Lyons tops DGN, takes league control
Lions' 3-2 road win earns control of WSC Silver fate
By Dave Owen
DOWNERS GROVE -- Living up to its well earned big-game reputation, Lyons had a champion’s response for every Downers Grove North salvo in Tuesday’s showdown for the West Suburban Conference Silver Division lead.
A Trojans penalty kick with 32:04 left in a 1-1 game? Not only did Lyons goalkeeper Claire Purcell make the save, but the Lions’ Jenna Fuller scored 80 seconds later to put her team up 2-1.
Then after a nice Downers Grove North's Simone Gardner-to-Abby Swanson connection set up Swanson’s goal with 10:05 left to tie the game 2-2 for the Trojans, Lyons had another quick reaction.
Off passes by Lizzy Hall and Erin Smothers, Eileen Murphy scored with 8:53 left. That final answer earned the Lions (10-4-1, 5-0-0) a 3-2 win, and moved them one game up on the Trojans (11-2-2, 3-1-0) in the conference title chase.
“There were a lot of momentum swings, in that second half especially,” Lyons coach Bill Lanspeary said.
“I don’t know if that was our most well-played game, but we had a lot of determination and will to win. And that’s huge. Sometimes you’re at your best and sometimes you’re off a little bit, and that has something to do with how good they (DGN) were too. But the fact that we battled and found a way is huge.”
The winning goal was a tribute to that battling spirit – and a fortunate skip to Murphy across the crease to the open far post.
“Lizzy played it over the (DGN) girl, then Smo (Erin Smothers) touched it in,” Murphy said. “I think it was originally for Jenna (Fuller), but it flicked off her and the girl couldn’t clear it. And I was right there.”
While a crazy bounce helped create that score, the first four goals of the night were highlight film worthy.
The volley of scoring started with 32:23 left in the first half. When Fuller’s right sideline free kick was blocked by the DGN defense, Lyons defender Maggie Gilchrist launched a perfectly-struck 25-yard rebound shot high inside the far post for a 1-0 lead.
“That was a shocker,” Gilchrist said. “I usually cross it, and I went through because I saw an opening for the shot, and it went in. I was so excited.”
Downers Grove North felt a bit burdened by another emotion over the first 15 minutes of play.
“I just think we were nervous coming out, knowing that it was Lyons,” DGN junior defender Olivia Bull said. “We knew they were at a high level, and I think we just kind of backed off a little bit.”
Trojans coach Brian Papa quickly noticed the differences in intensity level.
“I told the girls (before the game), they’re ready for you,” Papa said. “We were confident going in, then the first goal, what can you say. But we recovered after that, and we started taking a little bit of the tempo.
“I told the girls before the game, ‘Win or lose, I’ll be happy as long as we play like we’ve been doing in practice.’ Then in the beginning of the game I was very upset because we weren’t. We don’t play through-balls – we don’t have that kind of speed. We play within our midfield. And then because of their pressure from (number) 13 Eileen (Murphy) and 23 (Mary Devine), they were playing good combinations. And the girls had trouble. I said, ‘All they’re doing is what we teach you.’ And they figured it out.”
A string of five DGN set pieces in seven minutes began 25:40 before halftime. The first quality chance came in the 20th minute, a 43-yard free kick by Bull that was headed just wide from 10 yards out by Swanson.
Then 18:03 before halftime, perfect execution by three players on a corner kick drew the Trojans even.
Bull’s perfect send from the right corner sailed towards Swanson near the back post 8 yards out. Swanson powered a header back high across the box to the near post, where Francesca Marconi was there for a header putaway to tie the score 1-1.
After the intermission, Lyons nearly snapped the 1-1 deadlock with 37:30 left, when Bella Lestina’s right side attack ended with DGN goalkeeper Grace Stevenson’s punch away of Lestina’s 10-yard shot.
Then on another of Bull’s many dangerous set piece sends five minutes later, an Lyons hand ball in the box put the Trojans in business with a penalty kick.
But Purcell met the challenge, diving to her right to block Gardner’s try and then raced to the rebound and gained possession back after a Downers Grove North foul.
“I just kind of had a feeling she (Gardner) was going that way (to her left),” Purcell said, “and she was pretty far back. I just kind of hoped, and then I wound up being in the right place at the right time. It was definitely a big moment I think in the half.”
Big, as in gigantic.
“We got the goal (to tie the game 1-1), and everything was fine,” Papa said. “And then the momentum changed when we missed the PK, and it’s not against the person that took the PK.
“Their goalie made the save, and we didn’t put the rebound in because we all stood and watched. That got me. But you could see that took the air out of the game for us, and they took it right to us. Now we’re playing catch-up.”
The need to catch up was because of a finish by Fuller with 30:41 left. Off nice passes by Murphy and Lestina (the latter a cross from right of the net), Fuller neatly sidestepped a defender at the left of the box and angled a 20-yard shot low inside the right post to put Lyons up 2-1.
“Sometimes soccer can be a goofy game like that,” Lanspeary said. “You miss those chances and the other team hits those, and obviously it changes things. We were fortunate enough to finish those chances tonight.”
It appeared that lead might hold up after an ensuing 18 minutes of dueling chances. Among the best threats – Purcell saved a Maggie Nevrly 18-yard shot with 23:50 left, then leapt high above the crowd in front of the net to grab a Bull corner kick send with 19:40 to go.
Then one of many great defensive-end wins all night by Lyons' Caroline Murphy set up a counterattack. The Lions made a bid for an insurance goal on a Fuller corner kick with 14:35 left. After Fuller’s send was blocked, her right side second try hit the side of the net.
The next chance in the give-and-take would be a beauty for Downers Grove North.
From the right side near midfield, Gardner sent a perfect feed to Swanson racing up the middle. Her ensuing 12-yard shot found net high inside the left post with 10:50 left, tying the match 2-2.
“That goal by Abby was great,” Papa said. “I give my girls credit. We kept fighting back all the way to the end, keeping pressure on the net. But we just came up short.
“I was telling Bill (Lanspeary), both our defenses have been stingy, and there’s five goals in the game. Go figure that one out.”
Defense was still the centerpiece of Lyons’ success, despite the high-scoring game.
“I thought Maggie had a great game, Maggie and Caroline Murphy at the outside back,” Lanspeary said. “They were busy all night. Our whole backline played quite well, which is weird to say when you give up two goals. But they did a nice job against a team that’s very dangerous.”
After Downers Grove North defender Carolyn Mysliwiec broke up a throw-in 20 yards out to briefly clear the zone, Hall regrouped at midfield and ignited the sequence that ended with Eileen Murphy’s winning goal in the 72nd minute.
“We wanted to possess the ball and win it out of the air,” Gilchrist said, “and winning those battles really sets it up for continuing forward instead of having to go backwards and defend.”
The Lions had to defend their regained one-goal lead with a series of strong team efforts. First, Gilchrist and Catherine Johnson combined to break up a DGN attack with 3:30 left. Then on a drive into the box by Trojans forward Delaney Forst with 2:45 to go, Sarah Fitzgerald cleared the danger zone to Georgia Daugherty for an upfield send.
Finally in the last 30 seconds, Eileen Murphy’s block forced a Downers Grove North throw-in 15 yards out – which Fitzgerald and Dougherty again cleared as time expired.
The win all but assures Lyons the West Suburban Silver title – but a potential bigger stakes rematch awaits. Downers Grove North and the Lyons are seeded one-two in the same sectional. And that’s just a part of the challenges to come.
“It’s good being on top (in conference),” Purcell said, “but going into playoffs every team is going to be coming for you just like we’re going to be going for other top teams. There’re new battles out there.”
Downers Grove North's battle to earn a top sectional seed has been impressive.
“Our coach is so good with us, and a lot of us have played together in club so we play really well together,” Bull said. “And it’s really senior-led, which is good. We have really good leadership on this team, and it’s just worked really well this year.”
But Tuesday’s tough loss provided a lesson.
“I just think we have to think better about ourselves,” Bull said. “Sometimes we don’t think we’re as good as our competition. We’re a really good team. I think we just have to know how good we are, and that we can play with anybody.”
Papa also sees the setback as a chance to grow and adjust.
“It was a good soccer match, they played well, and now we have to learn,” he said. “We have work to do. If we think we can get to the sectional final, no one’s going to lay down for us. We have to go one game at a time again.”
Through ups and downs Tuesday, the coach remains optimistic.
“I can’t complain, but I can because the girls worked so hard to get here,” Papa said. “Nothing’s given. You have to take it, and we didn’t take it tonight, that’s all.
“But they have to figure out how to take defeats. There is no blame game, we’re a team. I still think we’re a tough team to beat, and that was a good team that beat us.”
As for that good team from LaGrange, Lanspeary was cautiously celebrating his team’s success.
“It’s nice to get a conference title for sure,” he said. “We came out on top, but going into the playoffs I hope it’s a wake-up call too.
“You want to be confident, but not overconfident because this team (Downers Grove North) or any team could get you if you’re not at your best.”
Mutual respect is already in place should a sectional rematch occur.
“They’re a really good team,” Bull said. “It was close. It could have gone either way.”
Said Lyons' Murphy: “If we do see them again (at sectionals), there’ll definitely be a strong rivalry and a good game. They’ll be motivated to come back and beat us.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK- Claire Purcell
D- Caroline Murphy
D- Sarah Fitzgerald
D- Catherine Johnson
D- Maggie Gilchrist
M- Eileen Murphy
M- Erin Smothers
M- Lizzy Hall
M- Mary Devine
F- Bella Lestina
F- Jenna Fuller
DGN
GK- Grace Stevenson
D- Elizabeth Hodonicky
D- Olivia Bull
D- Claire Nowka
D- Carissa Mysliwiec
M- Abby Swanson
M- Simone Gardner
M- Carli Nehls
M- Francesca Marconi
F- Haley Reynolds
F- Delaney Forst
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Eileen Murphy, so. MF, Lyons
Lions' 3-2 road win earns control of WSC Silver fate
By Dave Owen
DOWNERS GROVE -- Living up to its well earned big-game reputation, Lyons had a champion’s response for every Downers Grove North salvo in Tuesday’s showdown for the West Suburban Conference Silver Division lead.
A Trojans penalty kick with 32:04 left in a 1-1 game? Not only did Lyons goalkeeper Claire Purcell make the save, but the Lions’ Jenna Fuller scored 80 seconds later to put her team up 2-1.
Then after a nice Downers Grove North's Simone Gardner-to-Abby Swanson connection set up Swanson’s goal with 10:05 left to tie the game 2-2 for the Trojans, Lyons had another quick reaction.
Off passes by Lizzy Hall and Erin Smothers, Eileen Murphy scored with 8:53 left. That final answer earned the Lions (10-4-1, 5-0-0) a 3-2 win, and moved them one game up on the Trojans (11-2-2, 3-1-0) in the conference title chase.
“There were a lot of momentum swings, in that second half especially,” Lyons coach Bill Lanspeary said.
“I don’t know if that was our most well-played game, but we had a lot of determination and will to win. And that’s huge. Sometimes you’re at your best and sometimes you’re off a little bit, and that has something to do with how good they (DGN) were too. But the fact that we battled and found a way is huge.”
The winning goal was a tribute to that battling spirit – and a fortunate skip to Murphy across the crease to the open far post.
“Lizzy played it over the (DGN) girl, then Smo (Erin Smothers) touched it in,” Murphy said. “I think it was originally for Jenna (Fuller), but it flicked off her and the girl couldn’t clear it. And I was right there.”
While a crazy bounce helped create that score, the first four goals of the night were highlight film worthy.
The volley of scoring started with 32:23 left in the first half. When Fuller’s right sideline free kick was blocked by the DGN defense, Lyons defender Maggie Gilchrist launched a perfectly-struck 25-yard rebound shot high inside the far post for a 1-0 lead.
“That was a shocker,” Gilchrist said. “I usually cross it, and I went through because I saw an opening for the shot, and it went in. I was so excited.”
Downers Grove North felt a bit burdened by another emotion over the first 15 minutes of play.
“I just think we were nervous coming out, knowing that it was Lyons,” DGN junior defender Olivia Bull said. “We knew they were at a high level, and I think we just kind of backed off a little bit.”
Trojans coach Brian Papa quickly noticed the differences in intensity level.
“I told the girls (before the game), they’re ready for you,” Papa said. “We were confident going in, then the first goal, what can you say. But we recovered after that, and we started taking a little bit of the tempo.
“I told the girls before the game, ‘Win or lose, I’ll be happy as long as we play like we’ve been doing in practice.’ Then in the beginning of the game I was very upset because we weren’t. We don’t play through-balls – we don’t have that kind of speed. We play within our midfield. And then because of their pressure from (number) 13 Eileen (Murphy) and 23 (Mary Devine), they were playing good combinations. And the girls had trouble. I said, ‘All they’re doing is what we teach you.’ And they figured it out.”
A string of five DGN set pieces in seven minutes began 25:40 before halftime. The first quality chance came in the 20th minute, a 43-yard free kick by Bull that was headed just wide from 10 yards out by Swanson.
Then 18:03 before halftime, perfect execution by three players on a corner kick drew the Trojans even.
Bull’s perfect send from the right corner sailed towards Swanson near the back post 8 yards out. Swanson powered a header back high across the box to the near post, where Francesca Marconi was there for a header putaway to tie the score 1-1.
After the intermission, Lyons nearly snapped the 1-1 deadlock with 37:30 left, when Bella Lestina’s right side attack ended with DGN goalkeeper Grace Stevenson’s punch away of Lestina’s 10-yard shot.
Then on another of Bull’s many dangerous set piece sends five minutes later, an Lyons hand ball in the box put the Trojans in business with a penalty kick.
But Purcell met the challenge, diving to her right to block Gardner’s try and then raced to the rebound and gained possession back after a Downers Grove North foul.
“I just kind of had a feeling she (Gardner) was going that way (to her left),” Purcell said, “and she was pretty far back. I just kind of hoped, and then I wound up being in the right place at the right time. It was definitely a big moment I think in the half.”
Big, as in gigantic.
“We got the goal (to tie the game 1-1), and everything was fine,” Papa said. “And then the momentum changed when we missed the PK, and it’s not against the person that took the PK.
“Their goalie made the save, and we didn’t put the rebound in because we all stood and watched. That got me. But you could see that took the air out of the game for us, and they took it right to us. Now we’re playing catch-up.”
The need to catch up was because of a finish by Fuller with 30:41 left. Off nice passes by Murphy and Lestina (the latter a cross from right of the net), Fuller neatly sidestepped a defender at the left of the box and angled a 20-yard shot low inside the right post to put Lyons up 2-1.
“Sometimes soccer can be a goofy game like that,” Lanspeary said. “You miss those chances and the other team hits those, and obviously it changes things. We were fortunate enough to finish those chances tonight.”
It appeared that lead might hold up after an ensuing 18 minutes of dueling chances. Among the best threats – Purcell saved a Maggie Nevrly 18-yard shot with 23:50 left, then leapt high above the crowd in front of the net to grab a Bull corner kick send with 19:40 to go.
Then one of many great defensive-end wins all night by Lyons' Caroline Murphy set up a counterattack. The Lions made a bid for an insurance goal on a Fuller corner kick with 14:35 left. After Fuller’s send was blocked, her right side second try hit the side of the net.
The next chance in the give-and-take would be a beauty for Downers Grove North.
From the right side near midfield, Gardner sent a perfect feed to Swanson racing up the middle. Her ensuing 12-yard shot found net high inside the left post with 10:50 left, tying the match 2-2.
“That goal by Abby was great,” Papa said. “I give my girls credit. We kept fighting back all the way to the end, keeping pressure on the net. But we just came up short.
“I was telling Bill (Lanspeary), both our defenses have been stingy, and there’s five goals in the game. Go figure that one out.”
Defense was still the centerpiece of Lyons’ success, despite the high-scoring game.
“I thought Maggie had a great game, Maggie and Caroline Murphy at the outside back,” Lanspeary said. “They were busy all night. Our whole backline played quite well, which is weird to say when you give up two goals. But they did a nice job against a team that’s very dangerous.”
After Downers Grove North defender Carolyn Mysliwiec broke up a throw-in 20 yards out to briefly clear the zone, Hall regrouped at midfield and ignited the sequence that ended with Eileen Murphy’s winning goal in the 72nd minute.
“We wanted to possess the ball and win it out of the air,” Gilchrist said, “and winning those battles really sets it up for continuing forward instead of having to go backwards and defend.”
The Lions had to defend their regained one-goal lead with a series of strong team efforts. First, Gilchrist and Catherine Johnson combined to break up a DGN attack with 3:30 left. Then on a drive into the box by Trojans forward Delaney Forst with 2:45 to go, Sarah Fitzgerald cleared the danger zone to Georgia Daugherty for an upfield send.
Finally in the last 30 seconds, Eileen Murphy’s block forced a Downers Grove North throw-in 15 yards out – which Fitzgerald and Dougherty again cleared as time expired.
The win all but assures Lyons the West Suburban Silver title – but a potential bigger stakes rematch awaits. Downers Grove North and the Lyons are seeded one-two in the same sectional. And that’s just a part of the challenges to come.
“It’s good being on top (in conference),” Purcell said, “but going into playoffs every team is going to be coming for you just like we’re going to be going for other top teams. There’re new battles out there.”
Downers Grove North's battle to earn a top sectional seed has been impressive.
“Our coach is so good with us, and a lot of us have played together in club so we play really well together,” Bull said. “And it’s really senior-led, which is good. We have really good leadership on this team, and it’s just worked really well this year.”
But Tuesday’s tough loss provided a lesson.
“I just think we have to think better about ourselves,” Bull said. “Sometimes we don’t think we’re as good as our competition. We’re a really good team. I think we just have to know how good we are, and that we can play with anybody.”
Papa also sees the setback as a chance to grow and adjust.
“It was a good soccer match, they played well, and now we have to learn,” he said. “We have work to do. If we think we can get to the sectional final, no one’s going to lay down for us. We have to go one game at a time again.”
Through ups and downs Tuesday, the coach remains optimistic.
“I can’t complain, but I can because the girls worked so hard to get here,” Papa said. “Nothing’s given. You have to take it, and we didn’t take it tonight, that’s all.
“But they have to figure out how to take defeats. There is no blame game, we’re a team. I still think we’re a tough team to beat, and that was a good team that beat us.”
As for that good team from LaGrange, Lanspeary was cautiously celebrating his team’s success.
“It’s nice to get a conference title for sure,” he said. “We came out on top, but going into the playoffs I hope it’s a wake-up call too.
“You want to be confident, but not overconfident because this team (Downers Grove North) or any team could get you if you’re not at your best.”
Mutual respect is already in place should a sectional rematch occur.
“They’re a really good team,” Bull said. “It was close. It could have gone either way.”
Said Lyons' Murphy: “If we do see them again (at sectionals), there’ll definitely be a strong rivalry and a good game. They’ll be motivated to come back and beat us.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK- Claire Purcell
D- Caroline Murphy
D- Sarah Fitzgerald
D- Catherine Johnson
D- Maggie Gilchrist
M- Eileen Murphy
M- Erin Smothers
M- Lizzy Hall
M- Mary Devine
F- Bella Lestina
F- Jenna Fuller
DGN
GK- Grace Stevenson
D- Elizabeth Hodonicky
D- Olivia Bull
D- Claire Nowka
D- Carissa Mysliwiec
M- Abby Swanson
M- Simone Gardner
M- Carli Nehls
M- Francesca Marconi
F- Haley Reynolds
F- Delaney Forst
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Eileen Murphy, so. MF, Lyons