PKs hero Wallace stops and shoots Glenbard West past Wheaton North
Senior F makes 2 saves, scores winning shot after 0-0 tie
By Matt Le Cren
GENEVA -- Wheaton North defenders Addy Lorentsen, Cammy Carrico, Jaden Trometer and Morghin Klein did everything they could to extend their season Tuesday night.
But Glenbard West wasn't having any of that at the Geneva Regional.
Despite being outshot 13-3, Wheaton North held the Hilltoppers scoreless for 100 minutes of regulation and two overtime periods.
It wasn’t enough because Glenbard West was just as good defensively and much better in the resulting shootout. The Hilltoppers won in PKs 4-2 to take the Class 3A semifinal 1-0.
Ninth-seeded Glenbard West (10-8-3) will take on top-seeded and fifth-ranked Geneva, which beat Lake Park 6-0, in Friday’s title game.
“That’s what we are,” Wheaton North coach Tim McEvilly said of the defensive struggle. “We could have played another 100 minutes, and I don’t think we would have given up a goal tonight.
“They weren’t getting behind our defense at all. Any shots they got were from 30 yards out, and Katie (Sullivan) really didn’t have any problems with any of them.”
Indeed, Sullivan made 10 saves, though most were routine. The only exception was a 35-yard pot shot from defender Kat Kostolansky which Sullivan tipped off the cross bar in the second overtime.
But the shootout proved to be a different story.
Four of the five Glenbard West shooters -- Paige Dixon, Teagan Ryan, Sammy Harris and Bailey Wallace -- converted, while the Falcons (8-10-1) went 2-for-4.
Wallace, a senior, didn’t play between the pipes during regulation but entered for the shootout. She stopped the first and third shots and then stepped up and drilled the decisive penalty past Sullivan.
“When I was younger I used to play the field, and I always used to take PKs. So I’ve been used to taking them,” Wallace said. “I’ve been comfortable forever.
“But at the end, the ref actually said, ‘No pressure’ to me, so that kind of got me a little bit. But I took a deep breath, and I always look at which way the goalie usually dives to, which that time was the right side. So I went for the left instead and kicked it hard.”
Ironically, Wallace saw more action at forward this year than in goal. She began the year as the starting goalkeeper before being supplanted by junior Rose Mugnani.
When Mugnani went down with a torn ACL midway through the regular season, the Hilltoppers called up sophomore Sarah Shellady, who took over the starting job.
“I thought if I’m going to be sitting I might as well play the field,” Wallace said. “So during practice I just worked hard and then (Glenbard West coach Morgan Kasperek) put me in as a forward.”
Wallace’s versatility proved useful and not only against the Falcons. Kasperek always intended to put Wallace in goal during a shootout.
“Bailey gets to play offense and gets to stop PKs,” Kasperek said. “We practice that all season with Bailey going in for PKs. She’s our backup keeper, but she’s a great forward too, so it’s hard.”
But not as hard as it is for Glenbard West opponents. Shellady played all 100 minutes against the Falcons. She had to make only one save but that doesn’t count her most important play of the match.
That came with 13:10 left in regulation when Wheaton North’s Margaret Hupp got behind the defense on the right wing and rolled a cross into the middle. But Shellady came out and dove on the ball an instant before it reached a wide-open Addy Atkinson.
“Sarah looked great,” Kasperek said. “She had a really nice cross save in the second half.
“For a sophomore to be stepping up where she is is amazing, and we’re happy with her play. Sarah’s gotten truly better with each game, so it’s been nice.”
Though her defense did most of the work, Shellady’s poise was noteworthy considering it was her playoff debut.
“It was definitely nerve-wracking so I tried to do the best as I could,” Shellady said. “It was definitely a lot more intense, but it made it more fun. We communicated better, which was good.”
Shellady had no problem giving way to Wallace, saying that Wallace is better and more experienced in shootouts.
Wallace, likewise, doesn’t seem to mind that she lost her starting job to the younger girl.
“She played really well, especially being a sophomore and coming up to our team in the middle of the season and filling the shoes of Rose,” Wallace said. “I have great respect for her.”
The Hilltoppers, who lost to Wheaton North 1-0 on March 21, have great respect for the eight-seeded Falcons.
“I’m shaking, but the game was a wonderfully played game and it’s hard to look over at the other team because they fought just as hard as we did,” Kasperek said. “Our defense played outstanding, but so did theirs. We couldn’t get anything on them either.”
The game figured to be low scoring because both teams struggled to score this season. Offensive weakness tends to get magnified in the playoffs, when goals are harder to come by.
“We had a nice run of play to start the second half, that first 25 or 30 minutes where we got behind them a few times,” McEvilly said. “We just couldn’t connect on those crosses.
“(Their) keeper came out and made a couple nice plays to cut off passes, but we were just a little bit inaccurate, and our runs weren’t aggressive enough at times. We had chances to slot people through, and it was just those little technical touches that slowed us down.
“In the tight games against stronger competition, we struggled to get that last touch. That last touch meant everything.”
The Falcons did have one offensive advantage, earning five corner kicks while the Hilltoppers had just two. But they mustered only one shot off such plays, that coming
when junior defender Hannah Swider headed Hupp’s serve over the crossbar with 2:00 left in the second overtime.
“Most of our goals this season came off of re-starts,” McEvilly noted. “We were fantastic on those, and we had a couple chances tonight.
“Right at the end Swider had a great ball to her, she found it at the spot and went up and hit it with the wrong part of her head. But she was there, and that’s the kind of stuff that we work for.”
That’s what made the loss tough for the Falcons to swallow. They put the work in but didn’t have a postseason win to show for it.
“It was tough but at least we gave it our all (for) 100 minutes,” said Lorentsen, who will continue her soccer career at Gordon College in Boston. “It didn’t come today as we wanted but I think we all left our hearts on the field.
“Our defense played all 100 minutes, and I’m just so proud of them. Our outsides were in the whole time.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton North
GK Katie Sullivan
D Addy Lorentsen
D Cammy Carrico
D Jaden Trometer
D Morghin Klein
M Marie Mannix
M Anna Warfield
M Naimh Kane
M Christina Crochet
F Margaret Hupp
F Kate Kortenhoeven
Glenbard West
GK Sarah Shellady
D Kat Kostolansky
D Molly Becker
D Annie Gelfer
D Gabi Wind
M Sammy Harris
M Madison Jurgovan
M Teagan Ryan
F Emma Wallace
F Emma Walsh
F Emma Burke
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Bailey Wallace, sr., F/GK, Glenbard West
Senior F makes 2 saves, scores winning shot after 0-0 tie
By Matt Le Cren
GENEVA -- Wheaton North defenders Addy Lorentsen, Cammy Carrico, Jaden Trometer and Morghin Klein did everything they could to extend their season Tuesday night.
But Glenbard West wasn't having any of that at the Geneva Regional.
Despite being outshot 13-3, Wheaton North held the Hilltoppers scoreless for 100 minutes of regulation and two overtime periods.
It wasn’t enough because Glenbard West was just as good defensively and much better in the resulting shootout. The Hilltoppers won in PKs 4-2 to take the Class 3A semifinal 1-0.
Ninth-seeded Glenbard West (10-8-3) will take on top-seeded and fifth-ranked Geneva, which beat Lake Park 6-0, in Friday’s title game.
“That’s what we are,” Wheaton North coach Tim McEvilly said of the defensive struggle. “We could have played another 100 minutes, and I don’t think we would have given up a goal tonight.
“They weren’t getting behind our defense at all. Any shots they got were from 30 yards out, and Katie (Sullivan) really didn’t have any problems with any of them.”
Indeed, Sullivan made 10 saves, though most were routine. The only exception was a 35-yard pot shot from defender Kat Kostolansky which Sullivan tipped off the cross bar in the second overtime.
But the shootout proved to be a different story.
Four of the five Glenbard West shooters -- Paige Dixon, Teagan Ryan, Sammy Harris and Bailey Wallace -- converted, while the Falcons (8-10-1) went 2-for-4.
Wallace, a senior, didn’t play between the pipes during regulation but entered for the shootout. She stopped the first and third shots and then stepped up and drilled the decisive penalty past Sullivan.
“When I was younger I used to play the field, and I always used to take PKs. So I’ve been used to taking them,” Wallace said. “I’ve been comfortable forever.
“But at the end, the ref actually said, ‘No pressure’ to me, so that kind of got me a little bit. But I took a deep breath, and I always look at which way the goalie usually dives to, which that time was the right side. So I went for the left instead and kicked it hard.”
Ironically, Wallace saw more action at forward this year than in goal. She began the year as the starting goalkeeper before being supplanted by junior Rose Mugnani.
When Mugnani went down with a torn ACL midway through the regular season, the Hilltoppers called up sophomore Sarah Shellady, who took over the starting job.
“I thought if I’m going to be sitting I might as well play the field,” Wallace said. “So during practice I just worked hard and then (Glenbard West coach Morgan Kasperek) put me in as a forward.”
Wallace’s versatility proved useful and not only against the Falcons. Kasperek always intended to put Wallace in goal during a shootout.
“Bailey gets to play offense and gets to stop PKs,” Kasperek said. “We practice that all season with Bailey going in for PKs. She’s our backup keeper, but she’s a great forward too, so it’s hard.”
But not as hard as it is for Glenbard West opponents. Shellady played all 100 minutes against the Falcons. She had to make only one save but that doesn’t count her most important play of the match.
That came with 13:10 left in regulation when Wheaton North’s Margaret Hupp got behind the defense on the right wing and rolled a cross into the middle. But Shellady came out and dove on the ball an instant before it reached a wide-open Addy Atkinson.
“Sarah looked great,” Kasperek said. “She had a really nice cross save in the second half.
“For a sophomore to be stepping up where she is is amazing, and we’re happy with her play. Sarah’s gotten truly better with each game, so it’s been nice.”
Though her defense did most of the work, Shellady’s poise was noteworthy considering it was her playoff debut.
“It was definitely nerve-wracking so I tried to do the best as I could,” Shellady said. “It was definitely a lot more intense, but it made it more fun. We communicated better, which was good.”
Shellady had no problem giving way to Wallace, saying that Wallace is better and more experienced in shootouts.
Wallace, likewise, doesn’t seem to mind that she lost her starting job to the younger girl.
“She played really well, especially being a sophomore and coming up to our team in the middle of the season and filling the shoes of Rose,” Wallace said. “I have great respect for her.”
The Hilltoppers, who lost to Wheaton North 1-0 on March 21, have great respect for the eight-seeded Falcons.
“I’m shaking, but the game was a wonderfully played game and it’s hard to look over at the other team because they fought just as hard as we did,” Kasperek said. “Our defense played outstanding, but so did theirs. We couldn’t get anything on them either.”
The game figured to be low scoring because both teams struggled to score this season. Offensive weakness tends to get magnified in the playoffs, when goals are harder to come by.
“We had a nice run of play to start the second half, that first 25 or 30 minutes where we got behind them a few times,” McEvilly said. “We just couldn’t connect on those crosses.
“(Their) keeper came out and made a couple nice plays to cut off passes, but we were just a little bit inaccurate, and our runs weren’t aggressive enough at times. We had chances to slot people through, and it was just those little technical touches that slowed us down.
“In the tight games against stronger competition, we struggled to get that last touch. That last touch meant everything.”
The Falcons did have one offensive advantage, earning five corner kicks while the Hilltoppers had just two. But they mustered only one shot off such plays, that coming
when junior defender Hannah Swider headed Hupp’s serve over the crossbar with 2:00 left in the second overtime.
“Most of our goals this season came off of re-starts,” McEvilly noted. “We were fantastic on those, and we had a couple chances tonight.
“Right at the end Swider had a great ball to her, she found it at the spot and went up and hit it with the wrong part of her head. But she was there, and that’s the kind of stuff that we work for.”
That’s what made the loss tough for the Falcons to swallow. They put the work in but didn’t have a postseason win to show for it.
“It was tough but at least we gave it our all (for) 100 minutes,” said Lorentsen, who will continue her soccer career at Gordon College in Boston. “It didn’t come today as we wanted but I think we all left our hearts on the field.
“Our defense played all 100 minutes, and I’m just so proud of them. Our outsides were in the whole time.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton North
GK Katie Sullivan
D Addy Lorentsen
D Cammy Carrico
D Jaden Trometer
D Morghin Klein
M Marie Mannix
M Anna Warfield
M Naimh Kane
M Christina Crochet
F Margaret Hupp
F Kate Kortenhoeven
Glenbard West
GK Sarah Shellady
D Kat Kostolansky
D Molly Becker
D Annie Gelfer
D Gabi Wind
M Sammy Harris
M Madison Jurgovan
M Teagan Ryan
F Emma Wallace
F Emma Walsh
F Emma Burke
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Bailey Wallace, sr., F/GK, Glenbard West