Tinley Park answers wake-up call
Oak Forest goal stirs Titans to 4-goal burst, 6-1 win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BRIDGEVIEW—The last thing Michelle Youngberg wanted was Oak Forest hanging around. In a rivalry game, the Tinley Park coach knew emotion colored everything and that just staying within reach was a dangerous proposition.
Sure enough, in the 39th minute, Oak Forest junior forward Alyssa Gilman finished a beautiful header off a gorgeous cross from forward Brittany McManigal that cut the Titans' two-goal advantage in half.
"Basically the last two years when we played Oak Forest, it's been only up one goal," Youngberg said. "We beat them 1-0 the last two years. We told the girls we needed to break apart from that, and push them and play physical. At halftime, we had a couple of our captains say some things to the rest of the team, and that pumped them up even more.
"We're the type of team that once we get on a roll we continue through that."
Tinley Park unleashed a devastating and diversified attack that netted three goals during a 10-minute blitz which decisively swung the tide in the Titans' favor. The game ended as an impressive 6-1 victory over Oak Forest in a special benefit game at Toyota Park on Saturday morning.
The game was a fundraiser for the pediatric cancer research foundation Cure It, in memory of former Oak Forest player Julia Janes, who died from complications of cancer in the fall of 2013. For the second-consecutive year, the two programs sold tickets to the game and special t-shirts to help raise awareness of the Julia's Legacy of Hope foundation created by her parents.
Tinley Park (17-2) has had a breakthrough year in Youngberg's second season directing the program. The team's only losses are to Lemont and Providence.
Sophomore midfielder Carolina Carrillo registered two goals in the win and was backed by the strong all-around play of the team's most versatile player, midfielder/defender Casey Crusius, who also scored twice and played the final 21 minutes of the match in the goal.
Sophomore midfielder Emily Lilly was the catalyst for the team. Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match began the scoring in the 26th minute and helped break it open with a sharp corner kick in the 42nd minute that Crusius finished with a header inside the box.
On the opening goal, defender Stephanie Nichols played a through ball down the right edge that defender Melissa Baldovin controlled and played to Lilly.
"The keeper went out on the ball, and I was right there and I just kicked it in," she said.
In the 30th minute Carrillo extended the lead as she wove through the Bengals' defensive interior and created enough space to chip a perfectly arranged floater that curved beyond the reach of the keeper. Baldovin recorded the assist.
Oak Forest (10-7-1) was rattled. To their credit the Bengals dug in and began to make their own connections.
"We've come out the last two or three weeks with a boatload of games," coach Stacey Lane said. "We played five games this week, and we were coming of a game last night. We run with usually 13 or 14 players, and those girls play solid minutes."
It took some time for the Bengals to assimilate the larger field dimensions.
"Toyota Park is a huge field and a lot different than we're used to," McManigal said. "The touches are different, and there's more space to work with."
Junior midfielder Jenna Brown started Oak Forest's scoring play with a ball to McManigal, who started her run down the right flank before delivering the perfect pass to Gilman, who perfectly timed her own run.
"Brittany made a beautiful cross, and I just hit it with my head," Gilman said. "I knew that we had to score to try and catch up with them."
Out of the break, Tinley Park asserted control. The dynamics changed again, this time for good, in the 42nd minute.
Lilly served a corner that the alert and athletic Crusius seized by elevating and smashing home a header.
"When they scored at the end of the first half, that kind of motivated us because all of a sudden it was a closer game," Crusius said. "We just wanted to go out and start scoring more.
"The coaches told us at halftime to go out and prove we were the better team."
The bigger field put Oak Forest at a considerable disadvantage. The Bengals were forced to cover increasingly larger spaces in order to try to pressure and generate their own chances. The style left them vulnerable to counter attacks, and the Titans took advantage.
"Being here, at Toyota Park, we just wanted to spread the field out, use longer passes. and and we were definitely possessing the ball more in the second half. That's why we were able to score the way we did," Lilly said.
Crusius recorded her second goal by drilling a ball from the top of the box in the 50th minute. Freshman forward Morgan Sniegolski smashed a left-footed ball from about 16 yards out two minutes later. Carrillo closed out the scoring in the 73rd minute as the exhausted Bengals struggled to keep pace.
Still as one-sided as the game turned, junior Oak Forest keeper Grace Rollins prevented a deeper rout by making several superb saves.
Players from the two schools, though now competitors, have grown up playing soccer together in club and community play. The larger importance of what the game symbolized struck a resonant chord.
"We weren't here when Julia played here, but we've heard her story. I think it's very inspirational, and I think it's great we incorporate the fundraiser into our game," Oak Forest defender Maddie Baxa said. "It's a great way to raise money and make people aware of the Cure It."
For one morning, this was more than just a game between two rival schools.
"I think it's good that we have a story to go for," McManigal said. "We're from a small school, so I feel like we're backing the memory of Julia because we knew her. It's also not only about her, but about awareness of what she went through and raising money for that is really good."
Starting lineups
Tinley Park
GK: Amanda Rodin
D: Stephanie Nichols
D: Meghan Majewski
D: Casey Crusius
D: Janna Goyola
M: Emily Lilly
M: Katie Kopecky
M: Carolina Carrillo
F: Mogan Sniegolski
F: Emma Alderman
F: Elizabeth Carrillo
Oak Forest
GK: Grace Rollins
D: Samantha McFalls
D: Siobhan Gilligan
D: Taylor Blokel
D: Maddie Baxa
M: Brittany McManigal
M: Jenna Brown
M: Yassie Matthews
M: Morgan Anderson
M: Sabrina Baxa
F: Alyssa Gilman
MVP of the Match: Emily Lilly, M, Tinley Park
Oak Forest goal stirs Titans to 4-goal burst, 6-1 win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BRIDGEVIEW—The last thing Michelle Youngberg wanted was Oak Forest hanging around. In a rivalry game, the Tinley Park coach knew emotion colored everything and that just staying within reach was a dangerous proposition.
Sure enough, in the 39th minute, Oak Forest junior forward Alyssa Gilman finished a beautiful header off a gorgeous cross from forward Brittany McManigal that cut the Titans' two-goal advantage in half.
"Basically the last two years when we played Oak Forest, it's been only up one goal," Youngberg said. "We beat them 1-0 the last two years. We told the girls we needed to break apart from that, and push them and play physical. At halftime, we had a couple of our captains say some things to the rest of the team, and that pumped them up even more.
"We're the type of team that once we get on a roll we continue through that."
Tinley Park unleashed a devastating and diversified attack that netted three goals during a 10-minute blitz which decisively swung the tide in the Titans' favor. The game ended as an impressive 6-1 victory over Oak Forest in a special benefit game at Toyota Park on Saturday morning.
The game was a fundraiser for the pediatric cancer research foundation Cure It, in memory of former Oak Forest player Julia Janes, who died from complications of cancer in the fall of 2013. For the second-consecutive year, the two programs sold tickets to the game and special t-shirts to help raise awareness of the Julia's Legacy of Hope foundation created by her parents.
Tinley Park (17-2) has had a breakthrough year in Youngberg's second season directing the program. The team's only losses are to Lemont and Providence.
Sophomore midfielder Carolina Carrillo registered two goals in the win and was backed by the strong all-around play of the team's most versatile player, midfielder/defender Casey Crusius, who also scored twice and played the final 21 minutes of the match in the goal.
Sophomore midfielder Emily Lilly was the catalyst for the team. Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match began the scoring in the 26th minute and helped break it open with a sharp corner kick in the 42nd minute that Crusius finished with a header inside the box.
On the opening goal, defender Stephanie Nichols played a through ball down the right edge that defender Melissa Baldovin controlled and played to Lilly.
"The keeper went out on the ball, and I was right there and I just kicked it in," she said.
In the 30th minute Carrillo extended the lead as she wove through the Bengals' defensive interior and created enough space to chip a perfectly arranged floater that curved beyond the reach of the keeper. Baldovin recorded the assist.
Oak Forest (10-7-1) was rattled. To their credit the Bengals dug in and began to make their own connections.
"We've come out the last two or three weeks with a boatload of games," coach Stacey Lane said. "We played five games this week, and we were coming of a game last night. We run with usually 13 or 14 players, and those girls play solid minutes."
It took some time for the Bengals to assimilate the larger field dimensions.
"Toyota Park is a huge field and a lot different than we're used to," McManigal said. "The touches are different, and there's more space to work with."
Junior midfielder Jenna Brown started Oak Forest's scoring play with a ball to McManigal, who started her run down the right flank before delivering the perfect pass to Gilman, who perfectly timed her own run.
"Brittany made a beautiful cross, and I just hit it with my head," Gilman said. "I knew that we had to score to try and catch up with them."
Out of the break, Tinley Park asserted control. The dynamics changed again, this time for good, in the 42nd minute.
Lilly served a corner that the alert and athletic Crusius seized by elevating and smashing home a header.
"When they scored at the end of the first half, that kind of motivated us because all of a sudden it was a closer game," Crusius said. "We just wanted to go out and start scoring more.
"The coaches told us at halftime to go out and prove we were the better team."
The bigger field put Oak Forest at a considerable disadvantage. The Bengals were forced to cover increasingly larger spaces in order to try to pressure and generate their own chances. The style left them vulnerable to counter attacks, and the Titans took advantage.
"Being here, at Toyota Park, we just wanted to spread the field out, use longer passes. and and we were definitely possessing the ball more in the second half. That's why we were able to score the way we did," Lilly said.
Crusius recorded her second goal by drilling a ball from the top of the box in the 50th minute. Freshman forward Morgan Sniegolski smashed a left-footed ball from about 16 yards out two minutes later. Carrillo closed out the scoring in the 73rd minute as the exhausted Bengals struggled to keep pace.
Still as one-sided as the game turned, junior Oak Forest keeper Grace Rollins prevented a deeper rout by making several superb saves.
Players from the two schools, though now competitors, have grown up playing soccer together in club and community play. The larger importance of what the game symbolized struck a resonant chord.
"We weren't here when Julia played here, but we've heard her story. I think it's very inspirational, and I think it's great we incorporate the fundraiser into our game," Oak Forest defender Maddie Baxa said. "It's a great way to raise money and make people aware of the Cure It."
For one morning, this was more than just a game between two rival schools.
"I think it's good that we have a story to go for," McManigal said. "We're from a small school, so I feel like we're backing the memory of Julia because we knew her. It's also not only about her, but about awareness of what she went through and raising money for that is really good."
Starting lineups
Tinley Park
GK: Amanda Rodin
D: Stephanie Nichols
D: Meghan Majewski
D: Casey Crusius
D: Janna Goyola
M: Emily Lilly
M: Katie Kopecky
M: Carolina Carrillo
F: Mogan Sniegolski
F: Emma Alderman
F: Elizabeth Carrillo
Oak Forest
GK: Grace Rollins
D: Samantha McFalls
D: Siobhan Gilligan
D: Taylor Blokel
D: Maddie Baxa
M: Brittany McManigal
M: Jenna Brown
M: Yassie Matthews
M: Morgan Anderson
M: Sabrina Baxa
F: Alyssa Gilman
MVP of the Match: Emily Lilly, M, Tinley Park