Fischer puts five in net to power
Lockport over Maine East
Freshman puts Porters up 4-0 in 1st 6 minutes
By Steve Millar
SCHAUMBURG -- Five goals in 30 minutes. Ally Fischer never dreamed Saturday would go the way it did.
“I was nervous before the game,” the freshman said. “I’ve never played in a high school tournament like this. I definitely didn’t think anything like this would happen.”
Fischer, a forward for Lockport, scored five times as the Porters rolled past Maine East 7-0 in a PepsiCo Showdown first-round game at Olympic Park.
“I was excited to play in this tournament,” Fischer said. “I’ve always heard good things about it and how it’s a good opportunity to have college coaches see you and just get your name out there. I like it.”
Lockport (3-2-2), the No. 11 seed in the tournament’s Gatorade Bracket, will play at sixth-seeded St. Ignatius in Tuesday’s second round.
Fischer’s first four goals Saturday came in the first six minutes. She was the beneficiary of some nice setups from her teammates and consistently got behind Maine East’s defenders, who were playing high and attempting offside traps.
“It took us a bit to figure out that offside trap, but once we did, Ally’s quick and she’s composed,” Lockport coach Todd Elkei said. “All seven of our goals were from freshmen, and they were all composed goals. They didn’t panic. They kept their balance. There were good services to get in on the break, and they did a good job finishing.”
Fellow freshman Lauren Pikulski, who scored the Porters’ other two goals, set up the game’s first goal with a strong run down the right side in the third minute, finding Fischer open in the middle for the score.
A minute later, it was Allison Polinski with a beautiful service to set up Fischer to make it 2-0.
“Their setups were basically perfect,” Fischer said. “They played balls that were easy to control, and it worked out that we were passing really well. It was just crazy.”
Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match added two more goals in the next two minutes.
Fischer started the season in the midfield, but she has been playing forward lately in place of Sam Calderaro. The senior hopes to return soon after suffering a sprained ankle April 4 against Lincoln-Way East.
After the early surge, the key for the Porters was staying focused.
“We were excited for this game,” Lockport senior Meg Lesnefsky said. “We knew how important it was. Everyone had a good effort today, and we didn’t let up. We had a good intensity, and we were able to score some goals.
“We all motivate each other. We never let each other get down on the field. It’s always like, ‘Hey, keep going. Don’t give up.’ We’re all there for each other, and it shows.”
Midfielder Stephanie Quigley also got involved in the offensive fireworks for freshmen, assisting on Pikulski’s first goal in the 11th minute. Lockport led 7-0 at halftime.
Maine East managed three shots on goal, with Ariana Cruz getting the two best chances, both in the first half.
Cruz fired a strong shot from 35 yards that Lockport goalkeeper Cassidy Henson saved. Cruz’s free kick from 25 yards was also handled by Henson, who had an assist in addition to recording her fifth shutout of the season.
Lesnefsky, Brooke Janeczek, Jamie Hansen and Madisyn Hannion played solid defense in front of Henson.
“In the second half, we were just focused on keeping a clean sheet and making sure we didn’t give one up,” Elkei said. “We also wanted to work on playing a little quicker because even though we scored a lot of goals in the first half, our distribution could have been better.”
Elkei knows the Porters will get a tougher test Tuesday against St. Ignatius.
“Ignatius is always a good team, so it’s one of those games where we’re going to have to step up, connect some passes and create some opportunities to score,” he said. “When those opportunities present themselves. It’s going to come down to getting our feet on them or our heads and doing whatever we have to do to outscore them.”
Of course, it would help if the Porters can get off to another start like the one Saturday.
“I think the key the rest of the tournament for us is just coming out strong every game,” Lesnefsky said. “It’s the first five minutes that really matter every game. When we start fast, we’re going to continue working hard the whole game.”
Starting lineups
Lockport
GK: Cassidy Henson
D: Brooke Janeczek
D: Meg Lesnefsky
D: Jamie Hansen
D: Madisyn Hannion
M: Taylor Stortz
M: Allison Polinski
M: Stephane Quigley
M: Karlee Stortz
F: Ally Fischer
F: Lauren Pikulski
Maine East
GK: Tea Vuckovic
D: Jaclyn Contreras
D: Diana Landi
D: Kayla Villahermosa
M: Aornina Abram
M: Ariana Cruz
M: Esther Okedina
M: Rosely Perez
M: Xitali Viveros
F: Cecilia Martinez
F: Elisa Polo
Officials: Jordan Castillejo, Julian Damian, Rudy Gonzalez
MVP of the Match: Ally Fischer, F, Lockport
Lockport over Maine East
Freshman puts Porters up 4-0 in 1st 6 minutes
By Steve Millar
SCHAUMBURG -- Five goals in 30 minutes. Ally Fischer never dreamed Saturday would go the way it did.
“I was nervous before the game,” the freshman said. “I’ve never played in a high school tournament like this. I definitely didn’t think anything like this would happen.”
Fischer, a forward for Lockport, scored five times as the Porters rolled past Maine East 7-0 in a PepsiCo Showdown first-round game at Olympic Park.
“I was excited to play in this tournament,” Fischer said. “I’ve always heard good things about it and how it’s a good opportunity to have college coaches see you and just get your name out there. I like it.”
Lockport (3-2-2), the No. 11 seed in the tournament’s Gatorade Bracket, will play at sixth-seeded St. Ignatius in Tuesday’s second round.
Fischer’s first four goals Saturday came in the first six minutes. She was the beneficiary of some nice setups from her teammates and consistently got behind Maine East’s defenders, who were playing high and attempting offside traps.
“It took us a bit to figure out that offside trap, but once we did, Ally’s quick and she’s composed,” Lockport coach Todd Elkei said. “All seven of our goals were from freshmen, and they were all composed goals. They didn’t panic. They kept their balance. There were good services to get in on the break, and they did a good job finishing.”
Fellow freshman Lauren Pikulski, who scored the Porters’ other two goals, set up the game’s first goal with a strong run down the right side in the third minute, finding Fischer open in the middle for the score.
A minute later, it was Allison Polinski with a beautiful service to set up Fischer to make it 2-0.
“Their setups were basically perfect,” Fischer said. “They played balls that were easy to control, and it worked out that we were passing really well. It was just crazy.”
Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match added two more goals in the next two minutes.
Fischer started the season in the midfield, but she has been playing forward lately in place of Sam Calderaro. The senior hopes to return soon after suffering a sprained ankle April 4 against Lincoln-Way East.
After the early surge, the key for the Porters was staying focused.
“We were excited for this game,” Lockport senior Meg Lesnefsky said. “We knew how important it was. Everyone had a good effort today, and we didn’t let up. We had a good intensity, and we were able to score some goals.
“We all motivate each other. We never let each other get down on the field. It’s always like, ‘Hey, keep going. Don’t give up.’ We’re all there for each other, and it shows.”
Midfielder Stephanie Quigley also got involved in the offensive fireworks for freshmen, assisting on Pikulski’s first goal in the 11th minute. Lockport led 7-0 at halftime.
Maine East managed three shots on goal, with Ariana Cruz getting the two best chances, both in the first half.
Cruz fired a strong shot from 35 yards that Lockport goalkeeper Cassidy Henson saved. Cruz’s free kick from 25 yards was also handled by Henson, who had an assist in addition to recording her fifth shutout of the season.
Lesnefsky, Brooke Janeczek, Jamie Hansen and Madisyn Hannion played solid defense in front of Henson.
“In the second half, we were just focused on keeping a clean sheet and making sure we didn’t give one up,” Elkei said. “We also wanted to work on playing a little quicker because even though we scored a lot of goals in the first half, our distribution could have been better.”
Elkei knows the Porters will get a tougher test Tuesday against St. Ignatius.
“Ignatius is always a good team, so it’s one of those games where we’re going to have to step up, connect some passes and create some opportunities to score,” he said. “When those opportunities present themselves. It’s going to come down to getting our feet on them or our heads and doing whatever we have to do to outscore them.”
Of course, it would help if the Porters can get off to another start like the one Saturday.
“I think the key the rest of the tournament for us is just coming out strong every game,” Lesnefsky said. “It’s the first five minutes that really matter every game. When we start fast, we’re going to continue working hard the whole game.”
Starting lineups
Lockport
GK: Cassidy Henson
D: Brooke Janeczek
D: Meg Lesnefsky
D: Jamie Hansen
D: Madisyn Hannion
M: Taylor Stortz
M: Allison Polinski
M: Stephane Quigley
M: Karlee Stortz
F: Ally Fischer
F: Lauren Pikulski
Maine East
GK: Tea Vuckovic
D: Jaclyn Contreras
D: Diana Landi
D: Kayla Villahermosa
M: Aornina Abram
M: Ariana Cruz
M: Esther Okedina
M: Rosely Perez
M: Xitali Viveros
F: Cecilia Martinez
F: Elisa Polo
Officials: Jordan Castillejo, Julian Damian, Rudy Gonzalez
MVP of the Match: Ally Fischer, F, Lockport