Palatine knocks out Prospect, gets title shot
With 1-0 win, Pirates can take MSL title with upset of Barrington
By Mike Garofola
Sarah Clancy answered the only way she knows how.
PALATINE -- When asked if she and her teammates had dreamed of still being in the Mid-Suburban League West Division race after a rocky start to the season with a chance to dethrone state power Barrington -- the response from the Palatine junior was clear, concise and competitive:
"I always think we're going to win, yes."
The Pirates midfielder along with Kacie Filian provided the inspiration in a dramatic 1-0 victory over Prospect on Friday night that set up a dramatic conference season finale with Barrington.
"We knew we had to win to keep our chances alive for going to the Soccer Bowl, so we came out tonight with a lot of energy to help us get an important win in order to stay with Barrington," said Clancy, standing alongside Anja Jacobsen, who stepped up her play in a Pirates backline that played without veteran Samantha Malek, who was out of action with a sprained ankle.
The Pirates fifth-consecutive league victory means this: Barrington, Chicagoland Soccer's top-rated team, will visit Chic Anderson Stadium for Saturday's 2:30 contest with a perfect 10-0-0 record (19-1-0 overall), and 30 overall points. Palatine, stands at 10-6-2, 9-1-0 with 27 points. The game is a resumption of a goalless match on April 10, when rain suspended play with 23 minutes left in the first half.
Should the Fillies win or draw, they will advance into their sixth-straight MSL Soccer Bowl next Wednesday at Buffalo Grove. If Palatine coach Willie Filian's club wins, they will advance due to the head-to-head result tiebreaker.
"Credit the girls for staying around in the division race, especially after starting at 1-2-1, then going through a three-game losing streak just two weeks ago," began the Palatine manager.
"Back when there wasn't a (12-team league) table, we went into the final game of the season against Fremd in 1997 in this same situation, and we haven't been close since then."
Prospect (7-9-1, 5-5-1), the preseason favorite to win the East Division, suffered another bump in its up-and-down season.
"I wish we would have come out with more energy and fire in that first period," said Prospect manager Tom Froats.
Shutout losses to Conant and Barrington wrapped around a disappointing 2-1 defeat to eventual MSL East champ Buffalo Grove (7-3-1 league mark) forced his club to begin to chase the Bison the rest of the way in a race where they never got close enough to cause a stir.
"We absolutely knew what to expect with Willie's team coming in, but we never challenged hard in the air on 50-50 balls, and Kacie (Filian) and Sarah Clancy won everything in that first half to set the tone.
"Despite that, we defended with all our might to keep them off the scoreboard, and found a little life in our attack after they scored -- but, again, never sustained in their end to be able to created some dangerous chances at them."
As Froats alluded, Palatine controlled nearly all of the first half, thanks in part to its air superiority and first-to-the-ball attitude and deserved to take the lead. Prospect's disadvantage could have been bigger if not for some terrific work from keeper Gianni Rossi, and her backline, who weathered a tremendous first half storm and helding its breathe with each dead ball or set piece opportunity the Pirates created.
Two of Rossi's best efforts came against Carolyn Soukup and Kacie Filian when the home side was beginning to mount a full head of steam towards the end of the first half.
Soukup forced a quality save from the junior at 32 minutes, and Filian three minutes from time on a wicked blast that she pushed up, and off the bar before it fell into the keeper's arms.
On the other end of the field, Palatine held tight.
"We defended really well tonight, even with Samantha not in our lineup," said Jacobsen, a junior.
"Marissa (Glaviano) did a great job on one side, and Shelby Donofrio, a freshman who started in place of (Sam) was really good on the other side."
Another freshmen, Melanie Simon delivered a piercing freekick into the box straight-on to Kendall Kane, and if not for a sharp, and decisive tracking effort from Grace Johannesen, Kane would have been in alone with Rossi near the six.
"We just were not very good in that first half," said Prospect sophomore Ella Marzolf.
"We came out so flat, and we were losing everything in the air. But I felt like we were so much better in the second half, it's just that we didn't create enough opportunities for ourselves, despite being better with our attack."
There were plenty of surprised looks when the referee detected a foul against Clancy 25-yards away from the Lady Knights goal.
Froats was not amused by the call, and let the man in the center know of his disapproval.
Clancy claimed the crucial three points for the Pirates with a wonderous, unstoppable strike, that exploded into the back of the net at 53 minutes.
Clancy and Jacobsen pleaded the fifth when asked about the foul.
Froats had praise for the game-winning effort by the Pirates star midfielder.
"I did not agree with the call at all, but that's not the reason we lost," Froats said. "Credit Sarah for a really well-struck free kick. It was a great shot."
The goal brought a response from Prospect, whose attack suddenly opened up. Marzolf, Ashley Welk, Shawna Stokes, Aly Kobler and others showed more pace and energy going forward.
Welk nearly dragged a terrific long ball out of the back from Jalyn Mosley into the six-yard box with a brilliant individual effort just inside the hour, and Marzolf began to break down the Pirates on the outside with several enterprising runs.
Despite all of the pressure, Jacobsen and her backline mates stayed organized, and composed during the last 10 minutes of regulation when the Lady Knights pushed numbers as they went to find the equalizer.
Sarah Mulvihill would send a nicely weighted early ball up the left side, in which the hard-running Kristin Schneider tried to catch up to, but Jacobsen escorted the ball over the endline to dash the hopes of the visitors.
Two deep throws, a corner, and a free kick failed to produce anything of danger on frame for Prospect in the closing moments, giving Francesca Falaton and Amaya Rivera the shared clean sheet.
"Now our focus has to be on our crossover game next Tuesday, and our first game at regionals and nothing else," Marzolf said afterwards.
"It's what we have in front of us, and there's no reason why we cannot build some momentum from that crossover game, and take it right into regionals."
For the Pirates, there is not much more at stake.
"To have a chance on the last day of the season says a lot about the girls, we got a much needed result on Senior Night, and they have put themselves in a position you always want to be in in this conference," began Filian.
"Barrington is very good, and can do a lot of things on both sides of the ball. But I know the effort and work rate will be there for us, so we'll see what we can do on Saturday."
Starting lineups
Prospect
GK- Gianni Rossi
D- Jalyn Mosley
D- Marissa Valentini
D- Grace Johnannesen
D- Helen Siavelis
M- Madalyn Ladd
M- Kendra Gancarz
M- Shawna Stokes
M- Kristin Schnieder
F- Ella Marzolf
F- Aly Kobler
Palatine
GK- Francesca Falato
D- Marissa Glaviano
D- Anja Jacobsen
D- Melanie Simon
D- Shelby Donofrio
M- Sarah Jasonowicz
M- Kacie Filian
M- Sarah Clancy
M- Carolyn Soukup
F- Mackenzie Filian
F- Kendall Kane
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Sarah Clancy, jr., MF, Palatine
Kacie Filian, jr., MF, Palatine
Referee: Mike Vlasamis
With 1-0 win, Pirates can take MSL title with upset of Barrington
By Mike Garofola
Sarah Clancy answered the only way she knows how.
PALATINE -- When asked if she and her teammates had dreamed of still being in the Mid-Suburban League West Division race after a rocky start to the season with a chance to dethrone state power Barrington -- the response from the Palatine junior was clear, concise and competitive:
"I always think we're going to win, yes."
The Pirates midfielder along with Kacie Filian provided the inspiration in a dramatic 1-0 victory over Prospect on Friday night that set up a dramatic conference season finale with Barrington.
"We knew we had to win to keep our chances alive for going to the Soccer Bowl, so we came out tonight with a lot of energy to help us get an important win in order to stay with Barrington," said Clancy, standing alongside Anja Jacobsen, who stepped up her play in a Pirates backline that played without veteran Samantha Malek, who was out of action with a sprained ankle.
The Pirates fifth-consecutive league victory means this: Barrington, Chicagoland Soccer's top-rated team, will visit Chic Anderson Stadium for Saturday's 2:30 contest with a perfect 10-0-0 record (19-1-0 overall), and 30 overall points. Palatine, stands at 10-6-2, 9-1-0 with 27 points. The game is a resumption of a goalless match on April 10, when rain suspended play with 23 minutes left in the first half.
Should the Fillies win or draw, they will advance into their sixth-straight MSL Soccer Bowl next Wednesday at Buffalo Grove. If Palatine coach Willie Filian's club wins, they will advance due to the head-to-head result tiebreaker.
"Credit the girls for staying around in the division race, especially after starting at 1-2-1, then going through a three-game losing streak just two weeks ago," began the Palatine manager.
"Back when there wasn't a (12-team league) table, we went into the final game of the season against Fremd in 1997 in this same situation, and we haven't been close since then."
Prospect (7-9-1, 5-5-1), the preseason favorite to win the East Division, suffered another bump in its up-and-down season.
"I wish we would have come out with more energy and fire in that first period," said Prospect manager Tom Froats.
Shutout losses to Conant and Barrington wrapped around a disappointing 2-1 defeat to eventual MSL East champ Buffalo Grove (7-3-1 league mark) forced his club to begin to chase the Bison the rest of the way in a race where they never got close enough to cause a stir.
"We absolutely knew what to expect with Willie's team coming in, but we never challenged hard in the air on 50-50 balls, and Kacie (Filian) and Sarah Clancy won everything in that first half to set the tone.
"Despite that, we defended with all our might to keep them off the scoreboard, and found a little life in our attack after they scored -- but, again, never sustained in their end to be able to created some dangerous chances at them."
As Froats alluded, Palatine controlled nearly all of the first half, thanks in part to its air superiority and first-to-the-ball attitude and deserved to take the lead. Prospect's disadvantage could have been bigger if not for some terrific work from keeper Gianni Rossi, and her backline, who weathered a tremendous first half storm and helding its breathe with each dead ball or set piece opportunity the Pirates created.
Two of Rossi's best efforts came against Carolyn Soukup and Kacie Filian when the home side was beginning to mount a full head of steam towards the end of the first half.
Soukup forced a quality save from the junior at 32 minutes, and Filian three minutes from time on a wicked blast that she pushed up, and off the bar before it fell into the keeper's arms.
On the other end of the field, Palatine held tight.
"We defended really well tonight, even with Samantha not in our lineup," said Jacobsen, a junior.
"Marissa (Glaviano) did a great job on one side, and Shelby Donofrio, a freshman who started in place of (Sam) was really good on the other side."
Another freshmen, Melanie Simon delivered a piercing freekick into the box straight-on to Kendall Kane, and if not for a sharp, and decisive tracking effort from Grace Johannesen, Kane would have been in alone with Rossi near the six.
"We just were not very good in that first half," said Prospect sophomore Ella Marzolf.
"We came out so flat, and we were losing everything in the air. But I felt like we were so much better in the second half, it's just that we didn't create enough opportunities for ourselves, despite being better with our attack."
There were plenty of surprised looks when the referee detected a foul against Clancy 25-yards away from the Lady Knights goal.
Froats was not amused by the call, and let the man in the center know of his disapproval.
Clancy claimed the crucial three points for the Pirates with a wonderous, unstoppable strike, that exploded into the back of the net at 53 minutes.
Clancy and Jacobsen pleaded the fifth when asked about the foul.
Froats had praise for the game-winning effort by the Pirates star midfielder.
"I did not agree with the call at all, but that's not the reason we lost," Froats said. "Credit Sarah for a really well-struck free kick. It was a great shot."
The goal brought a response from Prospect, whose attack suddenly opened up. Marzolf, Ashley Welk, Shawna Stokes, Aly Kobler and others showed more pace and energy going forward.
Welk nearly dragged a terrific long ball out of the back from Jalyn Mosley into the six-yard box with a brilliant individual effort just inside the hour, and Marzolf began to break down the Pirates on the outside with several enterprising runs.
Despite all of the pressure, Jacobsen and her backline mates stayed organized, and composed during the last 10 minutes of regulation when the Lady Knights pushed numbers as they went to find the equalizer.
Sarah Mulvihill would send a nicely weighted early ball up the left side, in which the hard-running Kristin Schneider tried to catch up to, but Jacobsen escorted the ball over the endline to dash the hopes of the visitors.
Two deep throws, a corner, and a free kick failed to produce anything of danger on frame for Prospect in the closing moments, giving Francesca Falaton and Amaya Rivera the shared clean sheet.
"Now our focus has to be on our crossover game next Tuesday, and our first game at regionals and nothing else," Marzolf said afterwards.
"It's what we have in front of us, and there's no reason why we cannot build some momentum from that crossover game, and take it right into regionals."
For the Pirates, there is not much more at stake.
"To have a chance on the last day of the season says a lot about the girls, we got a much needed result on Senior Night, and they have put themselves in a position you always want to be in in this conference," began Filian.
"Barrington is very good, and can do a lot of things on both sides of the ball. But I know the effort and work rate will be there for us, so we'll see what we can do on Saturday."
Starting lineups
Prospect
GK- Gianni Rossi
D- Jalyn Mosley
D- Marissa Valentini
D- Grace Johnannesen
D- Helen Siavelis
M- Madalyn Ladd
M- Kendra Gancarz
M- Shawna Stokes
M- Kristin Schnieder
F- Ella Marzolf
F- Aly Kobler
Palatine
GK- Francesca Falato
D- Marissa Glaviano
D- Anja Jacobsen
D- Melanie Simon
D- Shelby Donofrio
M- Sarah Jasonowicz
M- Kacie Filian
M- Sarah Clancy
M- Carolyn Soukup
F- Mackenzie Filian
F- Kendall Kane
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Sarah Clancy, jr., MF, Palatine
Kacie Filian, jr., MF, Palatine
Referee: Mike Vlasamis