Niles N., Niles W. tie for only
2nd time in 59-game rivalry
Strange play yields equalizer in 77th minute
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BRIDGEVIEW—The fabled Skokie Skirmish moved southwest to the gleaming and beautiful field here at Toyota Park on Saturday afternoon. The change of venue only heightened the drama, intensity and the inexplicable.
The rivalry of Niles North and Niles West resumed on a radiant day that was packed with feeling, anticipation and underscored a classic grudge match. It was as much theater as soccer. Just call it the agony and the ecstasy.
Naturally, the game ended a cliffhanger.
For just the second time in the 59-match history between the two schools, the teams played to a draw. The 2-2 result came after Niles West's Nichole Lopatin and Niles North's Alyssa Brand engaged in an electric showdown of trying to outdo the other.
Despite the absence of a winner, the teams took a boastful pride in their performance and effort.
"You're playing in the Chicago Fire's stadium, you're playing your rival," Niles West forward Vicki Tirovolas said. "You have to give it everything you have.
"At the end, we know we gave everything of ourselves on the field, so you don't feel badly about yourself."
The game was marked by drama, three penalty kick attempts, back and forth momentum swings and finally a somewhat bizarre equalizer that yielded the final score and left both teams struggling to figure out exactly what happened.
Niles North Star senior forward Brand, a Drake recruit, scored both goals for the Vikings (7-3-5). Niles North led for more than 48 minutes of the match. That started when Brand stunned the Wolves by playing a left-footed ball from the right wing from about 24 yards out. Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match put perfect placement on the fourth minute score.
"I think it was really exciting for us to score so quickly, but at the same time it put a little bit of pressure on us to hold the lead," Brand said. "I played the ball with my left [foot], which is not something I always do. It's how the situation played out. That's how it was presented to me, and I wanted to take advantage of what was given.
"So it was definitely exciting, but we also knew we had a long way to go."
Psychologically and physically, the team that scores first has an built-in advantage given the open spaces of Toyota Park. The trailing team has to expend more energy trying to catch up, and the team in front has the advantage of spacing the field.
"In the first half we came out with a lot of energy," Niles West defender Kaylie Dyer said. "When they scored that first goal, I think it actually helped push us more, because we knew were behind. In the second half we strived to get those two goals and win the game."
Niles West also knew time was in its favor. They needed patience and discipline, Tirovolas said. "That was definitely difficult getting behind so early," she said. "That changes the momentum, and North had the momentum and we were more defensive. Honestly, we just knew we had to come together and push through.
"You have to try and keep it together."
The bigger field meant the Wolves (9-6-2) had more space to cover. They sought to play it to their advantage. The big key was trying to get leading scorer Lopatin in open space. The junior forward is electric with the ball, and has the ability to beat defenders one on one.
"Playing at Toyota Park, I think the major difference is that you have more time," Tirovolas said. "When you get the ball, everything is less condensed. For instance, when we get the ball to Nic, she had more time to dribble or get past her defender."
Tirovolas and Lopatin worked some nice combinations. Though their work did not produce a goal, the aggressive style of play put the Vikings on their heels. North junior keeper Nina Yonan preserved the 1-0 lead through the first half with four terrific saves.
"I just try to do my best making the saves," Yonan said. "My coach [assistant Filip] Cejovic has worked a lot with me about technique, and I just try to use that and have fast reactions. If I don't catch the ball, I can make that second save right away."
Lopatin scored both of the Wolves' goals on penalty kicks in the 52nd and 56th minute, respectively. The first was brought about after Lopatin was tackled from behind inside the box, the second by an inadvertent hand ball.
She lined up and drilled both into the lower left corner for the Wolves' first lead. "Once we got that first goal, we let everything go and focused on what we needed to do to get the next one," Lopatin said. "When we went into halftime, we were a little shaken up by that early goal. After halftime we were more focused."
Rather than pout or lose focus about the consecutive penalty kick goals, Niles North regained its determination. The sparkplug was Stephanie Millan. The quick and electric midfielder is one of the team's top playmakers, and she wreaked havoc on the Wolves' defensive perimeter. Her quick forays gave North some of its best runs.
"It was always my dream to play on a big field like this," Millan said.
She helped create the Vikings' second half scoring chance by quickly advancing the ball down the left edge and moving inside the box that caused a Niles West defender to interfere with her.
In the 77th minute, Niles North was awarded its own penalty kick. That is when the confusion began. Brand lined up and hit a ball that Wolves' senior keeper Jackie Sargool appeared to stop.
"I don't really know what happened," Brand said. "I thought my shot was in, but then [the referee] said it wasn't."
With players from sides around the goal, the official ruled the ball live and gave it to Sargool. Standing about four yards outside the line, Brand, who has 19 goals this season, intercepted her attempted clearance and scored the equalizer.
"The referee gave it to the keeper, and she put it down. Maybe she fumbled it, and I was just there and I took advantage of it," said Brand. "I wasn't sure what the call was, I just tried to make the most of the opportunity."
Niles West players were equally lost at what unfolded.
"It was clear that nobody really knew what was going on," Tirovolas said.
Yonan preserved the draw by stopping a rocket shot by Niles West midfielder Emela Mehicevic in the 74th minute. She ended with seven saves.
The game illustrated the tense and frantic and often over-the-top moments that happen in a rivalry. There was also as much theater in the back-and-forth of the two fan sections as the game itself.
"We could hear everything our own fans were saying," Lopatin said. "They're crazy, but we love them."
Niles West had to surrender its home field advantage to play the game at Toyota Park. Some of the players were resistant to giving that up. But as soon the Wolves took the field, a different sensation took hold.
"The whole team and the whole stadium was hyped," Lopatin said.
Brand typified the Vikings' response. "It was definitely a privilege to play here, and it was really cool," she said.
Niles West still holds the series edge 36-21-2.
Starting lineups
Niles North
GK: Nina Yonan
D: Myah Aharoni
D: Maddy Valente
D: Teresa Knudson
D: Rose Zubeck
D: Courtney Ebeling
M: Karis Catrinta
M: Alyssa Brand
M: Luci Valenzuela
M: Edina Taerbaum
F: Jessica Rangel
Niles West
GK: Jackie Sargool
D: Bridgette Sterba
D: Kaylie Dyer
D: Edita Mackic
D: Soia Agos
M: Mercedes Bajric
M: Dyana Dawood
M: Olivia Hofeld
M: Emela Mehicevic
F: Nichole Lopatin
F: Vicki Tirovolas
Most valuable player of the match: Alyssa Brand, M, Niles North
2nd time in 59-game rivalry
Strange play yields equalizer in 77th minute
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BRIDGEVIEW—The fabled Skokie Skirmish moved southwest to the gleaming and beautiful field here at Toyota Park on Saturday afternoon. The change of venue only heightened the drama, intensity and the inexplicable.
The rivalry of Niles North and Niles West resumed on a radiant day that was packed with feeling, anticipation and underscored a classic grudge match. It was as much theater as soccer. Just call it the agony and the ecstasy.
Naturally, the game ended a cliffhanger.
For just the second time in the 59-match history between the two schools, the teams played to a draw. The 2-2 result came after Niles West's Nichole Lopatin and Niles North's Alyssa Brand engaged in an electric showdown of trying to outdo the other.
Despite the absence of a winner, the teams took a boastful pride in their performance and effort.
"You're playing in the Chicago Fire's stadium, you're playing your rival," Niles West forward Vicki Tirovolas said. "You have to give it everything you have.
"At the end, we know we gave everything of ourselves on the field, so you don't feel badly about yourself."
The game was marked by drama, three penalty kick attempts, back and forth momentum swings and finally a somewhat bizarre equalizer that yielded the final score and left both teams struggling to figure out exactly what happened.
Niles North Star senior forward Brand, a Drake recruit, scored both goals for the Vikings (7-3-5). Niles North led for more than 48 minutes of the match. That started when Brand stunned the Wolves by playing a left-footed ball from the right wing from about 24 yards out. Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match put perfect placement on the fourth minute score.
"I think it was really exciting for us to score so quickly, but at the same time it put a little bit of pressure on us to hold the lead," Brand said. "I played the ball with my left [foot], which is not something I always do. It's how the situation played out. That's how it was presented to me, and I wanted to take advantage of what was given.
"So it was definitely exciting, but we also knew we had a long way to go."
Psychologically and physically, the team that scores first has an built-in advantage given the open spaces of Toyota Park. The trailing team has to expend more energy trying to catch up, and the team in front has the advantage of spacing the field.
"In the first half we came out with a lot of energy," Niles West defender Kaylie Dyer said. "When they scored that first goal, I think it actually helped push us more, because we knew were behind. In the second half we strived to get those two goals and win the game."
Niles West also knew time was in its favor. They needed patience and discipline, Tirovolas said. "That was definitely difficult getting behind so early," she said. "That changes the momentum, and North had the momentum and we were more defensive. Honestly, we just knew we had to come together and push through.
"You have to try and keep it together."
The bigger field meant the Wolves (9-6-2) had more space to cover. They sought to play it to their advantage. The big key was trying to get leading scorer Lopatin in open space. The junior forward is electric with the ball, and has the ability to beat defenders one on one.
"Playing at Toyota Park, I think the major difference is that you have more time," Tirovolas said. "When you get the ball, everything is less condensed. For instance, when we get the ball to Nic, she had more time to dribble or get past her defender."
Tirovolas and Lopatin worked some nice combinations. Though their work did not produce a goal, the aggressive style of play put the Vikings on their heels. North junior keeper Nina Yonan preserved the 1-0 lead through the first half with four terrific saves.
"I just try to do my best making the saves," Yonan said. "My coach [assistant Filip] Cejovic has worked a lot with me about technique, and I just try to use that and have fast reactions. If I don't catch the ball, I can make that second save right away."
Lopatin scored both of the Wolves' goals on penalty kicks in the 52nd and 56th minute, respectively. The first was brought about after Lopatin was tackled from behind inside the box, the second by an inadvertent hand ball.
She lined up and drilled both into the lower left corner for the Wolves' first lead. "Once we got that first goal, we let everything go and focused on what we needed to do to get the next one," Lopatin said. "When we went into halftime, we were a little shaken up by that early goal. After halftime we were more focused."
Rather than pout or lose focus about the consecutive penalty kick goals, Niles North regained its determination. The sparkplug was Stephanie Millan. The quick and electric midfielder is one of the team's top playmakers, and she wreaked havoc on the Wolves' defensive perimeter. Her quick forays gave North some of its best runs.
"It was always my dream to play on a big field like this," Millan said.
She helped create the Vikings' second half scoring chance by quickly advancing the ball down the left edge and moving inside the box that caused a Niles West defender to interfere with her.
In the 77th minute, Niles North was awarded its own penalty kick. That is when the confusion began. Brand lined up and hit a ball that Wolves' senior keeper Jackie Sargool appeared to stop.
"I don't really know what happened," Brand said. "I thought my shot was in, but then [the referee] said it wasn't."
With players from sides around the goal, the official ruled the ball live and gave it to Sargool. Standing about four yards outside the line, Brand, who has 19 goals this season, intercepted her attempted clearance and scored the equalizer.
"The referee gave it to the keeper, and she put it down. Maybe she fumbled it, and I was just there and I took advantage of it," said Brand. "I wasn't sure what the call was, I just tried to make the most of the opportunity."
Niles West players were equally lost at what unfolded.
"It was clear that nobody really knew what was going on," Tirovolas said.
Yonan preserved the draw by stopping a rocket shot by Niles West midfielder Emela Mehicevic in the 74th minute. She ended with seven saves.
The game illustrated the tense and frantic and often over-the-top moments that happen in a rivalry. There was also as much theater in the back-and-forth of the two fan sections as the game itself.
"We could hear everything our own fans were saying," Lopatin said. "They're crazy, but we love them."
Niles West had to surrender its home field advantage to play the game at Toyota Park. Some of the players were resistant to giving that up. But as soon the Wolves took the field, a different sensation took hold.
"The whole team and the whole stadium was hyped," Lopatin said.
Brand typified the Vikings' response. "It was definitely a privilege to play here, and it was really cool," she said.
Niles West still holds the series edge 36-21-2.
Starting lineups
Niles North
GK: Nina Yonan
D: Myah Aharoni
D: Maddy Valente
D: Teresa Knudson
D: Rose Zubeck
D: Courtney Ebeling
M: Karis Catrinta
M: Alyssa Brand
M: Luci Valenzuela
M: Edina Taerbaum
F: Jessica Rangel
Niles West
GK: Jackie Sargool
D: Bridgette Sterba
D: Kaylie Dyer
D: Edita Mackic
D: Soia Agos
M: Mercedes Bajric
M: Dyana Dawood
M: Olivia Hofeld
M: Emela Mehicevic
F: Nichole Lopatin
F: Vicki Tirovolas
Most valuable player of the match: Alyssa Brand, M, Niles North