Saint Viator avoids haunted feeling
2-0 regional title vs. Deerfield keeps spirited season alive
By Mike Garofola
DEERFIELD -- Saint Viator had its chance to erase the ghosts of 2013 once again Saturday afternoon when it traveled to Adams Stadium in Deerfield to meet the host Warriors in a 2A regional final - the fourth-consecutive season in which these two clubs have met in the postseason.
While the third-seeded Lions (17-3-0) had won 2-of-3 matches, the memory of a 4-3 defeat in a sectional semifinal two years ago still lingered on for a few of the veterans who were a part of that heart-breaking loss.
Kayne Stanley and Lauren Kohn, along with their Saint Viator teammates, insured that history stayed just that after a 2-0 victory to officially end the season for the no. 7-seeded Warriors.
"Lauren and I still remember that game two years ago when we had a 3-0 lead (and) they came back to beat us (so) there was no way it was going to happen to us one more time," said Stanley with a wry smile which indicated both her and Kohn made it clear to everyone just how important this contest was to them.
"Oh yeah, we've been talking about (that) game all week long, so we all knew it was important to just come out, play our game, and not let them back (in) at anytime at all," added the junior Kohn.
Next up for the Lions will be no. 2 Grayslake North this Wednesday in a sectional semifinal at its home stadium at Robert Morris Field in Arlington Heights.
"That's where we wanted to be at this time of the season, and we got what we wanted with a very good effort from front-to-back, especially along the back with our defense, and Anna Johnston, who continues to shine for us in goal," said Lions manager, Mike Taylor, who liked what he saw throughout from his club, despite playing in sweltering heat, which is unusual for this time of the season.
"It was plenty hot out there, especially on the turf, so that's why we tried to keep everyone fresh, and I think our training and fitness would show through in the final 10-15 minutes of the game," added Taylor.
Saint Viator would waste little time getting into the Warriors as they searched and probed their opponents big backline with the hope of eventually breaking them down and finding the back of the net.
The Lions got a lot of quality play from the midfield quartet of Brinley McVeigh, Felicia Moncada, plus Kohn and Molly Murphy on the outside. Murphy was continually involved up and down the flank as Kohn, and the Lions backline linked with ease with their mate.
"Lauren did so well connecting and finding everyone today, she had a great game," said Stanley.
The Lions were ambitious enough going forward, but their season-long problems of lacking enough bite in the final third was a bit of a concern for Taylor, who knows all too well that the failure to strike in the postseason can prove costly.
"We played well out of the back, and we had most of the play through the middle, and found our front-runners pretty well, but we just can't put enough balls into the net when the chance is there, and that's really my only concern right now, because we're playing very good soccer," offered Taylor.
Taylor's club claimed the first, and most important goal of the match at 35 minutes - thanks in part to a gaffe from the Warriors backline, and keeper Sari Eisen's inability to corral a loose ball inside the six-yard box. An ever-opportunistic Murphy made the home side pay for its errors by thumping her close range shot into the top of the roof.
"It's a good thing to be the first to score (and) especially after watching Anna (Johnston) make two world-class saves to keep (Deerfield) out of the back of the net," said Taylor.
The Lions were the dominant side during the early exchanges of the second period - Emma Henry drove her searing corner off the gloves of Eisen in the 42nd minute, Murphy nearly finished at the back post after Ashley Anne Steadman kept things alive on the endline - and Trovato had two good looks on frame, all of this happening right up until Johnston's heroics just after the hour mark.
The freshman extended to her right to turn around a well-struck attempt from Sarah Neal, then saved her best for last -- a combination of back-pedaling and a well-timed leap that pushed a sure goal from Erin Rosenzweig, up and over the woodwork.
"Anna has been amazing for us all year - she's makes a great save almost every game for us," said Stanley with conviction.
"(She) was our best player today," Kohn said of Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match.
The Lions would manage its lead well after this heart-stopping sequence when the Warriors nearly equalized, and despite an extra striker now stationed up top for Deerfield manager Rich Grady, Stanley and her backline mates kept their opponents away from Johnston - until Steadman stuck a dagger in the hearts of the Warriors faithful at 68 minutes.
The speedy junior shrugged off a pair of defenders on her way to chasing down an early ball from Kohn, before finishing past a helpless Eisen in close to double the Lions advantage.
Eisen would step-up to make a marvelous stop on Brinley McVeigh minutes later as the Lions kept the Warriors under pressure - and it was constant pressure until the final whistle which ended the hopes of another big comeback from the red and silver.
"It was a very good win, and one that was well deserved," began Taylor.
"We played well all throughout, had a little hiccup along the way, but Kayne and the girls in the back were very strong, and our play all throughout the middle was enough to keep their attack fairly quiet for most of the ballgame."
"Now we're back home at our place next week."
Starting lineups
Deerfield
GK- Sari Eisen
D- Annie Sloan
D- Jesse Holloway
D- Shae Feldman
D- Gabbi Lazar
MF- Ashley Imyak
MF- Mirelle Haas
MF- Margot Sylvan
MF- Enya Horgan
F- Emily Kellow
F- Sydney Barber
Saint Viator
GK- Anna Johnston
D- Emma Henry
D- Kayne Stanley
D- Maggie Leazer
D- Maureen McGrath
MF- Molly Murphy
MF- Brinley McVeigh
MF- Felia Moncada
MF- Lauren Kohn
F- Delia Douglas
F- Michelle Trovato
MVP of the Match: Anna Johnston, GK, Saint Viator
2-0 regional title vs. Deerfield keeps spirited season alive
By Mike Garofola
DEERFIELD -- Saint Viator had its chance to erase the ghosts of 2013 once again Saturday afternoon when it traveled to Adams Stadium in Deerfield to meet the host Warriors in a 2A regional final - the fourth-consecutive season in which these two clubs have met in the postseason.
While the third-seeded Lions (17-3-0) had won 2-of-3 matches, the memory of a 4-3 defeat in a sectional semifinal two years ago still lingered on for a few of the veterans who were a part of that heart-breaking loss.
Kayne Stanley and Lauren Kohn, along with their Saint Viator teammates, insured that history stayed just that after a 2-0 victory to officially end the season for the no. 7-seeded Warriors.
"Lauren and I still remember that game two years ago when we had a 3-0 lead (and) they came back to beat us (so) there was no way it was going to happen to us one more time," said Stanley with a wry smile which indicated both her and Kohn made it clear to everyone just how important this contest was to them.
"Oh yeah, we've been talking about (that) game all week long, so we all knew it was important to just come out, play our game, and not let them back (in) at anytime at all," added the junior Kohn.
Next up for the Lions will be no. 2 Grayslake North this Wednesday in a sectional semifinal at its home stadium at Robert Morris Field in Arlington Heights.
"That's where we wanted to be at this time of the season, and we got what we wanted with a very good effort from front-to-back, especially along the back with our defense, and Anna Johnston, who continues to shine for us in goal," said Lions manager, Mike Taylor, who liked what he saw throughout from his club, despite playing in sweltering heat, which is unusual for this time of the season.
"It was plenty hot out there, especially on the turf, so that's why we tried to keep everyone fresh, and I think our training and fitness would show through in the final 10-15 minutes of the game," added Taylor.
Saint Viator would waste little time getting into the Warriors as they searched and probed their opponents big backline with the hope of eventually breaking them down and finding the back of the net.
The Lions got a lot of quality play from the midfield quartet of Brinley McVeigh, Felicia Moncada, plus Kohn and Molly Murphy on the outside. Murphy was continually involved up and down the flank as Kohn, and the Lions backline linked with ease with their mate.
"Lauren did so well connecting and finding everyone today, she had a great game," said Stanley.
The Lions were ambitious enough going forward, but their season-long problems of lacking enough bite in the final third was a bit of a concern for Taylor, who knows all too well that the failure to strike in the postseason can prove costly.
"We played well out of the back, and we had most of the play through the middle, and found our front-runners pretty well, but we just can't put enough balls into the net when the chance is there, and that's really my only concern right now, because we're playing very good soccer," offered Taylor.
Taylor's club claimed the first, and most important goal of the match at 35 minutes - thanks in part to a gaffe from the Warriors backline, and keeper Sari Eisen's inability to corral a loose ball inside the six-yard box. An ever-opportunistic Murphy made the home side pay for its errors by thumping her close range shot into the top of the roof.
"It's a good thing to be the first to score (and) especially after watching Anna (Johnston) make two world-class saves to keep (Deerfield) out of the back of the net," said Taylor.
The Lions were the dominant side during the early exchanges of the second period - Emma Henry drove her searing corner off the gloves of Eisen in the 42nd minute, Murphy nearly finished at the back post after Ashley Anne Steadman kept things alive on the endline - and Trovato had two good looks on frame, all of this happening right up until Johnston's heroics just after the hour mark.
The freshman extended to her right to turn around a well-struck attempt from Sarah Neal, then saved her best for last -- a combination of back-pedaling and a well-timed leap that pushed a sure goal from Erin Rosenzweig, up and over the woodwork.
"Anna has been amazing for us all year - she's makes a great save almost every game for us," said Stanley with conviction.
"(She) was our best player today," Kohn said of Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match.
The Lions would manage its lead well after this heart-stopping sequence when the Warriors nearly equalized, and despite an extra striker now stationed up top for Deerfield manager Rich Grady, Stanley and her backline mates kept their opponents away from Johnston - until Steadman stuck a dagger in the hearts of the Warriors faithful at 68 minutes.
The speedy junior shrugged off a pair of defenders on her way to chasing down an early ball from Kohn, before finishing past a helpless Eisen in close to double the Lions advantage.
Eisen would step-up to make a marvelous stop on Brinley McVeigh minutes later as the Lions kept the Warriors under pressure - and it was constant pressure until the final whistle which ended the hopes of another big comeback from the red and silver.
"It was a very good win, and one that was well deserved," began Taylor.
"We played well all throughout, had a little hiccup along the way, but Kayne and the girls in the back were very strong, and our play all throughout the middle was enough to keep their attack fairly quiet for most of the ballgame."
"Now we're back home at our place next week."
Starting lineups
Deerfield
GK- Sari Eisen
D- Annie Sloan
D- Jesse Holloway
D- Shae Feldman
D- Gabbi Lazar
MF- Ashley Imyak
MF- Mirelle Haas
MF- Margot Sylvan
MF- Enya Horgan
F- Emily Kellow
F- Sydney Barber
Saint Viator
GK- Anna Johnston
D- Emma Henry
D- Kayne Stanley
D- Maggie Leazer
D- Maureen McGrath
MF- Molly Murphy
MF- Brinley McVeigh
MF- Felia Moncada
MF- Lauren Kohn
F- Delia Douglas
F- Michelle Trovato
MVP of the Match: Anna Johnston, GK, Saint Viator