Metea Valley squeaks past WWS
Riordan nets game-winner in 75th minute
By Ken Keenan
AURORA -- A friendly goalpost, a halftime reboot and a late, gritty goal added up to a 1-0 win for host Metea Valley against Wheaton Warrenville South in DuPage Valley Conference action Tuesday night.
Junior forward Maeve Riordan netted the game-winner for the Mustangs -- ranked 11th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 -- and broke the 0-0 deadlock with only 5:25 remaining in regulation. After a cross from the left side by Wargo resulted in a wild scramble on the doorstep, Riordan tapped the ball inside the right post.
"I didn't actually know it went in until I heard my teammates cheer," said Riordan, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. "I was just working hard to find (the ball)."
Metea Valley head coach Chris Whaley said, "The goal wasn't pretty. But we had a lot of chances. We had some other opportunities."
Most of those came in the second half, when the Mustangs (10-3-3) controlled play following a first half that leaned more toward the Tigers -- including a 20-yard blast by sophomore forward Paige Miller that rattled off the right post in the 37th minute.
"We just came out flat in the beginning," Whaley said. "We challenged the girls at halftime to raise their level, and they responded well in the second half."
Mustangs' senior defender Kelly Crowe said, "We came out flat ... a little rough -- too many touches on the ball. At halftime, we talked about keeping positive. Positivity goes a long way. We kept our composure in the second half.
"We were locking it in (the Tigers') half of the field -- moving well without the ball and more confident on the ball as well."
Metea Valley junior mid Sophia Senese said, "We were kind of dead in the first half. Communication was negative. We had to build each other up and stay positive."
Riordan agreed, adding, "I think our energy in the second half was more positive. We were encouraging each other, and that built up to get one in the back of the net."
If not for the positively brilliant play of Wheaton Warrenville South sophomore goalkeeper Abbie Brennan -- plus a 30-yard free kick by Crowe that banged off the corner of the crossbar and the post in the 59th minute -- the game's first goal goal could have come sooner.
Brennan was rock-solid throughout the match. She made a pair of superb stops in the first half, snagging a 15-yard strike by Tigers' junior midfielder Wargo in the 7th minute and then robbing freshman forward Nicole Dawson on a 30-yard shot with 23:35 to go before the break.
With the Mustangs pressing hard in the second half, Brennan stopped a shot by Metea Valley senior forward Jade Eriksen-Russo, who sliced through three defenders before unleashing a left-footed missile from 20 yards with 35 minutes remaining.
Moments after Crowe's shot met iron, Brennan made a diving save to spoil a 15-yard try by Dawson. The stellar Tigers' keeper also snagged a nifty, 20-yard turnaround shot by Russo in the 60th minute.
Brennan was at it again in the 71st minute, stopping a 15-yard boot by Paige Buranosky after the freshman middie settled a beautiful pass from Riordan.
"The adrenaline was up," Brennan said. "It was very busy, very active back there. Our communication off the ball could have been stronger."
Wheaton Warrenville South sophomore midfielder Allie Anderson said, "The first half, we were much more offensive. We tried to attack. The second half, we played real defensive, and (the Mustangs) took control on us. (Brennan) kept us in the game."
Added Miller: "We had a lot of energy to start. In the second half, we slowed down a bit and let them control us."
The win ended Metea Valley's conference slate with a 6-2-0 record. The Mustangs' 18 points top the DVC standings, but Neuqua Valley and Naperville North are undefeated and have games remaining.
Click here to see the DuPage Valley Conference standings
Wheaton Warrenville South (8-7-1, 3-3-0) produced a handful of good chances in the first 40 minutes, but Mustangs' senior keeper Amy Ahern was equal to the task. She made a diving save in-close to foil Wheaton Warrenville South sophomore mid Audrey Siebert in the 11th minute, and then leaped to snag a sneaky, 20-yard strike by Miller with 25:25 to go in the opening session.
Four minutes later, Ahern stopped Tigers midfielder Morgan Schwerin, who neatly deflected a cross from Miller after a long run down the left side. A one-timer off the foot of Tigers' freshman mid Jennifer Aalbue, following a cross by Miller, was nabbed by Ahern in the 34th minute.
"We had opportunities in the first half," said Tigers' skipper Guy Callipari, whose team fell to 8-7-1, 3-3-0. "But give credit to Metea. They played tighter and were more aggressive in the second half. They were possessing the ball in the second half, and we were chasing a lot on the defensive side of things. But the game was still up for grabs in the final minutes."
Until Riordan managed to squeak one in.
"After Maeve scored, it boosted us even more," Senese said. "The effort was there, and that helped give us the win."
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
G: Abbie Brennan
D: Julia Hildebrand
D: Emily Calloway
D: Claire Kiple
D: Maria Dohse
M: Julia Martz
M: Morgan Schwerin
M: Audrey Siebert
M: Allie Anderson
M: Jennifer Aalbue
F: Paige Miller
Metea Valley
G: Amy Ahern
D: Paige Buranosky
D: Katherine Wieland
D: Kelly Crowe
D: MaKenna Schoolman
M: Sophia Senese
M: Emily Lindbloom
M: Chesney Wargo
F: Nicole Dawson
F: Jade Eriksen-Russo
F: Maeve Riordan
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Maeve Riordan, jr., F, Metea Valley
Officials: Justin O'Bryan; Tony Martinez; Bruce Bode
Riordan nets game-winner in 75th minute
By Ken Keenan
AURORA -- A friendly goalpost, a halftime reboot and a late, gritty goal added up to a 1-0 win for host Metea Valley against Wheaton Warrenville South in DuPage Valley Conference action Tuesday night.
Junior forward Maeve Riordan netted the game-winner for the Mustangs -- ranked 11th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 -- and broke the 0-0 deadlock with only 5:25 remaining in regulation. After a cross from the left side by Wargo resulted in a wild scramble on the doorstep, Riordan tapped the ball inside the right post.
"I didn't actually know it went in until I heard my teammates cheer," said Riordan, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. "I was just working hard to find (the ball)."
Metea Valley head coach Chris Whaley said, "The goal wasn't pretty. But we had a lot of chances. We had some other opportunities."
Most of those came in the second half, when the Mustangs (10-3-3) controlled play following a first half that leaned more toward the Tigers -- including a 20-yard blast by sophomore forward Paige Miller that rattled off the right post in the 37th minute.
"We just came out flat in the beginning," Whaley said. "We challenged the girls at halftime to raise their level, and they responded well in the second half."
Mustangs' senior defender Kelly Crowe said, "We came out flat ... a little rough -- too many touches on the ball. At halftime, we talked about keeping positive. Positivity goes a long way. We kept our composure in the second half.
"We were locking it in (the Tigers') half of the field -- moving well without the ball and more confident on the ball as well."
Metea Valley junior mid Sophia Senese said, "We were kind of dead in the first half. Communication was negative. We had to build each other up and stay positive."
Riordan agreed, adding, "I think our energy in the second half was more positive. We were encouraging each other, and that built up to get one in the back of the net."
If not for the positively brilliant play of Wheaton Warrenville South sophomore goalkeeper Abbie Brennan -- plus a 30-yard free kick by Crowe that banged off the corner of the crossbar and the post in the 59th minute -- the game's first goal goal could have come sooner.
Brennan was rock-solid throughout the match. She made a pair of superb stops in the first half, snagging a 15-yard strike by Tigers' junior midfielder Wargo in the 7th minute and then robbing freshman forward Nicole Dawson on a 30-yard shot with 23:35 to go before the break.
With the Mustangs pressing hard in the second half, Brennan stopped a shot by Metea Valley senior forward Jade Eriksen-Russo, who sliced through three defenders before unleashing a left-footed missile from 20 yards with 35 minutes remaining.
Moments after Crowe's shot met iron, Brennan made a diving save to spoil a 15-yard try by Dawson. The stellar Tigers' keeper also snagged a nifty, 20-yard turnaround shot by Russo in the 60th minute.
Brennan was at it again in the 71st minute, stopping a 15-yard boot by Paige Buranosky after the freshman middie settled a beautiful pass from Riordan.
"The adrenaline was up," Brennan said. "It was very busy, very active back there. Our communication off the ball could have been stronger."
Wheaton Warrenville South sophomore midfielder Allie Anderson said, "The first half, we were much more offensive. We tried to attack. The second half, we played real defensive, and (the Mustangs) took control on us. (Brennan) kept us in the game."
Added Miller: "We had a lot of energy to start. In the second half, we slowed down a bit and let them control us."
The win ended Metea Valley's conference slate with a 6-2-0 record. The Mustangs' 18 points top the DVC standings, but Neuqua Valley and Naperville North are undefeated and have games remaining.
Click here to see the DuPage Valley Conference standings
Wheaton Warrenville South (8-7-1, 3-3-0) produced a handful of good chances in the first 40 minutes, but Mustangs' senior keeper Amy Ahern was equal to the task. She made a diving save in-close to foil Wheaton Warrenville South sophomore mid Audrey Siebert in the 11th minute, and then leaped to snag a sneaky, 20-yard strike by Miller with 25:25 to go in the opening session.
Four minutes later, Ahern stopped Tigers midfielder Morgan Schwerin, who neatly deflected a cross from Miller after a long run down the left side. A one-timer off the foot of Tigers' freshman mid Jennifer Aalbue, following a cross by Miller, was nabbed by Ahern in the 34th minute.
"We had opportunities in the first half," said Tigers' skipper Guy Callipari, whose team fell to 8-7-1, 3-3-0. "But give credit to Metea. They played tighter and were more aggressive in the second half. They were possessing the ball in the second half, and we were chasing a lot on the defensive side of things. But the game was still up for grabs in the final minutes."
Until Riordan managed to squeak one in.
"After Maeve scored, it boosted us even more," Senese said. "The effort was there, and that helped give us the win."
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
G: Abbie Brennan
D: Julia Hildebrand
D: Emily Calloway
D: Claire Kiple
D: Maria Dohse
M: Julia Martz
M: Morgan Schwerin
M: Audrey Siebert
M: Allie Anderson
M: Jennifer Aalbue
F: Paige Miller
Metea Valley
G: Amy Ahern
D: Paige Buranosky
D: Katherine Wieland
D: Kelly Crowe
D: MaKenna Schoolman
M: Sophia Senese
M: Emily Lindbloom
M: Chesney Wargo
F: Nicole Dawson
F: Jade Eriksen-Russo
F: Maeve Riordan
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Maeve Riordan, jr., F, Metea Valley
Officials: Justin O'Bryan; Tony Martinez; Bruce Bode