Plainfield North falls
to New Trier in PepsiCo finale
No. 1 Trevians repeat as champs, win battle of unbeatens
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- The defense of Plainfield North was air tight. Sure, New Trier was able to find some open spaces and get some shots off. Tiger keeper Emma Veselsky made a great save early on.
The Tigers' showdown with defending tournament and state champion New Trier was played to their satisfaction.
"I thought the first 5 or 10 minutes, we struggled," Plainfield North coach Jane Crowe said.
"And I think that was nerves more than anything. They were here last year, and they're used to being in big games, and we haven't been in some of those big games the last couple of years."
New Trier seized its moment. Plainfield North failed to respond.
"A team like that is not going to let you get away from having those lapses," Crowe said.
The Trevians scored twice two minutes apart in the final movement of the first half and deflated the Tigers' upset chance as New Trier repeated as champions of the PepsiCo Showdown with the 2-0 victory Sunday afternoon at DePaul University.
Top-seeded New Trier (15-0) has won 26-consecutive games since last year's Class 3A state championship run.
"They play with a lot of speed," Veselsky said. "They do a very good job of connecting on their passes, and they always change up their style.
"Sometimes they put the ball over the top, sometimes directly at you, and it's really hard to predict where they're going to place the ball."
After absorbing the Trevians' body blow to start the game, tournament third-seed Plainfield North (11-1-2) settled into an impressive groove. Both teams were playing their third game in four days, and both won their respective pool play in the Naperville Invitational.
Sophomore midfielder Jessica Christmas broke through the Trevians' interior and played a nice ball that made New Trier junior keeper Dani Kaufman produce a diving stop. It was just one play, but it was meaningful, demonstrating how the Tigers found their resolve and discipline to match the intensity and skill of the Trevians.
"I didn't feel like Plainfield ever gave up," Kaufman said. "They kept going hard the whole time."
Freshman midfielder Renae Blevins, given her own corner kick, played a beautiful ball for the Tigers that took a tricky bounce and nearly eluded Kaufman's grasp.
"I thought we were able to keep possession together as a team," senior forward Erin Chynoweth said. "We worked really well together, and we were able to play with them pretty much the whole game except for those final five minutes of the first half."
New Trier's depth and size create a host of problems. The Trevians’ superb starting forward tandem of Kelly Maday and Maggie Armstrong did not start. Armstrong is out with a slightly strained MCL. Maday did not enter until the 21st minute. Her left knee, badly discolored with a deep bruise, was also thought to prevent her from playing.
"We didn't think she'd be able to go, but she said she felt good in warmup," New Trier coach Jim Burnside said.
As usual, Maday was the difference. Both of the New Trier originated off of corner kicks she served into the box.
In the 37th minute, Maday played a beautiful looping ball that 5-11 defender Jackie Welch one-timed with a header and sophomore forward Natalie Laser finished with a short volley. It was Laser's fifth goal in the Trevians' last three games. Maday has a precision touch and knows how to play the direction and pace of the ball beautifully.
"I try to use my height to my advantage," said Welch, a starting forward on the Trevians' Class 4A state third-place team in basketball. "Kelly's corners were very good, and they went exactly to my spot and I just tried my best to get some part of my body on them.
"Natalie was in a perfect position to finish that."
Laser, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match, buried the short ball and the game was never the same. Plainfield North was dazed.
New Trier was not satisfied with just one goal. In the 39th minute, this time from the opposite side, Maday drilled another corner that ping-ponged in the box before Tigers' star defender Brooke Polonus punched it out.
Sophomore New Trier midfielder Avery Schuldt collected the ball on the outer edge of the box. Her first ball was blocked. She quickly recovered and sent a second shot she buried in the upper right hand corner for the devastating tally.
"I think it was very frustrating because we let down for a few minutes," Polonus said. "They were able to take advantage of us making of those mistakes. We knew they were going to be a really good team, but we just let go."
Hindsight was easy, but the players acknowledged they could have made better adjustments to the ball.
"We always said we haven't been as strong on set pieces, and we definitely could have gone harder to the ball," Polonus said.
"We need to work on those corners and getting them out.”
Crowe has consistently called this year's defense the best in school history. Plainfield North was coming off back to back shutout victories over Neuqua Valley and Conant in its pool of the Naperville Invitational.
"Once we settled down I thought we played right with them with the exception of giving up those two corners and letting them knock those in," Crowe said.
Plainfield North created some impressive chances in the second half, especially emerging star, junior midfielder Sam Elster, who played a sharp one-touch with her left foot that Kaufman was able to just graze enough with her hand to deflect over the top of the box.
New Trier is very effective at cutting off angles and the Trevians denied that final connective touch enabling Plainfield North to get on the end of the ball. "A couple of times, I thought, if we'd gotten a shot off, we might have been able to make something happen," Crowe said. "They close the space so quickly.
"We are used to being able to get that next touch ,and we just couldn't."
Plainfield North made an impression.
"They're a great athletic team, and they brought a lot of pressure," Burnside said. "I thought our girls really stepped up and won those corners. Ninety percent of a re-start goal, a corner kick goal like that, is getting into position to win the corner.
"They're a great team, and I thought it went back and forth, the way it should when two teams who haven't lost come together and have a great battle."
Plainfield North made its statement. Two weeks ago when the PepsiCo Showdown began, the Tigers entered with promise and excitement but very much unsure about their direction after encountering scoring struggles against high caliber teams at the start of the year.
"I'm really proud of how we played," Crowe said. "I told the girls after the game I thought we'd struggle more than we did. To come out in our third game in four days, I didn't know what to expect, but I really thought we played right with them for the majority of the game."
Starting lineups
New Trier
GK: Dani Kaufman
D: Megan Murdoch
D: Jen Fishman
D: Jackie Welch
D: Caroline Smith
D: Katie Sadera
M: Adena Kerzner
M: Celia Frei
M: Bina Saipi
F: Natalie Laser
F: Annie Sheehan
Plainfield North
GK: Emma Veselsky
D: Brooke Polonus
D: Emily Devaux
D: Abby Gustafson
D: Karsyn Stirrett
M: Reyse Stirrett
M: Jessica Christmas
M: Sam Elster
M: Megan Breier
M: Natalie Auble
F: Erin Chynoweth
MVP of the Match: Natalie Laser, F, New Trier
to New Trier in PepsiCo finale
No. 1 Trevians repeat as champs, win battle of unbeatens
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- The defense of Plainfield North was air tight. Sure, New Trier was able to find some open spaces and get some shots off. Tiger keeper Emma Veselsky made a great save early on.
The Tigers' showdown with defending tournament and state champion New Trier was played to their satisfaction.
"I thought the first 5 or 10 minutes, we struggled," Plainfield North coach Jane Crowe said.
"And I think that was nerves more than anything. They were here last year, and they're used to being in big games, and we haven't been in some of those big games the last couple of years."
New Trier seized its moment. Plainfield North failed to respond.
"A team like that is not going to let you get away from having those lapses," Crowe said.
The Trevians scored twice two minutes apart in the final movement of the first half and deflated the Tigers' upset chance as New Trier repeated as champions of the PepsiCo Showdown with the 2-0 victory Sunday afternoon at DePaul University.
Top-seeded New Trier (15-0) has won 26-consecutive games since last year's Class 3A state championship run.
"They play with a lot of speed," Veselsky said. "They do a very good job of connecting on their passes, and they always change up their style.
"Sometimes they put the ball over the top, sometimes directly at you, and it's really hard to predict where they're going to place the ball."
After absorbing the Trevians' body blow to start the game, tournament third-seed Plainfield North (11-1-2) settled into an impressive groove. Both teams were playing their third game in four days, and both won their respective pool play in the Naperville Invitational.
Sophomore midfielder Jessica Christmas broke through the Trevians' interior and played a nice ball that made New Trier junior keeper Dani Kaufman produce a diving stop. It was just one play, but it was meaningful, demonstrating how the Tigers found their resolve and discipline to match the intensity and skill of the Trevians.
"I didn't feel like Plainfield ever gave up," Kaufman said. "They kept going hard the whole time."
Freshman midfielder Renae Blevins, given her own corner kick, played a beautiful ball for the Tigers that took a tricky bounce and nearly eluded Kaufman's grasp.
"I thought we were able to keep possession together as a team," senior forward Erin Chynoweth said. "We worked really well together, and we were able to play with them pretty much the whole game except for those final five minutes of the first half."
New Trier's depth and size create a host of problems. The Trevians’ superb starting forward tandem of Kelly Maday and Maggie Armstrong did not start. Armstrong is out with a slightly strained MCL. Maday did not enter until the 21st minute. Her left knee, badly discolored with a deep bruise, was also thought to prevent her from playing.
"We didn't think she'd be able to go, but she said she felt good in warmup," New Trier coach Jim Burnside said.
As usual, Maday was the difference. Both of the New Trier originated off of corner kicks she served into the box.
In the 37th minute, Maday played a beautiful looping ball that 5-11 defender Jackie Welch one-timed with a header and sophomore forward Natalie Laser finished with a short volley. It was Laser's fifth goal in the Trevians' last three games. Maday has a precision touch and knows how to play the direction and pace of the ball beautifully.
"I try to use my height to my advantage," said Welch, a starting forward on the Trevians' Class 4A state third-place team in basketball. "Kelly's corners were very good, and they went exactly to my spot and I just tried my best to get some part of my body on them.
"Natalie was in a perfect position to finish that."
Laser, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match, buried the short ball and the game was never the same. Plainfield North was dazed.
New Trier was not satisfied with just one goal. In the 39th minute, this time from the opposite side, Maday drilled another corner that ping-ponged in the box before Tigers' star defender Brooke Polonus punched it out.
Sophomore New Trier midfielder Avery Schuldt collected the ball on the outer edge of the box. Her first ball was blocked. She quickly recovered and sent a second shot she buried in the upper right hand corner for the devastating tally.
"I think it was very frustrating because we let down for a few minutes," Polonus said. "They were able to take advantage of us making of those mistakes. We knew they were going to be a really good team, but we just let go."
Hindsight was easy, but the players acknowledged they could have made better adjustments to the ball.
"We always said we haven't been as strong on set pieces, and we definitely could have gone harder to the ball," Polonus said.
"We need to work on those corners and getting them out.”
Crowe has consistently called this year's defense the best in school history. Plainfield North was coming off back to back shutout victories over Neuqua Valley and Conant in its pool of the Naperville Invitational.
"Once we settled down I thought we played right with them with the exception of giving up those two corners and letting them knock those in," Crowe said.
Plainfield North created some impressive chances in the second half, especially emerging star, junior midfielder Sam Elster, who played a sharp one-touch with her left foot that Kaufman was able to just graze enough with her hand to deflect over the top of the box.
New Trier is very effective at cutting off angles and the Trevians denied that final connective touch enabling Plainfield North to get on the end of the ball. "A couple of times, I thought, if we'd gotten a shot off, we might have been able to make something happen," Crowe said. "They close the space so quickly.
"We are used to being able to get that next touch ,and we just couldn't."
Plainfield North made an impression.
"They're a great athletic team, and they brought a lot of pressure," Burnside said. "I thought our girls really stepped up and won those corners. Ninety percent of a re-start goal, a corner kick goal like that, is getting into position to win the corner.
"They're a great team, and I thought it went back and forth, the way it should when two teams who haven't lost come together and have a great battle."
Plainfield North made its statement. Two weeks ago when the PepsiCo Showdown began, the Tigers entered with promise and excitement but very much unsure about their direction after encountering scoring struggles against high caliber teams at the start of the year.
"I'm really proud of how we played," Crowe said. "I told the girls after the game I thought we'd struggle more than we did. To come out in our third game in four days, I didn't know what to expect, but I really thought we played right with them for the majority of the game."
Starting lineups
New Trier
GK: Dani Kaufman
D: Megan Murdoch
D: Jen Fishman
D: Jackie Welch
D: Caroline Smith
D: Katie Sadera
M: Adena Kerzner
M: Celia Frei
M: Bina Saipi
F: Natalie Laser
F: Annie Sheehan
Plainfield North
GK: Emma Veselsky
D: Brooke Polonus
D: Emily Devaux
D: Abby Gustafson
D: Karsyn Stirrett
M: Reyse Stirrett
M: Jessica Christmas
M: Sam Elster
M: Megan Breier
M: Natalie Auble
F: Erin Chynoweth
MVP of the Match: Natalie Laser, F, New Trier