Saint Viator navigates
past gridlock and Fenwick
Pair of Douglas goals the difference
By Dave Owen
OAK PARK- Finishing offensive chances Wednesday was often times as challenging as the afternoon traffic in Oak Park.
The late arrival of Saint Viator’s team bus forced a 40-minute delay of the start of the East Suburban Catholic Conference match at Fenwick.
The visiting Lions (13-3, 7-2) then endured some gridlock on the field with multiple missed scoring chances. But two Delia Douglas goals in a three-minute span late in the first half provided for a smoother ride to an eventual 2-0 win over the Friars (7-6-2, 3-3-1).
“We had the better of the play,” Saint Viator coach Mike Taylor said. “It was just a case of being able to finish. That’s been our biggest problem all year long.
“Our defense has been holding teams (10 shutouts this season) and doing different things, but you have to be able to put shots away.”
While the pregame traffic jam was rough, the Lions were more concerned about avoiding the bumpy road of their last big conference test: a 6-1 loss to Carmel a week earlier.
“They’re a really good team,” Taylor said, “but if anything could have gone wrong in the Carmel game, it went wrong. It was one of those games.”
With four-straight shutouts since the Carmel match (including a win over Geneva and a tie with Lyons), the Lions are clearly back in the fast lane.
“We’re passing and communicating a lot better now I think than in the Carmel game,” Douglas said.
Facing another in a long line of quality ESCC foes added to Wednesday’s importance.
“There was a big sense of urgency,” Lions senior defender Emma Henry said. “Taylor told us this (Fenwick) was a big game. We wanted to bounce back from (Carmel) playing another big conference game. Coming after Carmel, games like this keep our morale high and keep us confident going into the playoffs.”
Saint Viator showed little rust from their long road trip, as Douglas and Felicia Moncada each had shots on goal in the first three minutes. Moncada was stopped on a diving save by Fenwick goalkeeper Lexi Rodriguez.
Rodriguez later twice made one-handed deflections away from the crease of dangerous Lions corner kicks. But Henry’s corner kick with six minutes left in the first half was beyond any keeper’s ability to deny.
Henry lofted the ball perfectly to the far (right) post, where Douglas was in position for a header putaway at the goal line for a 1-0 lead.
“Emma on that corner - that was practically in,” said Douglas, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match. “The other (goal) was from Felicia - she had a great cross. They both really set me up well. I give the credit to them.”
Douglas’ second goal came just two minutes later. Moncada burst in on right wing and lined a 10-yard shot that Rodriguez got a hand on, but Douglas was at the doorstep for the rebound into an open net to make the lead 2-0.
The sophomore just missed one of the quickest hat tricks possible three minutes before halftime, when her 15-yard shot was denied on a diving save by Rodriguez.
Saint Viator’s late flurry put Fenwick on its heels after an already rough first half.
“They’re a nice team, and we want to give them credit for that,” Fenwick coach Robert Watson said of the Lions. “But we played an awful first half. We really haven’t played that poorly for 40 minutes.
“It was just bad timing against a good team. We played a little better in the second half, opened up the offense a little more, got into their end and created some chances. A 0-0 second half was kind of the way we hoped the first half would go, but you give up two goals in a matter of a couple of minutes against a good team and you’re really behind the 8-ball. It’s one of those things that breaks your spirit.”
The Lions ended the first half on an offensive high, but frustration followed.
Set up by passes from Douglas and Molly Murphy, Michelle Trovato one-touched a shot just over the net from 12 yards out with 33 minutes left.
Brinley McVeigh was stopped by Rodriguez on two drives in on right wing, then the near misses became agonizingly closer.
Kayne Stanley’s header off another nice Henry corner kick hit the crossbar with 20:55 left, the latest dangerous Lions restart of the match.
“We’re really good on set pieces,” Henry said. “Set pieces are our thing, and as long as Maggie (Leazer) and Kayne are there I can find their heads and they can get it in. It works.”
The crossbar was the lone obstacle to perfect execution that time. Then with 10:30 left, Trovato broke free up the middle and lined her own 15-yard shot off the same crossbar.
“Literally we could have gone 6-0,” Taylor said. “We had opportunities: two hit the crossbar, and there were other chances.
“But playoff time is coming and we’re just trying to get ready and get our shape together. I thought we did that today. Overall we played a decent ballgame.”
The Lions defense has been strong most of the year, and withstood a late Fenwick uprising. The main threat came with 8:15 left when a high 10-yard liner by Fenwick’s Caitlin Josephs from left of the goal was blocked at the post by Lions goalkeeper Anna Johnston.
Fenwick also had two free kicks inside of 30 yards in the final 5:30 of play. Leazer blocked the first restart, then with 3:35 left Stanley repelled a closer 22-yard try and Alysia Beirne sent the rebound over the net.
“We talked at halftime that we didn’t play well,” Watson said. “Let’s just make sure we perform well (in the second half), and I think we did. The challenge is to put 80 minutes together. We’ve played really well, but it hasn’t been consistent enough. We have a nice team, but those couple letdowns make a difference. And there’s no let-up in this league.”
The Lions defense has made it especially tough on many opponents.
“Our defense is our strong point,” said Henry, who made two nice 1-on-1 plays to deny Friar chances. “Today we were struggling a little bit getting our touches and passes directed to a specific player, but we did a lot better than we did at Carmel.”
Offense will be the bigger focus going forward into the impending postseason. The Lions host sectionals, but are the No. 3 seed in a strong field that includes Carmel, Grayslake North and defending Class 2A champion Lake Forest.
“We’ve been struggling with finishing the last couple games,” Douglas said, “so I definitely think we have to keep working in practice on our set pieces and just getting around the corner and setting it up for our forwards and our midfielders to get good shots on goal.”
Teamwork will be a key factor.
“We don’t have one top scorer to go to,” Henry said. “I feel we need to finish, continue to play strong and continue to play to feet. That’s our strength.”
Starting lineups
St. Viator
GK: Anna Johnston
D: Emma Henry
D: Maureen McGrath
D: Kayne Stanley
D: Maggie Leazer
M: Brinley McVeigh
M: Felicia Moncada
M: Molly Murphy
M: Lauren Kohn
F: Michelle Trovato
F: Delia Douglas
Fenwick
GK: Lexi Rodriguez
D: Moira Hillsman
D: Sydney Jensen
D: Rylee Brennan
D: Tara Wilson
M: Caitlin Josephs
M: Kaylie Fredian
M: Quinn Reilly
M: Colette Jaslowski
F: Caroline Knight
F: Lauren Stibich
MVP of the Match: Delia Douglas, F, St. Viator
past gridlock and Fenwick
Pair of Douglas goals the difference
By Dave Owen
OAK PARK- Finishing offensive chances Wednesday was often times as challenging as the afternoon traffic in Oak Park.
The late arrival of Saint Viator’s team bus forced a 40-minute delay of the start of the East Suburban Catholic Conference match at Fenwick.
The visiting Lions (13-3, 7-2) then endured some gridlock on the field with multiple missed scoring chances. But two Delia Douglas goals in a three-minute span late in the first half provided for a smoother ride to an eventual 2-0 win over the Friars (7-6-2, 3-3-1).
“We had the better of the play,” Saint Viator coach Mike Taylor said. “It was just a case of being able to finish. That’s been our biggest problem all year long.
“Our defense has been holding teams (10 shutouts this season) and doing different things, but you have to be able to put shots away.”
While the pregame traffic jam was rough, the Lions were more concerned about avoiding the bumpy road of their last big conference test: a 6-1 loss to Carmel a week earlier.
“They’re a really good team,” Taylor said, “but if anything could have gone wrong in the Carmel game, it went wrong. It was one of those games.”
With four-straight shutouts since the Carmel match (including a win over Geneva and a tie with Lyons), the Lions are clearly back in the fast lane.
“We’re passing and communicating a lot better now I think than in the Carmel game,” Douglas said.
Facing another in a long line of quality ESCC foes added to Wednesday’s importance.
“There was a big sense of urgency,” Lions senior defender Emma Henry said. “Taylor told us this (Fenwick) was a big game. We wanted to bounce back from (Carmel) playing another big conference game. Coming after Carmel, games like this keep our morale high and keep us confident going into the playoffs.”
Saint Viator showed little rust from their long road trip, as Douglas and Felicia Moncada each had shots on goal in the first three minutes. Moncada was stopped on a diving save by Fenwick goalkeeper Lexi Rodriguez.
Rodriguez later twice made one-handed deflections away from the crease of dangerous Lions corner kicks. But Henry’s corner kick with six minutes left in the first half was beyond any keeper’s ability to deny.
Henry lofted the ball perfectly to the far (right) post, where Douglas was in position for a header putaway at the goal line for a 1-0 lead.
“Emma on that corner - that was practically in,” said Douglas, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match. “The other (goal) was from Felicia - she had a great cross. They both really set me up well. I give the credit to them.”
Douglas’ second goal came just two minutes later. Moncada burst in on right wing and lined a 10-yard shot that Rodriguez got a hand on, but Douglas was at the doorstep for the rebound into an open net to make the lead 2-0.
The sophomore just missed one of the quickest hat tricks possible three minutes before halftime, when her 15-yard shot was denied on a diving save by Rodriguez.
Saint Viator’s late flurry put Fenwick on its heels after an already rough first half.
“They’re a nice team, and we want to give them credit for that,” Fenwick coach Robert Watson said of the Lions. “But we played an awful first half. We really haven’t played that poorly for 40 minutes.
“It was just bad timing against a good team. We played a little better in the second half, opened up the offense a little more, got into their end and created some chances. A 0-0 second half was kind of the way we hoped the first half would go, but you give up two goals in a matter of a couple of minutes against a good team and you’re really behind the 8-ball. It’s one of those things that breaks your spirit.”
The Lions ended the first half on an offensive high, but frustration followed.
Set up by passes from Douglas and Molly Murphy, Michelle Trovato one-touched a shot just over the net from 12 yards out with 33 minutes left.
Brinley McVeigh was stopped by Rodriguez on two drives in on right wing, then the near misses became agonizingly closer.
Kayne Stanley’s header off another nice Henry corner kick hit the crossbar with 20:55 left, the latest dangerous Lions restart of the match.
“We’re really good on set pieces,” Henry said. “Set pieces are our thing, and as long as Maggie (Leazer) and Kayne are there I can find their heads and they can get it in. It works.”
The crossbar was the lone obstacle to perfect execution that time. Then with 10:30 left, Trovato broke free up the middle and lined her own 15-yard shot off the same crossbar.
“Literally we could have gone 6-0,” Taylor said. “We had opportunities: two hit the crossbar, and there were other chances.
“But playoff time is coming and we’re just trying to get ready and get our shape together. I thought we did that today. Overall we played a decent ballgame.”
The Lions defense has been strong most of the year, and withstood a late Fenwick uprising. The main threat came with 8:15 left when a high 10-yard liner by Fenwick’s Caitlin Josephs from left of the goal was blocked at the post by Lions goalkeeper Anna Johnston.
Fenwick also had two free kicks inside of 30 yards in the final 5:30 of play. Leazer blocked the first restart, then with 3:35 left Stanley repelled a closer 22-yard try and Alysia Beirne sent the rebound over the net.
“We talked at halftime that we didn’t play well,” Watson said. “Let’s just make sure we perform well (in the second half), and I think we did. The challenge is to put 80 minutes together. We’ve played really well, but it hasn’t been consistent enough. We have a nice team, but those couple letdowns make a difference. And there’s no let-up in this league.”
The Lions defense has made it especially tough on many opponents.
“Our defense is our strong point,” said Henry, who made two nice 1-on-1 plays to deny Friar chances. “Today we were struggling a little bit getting our touches and passes directed to a specific player, but we did a lot better than we did at Carmel.”
Offense will be the bigger focus going forward into the impending postseason. The Lions host sectionals, but are the No. 3 seed in a strong field that includes Carmel, Grayslake North and defending Class 2A champion Lake Forest.
“We’ve been struggling with finishing the last couple games,” Douglas said, “so I definitely think we have to keep working in practice on our set pieces and just getting around the corner and setting it up for our forwards and our midfielders to get good shots on goal.”
Teamwork will be a key factor.
“We don’t have one top scorer to go to,” Henry said. “I feel we need to finish, continue to play strong and continue to play to feet. That’s our strength.”
Starting lineups
St. Viator
GK: Anna Johnston
D: Emma Henry
D: Maureen McGrath
D: Kayne Stanley
D: Maggie Leazer
M: Brinley McVeigh
M: Felicia Moncada
M: Molly Murphy
M: Lauren Kohn
F: Michelle Trovato
F: Delia Douglas
Fenwick
GK: Lexi Rodriguez
D: Moira Hillsman
D: Sydney Jensen
D: Rylee Brennan
D: Tara Wilson
M: Caitlin Josephs
M: Kaylie Fredian
M: Quinn Reilly
M: Colette Jaslowski
F: Caroline Knight
F: Lauren Stibich
MVP of the Match: Delia Douglas, F, St. Viator