Plainfield North needs
OT to continue league dominance
Tigers take 60th-straight SPC game in 5-3 win over Oswego East
By Bill Stone
PLAINFIELD -- There were plenty of tense moments for senior forward Megan Breier and Plainfield North against an inspired Oswego East on Tuesday.
Never mind what proved to be the Tigers’ toughest Southwest Prairie Conference contest in years. With 5:42 left in the first half, Breier was lying on the field in front of her team’s bench after battling an opponent to flick the ball forward.
“I wasn’t meaning to head the ball. She kind of pushed me into it,” Breier said. “I kind of blacked out for a minute just because of the momentum and the ball, but I was fine after that. I passed the concussion test so I’m good to go.”
When Breier arose and returned for the second half, she helped lift the Tigers to victory.
They recovered from a one-goal, second half deficit and outlasted the visiting Wolves 5-3 in overtime to take over first place outright in the Southwest Prairie Conference and extend their conference winning streak to 60 in a row.
Plainfield North (9-3-0, 4-0-0 in SPC), ranked no. 25 in the April 16 Chicagoland Soccer rankings, seeks its ninth-straight conference title.
Breier scored the Tigers’ first goal and game-tying goal with 16:50 remaining in regulation.
Just 2:14 into the first of two full 10-minute overtimes, freshman reserve Trinity Grimes scored her first goal this season for the game-winner. Sophomore Molly Grant added her second goal of the game 4:22 later.
Breier, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match, added two assists, including Grimes’ tally. Senior Jessica Christmas, junior Victoria Thornton and Grant also had assists.
“Definitely the most dramatic conference game. It was very exciting,” said Breier, now in her fourth varsity season. “We didn’t want to go to overtime, but we were glad we could finish it and still get the win.”
The Tigers have five SPC games left, but this was a big hurdle to clear. Oswego East (7-5-0, 3-1-0) was the last undefeated opponent in conference – and the Wolves have beaten three teams Plainfield North has yet to play.
The Tigers graduated 10 seniors and have just four returning starters – Breier, Grant and senior midfielders Jessica Christmas and Brittaney Kroll. As a result, it’s an entirely new defensive line.
“Winning conference is really huge just because we want to carry on that legacy,” Christmas said. “I know that’s a big reason we’ve come out hard for every conference game. We don’t want to be the first team to lose in like nine years.
“We knew that they were going to come out hard. They’re not really our rivals, but they’ve been talking they wanted to beat us. In the beginning, they were playing harder than us, but then I think we started to get in our groove and started playing as a team better.”
Oswego East entered with a three-game losing streak yet came alive after a 2-0 first half deficit. With the stiff wind at their backs, the Wolves tied the game just 3:29 into the second half and took a 3-2 lead with 23:04 left in regulation on a penalty kick by senior Kara Blasingame after a marginal foul as Riley Cassian controlled a pass with her back to the Tigers’ net.
This was the closest SPC game that Plainfield North coach Jane Crowe could recall in several years. She noted a similar comeback at Oswego, when the Tigers rallied in regulation and prevailed in then sudden-death overtime.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game. They’re a much improved team. We have a target on our back in the conference,” Crowe said. “That’s why these games are so emotional because these girls know they don’t want to be the ones to lose that game. And then everybody wants to be the one to knock us off.”
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead 9:11 into play. Thornton headed goalie Reagan Sanders’ punt down right wing to Breier, who maneuvered around the charging Sanders to deposit the ball into the open net.
With 22:56 left in the half, Christmas passed down right wing to Breier, whose cross was one-touched in the box by Grant.
The first significant momentum shift came 14:41 until halftime. Oswego East's Blasingame took a corner kick from right wing and unmarked sophomore reserve sophomore Sydney Conway was on the far post to head the ball home.
“It was definitely a game of momentum. When we had the 2-0 lead, we had all of the momentum. And then the momentum just swung their way, and you could see they were fired up,” Crowe said.
“When we got that third goal to tie it up, I thought we got some of our energy back. Fortunately, it ended with us having the momentum.”
A longer exit by Breier following her collision would have been significant. Breier, who will play next season at Ohio Northern University, now leads the Tigers with 11 goals and 10 assists, followed by Grant (9 goals, 5 assists) and Thornton (3 goals, 2 assists).
“It was right in front of us, and I saw (Breier) get hit,” Crowe said. “She went down pretty hard, but as soon as she started talking you could tell she was OK. She just kind of needed a minute.”
“Obviously it’s very scary because Megan is one of our top players, and she is our top scorer so we really need her on the field,” Christmas said. “I think it was kind of a panic moment but once we saw her get back up on the field, it really lifted us up, and it was good relief.”
As far as on the field, there was no relief. Oswego East senior Maddy Lambert tied the game 2-2 on a ball that leaked in front of the goal after senior and leading scorer Taylor Peck (8 goals, 8 assists) attacked up the right goal line and shot into congestion.
Senior goalie Megan Donnally withstood five more shots before Plainfield North even had an attempt in the second half. Her game-saving effort turned in the game-tying series.
Christmas found Grant free along the right wing. Sanders made a one-hand diving save of Grant’s cross-corner shot, and Brier was on the left post to convert the loose ball for the 3-3 tie.
“Molly had a really great cross after a pass from Jessica. Once we scored that goal to tie it up, it was a great momentum boost,” Breier said.
“I think we came out in overtime stronger than they did, and we wanted it. We were kind of nervous because we were hoping to win it before overtime. It was great that Trinity was there to finish everything. It would have been a different overtime if they got the first goal.”
Grimes won’t soon forget her first varsity goal.
Senior Brittaney Kroll passed the ball down right wing and Breier made yet another threatening run. When Breier shot toward the left side of the goal, Sanders extended both arms to grab the ball and appeared to have control, but it then squirted out of her hands and continued toward the left post.
Grimes was there to clean up the rebound.
“I saw Megan shoot it, and I knew I had to follow it in, in the case the goalie bobbled it. When I hit the back of the net, it felt good because I knew our team would take the W,” Grimes said.
“She was in the right spot and knocked it in – first career goal,” Crowe said. “You know what? She followed it up and knocked it in. A lot of people aren’t following that in.”
Throughout the second half, the Tigers made no player substitutions until the final minute because of a yellow card, which automatically dictates a player switch.
To begin overtime, Grimes was inserted at forward to join Grant because of an ankle injury to junior outside defender Kylee Colwell. Sophomore midfielder Claudia Baginski replaced Colwell on the back line and Breier became more of an attacking midfielder.
Grimes, who played briefly in the first half, entered Tuesday with two assists.
“It was a little nervewracking just because I knew my team needed me in order to win the game. I couldn’t be making constant mistakes,” Grimes said. “Going in in overtime was kind of a special moment because not everybody gets to go in.”
While a tough defeat for Oswego East, coach Juan Leal saw many encouraging steps forward, especially the comeback in the thick of a tough stretch. The Wolves have now lost four straight and allowed four goals in each of its previous losses to Wheaton North and Fenwick in the PepsiCo Showdown.
“(To come back) especially against such a good program, such a historical program, the girls were amped up, and they were ready. We just made a couple of mistakes and they capitalized,” Leal said.
“The games that we’ve lost, it’s just little mistakes, but we can generate an offense. They know what they’re capable of doing. For them to come out here after three-straight losses and going down 2-0, going toe-to-toe with Plainfield North is impressive. It’s very encouraging.”
For the Plainfield North seniors, another conference title would make for a wonderful finish to their prep careers. Some won't end there, Jessica Christmas (Illinois-Chicago), Kroll (Minnesota State), Donnally (Northern Illinois) and goalie Erin Kuyawa (Grand Valley State) will play in college.
For now, the focus continues to be improvement.
This was the second-straight game in which the Tigers scored at least three regulation goals after doing so in three of their first seven victories. This also was the third-straight game the Tigers allowed three after allowing no more than two in any of their first nine games.
“Our defense needs to talk more, and we need to work together more as a team,” Breier said. “As the season goes on, I’ve seen the progression get better, but still today proved that we have a long ways to go. We still have work to do.”
Saturday’s noon nonconference game at undefeated no. 8 Batavia (10-0-0) should be an excellent test. The Bulldogs are riding three-straight shutouts and have outscored opponents 39-4.
Unlike Tuesday, the final score isn’t necessarily quite as crucial.
“Obviously we’d love to win, but it’s (more) the things that we need to fix from today,” Crowe said.
“We talked about when you get that 2-0 lead you’ve got to tighten up in the back. You can’t give up those opportunities. I think the PK was a little bit unlucky. But you can’t put yourself in those situations.”
Starting lineups
Plainfield North
GK: Megan Donnally
D: Makenna Woodill
D: Sielle Bartz
D: Payton Strausberger
D: Kylee Colwell
MF: Jessica Christmas
MF: Brittaney Kroll
MF: Victoria Thornton
MF: Claudia Baginski
F: Megan Breier
F: Molly Grant
Oswego East
GK: Reagan Sanders
D: Chalis Robinson
D: Stephanie Mieritz
D: Madison Frazer
D: Madeline Kastel
MF: Kara Blasingame
MF: Riley Cassian
MF: Maddy Lambert
MF: Rachel Savaglio
MF: Taylor Peck
F: Haley Lewis
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Megan Breier, sr. F, Plainfield North
OT to continue league dominance
Tigers take 60th-straight SPC game in 5-3 win over Oswego East
By Bill Stone
PLAINFIELD -- There were plenty of tense moments for senior forward Megan Breier and Plainfield North against an inspired Oswego East on Tuesday.
Never mind what proved to be the Tigers’ toughest Southwest Prairie Conference contest in years. With 5:42 left in the first half, Breier was lying on the field in front of her team’s bench after battling an opponent to flick the ball forward.
“I wasn’t meaning to head the ball. She kind of pushed me into it,” Breier said. “I kind of blacked out for a minute just because of the momentum and the ball, but I was fine after that. I passed the concussion test so I’m good to go.”
When Breier arose and returned for the second half, she helped lift the Tigers to victory.
They recovered from a one-goal, second half deficit and outlasted the visiting Wolves 5-3 in overtime to take over first place outright in the Southwest Prairie Conference and extend their conference winning streak to 60 in a row.
Plainfield North (9-3-0, 4-0-0 in SPC), ranked no. 25 in the April 16 Chicagoland Soccer rankings, seeks its ninth-straight conference title.
Breier scored the Tigers’ first goal and game-tying goal with 16:50 remaining in regulation.
Just 2:14 into the first of two full 10-minute overtimes, freshman reserve Trinity Grimes scored her first goal this season for the game-winner. Sophomore Molly Grant added her second goal of the game 4:22 later.
Breier, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match, added two assists, including Grimes’ tally. Senior Jessica Christmas, junior Victoria Thornton and Grant also had assists.
“Definitely the most dramatic conference game. It was very exciting,” said Breier, now in her fourth varsity season. “We didn’t want to go to overtime, but we were glad we could finish it and still get the win.”
The Tigers have five SPC games left, but this was a big hurdle to clear. Oswego East (7-5-0, 3-1-0) was the last undefeated opponent in conference – and the Wolves have beaten three teams Plainfield North has yet to play.
The Tigers graduated 10 seniors and have just four returning starters – Breier, Grant and senior midfielders Jessica Christmas and Brittaney Kroll. As a result, it’s an entirely new defensive line.
“Winning conference is really huge just because we want to carry on that legacy,” Christmas said. “I know that’s a big reason we’ve come out hard for every conference game. We don’t want to be the first team to lose in like nine years.
“We knew that they were going to come out hard. They’re not really our rivals, but they’ve been talking they wanted to beat us. In the beginning, they were playing harder than us, but then I think we started to get in our groove and started playing as a team better.”
Oswego East entered with a three-game losing streak yet came alive after a 2-0 first half deficit. With the stiff wind at their backs, the Wolves tied the game just 3:29 into the second half and took a 3-2 lead with 23:04 left in regulation on a penalty kick by senior Kara Blasingame after a marginal foul as Riley Cassian controlled a pass with her back to the Tigers’ net.
This was the closest SPC game that Plainfield North coach Jane Crowe could recall in several years. She noted a similar comeback at Oswego, when the Tigers rallied in regulation and prevailed in then sudden-death overtime.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game. They’re a much improved team. We have a target on our back in the conference,” Crowe said. “That’s why these games are so emotional because these girls know they don’t want to be the ones to lose that game. And then everybody wants to be the one to knock us off.”
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead 9:11 into play. Thornton headed goalie Reagan Sanders’ punt down right wing to Breier, who maneuvered around the charging Sanders to deposit the ball into the open net.
With 22:56 left in the half, Christmas passed down right wing to Breier, whose cross was one-touched in the box by Grant.
The first significant momentum shift came 14:41 until halftime. Oswego East's Blasingame took a corner kick from right wing and unmarked sophomore reserve sophomore Sydney Conway was on the far post to head the ball home.
“It was definitely a game of momentum. When we had the 2-0 lead, we had all of the momentum. And then the momentum just swung their way, and you could see they were fired up,” Crowe said.
“When we got that third goal to tie it up, I thought we got some of our energy back. Fortunately, it ended with us having the momentum.”
A longer exit by Breier following her collision would have been significant. Breier, who will play next season at Ohio Northern University, now leads the Tigers with 11 goals and 10 assists, followed by Grant (9 goals, 5 assists) and Thornton (3 goals, 2 assists).
“It was right in front of us, and I saw (Breier) get hit,” Crowe said. “She went down pretty hard, but as soon as she started talking you could tell she was OK. She just kind of needed a minute.”
“Obviously it’s very scary because Megan is one of our top players, and she is our top scorer so we really need her on the field,” Christmas said. “I think it was kind of a panic moment but once we saw her get back up on the field, it really lifted us up, and it was good relief.”
As far as on the field, there was no relief. Oswego East senior Maddy Lambert tied the game 2-2 on a ball that leaked in front of the goal after senior and leading scorer Taylor Peck (8 goals, 8 assists) attacked up the right goal line and shot into congestion.
Senior goalie Megan Donnally withstood five more shots before Plainfield North even had an attempt in the second half. Her game-saving effort turned in the game-tying series.
Christmas found Grant free along the right wing. Sanders made a one-hand diving save of Grant’s cross-corner shot, and Brier was on the left post to convert the loose ball for the 3-3 tie.
“Molly had a really great cross after a pass from Jessica. Once we scored that goal to tie it up, it was a great momentum boost,” Breier said.
“I think we came out in overtime stronger than they did, and we wanted it. We were kind of nervous because we were hoping to win it before overtime. It was great that Trinity was there to finish everything. It would have been a different overtime if they got the first goal.”
Grimes won’t soon forget her first varsity goal.
Senior Brittaney Kroll passed the ball down right wing and Breier made yet another threatening run. When Breier shot toward the left side of the goal, Sanders extended both arms to grab the ball and appeared to have control, but it then squirted out of her hands and continued toward the left post.
Grimes was there to clean up the rebound.
“I saw Megan shoot it, and I knew I had to follow it in, in the case the goalie bobbled it. When I hit the back of the net, it felt good because I knew our team would take the W,” Grimes said.
“She was in the right spot and knocked it in – first career goal,” Crowe said. “You know what? She followed it up and knocked it in. A lot of people aren’t following that in.”
Throughout the second half, the Tigers made no player substitutions until the final minute because of a yellow card, which automatically dictates a player switch.
To begin overtime, Grimes was inserted at forward to join Grant because of an ankle injury to junior outside defender Kylee Colwell. Sophomore midfielder Claudia Baginski replaced Colwell on the back line and Breier became more of an attacking midfielder.
Grimes, who played briefly in the first half, entered Tuesday with two assists.
“It was a little nervewracking just because I knew my team needed me in order to win the game. I couldn’t be making constant mistakes,” Grimes said. “Going in in overtime was kind of a special moment because not everybody gets to go in.”
While a tough defeat for Oswego East, coach Juan Leal saw many encouraging steps forward, especially the comeback in the thick of a tough stretch. The Wolves have now lost four straight and allowed four goals in each of its previous losses to Wheaton North and Fenwick in the PepsiCo Showdown.
“(To come back) especially against such a good program, such a historical program, the girls were amped up, and they were ready. We just made a couple of mistakes and they capitalized,” Leal said.
“The games that we’ve lost, it’s just little mistakes, but we can generate an offense. They know what they’re capable of doing. For them to come out here after three-straight losses and going down 2-0, going toe-to-toe with Plainfield North is impressive. It’s very encouraging.”
For the Plainfield North seniors, another conference title would make for a wonderful finish to their prep careers. Some won't end there, Jessica Christmas (Illinois-Chicago), Kroll (Minnesota State), Donnally (Northern Illinois) and goalie Erin Kuyawa (Grand Valley State) will play in college.
For now, the focus continues to be improvement.
This was the second-straight game in which the Tigers scored at least three regulation goals after doing so in three of their first seven victories. This also was the third-straight game the Tigers allowed three after allowing no more than two in any of their first nine games.
“Our defense needs to talk more, and we need to work together more as a team,” Breier said. “As the season goes on, I’ve seen the progression get better, but still today proved that we have a long ways to go. We still have work to do.”
Saturday’s noon nonconference game at undefeated no. 8 Batavia (10-0-0) should be an excellent test. The Bulldogs are riding three-straight shutouts and have outscored opponents 39-4.
Unlike Tuesday, the final score isn’t necessarily quite as crucial.
“Obviously we’d love to win, but it’s (more) the things that we need to fix from today,” Crowe said.
“We talked about when you get that 2-0 lead you’ve got to tighten up in the back. You can’t give up those opportunities. I think the PK was a little bit unlucky. But you can’t put yourself in those situations.”
Starting lineups
Plainfield North
GK: Megan Donnally
D: Makenna Woodill
D: Sielle Bartz
D: Payton Strausberger
D: Kylee Colwell
MF: Jessica Christmas
MF: Brittaney Kroll
MF: Victoria Thornton
MF: Claudia Baginski
F: Megan Breier
F: Molly Grant
Oswego East
GK: Reagan Sanders
D: Chalis Robinson
D: Stephanie Mieritz
D: Madison Frazer
D: Madeline Kastel
MF: Kara Blasingame
MF: Riley Cassian
MF: Maddy Lambert
MF: Rachel Savaglio
MF: Taylor Peck
F: Haley Lewis
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Megan Breier, sr. F, Plainfield North