Miller's brace helps
WWS roll past Lake Park
Tigers keep pace in the DVC race
By Mike Garofola
WHEATON -- Wheaton-Warrenville South continued its winning ways in the DuPage Valley Conference on Thursday night at Red Grange Field.
The Tigers (3-1-0, 2-0-0), used some unusual platoon tactics from manager Guy Callipari in order to get the full benefit of their roster to record a 6-0 victory over Lake Park to maintain a successful start in the league.
Wheaton Warrenville South is one of five DVC teams without a loss at this early juncture of the campaign.
"We obviously had some time away with spring break, and with such a young roster this season, I felt it was important to try to get as many of our players plenty of minutes tonight," explained Callipari on why he removed his starting field players for another full group in the 22nd minute.
"We're still trying to sort a few things out with this roster, so that certainly was a consideration for that 10-for-10 switch (Callipari kept his starting keeper between the sticks until later). Plus it was another cold night, so it was important to keep everyone loose and warm as well."
The visiting Lancers (0-6-0, 0-3-0) did all they could to break through in the win column but found too tough of an opponent in 24th-ranked Wheaton Warrenville South.
Sean Crosbys' club has already developed a reputation for a high work rate, matched by incredible heart and effort, something that did not go unnoticed by Callipari and two of his players, Paige Miller and the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match Julia Martz.
"Lake Park really fought and never let up, so you have to give them a lot of credit for playing that way," said Miller, whose two strikes within five minutes in the second half broke open this contest for good.
"We were a little slow at the start, but Lake Park wasn't, and they never let up, even when we put a couple of goals into the back of their net - which said a lot about them."
Those words were a credit to Crosby, who is in his first year at the helm of the boys and girls programs.
"It's something we've instilled in the girls, and this program right from the very start of training this year," began Crosby, who took over for interim coach Ian Finn, who is now his top assistant.
"We've told the girls if you have no pride in yourself, your teammates, and this program, then none of this is going to work -- (you) cannot build anything of value. (But) these girls continue to amaze me, because that pride, work rate and effort has come from within each of them, and it's stayed real high despite our rough start."
The visitors came out with plenty of energy off the opening whistle, and forced the home side to play at a more frantic pace during the opening quarter hour. That was not what Callipari wanted to see.
"Lake Park did a very good job of making us work very hard in the middle of the park by staying organized and disciplined, while winning a lot of balls, and forcing us to do some things we just shouldn't do," said the Tigers manager.
One area in which Wheaton Warrenville South succeeded was its ability to build from the back, regardless of what unit Callipari had in place. The early exchanges were led by Claire Kiple, Maria Dohse and Molly Fank, who used quick touches to change the field and point of attack.
"It wasn't something we set out to do, but the girls did very well swinging the ball around before connecting with our midfield or targeting our forwards up-top," said Callipari.
In Lake Park's 4-4-2 formation, Crosby stationed senior Dana Skiera just behind teammate, Bri McAloon to handle the defensive midfield responsibilities. Meanwhile, McAloon took on the role of an attacking midfielder.
When the Wheaton Warrenville South attack eventually got on its front foot, it forced McAloon to track back and defend much more. The classy Lancers co-captain proved to be a terrific box-to-box player during her impressive night of play.
"None of us want to be 0-6-0 right now, but none of us are complaining about it. And I've seen plenty of positive things from this team each and every time we've gone out and played, despite the result," said McAloon.
One of the bright spots for the visitors was goalkeeper Sarah Yochem, who made a handful of fearless saves during her 80 minutes of work between the sticks for the Lancers -- which included a marvelous stop on Miller at 16 minutes when she turned away a 50-50 chance inside the box.
The sophomore could do nothing on the first goal of the night. It came from Evelyn Demsher at 23 minutes, just moments after the sophomore was brought on along with nine others.
Three minutes later, the home side doubled its advantage when a wonderful early ball from Martz helped Jennifer Aalbue spring free of the Lancers defense.
Aalbue directed a lovely ball to the back post where Morgan Schwerin easily steered in her one-timer.
"Once we got that first goal, our level of play began to get better," said Martz. "And I really felt it stayed pretty high for most of the night after that."
Wheaton Warrenville South took a 3-0 lead into the break after Audrey Siebert's 27th-minute strike.
"Even though we were chasing three goals at the half, I thought we played well in spots," said Crosby. "Our defense did well to keep a very talented group of attacking players under control. And (let's) face it, if we can get one across the line, things would look a little better in the eventual scoring line."
The halftime interval did not serve to break the rhythm of the now revved Wheaton Warrenville South attack, which picked up exactly with the same breathless manner following the resumption of play.
The visitors felt the full fury of the Tigers top 11 during the first quarter hour of play in the second half, as a higher, tighter line drew several offside flags, but also put both Miller and Caitlin Anderson into the Lancers end from devastating through-balls by Martz out of the middle.
"Once everyone got plenty of playing time in the first half, and we came back after the half with most of our starters, we were really on with our timing and pace, and that's when we really began to control the game," said Miller.
That put the Lake Park defense under duress.
"Our backline did a pretty good job in the first half to win first- and second-balls, while going into the tackle hard, but (they) have a lot of speed up-top, and when they got the ball with some space, it gave us a lot of trouble," said Crosby, who was pleased with his backline of Elizabeth Guenther, Stephanie Zachemski, Catherine Vitale and Amber Sedwick.
Wheaton Warrenville South sophomore Miller got the Tigers off and running on an Audrey Siebert helper over the top at 48 minutes; and in the 53rd minute, the forward finished what Martz and Anderson started when the duo combined to put the high flying sophomore through.
At that juncture, both managers made sure each player who dressed for the game enjoyed valuable minutes before the final whistle, including Wheaton Warrenville South keepers Kimberly Aalbue and Sarah Mueller, who split time down the stretch after Callipari brought Abbie Brennan off.
Caitlin Anderson would put an exclamation point on the Tigers 6-0 victory with a goal just seconds before the scoreboard read 00:00.
With a lot of soccer yet to be played, Lake Park remains optimistic.
"The attitude on this team remains very high, and I am really proud of my teammates for that, as well as the 100 percent effort each and everyone of us put in tonight, and in the other games we've played so far," began McAloon.
"Obviously none of us wants to have the record we have right now, but we're working hard in training and during our games. This one is behind us, so that means we'll go out and prepare ourselves as best as we can for our next game."
Lake Park gets a chance at a fresh start when it opens play in the PepsiCo Showdown on Saturday. The third seed in the LJ's Healing Hearts bracket will face 14th-seeded Beecher at 4 p.m. at Olympic Park in Schaumburg.
"Lot's of credit should go to Sean, his staff and his team for the way they play, and play with a lot of pride and heart," began Callipari. "I have a lot of respect for that type of effort, and it will pay off down the road.
"For us, I'm beginning to see some good things in the way we're playing. We still have a long way to go because of our youth and inexperience, but it's coming together in some spots. I know we're headed in the right direction."
The Tigers, who won the ATI bracket at the showdown last year, meet second-seeded Warren at 11:30 a.m. in the I Grow Chicago bracket. The Blue Devils, who are undefeated in six matches this season, hold the no. 7 spot in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 this week.
Starting lineups
Lake Park
GK: Sarah Yochem
D- Elizabeth Guenther
D- Stephanie Zachemski
D- Catherine Vitale
D- Amber Sedwick
M- Dana Skiera
M- Bri McAloon
M- Jaclyn Lamz
M- Lauren Tarchala
F- Cynthia Martinez
F- Gianna Pistorio
Wheaton-Warrenville South
GK: Abbie Brennan
D- Claire Kiple
D- Maria Dohse
D- Molly Fank
D- Julia Hildebrand
M- Elizabeth Aalbue
M- Julia Cox
M- Allie Anderson
M- Ellery Fahey
F- Caitlin Anderson
F- Paige Miller
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Julia Martz, Sr., MF, Wheaton-Warrenville South
Referee: Georghe Blute
WWS roll past Lake Park
Tigers keep pace in the DVC race
By Mike Garofola
WHEATON -- Wheaton-Warrenville South continued its winning ways in the DuPage Valley Conference on Thursday night at Red Grange Field.
The Tigers (3-1-0, 2-0-0), used some unusual platoon tactics from manager Guy Callipari in order to get the full benefit of their roster to record a 6-0 victory over Lake Park to maintain a successful start in the league.
Wheaton Warrenville South is one of five DVC teams without a loss at this early juncture of the campaign.
"We obviously had some time away with spring break, and with such a young roster this season, I felt it was important to try to get as many of our players plenty of minutes tonight," explained Callipari on why he removed his starting field players for another full group in the 22nd minute.
"We're still trying to sort a few things out with this roster, so that certainly was a consideration for that 10-for-10 switch (Callipari kept his starting keeper between the sticks until later). Plus it was another cold night, so it was important to keep everyone loose and warm as well."
The visiting Lancers (0-6-0, 0-3-0) did all they could to break through in the win column but found too tough of an opponent in 24th-ranked Wheaton Warrenville South.
Sean Crosbys' club has already developed a reputation for a high work rate, matched by incredible heart and effort, something that did not go unnoticed by Callipari and two of his players, Paige Miller and the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match Julia Martz.
"Lake Park really fought and never let up, so you have to give them a lot of credit for playing that way," said Miller, whose two strikes within five minutes in the second half broke open this contest for good.
"We were a little slow at the start, but Lake Park wasn't, and they never let up, even when we put a couple of goals into the back of their net - which said a lot about them."
Those words were a credit to Crosby, who is in his first year at the helm of the boys and girls programs.
"It's something we've instilled in the girls, and this program right from the very start of training this year," began Crosby, who took over for interim coach Ian Finn, who is now his top assistant.
"We've told the girls if you have no pride in yourself, your teammates, and this program, then none of this is going to work -- (you) cannot build anything of value. (But) these girls continue to amaze me, because that pride, work rate and effort has come from within each of them, and it's stayed real high despite our rough start."
The visitors came out with plenty of energy off the opening whistle, and forced the home side to play at a more frantic pace during the opening quarter hour. That was not what Callipari wanted to see.
"Lake Park did a very good job of making us work very hard in the middle of the park by staying organized and disciplined, while winning a lot of balls, and forcing us to do some things we just shouldn't do," said the Tigers manager.
One area in which Wheaton Warrenville South succeeded was its ability to build from the back, regardless of what unit Callipari had in place. The early exchanges were led by Claire Kiple, Maria Dohse and Molly Fank, who used quick touches to change the field and point of attack.
"It wasn't something we set out to do, but the girls did very well swinging the ball around before connecting with our midfield or targeting our forwards up-top," said Callipari.
In Lake Park's 4-4-2 formation, Crosby stationed senior Dana Skiera just behind teammate, Bri McAloon to handle the defensive midfield responsibilities. Meanwhile, McAloon took on the role of an attacking midfielder.
When the Wheaton Warrenville South attack eventually got on its front foot, it forced McAloon to track back and defend much more. The classy Lancers co-captain proved to be a terrific box-to-box player during her impressive night of play.
"None of us want to be 0-6-0 right now, but none of us are complaining about it. And I've seen plenty of positive things from this team each and every time we've gone out and played, despite the result," said McAloon.
One of the bright spots for the visitors was goalkeeper Sarah Yochem, who made a handful of fearless saves during her 80 minutes of work between the sticks for the Lancers -- which included a marvelous stop on Miller at 16 minutes when she turned away a 50-50 chance inside the box.
The sophomore could do nothing on the first goal of the night. It came from Evelyn Demsher at 23 minutes, just moments after the sophomore was brought on along with nine others.
Three minutes later, the home side doubled its advantage when a wonderful early ball from Martz helped Jennifer Aalbue spring free of the Lancers defense.
Aalbue directed a lovely ball to the back post where Morgan Schwerin easily steered in her one-timer.
"Once we got that first goal, our level of play began to get better," said Martz. "And I really felt it stayed pretty high for most of the night after that."
Wheaton Warrenville South took a 3-0 lead into the break after Audrey Siebert's 27th-minute strike.
"Even though we were chasing three goals at the half, I thought we played well in spots," said Crosby. "Our defense did well to keep a very talented group of attacking players under control. And (let's) face it, if we can get one across the line, things would look a little better in the eventual scoring line."
The halftime interval did not serve to break the rhythm of the now revved Wheaton Warrenville South attack, which picked up exactly with the same breathless manner following the resumption of play.
The visitors felt the full fury of the Tigers top 11 during the first quarter hour of play in the second half, as a higher, tighter line drew several offside flags, but also put both Miller and Caitlin Anderson into the Lancers end from devastating through-balls by Martz out of the middle.
"Once everyone got plenty of playing time in the first half, and we came back after the half with most of our starters, we were really on with our timing and pace, and that's when we really began to control the game," said Miller.
That put the Lake Park defense under duress.
"Our backline did a pretty good job in the first half to win first- and second-balls, while going into the tackle hard, but (they) have a lot of speed up-top, and when they got the ball with some space, it gave us a lot of trouble," said Crosby, who was pleased with his backline of Elizabeth Guenther, Stephanie Zachemski, Catherine Vitale and Amber Sedwick.
Wheaton Warrenville South sophomore Miller got the Tigers off and running on an Audrey Siebert helper over the top at 48 minutes; and in the 53rd minute, the forward finished what Martz and Anderson started when the duo combined to put the high flying sophomore through.
At that juncture, both managers made sure each player who dressed for the game enjoyed valuable minutes before the final whistle, including Wheaton Warrenville South keepers Kimberly Aalbue and Sarah Mueller, who split time down the stretch after Callipari brought Abbie Brennan off.
Caitlin Anderson would put an exclamation point on the Tigers 6-0 victory with a goal just seconds before the scoreboard read 00:00.
With a lot of soccer yet to be played, Lake Park remains optimistic.
"The attitude on this team remains very high, and I am really proud of my teammates for that, as well as the 100 percent effort each and everyone of us put in tonight, and in the other games we've played so far," began McAloon.
"Obviously none of us wants to have the record we have right now, but we're working hard in training and during our games. This one is behind us, so that means we'll go out and prepare ourselves as best as we can for our next game."
Lake Park gets a chance at a fresh start when it opens play in the PepsiCo Showdown on Saturday. The third seed in the LJ's Healing Hearts bracket will face 14th-seeded Beecher at 4 p.m. at Olympic Park in Schaumburg.
"Lot's of credit should go to Sean, his staff and his team for the way they play, and play with a lot of pride and heart," began Callipari. "I have a lot of respect for that type of effort, and it will pay off down the road.
"For us, I'm beginning to see some good things in the way we're playing. We still have a long way to go because of our youth and inexperience, but it's coming together in some spots. I know we're headed in the right direction."
The Tigers, who won the ATI bracket at the showdown last year, meet second-seeded Warren at 11:30 a.m. in the I Grow Chicago bracket. The Blue Devils, who are undefeated in six matches this season, hold the no. 7 spot in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 this week.
Starting lineups
Lake Park
GK: Sarah Yochem
D- Elizabeth Guenther
D- Stephanie Zachemski
D- Catherine Vitale
D- Amber Sedwick
M- Dana Skiera
M- Bri McAloon
M- Jaclyn Lamz
M- Lauren Tarchala
F- Cynthia Martinez
F- Gianna Pistorio
Wheaton-Warrenville South
GK: Abbie Brennan
D- Claire Kiple
D- Maria Dohse
D- Molly Fank
D- Julia Hildebrand
M- Elizabeth Aalbue
M- Julia Cox
M- Allie Anderson
M- Ellery Fahey
F- Caitlin Anderson
F- Paige Miller
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Julia Martz, Sr., MF, Wheaton-Warrenville South
Referee: Georghe Blute