Seper keeps faith, saves
match for Lincoln-Way E.
Glenbard E. stays even for 90 minutes until Griffins win shootout
By Matt Le Cren
BRIDGEVIEW – They turned the lights on late in the second half of Monday’s Windy City Ram Classic title match at Toyota Park.
But it wasn’t until the penalty kick shootout that Lincoln-Way East goalie Kimberly Seper really shone. The sophomore stopped three penalty kicks, including the final two, to lift the Griffins to a 1-0 victory over Glenbard East.
“Oh, my God, it is the best feeling ever,” Seper said. “Toyota Park, to start with, is so exciting, and then when the lights came on it was surreal.”
The shootout was a surreal ending to a championship game in which neither team could find the back of the net during 80 minutes of regulation and 10 minutes of overtime.
Glenbard East had a slight edge in the run of play, outshooting the Griffins 11-7, but the opposing goalies snuffed out the few solid scoring chances.
Seper and Glenbard East junior Sierra Dana each made five saves during regulation, with Seper adding one more in the first overtime.
The defensive orientation of the match continued in the shootout, with only half the shooters converting.
Jillian Kilrea got it started by scoring for the Griffins, and then Seper dove to her right to stop Glenbard East’s Jordyn Fulton.
Lincoln-Way East’s advantage was short-lived, though. Dana stopped Caroline Kilrea by knocking the ball up into the crossbar, and Holly Ward converted to draw the Rams even.
After the Griffins’ Stephanie Cetera and the Rams’ Megan Mrazek scored in the next round, senior Jessica Rajca converted to give Lincoln-Way a 3-2 lead.
Little did Rajca know that would turn out to be the game winner. She thought her teammate would get that honor.
“No, I thought DC [Hannah Dolan-Cook] was going to take it away,” Rajca said. “She’s always had good PKs.”
Dolan-Cook had a chance to clinch it after Seper dove to her right to deny Glenbard East’s fourth shooter, Corie Ewoldt. But Dolan-Cook sent her attempt over the crossbar, giving Glenbard East star Brittany Paganucci a chance to extend the competition.
Seper, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match, made her decision and was in the process of diving to her right when Paganucci drilled her shot straight up the middle. Usually that ends in a goal, but Seper, in a tremendous display of athleticism, somehow stopped her momentum and dove back to her left to grab the ball.
“You don’t really think that they’re going to shoot it down the middle, so you’ve just got to have quick feet and try to switch as quick as you can,” Seper said. “It was amazing. Just looking out and seeing the whole stadium was so awesome, and then making that final save was even better.”
This isn’t the first time Seper has come through in a shootout for the Griffins. She made two saves in the semifinal win over Providence. But no one figured she’d stop three in one session, a rare feat.
“She’s a great goalie but she did better than I ever thought she could do,” Rajca said.
Did Seper’s confidence grow after stopping Fulton?
“Yes and no because, yeah, it feels great, but then you have to have another reality check and say you have four more shots to save,” Seper said. “You can’t be too much on a high until all the shooters are done.”
Now the Griffins (5-0) have that on-top-of-the-world feeling.
“We’re on a high right now, and it just feels so good,” Seper said. “This is the first time in many years that we’ve won this many games this early, so we’re just trying to run with it as far as we can and hope for the best.”
Both teams did a lot of running, much more than usual, because of Toyota Park’s large field. The majority of players on both sides had played on the field last year but that didn’t make it any easier.
“The field is big, and it’s also grass,” Rajca said. “Most of us play on turf so it’s very different. But it’s a lot of fun. I enjoy it a lot.”
So did the Rams (5-2), who would have enjoyed it a lot more had they won. They lost in the title game for the second-straight year.
“Looking at the statistics, we outshot them, we had more chances but we just couldn’t finish,” Glenbard East coach Kent Overbey said. “I think the big field [was a factor]. When players get in behind and then it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s so much space,’ and then they panic a little bit.
“It’s just unfortunate. I thought we had a lot of good chances and just didn’t put any away. Their keeper played well.”
Indeed, Seper and the Lincoln-Way East defenders did well to contain the speedy Paganucci, who figured to create havoc with all the extra space. But even though the Rams controlled the midfield for long stretches, Paganucci was held to just two shots, though both were quality chances.
The first came with 12:24 remaining in the first half ,when Paganucci made a steal 50 yards out and raced toward the Griffins' net with a defender near her hip. She advanced into the box, but her shot was smothered by a charging Seper.
Then with 10:30 to go in the second half, Fulton’s lead pass sprung Paganucci on a breakaway in the right side of the box. Paganucci walked in on Seper and fired from eight yards out, but Seper deflected the ball around the left post.
The Rams had a few other chances to get on the board. A shot from Ward just missed the left post in the first half. A flurry of shots in the 66th minute saw the Griffins block two attempts in the box before Fulton sent a 22-yard drive over the crossbar.
Lincoln-Way East got the job done in the back third.
“We lost only two seniors from last year, so it is almost the same team,” Rajca said. “So we’ve worked together for a while now, and coming into this year we worked on the same things. We talked a lot [today] and locked [Paganucci] out.”
While many people expected an evenly played game between two strong defenses, Rajca said the Griffins entered with no preconceived notions.
“We came into this game not expecting anything,” Rajca said. “We’ve been watching the scores of all the games.
“[The Rams] are an awesome team. We weren’t expecting this close of a game, but it was awesome. It’s one of the best feelings, and it’s my senior year, my last year playing in [the tournament]. It’s the best thing that could have happened in my senior year.”
Despite the loss, the Rams felt they played well. They did not surrender a goal in the tournament, thanks to the stellar back line of Paige Taylor, Maria Berrum and Mary Kurtz.
Berrum was particularly industrious in the title game, hustling to win 50-50 balls and generally frustrating the Griffins.
“We did good,” Berrum said. “We had more control of the game. I don’t think they had the advantage. [Our] communication was good, and everything is there.”
This is the second-straight year the Rams have lost the final to a District 210 school, although they are getting closer. They fell to Lincoln-Way North 1-0 last year, with the only goal coming on a free kick.
“Twice the bridesmaid,” Overbey said. “Next year, though, hopefully we’ll be able to put it together for a win.”
Starting lineups
Lincoln-Way East
GK: Kimberly Seper
D: Emily Bicek
D: Lindsey Murphy
D: Jessica Rajca
D: Jade Christensen
M: Stefani Cetera
M: Jillian Kilrea
M: Caroline Kilrea
M: Hannah Dolan-Cook
F: Emily Scianna
F: Hanna Dawczak
Glenbard East
GK: Sierra Dana
D: Paige Taylor
D: Maria Bellum
D: Mary Kurtz
M: Megan Mrazek
M: Holly Ward
M: Corie Ewoldt
M: Amanda Chlebek
M: Sammie Sarles
F: Jordyn Fulton
F: Brittany Paganucci
MVP of the Match: Kimberly Seper, GK, Lincoln-Way East.
match for Lincoln-Way E.
Glenbard E. stays even for 90 minutes until Griffins win shootout
By Matt Le Cren
BRIDGEVIEW – They turned the lights on late in the second half of Monday’s Windy City Ram Classic title match at Toyota Park.
But it wasn’t until the penalty kick shootout that Lincoln-Way East goalie Kimberly Seper really shone. The sophomore stopped three penalty kicks, including the final two, to lift the Griffins to a 1-0 victory over Glenbard East.
“Oh, my God, it is the best feeling ever,” Seper said. “Toyota Park, to start with, is so exciting, and then when the lights came on it was surreal.”
The shootout was a surreal ending to a championship game in which neither team could find the back of the net during 80 minutes of regulation and 10 minutes of overtime.
Glenbard East had a slight edge in the run of play, outshooting the Griffins 11-7, but the opposing goalies snuffed out the few solid scoring chances.
Seper and Glenbard East junior Sierra Dana each made five saves during regulation, with Seper adding one more in the first overtime.
The defensive orientation of the match continued in the shootout, with only half the shooters converting.
Jillian Kilrea got it started by scoring for the Griffins, and then Seper dove to her right to stop Glenbard East’s Jordyn Fulton.
Lincoln-Way East’s advantage was short-lived, though. Dana stopped Caroline Kilrea by knocking the ball up into the crossbar, and Holly Ward converted to draw the Rams even.
After the Griffins’ Stephanie Cetera and the Rams’ Megan Mrazek scored in the next round, senior Jessica Rajca converted to give Lincoln-Way a 3-2 lead.
Little did Rajca know that would turn out to be the game winner. She thought her teammate would get that honor.
“No, I thought DC [Hannah Dolan-Cook] was going to take it away,” Rajca said. “She’s always had good PKs.”
Dolan-Cook had a chance to clinch it after Seper dove to her right to deny Glenbard East’s fourth shooter, Corie Ewoldt. But Dolan-Cook sent her attempt over the crossbar, giving Glenbard East star Brittany Paganucci a chance to extend the competition.
Seper, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match, made her decision and was in the process of diving to her right when Paganucci drilled her shot straight up the middle. Usually that ends in a goal, but Seper, in a tremendous display of athleticism, somehow stopped her momentum and dove back to her left to grab the ball.
“You don’t really think that they’re going to shoot it down the middle, so you’ve just got to have quick feet and try to switch as quick as you can,” Seper said. “It was amazing. Just looking out and seeing the whole stadium was so awesome, and then making that final save was even better.”
This isn’t the first time Seper has come through in a shootout for the Griffins. She made two saves in the semifinal win over Providence. But no one figured she’d stop three in one session, a rare feat.
“She’s a great goalie but she did better than I ever thought she could do,” Rajca said.
Did Seper’s confidence grow after stopping Fulton?
“Yes and no because, yeah, it feels great, but then you have to have another reality check and say you have four more shots to save,” Seper said. “You can’t be too much on a high until all the shooters are done.”
Now the Griffins (5-0) have that on-top-of-the-world feeling.
“We’re on a high right now, and it just feels so good,” Seper said. “This is the first time in many years that we’ve won this many games this early, so we’re just trying to run with it as far as we can and hope for the best.”
Both teams did a lot of running, much more than usual, because of Toyota Park’s large field. The majority of players on both sides had played on the field last year but that didn’t make it any easier.
“The field is big, and it’s also grass,” Rajca said. “Most of us play on turf so it’s very different. But it’s a lot of fun. I enjoy it a lot.”
So did the Rams (5-2), who would have enjoyed it a lot more had they won. They lost in the title game for the second-straight year.
“Looking at the statistics, we outshot them, we had more chances but we just couldn’t finish,” Glenbard East coach Kent Overbey said. “I think the big field [was a factor]. When players get in behind and then it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s so much space,’ and then they panic a little bit.
“It’s just unfortunate. I thought we had a lot of good chances and just didn’t put any away. Their keeper played well.”
Indeed, Seper and the Lincoln-Way East defenders did well to contain the speedy Paganucci, who figured to create havoc with all the extra space. But even though the Rams controlled the midfield for long stretches, Paganucci was held to just two shots, though both were quality chances.
The first came with 12:24 remaining in the first half ,when Paganucci made a steal 50 yards out and raced toward the Griffins' net with a defender near her hip. She advanced into the box, but her shot was smothered by a charging Seper.
Then with 10:30 to go in the second half, Fulton’s lead pass sprung Paganucci on a breakaway in the right side of the box. Paganucci walked in on Seper and fired from eight yards out, but Seper deflected the ball around the left post.
The Rams had a few other chances to get on the board. A shot from Ward just missed the left post in the first half. A flurry of shots in the 66th minute saw the Griffins block two attempts in the box before Fulton sent a 22-yard drive over the crossbar.
Lincoln-Way East got the job done in the back third.
“We lost only two seniors from last year, so it is almost the same team,” Rajca said. “So we’ve worked together for a while now, and coming into this year we worked on the same things. We talked a lot [today] and locked [Paganucci] out.”
While many people expected an evenly played game between two strong defenses, Rajca said the Griffins entered with no preconceived notions.
“We came into this game not expecting anything,” Rajca said. “We’ve been watching the scores of all the games.
“[The Rams] are an awesome team. We weren’t expecting this close of a game, but it was awesome. It’s one of the best feelings, and it’s my senior year, my last year playing in [the tournament]. It’s the best thing that could have happened in my senior year.”
Despite the loss, the Rams felt they played well. They did not surrender a goal in the tournament, thanks to the stellar back line of Paige Taylor, Maria Berrum and Mary Kurtz.
Berrum was particularly industrious in the title game, hustling to win 50-50 balls and generally frustrating the Griffins.
“We did good,” Berrum said. “We had more control of the game. I don’t think they had the advantage. [Our] communication was good, and everything is there.”
This is the second-straight year the Rams have lost the final to a District 210 school, although they are getting closer. They fell to Lincoln-Way North 1-0 last year, with the only goal coming on a free kick.
“Twice the bridesmaid,” Overbey said. “Next year, though, hopefully we’ll be able to put it together for a win.”
Starting lineups
Lincoln-Way East
GK: Kimberly Seper
D: Emily Bicek
D: Lindsey Murphy
D: Jessica Rajca
D: Jade Christensen
M: Stefani Cetera
M: Jillian Kilrea
M: Caroline Kilrea
M: Hannah Dolan-Cook
F: Emily Scianna
F: Hanna Dawczak
Glenbard East
GK: Sierra Dana
D: Paige Taylor
D: Maria Bellum
D: Mary Kurtz
M: Megan Mrazek
M: Holly Ward
M: Corie Ewoldt
M: Amanda Chlebek
M: Sammie Sarles
F: Jordyn Fulton
F: Brittany Paganucci
MVP of the Match: Kimberly Seper, GK, Lincoln-Way East.