Warren keeps momentum, bests Deerfield
Blue Devils extend unbeaten streak to 13 games with 3-1 score
By Rusty Silber
DEERFIELD -- It's been one of the best seasons ever for Warren, and they're not done yet. The Blue Devils continued their impressive campaign with a 3-1 nonconference road victory Friday against Deerfield in the regular season finale for both teams.
Warren (18-1-2), which rose to its highest ranking at no. 5 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 this week, has a number of stalwarts who seem to stand out in each and every game this season. In the big picture, the fact that the many pieces on the team fit so well together has also carried to team to its impressive run.
Alissa Ramsden has been a major contributor. She has played in the midfield and on the backline, and it was the defensive part of her game that she was asked to focus against Deerfield. She didn't disappoint. Ramsden contributed an assist on the opening Blue Devils' goal as she helped make the Warren defense a difficult puzzle to solve.
"I do play more in the midfield, but more of a defensive role," said Ramsden, who earned Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors for her effort. "I kind of screen the ball for the backline. If someone goes up, I hold and keep the ball in front of us going from side to side."
The back third, with eight shutouts and eight one-goal games this season, has been a key component for the Blue Devils this season .
"Our defense as a whole has been great," Ramsden added. "We have great communication. I think part of the reason the offense has done well is because the defense has been able to win the ball back and get it back forward real quickly.
"I just got switched to the backline, and Natalie (McNally) helped me out and saved me a couple of times, all because, she can see the whole field. I really do like to be in the midfield, but it really doesn't matter where I play. I'm more of a defensive player."
On Friday, Deerfield (8-9-4) pushed forward on the attack in the first 10 minutes, but Warren's defense kept the Warriors at bay.
The Blue Devils nearly found the opening goal in the 14th minute with several shots at the frame, but the Deerfield defense made the stops, including a Haley Emory clear off the line on a shot from Kaitlyn Chomko.
In the 30th minute, Deerfield's Samantha Linn made a run with the ball down the right wing. Her shot hit the crossbar and caromed wide of the goal.
"I thought we had a pretty good performance, and we knew that (Warren) was a very good team," Deerfield coach Rich Grady said. "I like the way we played, and we had a couple of individual plays. We had chances and hit the crossbar in the first half. We went in that we were going to give (Warren) possession. We wanted to steal it, and counter. I thought we executed the game plan pretty well. Warren was the best team we've seen all year."
That was high praise from Grady, whose team has played no. 4 New Trier this season.
Warren opened the scoring in the 38th minute of play. Ramsden placed a perfect through-ball for Ellen Szostak, who kept the ball at her feet in front of the goal and converted for her ninth goal this season.
After the break, Lipscomb-bound Alliyah Parker had a one-two combination with Courtney Chomko. Parker got on the receiving end to net a goal that she touched in in-front. The insurance score made it 2-0 in the 50th minute.
Courtney Chomko added one more four minutes later off an assist from her sister Kaitlyn for the three-goal advantage.
"Deerfield was playing some really strong defense," Warren coach Ryan McCabe said. "It took us a while to break them down. Rich (Grady) does a great job getting his girls prepared. They were well-coached and organized. They're always difficult to break down. I thought they did a really nice job and gave us something to look at offensively, and defensively to work on."
Deerfield got a goal back in the 61st minute after a Blue Devils foul outside the box. Riley Halpern stepped up and pin-pointed the spot kick into the upper left corner to conclude the scoring.
The Warriors applied some pressure the rest of the way and had a few chances towards the goal. But the Warren defense came up with some stellar stops and cleared the ball out of trouble.
Now it's on to the postseason.
Warren, the undefeated North Suburban Conference champions, open up the state tournament as the second seed in their own Class 3A sectional. The Blue Devils will meet conference for and 15th-seed Waukegan in their Stevenson Regional opener at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Previously this season Warren defeated Waukegan by 5-1 and 8-1 scores.
"I think were pretty eager to get to the playoffs," McCabe said. "The girls have some pretty high hopes to make a deep run into the state tournament. It's nice for it to finally be here, so we can attack it."
Deerfield, the 2016 runnerup in Class AA, also hosts a sectional. The sixth-seeded Warriors begin what they hope is a repeat long postseason schedule against 10-seeded Grayslake Central in the Vernon Hills Regional at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Starting lineups
Warren
GK-Skylar Reilly
D-Natalie McNally
D-Rebecca Pineau
D-Kate Weyhrich
D-Jessica Dietzen
MF-Alissa Ramsden
MF-Courtney Chomko
MF-Lindsey Hardiman
MF-Kaitlyn Chomko
F-Ellen Szostak
F-Alliyah Parker
Deerfield
GK-Karly Morris
D-Molli Goodman
D-Haley Emory
D-Kat Stanaszek
D-Julia Harlan
MF-Devyn Compisi
MF-Mallori Killoren
MF-Mirelle Haas
MF-Melanie Imyak
F-Samantha Linn
F-Erin Rosenzweig
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Alissa Ramsden, sr., MF, Warren
Blue Devils extend unbeaten streak to 13 games with 3-1 score
By Rusty Silber
DEERFIELD -- It's been one of the best seasons ever for Warren, and they're not done yet. The Blue Devils continued their impressive campaign with a 3-1 nonconference road victory Friday against Deerfield in the regular season finale for both teams.
Warren (18-1-2), which rose to its highest ranking at no. 5 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 this week, has a number of stalwarts who seem to stand out in each and every game this season. In the big picture, the fact that the many pieces on the team fit so well together has also carried to team to its impressive run.
Alissa Ramsden has been a major contributor. She has played in the midfield and on the backline, and it was the defensive part of her game that she was asked to focus against Deerfield. She didn't disappoint. Ramsden contributed an assist on the opening Blue Devils' goal as she helped make the Warren defense a difficult puzzle to solve.
"I do play more in the midfield, but more of a defensive role," said Ramsden, who earned Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors for her effort. "I kind of screen the ball for the backline. If someone goes up, I hold and keep the ball in front of us going from side to side."
The back third, with eight shutouts and eight one-goal games this season, has been a key component for the Blue Devils this season .
"Our defense as a whole has been great," Ramsden added. "We have great communication. I think part of the reason the offense has done well is because the defense has been able to win the ball back and get it back forward real quickly.
"I just got switched to the backline, and Natalie (McNally) helped me out and saved me a couple of times, all because, she can see the whole field. I really do like to be in the midfield, but it really doesn't matter where I play. I'm more of a defensive player."
On Friday, Deerfield (8-9-4) pushed forward on the attack in the first 10 minutes, but Warren's defense kept the Warriors at bay.
The Blue Devils nearly found the opening goal in the 14th minute with several shots at the frame, but the Deerfield defense made the stops, including a Haley Emory clear off the line on a shot from Kaitlyn Chomko.
In the 30th minute, Deerfield's Samantha Linn made a run with the ball down the right wing. Her shot hit the crossbar and caromed wide of the goal.
"I thought we had a pretty good performance, and we knew that (Warren) was a very good team," Deerfield coach Rich Grady said. "I like the way we played, and we had a couple of individual plays. We had chances and hit the crossbar in the first half. We went in that we were going to give (Warren) possession. We wanted to steal it, and counter. I thought we executed the game plan pretty well. Warren was the best team we've seen all year."
That was high praise from Grady, whose team has played no. 4 New Trier this season.
Warren opened the scoring in the 38th minute of play. Ramsden placed a perfect through-ball for Ellen Szostak, who kept the ball at her feet in front of the goal and converted for her ninth goal this season.
After the break, Lipscomb-bound Alliyah Parker had a one-two combination with Courtney Chomko. Parker got on the receiving end to net a goal that she touched in in-front. The insurance score made it 2-0 in the 50th minute.
Courtney Chomko added one more four minutes later off an assist from her sister Kaitlyn for the three-goal advantage.
"Deerfield was playing some really strong defense," Warren coach Ryan McCabe said. "It took us a while to break them down. Rich (Grady) does a great job getting his girls prepared. They were well-coached and organized. They're always difficult to break down. I thought they did a really nice job and gave us something to look at offensively, and defensively to work on."
Deerfield got a goal back in the 61st minute after a Blue Devils foul outside the box. Riley Halpern stepped up and pin-pointed the spot kick into the upper left corner to conclude the scoring.
The Warriors applied some pressure the rest of the way and had a few chances towards the goal. But the Warren defense came up with some stellar stops and cleared the ball out of trouble.
Now it's on to the postseason.
Warren, the undefeated North Suburban Conference champions, open up the state tournament as the second seed in their own Class 3A sectional. The Blue Devils will meet conference for and 15th-seed Waukegan in their Stevenson Regional opener at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Previously this season Warren defeated Waukegan by 5-1 and 8-1 scores.
"I think were pretty eager to get to the playoffs," McCabe said. "The girls have some pretty high hopes to make a deep run into the state tournament. It's nice for it to finally be here, so we can attack it."
Deerfield, the 2016 runnerup in Class AA, also hosts a sectional. The sixth-seeded Warriors begin what they hope is a repeat long postseason schedule against 10-seeded Grayslake Central in the Vernon Hills Regional at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Starting lineups
Warren
GK-Skylar Reilly
D-Natalie McNally
D-Rebecca Pineau
D-Kate Weyhrich
D-Jessica Dietzen
MF-Alissa Ramsden
MF-Courtney Chomko
MF-Lindsey Hardiman
MF-Kaitlyn Chomko
F-Ellen Szostak
F-Alliyah Parker
Deerfield
GK-Karly Morris
D-Molli Goodman
D-Haley Emory
D-Kat Stanaszek
D-Julia Harlan
MF-Devyn Compisi
MF-Mallori Killoren
MF-Mirelle Haas
MF-Melanie Imyak
F-Samantha Linn
F-Erin Rosenzweig
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Alissa Ramsden, sr., MF, Warren