final home game
By Dave Owen
LOMBARD -- The combined 508 varsity games played by Glenbard East’s 10 seniors is a staggering number. Their impact on the program is innumerable.
The Rams celebrated Senior Night with a 4-0 win Monday over Glenbard South. And after a season of injuries and elite competition, the Rams (9-9-2) hope to put it all together just in time for the impending postseason.
“I think we came out with what we call our ‘swagger’ back,” Glenbard East senior Jordyn Fulton said. “We played with intensity, and we did our one-two touch passes which really helped us.
“Overall we played really well. We had a lot more opportunities than them and a lot more shooting opportunities, and usually we don’t get that many.”
Fulton, Jessica Whipple, Megan Mrazek, Corie Ewoldt, Maria Berrum, Rachel Anderson and Haley Lydon have all been on varsity since sophomore year, making up the strong nucleus of a close senior class.
“That (508 varsity games by the seniors) is something we’re proud of,” Rams coach Kent Overbey said. “To hold 10 players for all four years - they’re multi-sport athletes who continue to come out. And as a senior this is your last semester, and it’s sometimes hard to stay focused.
“It’s a great group, and they’re a great example for the rest of the players in our program to see that hard work continues to pay off. We’re in a much different place now than we were four years ago. We’re playing top competition. They’re a big piece of what we’ve built, and we’re really proud of this group.”
The night was bittersweet for players like Mrazek, whose solid early play generating chances from the midfield started the Rams rolling.
“It’s sad because I’m moving on, and we’ve played together so long and gotten so close off the field too,” Mrazek said. “It’s sad, but it’s also exciting to be able to say goodbye like this.
“A lot of these girls I’ve played with since I was little, so it’s really nice because we’ve played together for so long. I love playing with them, so it’s good to end our last home game with a win.”
While seniors Anderson and Lydon would officially each play one half as goalkeeper and ultimately share a shutout Monday, they were both introduced in the pregame as starters. The 10 seniors stood on the field together for the National Anthem, then stood out when play began.
Lisa Valgiusti and Mrazek each produced shots in the first six-plus minutes, then Whipple put the Rams up 1-0 just 7:20 into the match.
Mrazek’s pass towards the top of the box skipped past a Raider player, and Whipple lined a 15-yard blast inside the left post for what turned out to be the game-winner.
“It kind of just bounced over her, and I was there,” Whipple said. “I took the touch in and shot it.
“I’ve been on varsity for three years so tonight meant a lot, especially when I got that first goal. It really pumped me up.”
With the score still 1-0 at halftime despite several more Rams chances, Whipple provided another spark with 31:18 left to play.
Moments after Glenbard South’s Terra Glab blocked and cleared a Sammie Sarles corner kick, Whipple dribbled in on the right side and sent a cross to an open Fulton in front. Fulton’s 15-yard shot into the top left corner made it 2-0.
“I just try to get to the corner and then pass it to the center, and hopefully someone gets on the end of it,” said Whipple, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match on a night with many candidates.
Junior Brittany Paganucci was one of those candidates who produced dangerous drives on goal all night. The star striker stole the show late with two great plays to seal the win.
With 17:29 to play, Sarles’ pass upfield connected with Paganucci. She raced past the defense for a breakaway goal and a 3-0 lead.
Paganucci then brilliantly created the fourth goal: off an initial Mrazek pass, she deftly beat a defender left of the goal and sent a cross to wide open sophomore Dana Plotke in front for the putaway.
“Brittany made a nice play and then slotted the ball to Dana,” Overbey said. “I thought that was the best goal of the night. It was boom-boom-boom, quickly playing one-two touch, and good things happen when we do that.”
Along with fellow high-scoring forward Holly Ward, Paganucci was slowed by injuries for much of April.
“Unfortunately playing such good teams we’ve really had to rely on her and Holly a lot when they’re not 100 percent,” Overbey said. “They were cleared to go but not 100 percent. For the first time they’re starting to look close to where they were before their injuries kicked in, and it’s perfect timing. We couldn’t pick a better time to get healthy and have some confidence.”
Whipple also has missed two weeks with injuries this spring, but showed no ill effects Monday.
“It’s hard to get back into the competition, but I think I’m doing fine,” she said.
The Rams excelled Monday despite extensive lineup shuffling.
“I was really happy,” Overbey said. “It was like we didn’t miss a step. It’s how we’ve approached every game, that you have to be ready wherever we need you. I’ve seen that all year with our freshman Katie Hansen: she came up from JV for our beginning tournament and proved that she belonged here, and she’s played all over the field.
“They did a really good job (Monday) of playing wherever we could get them in, being happy with the time and playing with their friends. It worked well also because we have a conference game tomorrow (against Bartlett), and we were able to rest a lot of our underclassmen.”
Besides Whipple’s goal, other big first half chances for the Rams included a Mrazek shot off the left post in the 11th minute, and Fulton’s nice win of a ball at midfield and eventual 25-yard shot that was stopped by Raider goalkeeper Jacquelyn Wescott.
Mrazek later stepped in front of a Glenbard South free kick to ignite a counterattack by Paganucci. Wescott made good saves of a high 29-yard shot by Sarles and a 15-yard straight-on drive by Whipple just 45 seconds before halftime.
Along with the trio of second-half goals, Whipple and Ward had solid shots inside 18 yards stopped by Wescott.
To Glenbard South coach Glen Eggert, many of those Rams chances and the eventual second-half scoring deluge had a familiar theme.
“The center of our defense did well,” Eggert said. “We just had some mistakes on the outside that cost us. But that really was the end result of our failure to win balls through the field.
“It’s safe to say that when it came to winning loose balls, we were dominated. The quality of play was fairly balanced. But we were losing every ball, and that will have a cumulative effect over the course of a game.”
The Raiders (5-8-1) were without two starting outside backs and had just 14 players available.
“If we had a more balanced share of winning the duels, I think the game plays out more interestingly,” Eggert said. “Whether we win is in question, but I think we would have generated more offense, and we didn’t generate much.”
Rams goalkeepers Anderson and Lydon each had to come out to corral dangerous balls to the box during their combined shutout. But Anderson’s save of a 30-yard shot in the 14th minute was one of few Raider attempts on frame. Defender Mary Kurtz helped with two nice interceptions just inside midfield.
Anderson also had the shutout in the Rams’ previous game, a 2-0 win over Willowbrook.
“Rachel’s been playing well,” Overbey said. “She sat for four weeks at the beginning of the year with a concussion. We’re just glad she’s back.
“We have three keepers that can all play. Sierra (Dana) really stepped up this year (with six shutouts), but all three are so supportive of each other. I’m really proud of the way they’ve done that.”
The team-first attitude by the goalkeepers showed itself again leading up to Senior Night.
“Even today between Haley and Rachel, I asked them to figure out who should start,” Overbey said. “Haley contacted me over the weekend and said she’d like Rachel to start. That’s selfless. To stay positive all season, I’m really happy with all three of them.”
Staying positive wasn’t easy for any of the Rams. A brutally tough schedule both in and out of conference has hindered the team’s win total since a 4-0 start, but not their collective attitude.
“It’s frustrating losing,” Mrazek said, “but it’s also not that frustrating because I know our team is always trying. At the end of the day we’re all proud of each other.
“We’ve seen such a variety of good teams that we know that every time we have to go out a certain way. I think that we’ll do good (at regionals, which the Rams host). We have struggled with the harder teams, but I feel those games are going to help us in the postseason.”
Having already seen the best of the best and endured key injuries, Overbey is also confident.
“Obviously we’re not happy with nine losses, but they’re against great teams,” Overbey said. “We’re not losing games we should have won. We’ve been building up and getting people back, and we’re still competing in games. We have four more games and then into the state tournament.”
After a successful Senior Night, the message for May is clear.
“Just start winning more,” Whipple said. “Like Jordyn said, get our swagger back.”
Starting lineups
Glenbard South
GK: Jacquelyn Wescott
D: Terra Glab
D: Hannah Nelson
D: Sarah Cohen
D: Andrea Rose
M: Alexis Rico
M: Jennifer Larson
M: Sarah Ziegler
M: Fiona Van Tylingen
F: Bridget Pyle
F: Alejandra Villasenor
Glenbard East
GK: Rachel Anderson (1st half)
GK: Haley Lydon (2nd half)
D: Lisa Valgiusti
D: Maria Berrum
D: Carly Anderson
D: Mary Kurtz
M: Corie Ewoldt
M: Jessica Whipple
M: Megan Mrazek
M: Sammie Sarles
F: Jordyn Fulton
F: Brittany Paganucci
MVP of the Match: Jessica Whipple, M, Glenbard East
Top Glenbard South 4-0 in final home game
By Dave Owen
LOMBARD -- The combined 508 varsity games played by Glenbard East’s 10 seniors is a staggering number. Their impact on the program is innumerable.
The Rams celebrated Senior Night with a 4-0 win Monday over Glenbard South. And after a season of injuries and elite competition, the Rams (9-9-2) hope to put it all together just in time for the impending postseason.
“I think we came out with what we call our ‘swagger’ back,” Glenbard East senior Jordyn Fulton said. “We played with intensity, and we did our one-two touch passes which really helped us.
“Overall we played really well. We had a lot more opportunities than them and a lot more shooting opportunities, and usually we don’t get that many.”
Fulton, Jessica Whipple, Megan Mrazek, Corie Ewoldt, Maria Berrum, Rachel Anderson and Haley Lydon have all been on varsity since sophomore year, making up the strong nucleus of a close senior class.
“That (508 varsity games by the seniors) is something we’re proud of,” Rams coach Kent Overbey said. “To hold 10 players for all four years - they’re multi-sport athletes who continue to come out. And as a senior this is your last semester, and it’s sometimes hard to stay focused.
“It’s a great group, and they’re a great example for the rest of the players in our program to see that hard work continues to pay off. We’re in a much different place now than we were four years ago. We’re playing top competition. They’re a big piece of what we’ve built, and we’re really proud of this group.”
The night was bittersweet for players like Mrazek, whose solid early play generating chances from the midfield started the Rams rolling.
“It’s sad because I’m moving on, and we’ve played together so long and gotten so close off the field too,” Mrazek said. “It’s sad, but it’s also exciting to be able to say goodbye like this.
“A lot of these girls I’ve played with since I was little, so it’s really nice because we’ve played together for so long. I love playing with them, so it’s good to end our last home game with a win.”
While seniors Anderson and Lydon would officially each play one half as goalkeeper and ultimately share a shutout Monday, they were both introduced in the pregame as starters. The 10 seniors stood on the field together for the National Anthem, then stood out when play began.
Lisa Valgiusti and Mrazek each produced shots in the first six-plus minutes, then Whipple put the Rams up 1-0 just 7:20 into the match.
Mrazek’s pass towards the top of the box skipped past a Raider player, and Whipple lined a 15-yard blast inside the left post for what turned out to be the game-winner.
“It kind of just bounced over her, and I was there,” Whipple said. “I took the touch in and shot it.
“I’ve been on varsity for three years so tonight meant a lot, especially when I got that first goal. It really pumped me up.”
With the score still 1-0 at halftime despite several more Rams chances, Whipple provided another spark with 31:18 left to play.
Moments after Glenbard South’s Terra Glab blocked and cleared a Sammie Sarles corner kick, Whipple dribbled in on the right side and sent a cross to an open Fulton in front. Fulton’s 15-yard shot into the top left corner made it 2-0.
“I just try to get to the corner and then pass it to the center, and hopefully someone gets on the end of it,” said Whipple, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match on a night with many candidates.
Junior Brittany Paganucci was one of those candidates who produced dangerous drives on goal all night. The star striker stole the show late with two great plays to seal the win.
With 17:29 to play, Sarles’ pass upfield connected with Paganucci. She raced past the defense for a breakaway goal and a 3-0 lead.
Paganucci then brilliantly created the fourth goal: off an initial Mrazek pass, she deftly beat a defender left of the goal and sent a cross to wide open sophomore Dana Plotke in front for the putaway.
“Brittany made a nice play and then slotted the ball to Dana,” Overbey said. “I thought that was the best goal of the night. It was boom-boom-boom, quickly playing one-two touch, and good things happen when we do that.”
Along with fellow high-scoring forward Holly Ward, Paganucci was slowed by injuries for much of April.
“Unfortunately playing such good teams we’ve really had to rely on her and Holly a lot when they’re not 100 percent,” Overbey said. “They were cleared to go but not 100 percent. For the first time they’re starting to look close to where they were before their injuries kicked in, and it’s perfect timing. We couldn’t pick a better time to get healthy and have some confidence.”
Whipple also has missed two weeks with injuries this spring, but showed no ill effects Monday.
“It’s hard to get back into the competition, but I think I’m doing fine,” she said.
The Rams excelled Monday despite extensive lineup shuffling.
“I was really happy,” Overbey said. “It was like we didn’t miss a step. It’s how we’ve approached every game, that you have to be ready wherever we need you. I’ve seen that all year with our freshman Katie Hansen: she came up from JV for our beginning tournament and proved that she belonged here, and she’s played all over the field.
“They did a really good job (Monday) of playing wherever we could get them in, being happy with the time and playing with their friends. It worked well also because we have a conference game tomorrow (against Bartlett), and we were able to rest a lot of our underclassmen.”
Besides Whipple’s goal, other big first half chances for the Rams included a Mrazek shot off the left post in the 11th minute, and Fulton’s nice win of a ball at midfield and eventual 25-yard shot that was stopped by Raider goalkeeper Jacquelyn Wescott.
Mrazek later stepped in front of a Glenbard South free kick to ignite a counterattack by Paganucci. Wescott made good saves of a high 29-yard shot by Sarles and a 15-yard straight-on drive by Whipple just 45 seconds before halftime.
Along with the trio of second-half goals, Whipple and Ward had solid shots inside 18 yards stopped by Wescott.
To Glenbard South coach Glen Eggert, many of those Rams chances and the eventual second-half scoring deluge had a familiar theme.
“The center of our defense did well,” Eggert said. “We just had some mistakes on the outside that cost us. But that really was the end result of our failure to win balls through the field.
“It’s safe to say that when it came to winning loose balls, we were dominated. The quality of play was fairly balanced. But we were losing every ball, and that will have a cumulative effect over the course of a game.”
The Raiders (5-8-1) were without two starting outside backs and had just 14 players available.
“If we had a more balanced share of winning the duels, I think the game plays out more interestingly,” Eggert said. “Whether we win is in question, but I think we would have generated more offense, and we didn’t generate much.”
Rams goalkeepers Anderson and Lydon each had to come out to corral dangerous balls to the box during their combined shutout. But Anderson’s save of a 30-yard shot in the 14th minute was one of few Raider attempts on frame. Defender Mary Kurtz helped with two nice interceptions just inside midfield.
Anderson also had the shutout in the Rams’ previous game, a 2-0 win over Willowbrook.
“Rachel’s been playing well,” Overbey said. “She sat for four weeks at the beginning of the year with a concussion. We’re just glad she’s back.
“We have three keepers that can all play. Sierra (Dana) really stepped up this year (with six shutouts), but all three are so supportive of each other. I’m really proud of the way they’ve done that.”
The team-first attitude by the goalkeepers showed itself again leading up to Senior Night.
“Even today between Haley and Rachel, I asked them to figure out who should start,” Overbey said. “Haley contacted me over the weekend and said she’d like Rachel to start. That’s selfless. To stay positive all season, I’m really happy with all three of them.”
Staying positive wasn’t easy for any of the Rams. A brutally tough schedule both in and out of conference has hindered the team’s win total since a 4-0 start, but not their collective attitude.
“It’s frustrating losing,” Mrazek said, “but it’s also not that frustrating because I know our team is always trying. At the end of the day we’re all proud of each other.
“We’ve seen such a variety of good teams that we know that every time we have to go out a certain way. I think that we’ll do good (at regionals, which the Rams host). We have struggled with the harder teams, but I feel those games are going to help us in the postseason.”
Having already seen the best of the best and endured key injuries, Overbey is also confident.
“Obviously we’re not happy with nine losses, but they’re against great teams,” Overbey said. “We’re not losing games we should have won. We’ve been building up and getting people back, and we’re still competing in games. We have four more games and then into the state tournament.”
After a successful Senior Night, the message for May is clear.
“Just start winning more,” Whipple said. “Like Jordyn said, get our swagger back.”
Starting lineups
Glenbard South
GK: Jacquelyn Wescott
D: Terra Glab
D: Hannah Nelson
D: Sarah Cohen
D: Andrea Rose
M: Alexis Rico
M: Jennifer Larson
M: Sarah Ziegler
M: Fiona Van Tylingen
F: Bridget Pyle
F: Alejandra Villasenor
Glenbard East
GK: Rachel Anderson (1st half)
GK: Haley Lydon (2nd half)
D: Lisa Valgiusti
D: Maria Berrum
D: Carly Anderson
D: Mary Kurtz
M: Corie Ewoldt
M: Jessica Whipple
M: Megan Mrazek
M: Sammie Sarles
F: Jordyn Fulton
F: Brittany Paganucci
MVP of the Match: Jessica Whipple, M, Glenbard East