Plainfield North puts things
together against OPRF
Tigers live up to potential in 4-1 triumph
By Patrick Z. McGavin
SCHAUMBURG — Every game is a chance to tell its own story, create a new narrative, of possibility and wonder. Plainfield North is a team of many parts trying to cohere and develop in a manner befitting its talented whole.
The typically volatile weather did not help the team's cause. Plainfield North has had to deal with four postponements in the first three weeks of the season, including two this week. Finding a rhythm in game situations was proving elusive.
The great challenge confronting coach Jane Crowe, in her 10th year with the program, was molding the pieces together. The team looked forward to the start of the PepsiCo Showdown as a measuring stick.
Erin Chynoweth made her coach look especially prescient.
Crowe said the dynamic four-year starter met all the requirements to have a breakout tournament, and Chynoweth played the role to perfection by scoring two goals. She led an aggressive and dynamic attack as the Tigers defeated Oak Park and River Forest 4-1 in first-round play Saturday morning.
The third-seeded Tigers (5-0-2) advance to meet 14th-seeded Wheaton Academy in Tuesday's second-round play in the Aquafina Bracket.
A Truman State University recruit, Chynoweth is creative and opportunistic.
"Both of her goals were rebounds off of somebody else's shots, and that's what we talked about before the game. We wanted to make things happen by putting shots on goal," Crowe said.
This Plainfield North team is the first in five or six years without a top-line star such as Callie O'Donnell or the two Handwork sisters, Ashley and Heather, both now starring at Marquette. Chynoweth shifted from her center midfielder slot to forward. It has taken her time to make the necessary adjustments.
"She still has that center-mid mentality, and what we've said to her is that we want her to be more selfish," Crowe said. Chynoweth also is recovering from an early season bout of mononucleosis that sidelined her the first four games of the year.
"Slowly but surely, with each game back, I've felt like I've gotten better," she said.
The game had an electrifying start. The teams combined for a staggering three goals in the first nine minutes of the match.
Oak Park and River Forest (1-4-2) entered the match having demonstrated marked improvement. Coach Ignacio Ponce's side integrated a number of new faces into his rotation.
"We started rough, playing against some good teams. When we started playing against teams we could hold our own against, we started to find our combinations," Huskies senior forward Julia Weiss said.
Plainfield North got things started when midfielder Sam Elster drilled a ball that Chynoweth cut between a defender and powered home in the fourth minute.
"That was definitely good to get the early lead and get out on top," said Chynoweth, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. "Sam played a good ball, and I was there to follow it up."
Oak Park and River Forest answered almost immediately. Junior Jamie Heneghan flooded the box and drilled a shot for the equalizer.
"After they scored we told the girls not to get discouraged and come back and answer. We did that, and it gave us positive motivation," Ponce said.
In the ninth minute, Elster again created an advantage in space for the Tigers, and sophomore midfielder Megan Breier finished for her first goal of the year.
"After they scored we got our intensity up because we wanted to get back up," Breier said. "Sam played a great ball past the defender, and I got enough on it to get it through the goalie's hands."
Both teams had something positive to draw on. "It was good not to take too long to settle in," Crowe said. "I thought we came out strong and passed the ball well and looked sharp."
After the initial shock, Oak Park and River Forest showed its mettle. The second Tigers goal was disappointing but hardly devastating. "When it's 2-1, we know we're still in it, and that makes you want to play harder," Weiss said.
The game changed in the 43rd minute. Freshman Tigers midfielder Natalie Auble blasted a ball from 12 yards out that curled inside the far post for the crucial two-goal differential. That was the backbreaker.
"I knew we needed to get another goal in order to get our confidence up, and I had a good shot with my right foot," Auble said. The goal was her team-best fourth.
Crowe emphasized at the halftime break the importance of getting an early second-half goal. "We make this game so much easier for ourselves because at this level, I knew it would be very difficult for Oak Park to continue that intensity after you're down a couple of goals," Crowe said.
Oak Park and River Forest abandoned its attack and had to gamble, Ponce said.
"After that third goal, we were chasing, and it totally shifted our line," he said. "I think our conditioning was also a factor because they were so good with their touches, it was difficult for us to mark them up."
Chynoweth and Breier collaborated on a final goal to punctuate the victory. Breier broke down the right edge and fired a shot from about 15 yards out that Huskies keeper Leah Silver blocked, only to have Chynoweth alertly flood the box and punch in a rebound in the 67th minute. "Erin did a great of getting on the end of it in the box," Breier said.
It was an excellent first step to the tournament. "Our seniors are so good this year, and they want to get back to the championship game like we did two years ago," Breier said. "We're striving for that."
Starting lineups
Plainfield North
GK: Emma Veselsky
D: Kaitlyn Mauder
D: Brooke Polonus
D: Emily DeVaux
D: Abby Gustafson
M: Reyse Stirrett
M: Jessica Christmas
M: Sam Elster
M: Megan Breier
M: Natalie Auble
F: Erin Chynoweth
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Leah Silver
D: Jamie Heneghan
D: Carly Loughran
D: Chloe Beonsch
D: Penny Hawthorn
M: Esther Ramsey
M: Grace Huettel
M: Alexa Gilman
M: Cristina Carlson
F: Julia Weiss
F: Anna Eddelbuettel
Officials: Francisco Laurzano (center), Tim Csuri, Francisco M. Laurzano
MVP: Erin Chynoweth, F, Plainfield North
together against OPRF
Tigers live up to potential in 4-1 triumph
By Patrick Z. McGavin
SCHAUMBURG — Every game is a chance to tell its own story, create a new narrative, of possibility and wonder. Plainfield North is a team of many parts trying to cohere and develop in a manner befitting its talented whole.
The typically volatile weather did not help the team's cause. Plainfield North has had to deal with four postponements in the first three weeks of the season, including two this week. Finding a rhythm in game situations was proving elusive.
The great challenge confronting coach Jane Crowe, in her 10th year with the program, was molding the pieces together. The team looked forward to the start of the PepsiCo Showdown as a measuring stick.
Erin Chynoweth made her coach look especially prescient.
Crowe said the dynamic four-year starter met all the requirements to have a breakout tournament, and Chynoweth played the role to perfection by scoring two goals. She led an aggressive and dynamic attack as the Tigers defeated Oak Park and River Forest 4-1 in first-round play Saturday morning.
The third-seeded Tigers (5-0-2) advance to meet 14th-seeded Wheaton Academy in Tuesday's second-round play in the Aquafina Bracket.
A Truman State University recruit, Chynoweth is creative and opportunistic.
"Both of her goals were rebounds off of somebody else's shots, and that's what we talked about before the game. We wanted to make things happen by putting shots on goal," Crowe said.
This Plainfield North team is the first in five or six years without a top-line star such as Callie O'Donnell or the two Handwork sisters, Ashley and Heather, both now starring at Marquette. Chynoweth shifted from her center midfielder slot to forward. It has taken her time to make the necessary adjustments.
"She still has that center-mid mentality, and what we've said to her is that we want her to be more selfish," Crowe said. Chynoweth also is recovering from an early season bout of mononucleosis that sidelined her the first four games of the year.
"Slowly but surely, with each game back, I've felt like I've gotten better," she said.
The game had an electrifying start. The teams combined for a staggering three goals in the first nine minutes of the match.
Oak Park and River Forest (1-4-2) entered the match having demonstrated marked improvement. Coach Ignacio Ponce's side integrated a number of new faces into his rotation.
"We started rough, playing against some good teams. When we started playing against teams we could hold our own against, we started to find our combinations," Huskies senior forward Julia Weiss said.
Plainfield North got things started when midfielder Sam Elster drilled a ball that Chynoweth cut between a defender and powered home in the fourth minute.
"That was definitely good to get the early lead and get out on top," said Chynoweth, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. "Sam played a good ball, and I was there to follow it up."
Oak Park and River Forest answered almost immediately. Junior Jamie Heneghan flooded the box and drilled a shot for the equalizer.
"After they scored we told the girls not to get discouraged and come back and answer. We did that, and it gave us positive motivation," Ponce said.
In the ninth minute, Elster again created an advantage in space for the Tigers, and sophomore midfielder Megan Breier finished for her first goal of the year.
"After they scored we got our intensity up because we wanted to get back up," Breier said. "Sam played a great ball past the defender, and I got enough on it to get it through the goalie's hands."
Both teams had something positive to draw on. "It was good not to take too long to settle in," Crowe said. "I thought we came out strong and passed the ball well and looked sharp."
After the initial shock, Oak Park and River Forest showed its mettle. The second Tigers goal was disappointing but hardly devastating. "When it's 2-1, we know we're still in it, and that makes you want to play harder," Weiss said.
The game changed in the 43rd minute. Freshman Tigers midfielder Natalie Auble blasted a ball from 12 yards out that curled inside the far post for the crucial two-goal differential. That was the backbreaker.
"I knew we needed to get another goal in order to get our confidence up, and I had a good shot with my right foot," Auble said. The goal was her team-best fourth.
Crowe emphasized at the halftime break the importance of getting an early second-half goal. "We make this game so much easier for ourselves because at this level, I knew it would be very difficult for Oak Park to continue that intensity after you're down a couple of goals," Crowe said.
Oak Park and River Forest abandoned its attack and had to gamble, Ponce said.
"After that third goal, we were chasing, and it totally shifted our line," he said. "I think our conditioning was also a factor because they were so good with their touches, it was difficult for us to mark them up."
Chynoweth and Breier collaborated on a final goal to punctuate the victory. Breier broke down the right edge and fired a shot from about 15 yards out that Huskies keeper Leah Silver blocked, only to have Chynoweth alertly flood the box and punch in a rebound in the 67th minute. "Erin did a great of getting on the end of it in the box," Breier said.
It was an excellent first step to the tournament. "Our seniors are so good this year, and they want to get back to the championship game like we did two years ago," Breier said. "We're striving for that."
Starting lineups
Plainfield North
GK: Emma Veselsky
D: Kaitlyn Mauder
D: Brooke Polonus
D: Emily DeVaux
D: Abby Gustafson
M: Reyse Stirrett
M: Jessica Christmas
M: Sam Elster
M: Megan Breier
M: Natalie Auble
F: Erin Chynoweth
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Leah Silver
D: Jamie Heneghan
D: Carly Loughran
D: Chloe Beonsch
D: Penny Hawthorn
M: Esther Ramsey
M: Grace Huettel
M: Alexa Gilman
M: Cristina Carlson
F: Julia Weiss
F: Anna Eddelbuettel
Officials: Francisco Laurzano (center), Tim Csuri, Francisco M. Laurzano
MVP: Erin Chynoweth, F, Plainfield North