Young Hinsdale C. gets 1st taste of victory
Red Devils roll past Proviso West 8-0
By Ken Keenan
HILLSIDE -- Hinsdale Central shook a huge monkey off its back with a thundering roar Tuesday, netting seven goals in the first half en route to a 8-0 win over host Proviso West in West Suburban Conference Silver Division play.
The Red Devils' maiden win of 2017 ended an 11-match losing stretch which began after a season-opening tie against Buffalo Grove.
"Finally!" exclaimed Hinsdale Central senior midfielder Erin Otto afterward. "I hope we use this game as motivation for the rest of the season. It shows we can win ... we can score goals."
Despite the season-long skid, Red Devils' head coach Michael M. Smith was confident that his battle-tested squad would finally break through.
After all, Hinsdale Central's season has not been a cake walk. The Red Devil's losses have included defeats at the feet of a veritible Who's Who of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 -- season-long top-ranked no. 1 and 2 Naperville North and Barrington, respectively, and Evanston (7), Fremd (7), Loyola (8), Glenbrook South (9), Nazareth (season-high rank of 13), Downers Grove North (16) and St. Francis (25).
"We're a team that is finding its way," Smith said. "We play a very difficult schedule, and we've taken a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. But if you continue to stay focused, things will go your way. We feel we have a group of girls who can really do some positive things."
Smith was quick to credit team captain Otto for helping to keep the Red Devils on course during the losing streak.
"She's done a great job of reminding the girls, 'How can we be better?' How can we improve?" She wields that message continually," Smith said. "We don't like losing, but we can control how we prepare and execute."
Otto said, "We struggled with (staying positive) in the beginning of the year, but then we had some games that were close. We wanted to use that motivation to clinch our first win -- and keep winning.
"We finally put one away. Hopefully, we can keep going the rest of the way."
Freshman forward Caroline Fryzel led the way with 2 goals and three assists to earn Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors.
"This (win) means a lot to us," she said. "We've been going through a rough patch. How we dominated feels really good."
Dominated, indeed.
Controlling the attack with solid possessions and well-placed long balls to runners on the flanks, Hinsdale Central began the onslaught less than three minutes into the tilt. Freshman forward Haley Arnold got the party started, popping in a header over Panthers' sophomore goalkeeper Janette Martinez after eye-balling a cross from sophomore midfielder Elle Jenkins.
Nine minutes later, the same duo teamed up to make it 2-0. This time, Arnold tracked a long ball sent by Jenkins and tapped it past a charging Martinez.
With 21:22 to go in the first half, Red Devils' sophomore forward Maddie Lynch scored the first of her two goals for a 3-0 lead. Lynch stole a ball on the left side, sliced through the Panthers' defense and beat Martinez inside the left post.
Exactly 66 seconds later, Lynch struck again, taking a pass in stride from Fryzel before tapping the ball in on the left side.
After being stopped by Martinez in the 23rd and 31st minutes, Fryzel made it 5-0 with 6:05 left before the break. Settling a long ball sent by sophomore midfielder Sammy Guido, Fryzel dashed ahead on a clear breakaway and scored to the right side.
Continuing to apply pressure, Hinsdale Central bagged two more goals in a span of 31 seconds for a 7-0 bulge at the break. First, Fryzel found Otto for a tap-in on the left side with 4:54 to go, and Fryzel then scored when she beat Martinez with a slow roller between the wickets.
"When we got the chance to control the ball, we wanted to keep possession as best we could," Fryzel said.
"It was nice to have the ball most of the game ... to see how everyone adjusted to keep control," Arnold added. "It's a good feeling to know what we practice, we can put on the field."
Guido put an exclamation mark on the memorable win, scoring in close after taking a pass from Fryzel with 1:30 showing during a running-clock, 20-minute second half.
"Obviously, we're all really happy with our effort on the field (Tuesday)," Arnold said. "We dominated in both halves."
And not just offensively. Proviso West (2-7-2, 0-3-0) didn't register its first shot until the 33-minute mark, when freshman forward Esmeralda Chavez -- just called up from the sophomore team -- was stopped from 10 yards on the left side by Hinsdale Central junior keeper Kaitlin Barbour.
The Panthers managed a trio of opportunities in the second half, including a 30-yard strike by senior forward Kristin Hoffman that Barbour turned away with 5:15 to go.
"Once Hinsdale Central got that first goal, they got their confidence," said Proviso West head coach Carlos Villanueva. "They smelled blood, and they went for the kill. Hats off to them. They deserve the win.
"But that was our worst game all year," he continued. "We had a couple opportunities -- that's it. I know we're better than that, and the girls know we're better than that. But we're a very young team that needs to learn how to play together and communicate with each other. That time will come."
Proviso West junior mid Francis Montoy agreed, adding, "We need more movement and communication -- let each other know where we are on the field. We have to keep our head up out there."
Chavez said, "We didn't communicate enough. We can't think other people will do what we expect if we don't talk to each other."
Meanwhile, the Red Devils had no problem in that department.
"We tried to keep things basic and straightforward," Smith said. "I was happy to see the girls play with speed and combine with each other -- and communicate well. It was all on display today."
Starting lineups
Hinsdale Central
G: Kaitlin Barbour
D: Alyssa Moncrief
D: Rachel Dannhausen-Brun
D: Olivia Rayis
M: Elle Jenkins
M: Erin Otto
M: Sam Moriarty
M: Sarah Cernugel
F: Maddie Lynch
F: Brittany Doneske
F: Hailey Arnold
Proviso West
G: Janette Martinez
D: Katelyn Ocampo
D: Leslie Salazar
D: Yajaira Gaona
D: Janette Garcia
M: Evelyn Posada
M: Francis Montoya
M: Kirstin Hoffman
F: Yaritza Gutierrez
F: Esmeralda Chavez
F: Kimberley Herrera
MVP of the Match: Caroline Fryzel, fr., F, Hinsdale Central
Officials: Bret Richter, Bob Karcz, Henrik Schrader
Red Devils roll past Proviso West 8-0
By Ken Keenan
HILLSIDE -- Hinsdale Central shook a huge monkey off its back with a thundering roar Tuesday, netting seven goals in the first half en route to a 8-0 win over host Proviso West in West Suburban Conference Silver Division play.
The Red Devils' maiden win of 2017 ended an 11-match losing stretch which began after a season-opening tie against Buffalo Grove.
"Finally!" exclaimed Hinsdale Central senior midfielder Erin Otto afterward. "I hope we use this game as motivation for the rest of the season. It shows we can win ... we can score goals."
Despite the season-long skid, Red Devils' head coach Michael M. Smith was confident that his battle-tested squad would finally break through.
After all, Hinsdale Central's season has not been a cake walk. The Red Devil's losses have included defeats at the feet of a veritible Who's Who of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 -- season-long top-ranked no. 1 and 2 Naperville North and Barrington, respectively, and Evanston (7), Fremd (7), Loyola (8), Glenbrook South (9), Nazareth (season-high rank of 13), Downers Grove North (16) and St. Francis (25).
"We're a team that is finding its way," Smith said. "We play a very difficult schedule, and we've taken a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. But if you continue to stay focused, things will go your way. We feel we have a group of girls who can really do some positive things."
Smith was quick to credit team captain Otto for helping to keep the Red Devils on course during the losing streak.
"She's done a great job of reminding the girls, 'How can we be better?' How can we improve?" She wields that message continually," Smith said. "We don't like losing, but we can control how we prepare and execute."
Otto said, "We struggled with (staying positive) in the beginning of the year, but then we had some games that were close. We wanted to use that motivation to clinch our first win -- and keep winning.
"We finally put one away. Hopefully, we can keep going the rest of the way."
Freshman forward Caroline Fryzel led the way with 2 goals and three assists to earn Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors.
"This (win) means a lot to us," she said. "We've been going through a rough patch. How we dominated feels really good."
Dominated, indeed.
Controlling the attack with solid possessions and well-placed long balls to runners on the flanks, Hinsdale Central began the onslaught less than three minutes into the tilt. Freshman forward Haley Arnold got the party started, popping in a header over Panthers' sophomore goalkeeper Janette Martinez after eye-balling a cross from sophomore midfielder Elle Jenkins.
Nine minutes later, the same duo teamed up to make it 2-0. This time, Arnold tracked a long ball sent by Jenkins and tapped it past a charging Martinez.
With 21:22 to go in the first half, Red Devils' sophomore forward Maddie Lynch scored the first of her two goals for a 3-0 lead. Lynch stole a ball on the left side, sliced through the Panthers' defense and beat Martinez inside the left post.
Exactly 66 seconds later, Lynch struck again, taking a pass in stride from Fryzel before tapping the ball in on the left side.
After being stopped by Martinez in the 23rd and 31st minutes, Fryzel made it 5-0 with 6:05 left before the break. Settling a long ball sent by sophomore midfielder Sammy Guido, Fryzel dashed ahead on a clear breakaway and scored to the right side.
Continuing to apply pressure, Hinsdale Central bagged two more goals in a span of 31 seconds for a 7-0 bulge at the break. First, Fryzel found Otto for a tap-in on the left side with 4:54 to go, and Fryzel then scored when she beat Martinez with a slow roller between the wickets.
"When we got the chance to control the ball, we wanted to keep possession as best we could," Fryzel said.
"It was nice to have the ball most of the game ... to see how everyone adjusted to keep control," Arnold added. "It's a good feeling to know what we practice, we can put on the field."
Guido put an exclamation mark on the memorable win, scoring in close after taking a pass from Fryzel with 1:30 showing during a running-clock, 20-minute second half.
"Obviously, we're all really happy with our effort on the field (Tuesday)," Arnold said. "We dominated in both halves."
And not just offensively. Proviso West (2-7-2, 0-3-0) didn't register its first shot until the 33-minute mark, when freshman forward Esmeralda Chavez -- just called up from the sophomore team -- was stopped from 10 yards on the left side by Hinsdale Central junior keeper Kaitlin Barbour.
The Panthers managed a trio of opportunities in the second half, including a 30-yard strike by senior forward Kristin Hoffman that Barbour turned away with 5:15 to go.
"Once Hinsdale Central got that first goal, they got their confidence," said Proviso West head coach Carlos Villanueva. "They smelled blood, and they went for the kill. Hats off to them. They deserve the win.
"But that was our worst game all year," he continued. "We had a couple opportunities -- that's it. I know we're better than that, and the girls know we're better than that. But we're a very young team that needs to learn how to play together and communicate with each other. That time will come."
Proviso West junior mid Francis Montoy agreed, adding, "We need more movement and communication -- let each other know where we are on the field. We have to keep our head up out there."
Chavez said, "We didn't communicate enough. We can't think other people will do what we expect if we don't talk to each other."
Meanwhile, the Red Devils had no problem in that department.
"We tried to keep things basic and straightforward," Smith said. "I was happy to see the girls play with speed and combine with each other -- and communicate well. It was all on display today."
Starting lineups
Hinsdale Central
G: Kaitlin Barbour
D: Alyssa Moncrief
D: Rachel Dannhausen-Brun
D: Olivia Rayis
M: Elle Jenkins
M: Erin Otto
M: Sam Moriarty
M: Sarah Cernugel
F: Maddie Lynch
F: Brittany Doneske
F: Hailey Arnold
Proviso West
G: Janette Martinez
D: Katelyn Ocampo
D: Leslie Salazar
D: Yajaira Gaona
D: Janette Garcia
M: Evelyn Posada
M: Francis Montoya
M: Kirstin Hoffman
F: Yaritza Gutierrez
F: Esmeralda Chavez
F: Kimberley Herrera
MVP of the Match: Caroline Fryzel, fr., F, Hinsdale Central
Officials: Bret Richter, Bob Karcz, Henrik Schrader