Naperville Central tops
Geneva for historic win
Redhawks capture 500th win in program history
By Matt Le Cren
ST. CHARLES – Naperville Central spelled victory M-e-r-i-d-i-t-h on Wednesday.
It also spelled it M-e-r-e-d-i-t-h.
Over the years the Redhawks have spelled it, oh, 500 different ways.
Meridith Hannan and Meredith Tunney scored two goals each to lead Naperville Central to an historic 4-2 victory on the opening day of the Augsburg-Drach Invite at St. Charles East.
It was the program’s 500th victory and gave Naperville Central coach Ed Watson his 375th career win.
“It’s a credit to many, many good soccer players,” Watson said. “A program doesn’t win 500 games without having really good players, and that’s what we’ve been fortunate to have.
“This latest group is just doing what they’re supposed to do – playing hard and carrying on the tradition.”
It is a tradition that began in 1982 under Bill Madsen. The Redhawks were 6-8-1 that first season but they’ve had only two more losing seasons since. Watson, the fifth coach in program history, is in his 23rd season. He has just one losing season and now has a 375-104-62 record. Overall, Naperville Central is 500-174-71.
Forty-nine of those wins have come during Tunney’s four-year career.
“I think it’s awesome,” Tunney said. “It’s something special, and I’m so lucky it was in my [senior] season, actually.”
All of the players had been informed of the impending milestone and the Redhawks (5-0-1) wasted no time in jumping out to a big lead.
Hannan opened the scoring when she took a pass from Kirsten Dorgen and blasted a 30-yard shot off the hands of Geneva goalie Olivia McQuilkin and into the upper left corner at the 30:35 mark of the first half.
The Redhawks doubled the lead with 6:56 remaining on a textbook attack. Senior Alison Kincaide dribbled around the right end and rolled a cross into space in the middle of the box, where Tunney ran onto it and sent a crisp shot into the lower left corner.
Hannan then scored her second goal of the game and third in less than 24 hours when she sent a 22-yard rocket off the inside of the left post and in with 1:07 to go before intermission.
That turned out to be the game-winner, Hannan’s second in as many games. The sophomore tallied the game-winner on Tuesday against Glenbard North when a shot from Kayla Burke caromed off the post and the crossbar before hitting Hannan in the face and bouncing in to give Naperville Central a 2-1 double-overtime win.
“We like Meridith Hannan because she’s not afraid to shoot the ball,” Watson said. “She’s the closest thing we have to a guy because you’ve got to tell guys to stop shooting. You’re never going to hear me say to Meridith, ‘Don’t shoot the ball,’ because that’s how goals get scored.”
McQuilkin had recently been called up to the varsity after Geneva’s starting goalie, Emma Harkleroad, was lost for the season after having surgery to repair a broken collarbone. She looked shaky on Hannan’s first goal but was otherwise clean in making five first-half saves. The other two goals were not her fault and Watson is of the opinion the first one wasn’t either.
“The first one would have caught a lot of keepers by surprise,” Watson said. “A lot of goalkeepers, even if they’re in position, might not be ready for how quick that got on her.
“The second one was a great one. Good service from Alison and Meredith hit a really firm ball that not too many goalkeepers are going to save.”
The Redhawks, who are unbeaten after six games for the first time in school history, were dominant in outshooting the Vikings (2-3-2) by a 9-2 margin in the first half.
“I think we were able to break them down, we were able to play a little bit longer balls and run onto them,” Hannan said. “Luckily I was able to take a couple shots, and they went in.”
Geneva made things interesting by scoring on its first two shots of the second half.
Riley Sanders got the Vikings on the board just a minute after the break on a short shot into the upper left corner. Seven minutes later she sent a high-arcing cross from the right wing to Mary Landry, whose leaping header went off the inside of the left post and in to make it 3-2.
But Tunney restored order for Naperville Central and allowed Watson to go back to using his bench liberally – 27 players saw action – when she bagged her second goal at the 23:59 mark. She intercepted a clearing pass, turned to her left to give herself a firing lane and then struck a left-footed 25-yard blast into the upper 90.
“Tunney’s second goal was beautiful, a left-footed ball,” Watson said. “There aren’t many goalkeepers in the girls game that are going to save that, even the good ones, because it’s firm and high.”
The Redhawks were on a high despite a bit of exhaustion after Tuesday’s grueling match against Glenbard North. Whatever energy deficit they had was more than made up for with intelligent play.
“Coming off of our double-overtime win yesterday, that was a little tiring but we were kind of just going off yesterday and playing more smarter today, rather than just booting balls and going for it,” Tunney said. “We were passing around more today.”
The Redhawks had not played in 17 days before the Glenbard North game, so they were happy to shake the rust off and remain unbeaten.
“Today and yesterday were definitely better games so I was really proud of the way our team played together and they definitely helped me score some good goals today,” Hannan said. “It was definitely a team effort.”
One that was witnessed by an interested, if unsuspecting, spectator.
Former Naperville Central coach Ruth Kuzmanic, who compiled a 79-34-7 record from 1987-1992 and and whose 1989 team qualified for the state tournament, still teaches health at Naperville Central. She saw the game from the concession stand, where she was volunteering.
Kuzmanic’s daughter, Makenzie, is a junior swimmer at St. Charles East, so her mom has to volunteer working concessions at some events.
“What are the chances of that?” Kuzmanic marveled. “As a swim parent I’m required to work and okay, I like soccer.
“And lo and behold, I come out and the ‘Hawks are playing. So I went over to say hi to Ed and he said, ‘Well, you know if we win it will be 500.’
“I’m not a math person and I go, ‘Ed, it’s early, it’s okay if we’re only .500,’ and he’s like, ‘No, no, the 500th for the program. I’m like, ‘You keep track of that stuff?’”
Kuzmanic said Watson has done a “phenomenal” job leading the program but also credits the commitments of players and their parents for all the success, which includes 10 regional titles, three sectional championships and runner-up finishes at the 1994 and 1995 state finals.
“It’s kind of fun to go back and think about it, because I took over for Tony Amabile,” said Kuzmanic, who posted a 79-34-7 mark in six years at the helm. “In today’s day and age it would be surprising, but the kids actually practiced off-campus. They would get in their own personal cars and drive down to Knoch Knolls, probably a 15-minute drive down Washington Street.
“The stuff that kids did, they were committed to it. We have always been fortunate that the club programs in the area have been so strong, so I think that’s a big factor in our success and the parents are willing to put them in the year-round programs and we reap the rewards from it.”
Starting lineups
Naperville Central
GK: Kinzly Dressler
D: Amanda Murphy
D: Abby Flynn
D: Kayla Andrees
D: Caitlin Reece
M: Meredith Tunney
M: Isabel Reedy
M: Kyra Conroy
M: Kirsten Dorgan
M: Jessica Sonner
F: Meridith Hannan
Geneva
GK: Olivia McQuilkin
D: Quincy Swanson
D: Megan Newingham
D: Leah Groven
D: Grace Stellick
D: Briar Schwardt
M: Megan Fitz
M: Olivia Tegge
F: Allie Mikos
F: Madeline Stellick
F: Mary Landry
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Meridith Hannan, F, Naperville Central.
Geneva for historic win
Redhawks capture 500th win in program history
By Matt Le Cren
ST. CHARLES – Naperville Central spelled victory M-e-r-i-d-i-t-h on Wednesday.
It also spelled it M-e-r-e-d-i-t-h.
Over the years the Redhawks have spelled it, oh, 500 different ways.
Meridith Hannan and Meredith Tunney scored two goals each to lead Naperville Central to an historic 4-2 victory on the opening day of the Augsburg-Drach Invite at St. Charles East.
It was the program’s 500th victory and gave Naperville Central coach Ed Watson his 375th career win.
“It’s a credit to many, many good soccer players,” Watson said. “A program doesn’t win 500 games without having really good players, and that’s what we’ve been fortunate to have.
“This latest group is just doing what they’re supposed to do – playing hard and carrying on the tradition.”
It is a tradition that began in 1982 under Bill Madsen. The Redhawks were 6-8-1 that first season but they’ve had only two more losing seasons since. Watson, the fifth coach in program history, is in his 23rd season. He has just one losing season and now has a 375-104-62 record. Overall, Naperville Central is 500-174-71.
Forty-nine of those wins have come during Tunney’s four-year career.
“I think it’s awesome,” Tunney said. “It’s something special, and I’m so lucky it was in my [senior] season, actually.”
All of the players had been informed of the impending milestone and the Redhawks (5-0-1) wasted no time in jumping out to a big lead.
Hannan opened the scoring when she took a pass from Kirsten Dorgen and blasted a 30-yard shot off the hands of Geneva goalie Olivia McQuilkin and into the upper left corner at the 30:35 mark of the first half.
The Redhawks doubled the lead with 6:56 remaining on a textbook attack. Senior Alison Kincaide dribbled around the right end and rolled a cross into space in the middle of the box, where Tunney ran onto it and sent a crisp shot into the lower left corner.
Hannan then scored her second goal of the game and third in less than 24 hours when she sent a 22-yard rocket off the inside of the left post and in with 1:07 to go before intermission.
That turned out to be the game-winner, Hannan’s second in as many games. The sophomore tallied the game-winner on Tuesday against Glenbard North when a shot from Kayla Burke caromed off the post and the crossbar before hitting Hannan in the face and bouncing in to give Naperville Central a 2-1 double-overtime win.
“We like Meridith Hannan because she’s not afraid to shoot the ball,” Watson said. “She’s the closest thing we have to a guy because you’ve got to tell guys to stop shooting. You’re never going to hear me say to Meridith, ‘Don’t shoot the ball,’ because that’s how goals get scored.”
McQuilkin had recently been called up to the varsity after Geneva’s starting goalie, Emma Harkleroad, was lost for the season after having surgery to repair a broken collarbone. She looked shaky on Hannan’s first goal but was otherwise clean in making five first-half saves. The other two goals were not her fault and Watson is of the opinion the first one wasn’t either.
“The first one would have caught a lot of keepers by surprise,” Watson said. “A lot of goalkeepers, even if they’re in position, might not be ready for how quick that got on her.
“The second one was a great one. Good service from Alison and Meredith hit a really firm ball that not too many goalkeepers are going to save.”
The Redhawks, who are unbeaten after six games for the first time in school history, were dominant in outshooting the Vikings (2-3-2) by a 9-2 margin in the first half.
“I think we were able to break them down, we were able to play a little bit longer balls and run onto them,” Hannan said. “Luckily I was able to take a couple shots, and they went in.”
Geneva made things interesting by scoring on its first two shots of the second half.
Riley Sanders got the Vikings on the board just a minute after the break on a short shot into the upper left corner. Seven minutes later she sent a high-arcing cross from the right wing to Mary Landry, whose leaping header went off the inside of the left post and in to make it 3-2.
But Tunney restored order for Naperville Central and allowed Watson to go back to using his bench liberally – 27 players saw action – when she bagged her second goal at the 23:59 mark. She intercepted a clearing pass, turned to her left to give herself a firing lane and then struck a left-footed 25-yard blast into the upper 90.
“Tunney’s second goal was beautiful, a left-footed ball,” Watson said. “There aren’t many goalkeepers in the girls game that are going to save that, even the good ones, because it’s firm and high.”
The Redhawks were on a high despite a bit of exhaustion after Tuesday’s grueling match against Glenbard North. Whatever energy deficit they had was more than made up for with intelligent play.
“Coming off of our double-overtime win yesterday, that was a little tiring but we were kind of just going off yesterday and playing more smarter today, rather than just booting balls and going for it,” Tunney said. “We were passing around more today.”
The Redhawks had not played in 17 days before the Glenbard North game, so they were happy to shake the rust off and remain unbeaten.
“Today and yesterday were definitely better games so I was really proud of the way our team played together and they definitely helped me score some good goals today,” Hannan said. “It was definitely a team effort.”
One that was witnessed by an interested, if unsuspecting, spectator.
Former Naperville Central coach Ruth Kuzmanic, who compiled a 79-34-7 record from 1987-1992 and and whose 1989 team qualified for the state tournament, still teaches health at Naperville Central. She saw the game from the concession stand, where she was volunteering.
Kuzmanic’s daughter, Makenzie, is a junior swimmer at St. Charles East, so her mom has to volunteer working concessions at some events.
“What are the chances of that?” Kuzmanic marveled. “As a swim parent I’m required to work and okay, I like soccer.
“And lo and behold, I come out and the ‘Hawks are playing. So I went over to say hi to Ed and he said, ‘Well, you know if we win it will be 500.’
“I’m not a math person and I go, ‘Ed, it’s early, it’s okay if we’re only .500,’ and he’s like, ‘No, no, the 500th for the program. I’m like, ‘You keep track of that stuff?’”
Kuzmanic said Watson has done a “phenomenal” job leading the program but also credits the commitments of players and their parents for all the success, which includes 10 regional titles, three sectional championships and runner-up finishes at the 1994 and 1995 state finals.
“It’s kind of fun to go back and think about it, because I took over for Tony Amabile,” said Kuzmanic, who posted a 79-34-7 mark in six years at the helm. “In today’s day and age it would be surprising, but the kids actually practiced off-campus. They would get in their own personal cars and drive down to Knoch Knolls, probably a 15-minute drive down Washington Street.
“The stuff that kids did, they were committed to it. We have always been fortunate that the club programs in the area have been so strong, so I think that’s a big factor in our success and the parents are willing to put them in the year-round programs and we reap the rewards from it.”
Starting lineups
Naperville Central
GK: Kinzly Dressler
D: Amanda Murphy
D: Abby Flynn
D: Kayla Andrees
D: Caitlin Reece
M: Meredith Tunney
M: Isabel Reedy
M: Kyra Conroy
M: Kirsten Dorgan
M: Jessica Sonner
F: Meridith Hannan
Geneva
GK: Olivia McQuilkin
D: Quincy Swanson
D: Megan Newingham
D: Leah Groven
D: Grace Stellick
D: Briar Schwardt
M: Megan Fitz
M: Olivia Tegge
F: Allie Mikos
F: Madeline Stellick
F: Mary Landry
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Meridith Hannan, F, Naperville Central.