Plainfield North prevails on
PKs over Wheaton North
Veselsky stop, Chynoweth clincher move Tigers into Pepsi semis
By Matt Le Cren
WHEATON – Erin Chynoweth has always been a reliable shooter from the penalty spot.
The Plainfield North senior has twice clinched shootout wins for the Tigers in her career.
But she didn’t think she’d get a shot to do so again on Thursday.
“She’s been our fifth shooter the last two years, but she hasn’t been shooting well at practice and she even told me right before overtime, ‘I’m not real confident,’ ” Plainfield North coach Jane Crowe said. “She said, ‘If you have a shooter better than me, have them do it instead.’
“But Erin is so composed. We can always count on her.”
Crowe granted Chynoweth’s wish in removing her from the Tigers’ top 5, but Chynoweth still wound up clinching a 2-1 Aquafina Bracket victory over host Wheaton North in a PepsiCo Showdown quarterfinal at Rexilius Field.
The two unbeaten sides were tied 4-4 after the first five rounds of the shootout, but Plainfield North goalkeeper Emma Veselsky stopped Morghin Klein’s attempt in the sixth round – the only save of the session – and Chynoweth followed with a low liner that deflected under the arm of Wheaton North goalie Zoe Welsh and into the lower right corner to end it.
“There are always nerves [in a shootout] but there’s that excitement, too,” Chynoweth said. “I’ve taken a couple in the past few years, so not that I’m used to it, but I’ve been in that situation before, so I tried to stay as calm as possible.
“I was trying to go a little farther right than I did.”
The shot of Wheaton North's Klein did go farther right, but Veselsky somehow got a good enough jump and dove headlong to save it less than a foot from the post.
“Emma made a great save on the one before mine, so that’s really what won it,” Chynoweth said.
Different goalies have different strategies for trying to guess which way shooters will go. Veselsky’s thought process proved correct against Klein.
“Usually I’ll look at their feet and if they’re weighted on one side, they’ll go one way, and she was weighted heavily on her opposite foot, so I knew she was going to her side,” said Veselsky, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. “I was just trying to keep my head up because I knew eventually that I would get it.
“I didn’t want to be down on myself because I know it’s so hard for any keeper, even the best keepers in the world, to save a PK. So I decided, just guess right one time and you’ll get it.”
Ironically, it was Welsh, a freshman, who came closest to saving one of the first 10 attempts, getting both hands on Plainfield North’s first shot, a powerful drive by Brooke Polonus that caromed into the upper left corner.
That was the only ball that was touched through five rounds. Each side made its first four attempts.
Lexi Pelafas, Jaden Trometer, Margaret Hupp and Becca Kouwe all converted for the Falcons (5-1-2), while Polonus, Jessica Christmas, Sam Elster and Emily DeVaux made their shots for the Tigers (7-0-2).
Plainfield North had the first chance to win when Wheaton North’s Niamh Kane missed high, but freshman Renae Blevins sent her potential game winner sailing wide of the right post.
“I just don’t like PKs in general because it’s just a tough way to lose a game for anybody, but I was very confident in our shooters,” Crowe said. “Renae was the only one that missed, and hers have been awesome in practice, so I was very confident she was going to make that one. But she’s a freshman, probably a little nervous, but then Erin stepped up and made the one at the end.”
Like Chynoweth, Crowe credited Veselsky with being the difference maker.
“It was a great save by Emma,” Crowe said. “She just read it and got down there quick. And it takes a lot of pressure off your shooter when you know that they just missed, I make this and it’s over instead of I make this just to stay alive.”
The win advances the third-seeded Tigers to Saturday’s tournament semifinals at Olympic Park in Schaumburg, where they will play No. 10 seed Lake Zurich, a 2-1 winner over Maine South. They are looking to get back to the championship game after losing in the second round last year. Plainfield North lost the 2013 title match on penalty kicks.
“It’s exciting,” Chynoweth said. “I think we have a lot of momentum going in now because we’re pumped up from [winning] on PKs. There’s a lot of adrenaline and excitement.”
Veselsky explained, “It feels really good. Last year was a bummer for us, [and my] freshman year we lost in the finals on PKs. So this year I think we have a point to prove, and I hope we make it.”
Wheaton North, which is off to its best start in nearly a decade, was disappointed but undeterred by its first setback of the season.
“Both teams played their hearts out from the time they stepped on the field,” Pelafas said. “It’s tough to lose in PKs, but we’re going come right back.
“I think both teams played very, very well today. It’s really hard to lose in PKs, but we’ll be stronger from this and take this as a positive note.”
Polonus and Pelafas scored the only goals in regulation, both on first half free kicks.
Polonus gave the Tigers the lead when she drilled a 32-yard set piece off the outstretched fingers of Welsh at the 16:55 mark. Pelafas tied the game with 3.9 seconds remaining in the half on a 19-yard free kick that got past a four-man wall and went inside the near post.
Those were the only solid scoring chances of the first half, and there were only three after intermission in the well-played defensive match. The Falcons were awarded a 21-yard free kick from nearly the same spot from which Pelafas scored. But this time the Tigers had the wall positioned correctly and deflected Pelafas’ drive wide of the right post with 9:55 remaining.
Two minutes later, a Plainfield North header bounced off the crossbar before Klein cleared it out of trouble. Nine seconds after that, Pelafas got free on a counterattack but fired a 20-yard drive just over the crossbar.
Welsh made 3 saves for Wheaton North, while Veselsky stopped 2. Welsh has been spectacular in the early going, showing great promise.
“She’s definitely one of the best keepers that’s ever come through Wheaton North and she has a really bright future ahead of her,” Pelafas said. “She’ll keep doing positive things.”
Welsh nearly stopped Chynoweth’s winner, guessing correctly and getting a piece of the ball before it rolled in.
“She (Welsh) should take that in as a positive because she’s been on every single one of those PKs,” Hupp said. “She just needs to be a little quicker.”
Starting lineups
Plainfield North
GK: Emma Veselsky
D: Brooke Polonus
D: Emily DeVaux
D: Abby Gustafson
D: Karsyn Stirrett
M: Megan Breier
M: Natalie Auble
M: Reyse Stirrett
M: Jessica Christmas
M: Sam Elster
F: Erin Chynoweth
Wheaton North
GK: Zoe Welsh
D: Kailee Sowers
D: Morghin Klein
D: Niamh Kane
D: Jaden Trometer
D: Lauren Haley
M: Maggie Liechty
M: Becca Kouwe
M: Gwyneth Phillips
F: Hannah Atkinson
F: Lexi Pelafas
MVP of the Match: Emma Veselsky, GK, Plainfield North
PKs over Wheaton North
Veselsky stop, Chynoweth clincher move Tigers into Pepsi semis
By Matt Le Cren
WHEATON – Erin Chynoweth has always been a reliable shooter from the penalty spot.
The Plainfield North senior has twice clinched shootout wins for the Tigers in her career.
But she didn’t think she’d get a shot to do so again on Thursday.
“She’s been our fifth shooter the last two years, but she hasn’t been shooting well at practice and she even told me right before overtime, ‘I’m not real confident,’ ” Plainfield North coach Jane Crowe said. “She said, ‘If you have a shooter better than me, have them do it instead.’
“But Erin is so composed. We can always count on her.”
Crowe granted Chynoweth’s wish in removing her from the Tigers’ top 5, but Chynoweth still wound up clinching a 2-1 Aquafina Bracket victory over host Wheaton North in a PepsiCo Showdown quarterfinal at Rexilius Field.
The two unbeaten sides were tied 4-4 after the first five rounds of the shootout, but Plainfield North goalkeeper Emma Veselsky stopped Morghin Klein’s attempt in the sixth round – the only save of the session – and Chynoweth followed with a low liner that deflected under the arm of Wheaton North goalie Zoe Welsh and into the lower right corner to end it.
“There are always nerves [in a shootout] but there’s that excitement, too,” Chynoweth said. “I’ve taken a couple in the past few years, so not that I’m used to it, but I’ve been in that situation before, so I tried to stay as calm as possible.
“I was trying to go a little farther right than I did.”
The shot of Wheaton North's Klein did go farther right, but Veselsky somehow got a good enough jump and dove headlong to save it less than a foot from the post.
“Emma made a great save on the one before mine, so that’s really what won it,” Chynoweth said.
Different goalies have different strategies for trying to guess which way shooters will go. Veselsky’s thought process proved correct against Klein.
“Usually I’ll look at their feet and if they’re weighted on one side, they’ll go one way, and she was weighted heavily on her opposite foot, so I knew she was going to her side,” said Veselsky, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. “I was just trying to keep my head up because I knew eventually that I would get it.
“I didn’t want to be down on myself because I know it’s so hard for any keeper, even the best keepers in the world, to save a PK. So I decided, just guess right one time and you’ll get it.”
Ironically, it was Welsh, a freshman, who came closest to saving one of the first 10 attempts, getting both hands on Plainfield North’s first shot, a powerful drive by Brooke Polonus that caromed into the upper left corner.
That was the only ball that was touched through five rounds. Each side made its first four attempts.
Lexi Pelafas, Jaden Trometer, Margaret Hupp and Becca Kouwe all converted for the Falcons (5-1-2), while Polonus, Jessica Christmas, Sam Elster and Emily DeVaux made their shots for the Tigers (7-0-2).
Plainfield North had the first chance to win when Wheaton North’s Niamh Kane missed high, but freshman Renae Blevins sent her potential game winner sailing wide of the right post.
“I just don’t like PKs in general because it’s just a tough way to lose a game for anybody, but I was very confident in our shooters,” Crowe said. “Renae was the only one that missed, and hers have been awesome in practice, so I was very confident she was going to make that one. But she’s a freshman, probably a little nervous, but then Erin stepped up and made the one at the end.”
Like Chynoweth, Crowe credited Veselsky with being the difference maker.
“It was a great save by Emma,” Crowe said. “She just read it and got down there quick. And it takes a lot of pressure off your shooter when you know that they just missed, I make this and it’s over instead of I make this just to stay alive.”
The win advances the third-seeded Tigers to Saturday’s tournament semifinals at Olympic Park in Schaumburg, where they will play No. 10 seed Lake Zurich, a 2-1 winner over Maine South. They are looking to get back to the championship game after losing in the second round last year. Plainfield North lost the 2013 title match on penalty kicks.
“It’s exciting,” Chynoweth said. “I think we have a lot of momentum going in now because we’re pumped up from [winning] on PKs. There’s a lot of adrenaline and excitement.”
Veselsky explained, “It feels really good. Last year was a bummer for us, [and my] freshman year we lost in the finals on PKs. So this year I think we have a point to prove, and I hope we make it.”
Wheaton North, which is off to its best start in nearly a decade, was disappointed but undeterred by its first setback of the season.
“Both teams played their hearts out from the time they stepped on the field,” Pelafas said. “It’s tough to lose in PKs, but we’re going come right back.
“I think both teams played very, very well today. It’s really hard to lose in PKs, but we’ll be stronger from this and take this as a positive note.”
Polonus and Pelafas scored the only goals in regulation, both on first half free kicks.
Polonus gave the Tigers the lead when she drilled a 32-yard set piece off the outstretched fingers of Welsh at the 16:55 mark. Pelafas tied the game with 3.9 seconds remaining in the half on a 19-yard free kick that got past a four-man wall and went inside the near post.
Those were the only solid scoring chances of the first half, and there were only three after intermission in the well-played defensive match. The Falcons were awarded a 21-yard free kick from nearly the same spot from which Pelafas scored. But this time the Tigers had the wall positioned correctly and deflected Pelafas’ drive wide of the right post with 9:55 remaining.
Two minutes later, a Plainfield North header bounced off the crossbar before Klein cleared it out of trouble. Nine seconds after that, Pelafas got free on a counterattack but fired a 20-yard drive just over the crossbar.
Welsh made 3 saves for Wheaton North, while Veselsky stopped 2. Welsh has been spectacular in the early going, showing great promise.
“She’s definitely one of the best keepers that’s ever come through Wheaton North and she has a really bright future ahead of her,” Pelafas said. “She’ll keep doing positive things.”
Welsh nearly stopped Chynoweth’s winner, guessing correctly and getting a piece of the ball before it rolled in.
“She (Welsh) should take that in as a positive because she’s been on every single one of those PKs,” Hupp said. “She just needs to be a little quicker.”
Starting lineups
Plainfield North
GK: Emma Veselsky
D: Brooke Polonus
D: Emily DeVaux
D: Abby Gustafson
D: Karsyn Stirrett
M: Megan Breier
M: Natalie Auble
M: Reyse Stirrett
M: Jessica Christmas
M: Sam Elster
F: Erin Chynoweth
Wheaton North
GK: Zoe Welsh
D: Kailee Sowers
D: Morghin Klein
D: Niamh Kane
D: Jaden Trometer
D: Lauren Haley
M: Maggie Liechty
M: Becca Kouwe
M: Gwyneth Phillips
F: Hannah Atkinson
F: Lexi Pelafas
MVP of the Match: Emma Veselsky, GK, Plainfield North