Give-and-take works for Wheaton North
Pelafas continues goal spree in 2-1 win over Glenbard West
By Dave Surico
GLEN ELLYN -- The adage says: It is better to give than to receive. That may be true, but Lexi Pelafas did both Wednesday night and gave Wheaton North a 2-1 road win over Glenbard West.
The senior forward scored both goals for the Falcons, including the game-winner in the 76th minute.
But she couldn't have done it without receiving two stellar passes from her teammates.
The game-winner came on a pretty pass from the center of the pitch. Cara Maxell put Pelafas in open space where she sped to the goal. She rolled the ball past second half keeper Lauren Glavin from about 15 yards for the win.
“I saw it coming on, but she (Maxwell) had a great ball,” said Pelafas, who earned Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match honor. “It came from our defenders. I think if she hadn’t taken that perfect touch and played me, I wouldn’t have gotten the goal. It was really a perfect ball.”
Maxwell didn’t dawdle when she got the pass.
“I dribbled with speed,” she said. “I saw Lexie, and I knew that I should pass it to her because she was in really good position. I knew that she would probably score. This was important for us to win this game.”
It was a fast finish to a game that began with a pedestrian effort from Wheaton North.
“We started a little slow, and we came up with momentum,” said Pelafas, who has scored each of the Falcons four goals this season. “The midfielders connected to the forwards. Our midfield played a huge role in this game today.”
Wheaton North opened the scoring after a great hustle play from midfielder Becca Kouwe.
The junior turned a defensive play into a pass that sent Pelafas running.
Kouwe made a sliding tackle near midfield, then popped up to gain control of the ball and slot it through the defense. Pelafas took off on a 30-yard carry in the middle of the pitch. It ended with controlled shot on the ground into the left side of the net past defenseless Glenbard West keeper Bailey Wallace for a 1-0 lead in the 18 minute.
“I saw where she (Glenbard West player) was going to play it and anticipated and moved in,” said Kouwe, who played with thick protection on her broken right wrist. “I tackled the ball and popped back up. I saw Lexie was open, got lucky with a good ball and she finished.”
Wheaton North (1-0-2) won for the first time this season after 1-1 ties against Metea Valley and Downers Grove South. In the span, coach Tim McEvilly noticed an alarming trend.
“One of our themes is that we’ve given up one-goal leads throughout our first couple games,” he said. “We’ve just got to get the ball on frame. We’ve got to make keepers earn their money. But we were getting behind defenders.”
McEvilly saw good things in his midfield especially from holding midfielders Kouwe and Gwyn Phillips. Neither of the juniors were starters, but each played approximately the final 30 minutes of each half.
“They were doing a great job connecting the front to the back,” he said. “They did a great job of winning balls, playing more quickly than we were playing earlier. It’s a new position for everyone to learn there, as holding mids. Gwen and Becca, this is their first game where they really felt like they had it, like they really knew what they were doing.”
And the Falcons showed progress with a new accomplishment in the young season.
“For us to be able to score (the winning goal) shows a lot about our character, and just about playing the rest of the game, playing that second 40 minutes and playing ‘til the whistle,” McEvilly said.
There’s a youth movement afoot at Glenbard West. The Hilltoppers started six sophomores and three freshmen in their season opener, but at no time did they back down.
“We have a very young team and it was expected that it will take us time to get used to the varsity level of play,” said coach Maciej Kusmierz. “We weren’t intimidated (at the start) but maybe not as confident as we should be. We picked it up towards the second part of the first half.
“The second half we find it a little more difficult. We struggled with our passing, but it’s a learning process for such a young team. I’m happy with the performance and the effort today. It was a tough, hard-fought game and I compliment my players for trying all the way to the end.”
The Hilltoppers held possession in the early going, but didn't threaten.
Then Wheaton North started to exercise control. They began to ramp up the pressure after the 10-minute mark. Phillips and sophomore Margaret Hupp linked up with Pelafas who blasted a hard, 20-yard shot that Wallace blocked away in the 14th minute.
For the most part, Glenbard West's young defense was up to the task. They turned away Wheaton North numerous times in the penalty box. Kat Kostolansky sealed off Wheaton North's Hannah Atkinson and prevented a dangerous situation from eight-yards out in the 15th minute.
After Wheaton North’s 18th-minute score, Glenbard West started to creep forward.
The young line-up displayed deft one-touch passing possessions that started to edge the momentum their way.
“As a young team, our goal is to somehow be able to withstand the physical challenge,” said Kusmierz. “One way of doing that is trying to control the ball and get away from those 1-on-1, tough physical match-ups and challenges. We try to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible to avoid the physical play and hopefully create scoring opportunities. “
Senior midfielder Courtney Dugan put a soft shot on goal in the 31st minute, the best chance of a meager Hilltoppers’ attack.
Still, Glenbard West continued to play in Wheaton North's half of the field, and it paid off.
After a throw-in, co-captain Dugan took control on the right side. She lofted a ball from 20-yards out that caught Welsh flat-footed. The shot rainbowed over the keeper and bounced in the left side of the net to bring Glenbard West even in the 38th minute.
After the break, Wheaton North dominated much of the action. That gave Glenbard West's second-half keeper Lauren Glavin the opportunity to put herself in strong consideration for MVP of the Match honors. She did by consistently thwarting the visitors.
She started fast with a save in the 41st minute and stayed active.
Four minutes later she came off her line to take a ball away from Pelafas at the top of the box.
Glavin stopped Pelafas again in the 60th minute, and then came out to force Hannah Atkinson to make a play that pushed the ball out of bounds three minutes later.
Wheaton North almost regained the lead in the 69th minute, but Pelafas' 20-yard free kick hit the goal crossbar and then bounced off the football goal posts crossbar.
It wasn’t a storybook start for young Glenbard West, but it was a commendable one.
The defense also gave Kusmierz and Hilltoppers backers reason for optimism.
“One freshman and three sophomores play in our backline four,” he said. “I think our freshman Teagan Ryan did a great job against one of the top players in the area (Pelafas). She held her own in her very first varsity contest and did a really nice job today.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton North
GK: Zoe Welsh
D: Morghin Klein
D: Niamh Kane
D: Janelle Blackwell
D: Lauren Haley
MF: Gina Leone
MF: Bailey Gates
MF: Cara Maxwell
F: Margaret Hupp
F: Hannah Atkinson
F: Lexi Pelafas
Glenbard West
GK: Bailey Wallace
D: Kat Kostolansky
D: Teagan Ryan
D: Molly Becker
D: Gabi Wind
MF: Courtney Dugan
MF: Lindsay Payne
MF: Emma Kiel
MF: Alexandra Langtry
F: Emma Wallace
F: Emma Walsh
MVP of the Match: Lexi Pelafas, F, Wheaton North
Officials: Mike Lichtfuss (center); Jim Franklin; Edward Apy-Tuhiso.
Scoring summary:First half
GE: Pelafas (Kouwe), 18th minute
GW: Dugan, 38th minute
Second half
GE: Pelafas (Maxwell), 76th minute
Pelafas continues goal spree in 2-1 win over Glenbard West
By Dave Surico
GLEN ELLYN -- The adage says: It is better to give than to receive. That may be true, but Lexi Pelafas did both Wednesday night and gave Wheaton North a 2-1 road win over Glenbard West.
The senior forward scored both goals for the Falcons, including the game-winner in the 76th minute.
But she couldn't have done it without receiving two stellar passes from her teammates.
The game-winner came on a pretty pass from the center of the pitch. Cara Maxell put Pelafas in open space where she sped to the goal. She rolled the ball past second half keeper Lauren Glavin from about 15 yards for the win.
“I saw it coming on, but she (Maxwell) had a great ball,” said Pelafas, who earned Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match honor. “It came from our defenders. I think if she hadn’t taken that perfect touch and played me, I wouldn’t have gotten the goal. It was really a perfect ball.”
Maxwell didn’t dawdle when she got the pass.
“I dribbled with speed,” she said. “I saw Lexie, and I knew that I should pass it to her because she was in really good position. I knew that she would probably score. This was important for us to win this game.”
It was a fast finish to a game that began with a pedestrian effort from Wheaton North.
“We started a little slow, and we came up with momentum,” said Pelafas, who has scored each of the Falcons four goals this season. “The midfielders connected to the forwards. Our midfield played a huge role in this game today.”
Wheaton North opened the scoring after a great hustle play from midfielder Becca Kouwe.
The junior turned a defensive play into a pass that sent Pelafas running.
Kouwe made a sliding tackle near midfield, then popped up to gain control of the ball and slot it through the defense. Pelafas took off on a 30-yard carry in the middle of the pitch. It ended with controlled shot on the ground into the left side of the net past defenseless Glenbard West keeper Bailey Wallace for a 1-0 lead in the 18 minute.
“I saw where she (Glenbard West player) was going to play it and anticipated and moved in,” said Kouwe, who played with thick protection on her broken right wrist. “I tackled the ball and popped back up. I saw Lexie was open, got lucky with a good ball and she finished.”
Wheaton North (1-0-2) won for the first time this season after 1-1 ties against Metea Valley and Downers Grove South. In the span, coach Tim McEvilly noticed an alarming trend.
“One of our themes is that we’ve given up one-goal leads throughout our first couple games,” he said. “We’ve just got to get the ball on frame. We’ve got to make keepers earn their money. But we were getting behind defenders.”
McEvilly saw good things in his midfield especially from holding midfielders Kouwe and Gwyn Phillips. Neither of the juniors were starters, but each played approximately the final 30 minutes of each half.
“They were doing a great job connecting the front to the back,” he said. “They did a great job of winning balls, playing more quickly than we were playing earlier. It’s a new position for everyone to learn there, as holding mids. Gwen and Becca, this is their first game where they really felt like they had it, like they really knew what they were doing.”
And the Falcons showed progress with a new accomplishment in the young season.
“For us to be able to score (the winning goal) shows a lot about our character, and just about playing the rest of the game, playing that second 40 minutes and playing ‘til the whistle,” McEvilly said.
There’s a youth movement afoot at Glenbard West. The Hilltoppers started six sophomores and three freshmen in their season opener, but at no time did they back down.
“We have a very young team and it was expected that it will take us time to get used to the varsity level of play,” said coach Maciej Kusmierz. “We weren’t intimidated (at the start) but maybe not as confident as we should be. We picked it up towards the second part of the first half.
“The second half we find it a little more difficult. We struggled with our passing, but it’s a learning process for such a young team. I’m happy with the performance and the effort today. It was a tough, hard-fought game and I compliment my players for trying all the way to the end.”
The Hilltoppers held possession in the early going, but didn't threaten.
Then Wheaton North started to exercise control. They began to ramp up the pressure after the 10-minute mark. Phillips and sophomore Margaret Hupp linked up with Pelafas who blasted a hard, 20-yard shot that Wallace blocked away in the 14th minute.
For the most part, Glenbard West's young defense was up to the task. They turned away Wheaton North numerous times in the penalty box. Kat Kostolansky sealed off Wheaton North's Hannah Atkinson and prevented a dangerous situation from eight-yards out in the 15th minute.
After Wheaton North’s 18th-minute score, Glenbard West started to creep forward.
The young line-up displayed deft one-touch passing possessions that started to edge the momentum their way.
“As a young team, our goal is to somehow be able to withstand the physical challenge,” said Kusmierz. “One way of doing that is trying to control the ball and get away from those 1-on-1, tough physical match-ups and challenges. We try to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible to avoid the physical play and hopefully create scoring opportunities. “
Senior midfielder Courtney Dugan put a soft shot on goal in the 31st minute, the best chance of a meager Hilltoppers’ attack.
Still, Glenbard West continued to play in Wheaton North's half of the field, and it paid off.
After a throw-in, co-captain Dugan took control on the right side. She lofted a ball from 20-yards out that caught Welsh flat-footed. The shot rainbowed over the keeper and bounced in the left side of the net to bring Glenbard West even in the 38th minute.
After the break, Wheaton North dominated much of the action. That gave Glenbard West's second-half keeper Lauren Glavin the opportunity to put herself in strong consideration for MVP of the Match honors. She did by consistently thwarting the visitors.
She started fast with a save in the 41st minute and stayed active.
Four minutes later she came off her line to take a ball away from Pelafas at the top of the box.
Glavin stopped Pelafas again in the 60th minute, and then came out to force Hannah Atkinson to make a play that pushed the ball out of bounds three minutes later.
Wheaton North almost regained the lead in the 69th minute, but Pelafas' 20-yard free kick hit the goal crossbar and then bounced off the football goal posts crossbar.
It wasn’t a storybook start for young Glenbard West, but it was a commendable one.
The defense also gave Kusmierz and Hilltoppers backers reason for optimism.
“One freshman and three sophomores play in our backline four,” he said. “I think our freshman Teagan Ryan did a great job against one of the top players in the area (Pelafas). She held her own in her very first varsity contest and did a really nice job today.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton North
GK: Zoe Welsh
D: Morghin Klein
D: Niamh Kane
D: Janelle Blackwell
D: Lauren Haley
MF: Gina Leone
MF: Bailey Gates
MF: Cara Maxwell
F: Margaret Hupp
F: Hannah Atkinson
F: Lexi Pelafas
Glenbard West
GK: Bailey Wallace
D: Kat Kostolansky
D: Teagan Ryan
D: Molly Becker
D: Gabi Wind
MF: Courtney Dugan
MF: Lindsay Payne
MF: Emma Kiel
MF: Alexandra Langtry
F: Emma Wallace
F: Emma Walsh
MVP of the Match: Lexi Pelafas, F, Wheaton North
Officials: Mike Lichtfuss (center); Jim Franklin; Edward Apy-Tuhiso.
Scoring summary:First half
GE: Pelafas (Kouwe), 18th minute
GW: Dugan, 38th minute
Second half
GE: Pelafas (Maxwell), 76th minute