Finishing touch eludes Lake Park
Lancers dominate, but draw 0-0 with Addison Trail
By Ken Keenan
ADDISON -- Lake Park put the pedal to the metal with regularity against host Addison Trail on Thursday, but the Lancers couldn't quite reach the finish line and the nonconference match ended in a 0-0 draw.
Time after time, zippy Lake Park junior midfielders Lauren Tarchala and Bri McAloon raced down the sideline with ball in tow, looking to set up teammates in the middle for a crack at the Blazers' goal. Again and again, Addison Trail put up the detour sign, keeping the Lancers on the outside looking in.
"We had plenty of chances," said Lake Park head coach Sean Crosby. "I think we almost got comfortable keeping possession. We could have kept our composure when we had possession to capitalize. But it was just one touch too bad -- just a touch away from converting."
Seven minutes in, Tarchala snagged a Blazers' long ball and cut to the middle, finding senior midfielder Natalie Morales for a 20-yard shot from the left side that sailed over the crossbar. With 28:40 to go in the first half, freshman forward Cynthia Martinez cut inside and fired wide-right from 10 yards.
Less than a minute later, a Lake Park corner kick was batted away by Addison Trail senior goalkeeper Priscilla Vega, who then held her ground to make a nice save on a sharp-angle try by Tarchala. In the 12th minute, Vega slapped aside a cross by Tarchala after a lengthy Lake Park possession.
Vega also stopped a 20-yard strike by Lancers' junior mid Gianna Pistorio with 15 minutes left before the break, and did the same on a 25-yard shot from the right side by sophomore middie Francesca Ottolino in the 33rd minute.
A prime example of the frustration of Lake Park (2-14-1) came shortly before halftime, when no less than seven Lancers had touches on a possession before Addison Trail's stingy defense cleared the ball out of danger.
"We had good balls sent from the back, and some open gaps," said Tarchala, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. "But our timing -- being aware of what's around us -- was a little off."
Lancers' junior defender Amber Sedwick agreed, adding, "Beating them to the middle and trying to find space, we struggled with that. We have to stay calm on the ball and have better spacing."
McAloon said, "Having composure with the ball, we could have done better. But (the Blazers) did a good job dropping girls back. They compacted."
Addison Trail head coach Sergio Nunez, whose team exited the match at 1-13-2, said, "Today, we played a 4-5-1 (set-up), and that helped us defensively. We stopped their potential to shoot from the middle.
"The girls played with a lot of heart -- a 100 percent effort. They wanted to go home with a win, but a tie is better than a loss. The effort was there."
The Lancers' effort on the attack didn't wane in the second half, but the picture didn't change from the first 40 minutes.
With 32:25 left in the second session, a corner kick by Sedwick resulted in a hard shot by McAloon that was blocked in the box by Addison Trail senior midfielder Giselle Eurioles. With 22:20 to go, Martinez was stopped by Vega at the left post.
Hard-working Blazers' junior defender Berenice Berumen blocked another Martinez try in the 61st minute. Soon after junior keeper Jessica Cosio replaced Vega between the pipes, Lake Park senior defender Dana Skiera was stopped on a 40-yard blast.
A long run by Tarchala in the 67th minute resulted in a 30-yard shot that Cosio nabbed. With 7 minutes to go, Tarchala started another rush that led to a corner -- and ended with a strike by McAloon that missed wide-right.
"(Tarchala) was hustling ... busting her tail down the field all game," Crosby said. "Her ability to attack -- her speed up and down the field -- was beating everyone out there."
Everyone, except the Blazers' goalies.
"Their pressure was really good," Eurioles said. "We had to keep our position, and keep working hard enough to keep it 0-0."
Added Berumen: "It was really hard, but our defense is pretty solid."
With the clock ticking down to the final seconds, Tarchala unleashed a corner kick that bounced through a crowd to find Sedwick, but her try from the right side popped over the crossbar as the horn sounded.
"We were rushing urgently," Crosby said. "I just wish we could have been rewarded for it."
Added McAloon: "When you look a game like this, it's frustrating. We could have had a different result. I know we're capable of putting the ball in the back of the net."
Starting lineups
Lake Park
G: Sara Yochem
D: Amber Sedwick
D: Stephanie Zachemski
D: Gwen Bredahl
D: Dana Skiera
M: Chloe Harris
M: Bri McAloon
M: Lauren Tarchala
M: Caitlin Lang
M: Natalie Morales
F: Cynthia Martinez
Addison Trail
G: Priscilla Vega
D: Berenice Berumen
D: Lizette Gallegos
D: Brisamar Rodriguez
D: Aryana Carreras
M: Gisselle Eurioles
M: Sandy Herrera
M: Jocelyn Gallegos
M: Vanessa Ramirez
M: Caroline Herrera
F: Suhei Valbuena
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Lauren Tarchala, jr., MF, Lake Park
Lancers dominate, but draw 0-0 with Addison Trail
By Ken Keenan
ADDISON -- Lake Park put the pedal to the metal with regularity against host Addison Trail on Thursday, but the Lancers couldn't quite reach the finish line and the nonconference match ended in a 0-0 draw.
Time after time, zippy Lake Park junior midfielders Lauren Tarchala and Bri McAloon raced down the sideline with ball in tow, looking to set up teammates in the middle for a crack at the Blazers' goal. Again and again, Addison Trail put up the detour sign, keeping the Lancers on the outside looking in.
"We had plenty of chances," said Lake Park head coach Sean Crosby. "I think we almost got comfortable keeping possession. We could have kept our composure when we had possession to capitalize. But it was just one touch too bad -- just a touch away from converting."
Seven minutes in, Tarchala snagged a Blazers' long ball and cut to the middle, finding senior midfielder Natalie Morales for a 20-yard shot from the left side that sailed over the crossbar. With 28:40 to go in the first half, freshman forward Cynthia Martinez cut inside and fired wide-right from 10 yards.
Less than a minute later, a Lake Park corner kick was batted away by Addison Trail senior goalkeeper Priscilla Vega, who then held her ground to make a nice save on a sharp-angle try by Tarchala. In the 12th minute, Vega slapped aside a cross by Tarchala after a lengthy Lake Park possession.
Vega also stopped a 20-yard strike by Lancers' junior mid Gianna Pistorio with 15 minutes left before the break, and did the same on a 25-yard shot from the right side by sophomore middie Francesca Ottolino in the 33rd minute.
A prime example of the frustration of Lake Park (2-14-1) came shortly before halftime, when no less than seven Lancers had touches on a possession before Addison Trail's stingy defense cleared the ball out of danger.
"We had good balls sent from the back, and some open gaps," said Tarchala, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. "But our timing -- being aware of what's around us -- was a little off."
Lancers' junior defender Amber Sedwick agreed, adding, "Beating them to the middle and trying to find space, we struggled with that. We have to stay calm on the ball and have better spacing."
McAloon said, "Having composure with the ball, we could have done better. But (the Blazers) did a good job dropping girls back. They compacted."
Addison Trail head coach Sergio Nunez, whose team exited the match at 1-13-2, said, "Today, we played a 4-5-1 (set-up), and that helped us defensively. We stopped their potential to shoot from the middle.
"The girls played with a lot of heart -- a 100 percent effort. They wanted to go home with a win, but a tie is better than a loss. The effort was there."
The Lancers' effort on the attack didn't wane in the second half, but the picture didn't change from the first 40 minutes.
With 32:25 left in the second session, a corner kick by Sedwick resulted in a hard shot by McAloon that was blocked in the box by Addison Trail senior midfielder Giselle Eurioles. With 22:20 to go, Martinez was stopped by Vega at the left post.
Hard-working Blazers' junior defender Berenice Berumen blocked another Martinez try in the 61st minute. Soon after junior keeper Jessica Cosio replaced Vega between the pipes, Lake Park senior defender Dana Skiera was stopped on a 40-yard blast.
A long run by Tarchala in the 67th minute resulted in a 30-yard shot that Cosio nabbed. With 7 minutes to go, Tarchala started another rush that led to a corner -- and ended with a strike by McAloon that missed wide-right.
"(Tarchala) was hustling ... busting her tail down the field all game," Crosby said. "Her ability to attack -- her speed up and down the field -- was beating everyone out there."
Everyone, except the Blazers' goalies.
"Their pressure was really good," Eurioles said. "We had to keep our position, and keep working hard enough to keep it 0-0."
Added Berumen: "It was really hard, but our defense is pretty solid."
With the clock ticking down to the final seconds, Tarchala unleashed a corner kick that bounced through a crowd to find Sedwick, but her try from the right side popped over the crossbar as the horn sounded.
"We were rushing urgently," Crosby said. "I just wish we could have been rewarded for it."
Added McAloon: "When you look a game like this, it's frustrating. We could have had a different result. I know we're capable of putting the ball in the back of the net."
Starting lineups
Lake Park
G: Sara Yochem
D: Amber Sedwick
D: Stephanie Zachemski
D: Gwen Bredahl
D: Dana Skiera
M: Chloe Harris
M: Bri McAloon
M: Lauren Tarchala
M: Caitlin Lang
M: Natalie Morales
F: Cynthia Martinez
Addison Trail
G: Priscilla Vega
D: Berenice Berumen
D: Lizette Gallegos
D: Brisamar Rodriguez
D: Aryana Carreras
M: Gisselle Eurioles
M: Sandy Herrera
M: Jocelyn Gallegos
M: Vanessa Ramirez
M: Caroline Herrera
F: Suhei Valbuena
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Lauren Tarchala, jr., MF, Lake Park