Waubonsie, Neuqua draw up splendid tie
Warriors' Filipek turns up heat, Wildcats control flames
By Matt Le Cren
AURORA – One way or another, Paige Filipek will make you pay.
Waubonsie Valley’s star midfielder has put defenses under siege this spring, scoring a team-leading nine goals to go with two assists.
But even when Filipek doesn’t score – and the Warriors don’t win – there is a price to be paid.
Just ask Neuqua Valley defender Dannah Williams. The Purdue recruit spent much of Tuesday evening shadowing Filipek and did prevent her from scoring. Filipek had only two official shots, both of which went sailing over the crossbar, but the number of actual attempts was much higher.
Most of her powerful blasts didn’t get through Williams, who blocked several, or the rest of Neuqua Valley’s back line. Williams likely will be sore in the morning, though she was more disappointed that the key Upstate Eight Valley game ended in a 1-1 tie.
“We’ve just been focusing a lot on giving 100 percent effort,” the Purdue-bound Williams said. “It doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect with every single touch, every single pass, but we’ve been working on pressuring the heck out of any team that we’re playing and giving 100 percent effort every single time.”
The Wildcats (6-1-2, 3-0-1) succeeded in doing so during a well-played, entertaining game that featured few fouls but many exciting runs by both sides. Most of the offensive forays went for naught, thanks to great defensive play.
“Blocking shots is never really all that fun,” said Williams, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match. “We’ve been working on anticipating every single ball and just being on our toes and ready for anything. So exactly when Filipek would take the touch, I’d be right there on it.”
But Filipek caused her fair share of anxious moments for the Wildcats and did assist on the lone tally for Waubonsie Valley. That came with 16:24 left in the first half when she sent a lead pass into the box to sophomore Sarah Griffith, who fought for possession with defender Sophia Moreau as both ran toward the goal.
Griffith was able to maintain possession when Neuqua goalkeeper Hannah Parrish rushed out to meet her. A toe poke at the last second sent the ball scurrying into the net for the tying goal.
That proved to be the only breakthrough by the Warriors (5-0-3, 2-0-1), who had two other quality chances.
The first came in the final minute of the first half when a shot by Filipek was blocked but deflected to Cici Gazder in the middle of the box. Gazder passed it to Sarah Laws, who was open for a split second outside the unguarded left post, but her shot was smothered by the sliding Veda Tappin.
Waubonsie’s final chance to go ahead occurred with 11:10 to go in the second half. Laws got loose in the middle of the box and walked in on Parrish, only to have Nicole Mondi knock the ball away before she could fire.
“I think our back line played the best we’ve played,” Neuqua Valley coach Joe Moreau said. “We cut service. We didn’t backpedal. We kept pressuring them. I think that set the tone for the game more than anything.”
The Wildcats have surrendered only five goals so far, which has allowed them to battle through injuries to key players like midfielder Lauren Ciesla, who is out with a sprained ankle, and some spotty offensive play. That is an encouraging sign for a team still integrating several talented freshmen into the lineup.
“Since I’ve been in high school I think that this is the best team we’ve got so far,” Williams said. “We just have a lot of hardworking girls, and I think we’ve been working really well together.”
The Wildcats worked extremely well at the start, pressuring the Warriors for the first 20 minutes and grabbing a 1-0 lead on sophomore Haley Singer’s first career goal.
Tappin triggered the play by sending a cross from the right side into the box to freshman Alyssa Bombacino, who flicked a pass in front to Singer for a composed finish inside the right post at the 25:51 mark.
The visitors were unlucky not to get a chance to extend the lead six minutes later when Kiley Czerwinski was taken down in the box and no foul was called.
But even though both sides generated plenty of exciting runs, the Wildcats held a 14-7 advantage in shots.
“I thought both teams played hard, both teams played aggressive, but it was a clean game with only a handful of fouls,” Joe Moreau said. “I was disappointed with the result. It would have been nice to come out on top, but we were pleased with the effort we put out there.
“We didn’t have that effort on Saturday (in a 1-0 win over Freeport) and we didn’t have that effort in the first 40 minutes against Glenbard East (a 2-0 win on Thursday). We’ve got to have that effort.”
Count Waubonsie Valley senior defender Tori Christiansen among those impressed with Neuqua’s effort.
“I just feel like they definitely came out with intensity,” Christiansen said. “It took us a little while to match it, but once we did, both teams had even play and (a tie) is what it comes down to.”
Christiansen played a big role in that, consistently thwarting the Neuqua offense. She had her hands full with the speedy Jamie Goralski on Waubonsie’s right flank, but managed to contain her as well as trigger the offense.
“We just worked on pressuring and covering for each other and working as a team,” Christiansen said. “They got one on us and we got one on them, so it was an evenly matched game."
It was the second straight draw for the Warriors, who have allowed only four goals while posting five shutouts.
“I feel like we’re learning to play as a team,” Christiansen said. “We still have to look to finish more, but as each game progresses we’re getting better.”
Goalkeeper Emma Rigby made five saves and handled several dangerous crosses, including two leaping efforts to pick off high-arcing corner kicks. That demonstrated to Moreau that the Warriors need to be more precise with their entry passes.
“I don’t know how many crosses went right at Emma,” Joe Moreau said. “We’ve got to get the (pressure) off of her so we have an opportunity to score. She’s too good of a goalkeeper to put balls four yards from.”
Both teams are in the early stages of a key stretch of matches.
Waubonsie Valley has matches against local rivals Naperville North on Friday and Metea Valley on Tuesday, both at home, while Neuqua Valley travels to another local rival, Naperville Central, on Saturday and hosts UEC Valley contender South Elgin (8-1-1) on Tuesday. Both sides then begin play in the Naperville Invite on April 23.
“It’s an exciting little run we’ve got coming up, and each game we’re going to learn from our mistakes and get better and keep striving,” Christiansen said. “We’re looking forward to (Naperville) North.”
Starting lineups
Neuqua Valley
GK: Hannah Parrish
D: Sophia Moreau
D: Dannah Williams
D: Anna Toersloev
D: Tatiana Espinoza
D: Nicole Mondi
M: Veda Tappin
M: Amy McNeal
M: Kiley Czerwinski
F: Jamie Goralski
F: Alyssa Bombacino
Waubonsie Valley
GK: Emma Rigby
D: Tori Christiansen
D: Grace Anderson
D: Maddie Pokora
M: Kennedy Metzger
M: Sarah Griffith
M: Morgan Kemerling
M: Paige Filipek
M: Emily Dickens
F: Cici Gazder
F: Maggie Roe
MVP of the Match: Dannah Williams, Neuqua Valley
Warriors' Filipek turns up heat, Wildcats control flames
By Matt Le Cren
AURORA – One way or another, Paige Filipek will make you pay.
Waubonsie Valley’s star midfielder has put defenses under siege this spring, scoring a team-leading nine goals to go with two assists.
But even when Filipek doesn’t score – and the Warriors don’t win – there is a price to be paid.
Just ask Neuqua Valley defender Dannah Williams. The Purdue recruit spent much of Tuesday evening shadowing Filipek and did prevent her from scoring. Filipek had only two official shots, both of which went sailing over the crossbar, but the number of actual attempts was much higher.
Most of her powerful blasts didn’t get through Williams, who blocked several, or the rest of Neuqua Valley’s back line. Williams likely will be sore in the morning, though she was more disappointed that the key Upstate Eight Valley game ended in a 1-1 tie.
“We’ve just been focusing a lot on giving 100 percent effort,” the Purdue-bound Williams said. “It doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect with every single touch, every single pass, but we’ve been working on pressuring the heck out of any team that we’re playing and giving 100 percent effort every single time.”
The Wildcats (6-1-2, 3-0-1) succeeded in doing so during a well-played, entertaining game that featured few fouls but many exciting runs by both sides. Most of the offensive forays went for naught, thanks to great defensive play.
“Blocking shots is never really all that fun,” said Williams, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match. “We’ve been working on anticipating every single ball and just being on our toes and ready for anything. So exactly when Filipek would take the touch, I’d be right there on it.”
But Filipek caused her fair share of anxious moments for the Wildcats and did assist on the lone tally for Waubonsie Valley. That came with 16:24 left in the first half when she sent a lead pass into the box to sophomore Sarah Griffith, who fought for possession with defender Sophia Moreau as both ran toward the goal.
Griffith was able to maintain possession when Neuqua goalkeeper Hannah Parrish rushed out to meet her. A toe poke at the last second sent the ball scurrying into the net for the tying goal.
That proved to be the only breakthrough by the Warriors (5-0-3, 2-0-1), who had two other quality chances.
The first came in the final minute of the first half when a shot by Filipek was blocked but deflected to Cici Gazder in the middle of the box. Gazder passed it to Sarah Laws, who was open for a split second outside the unguarded left post, but her shot was smothered by the sliding Veda Tappin.
Waubonsie’s final chance to go ahead occurred with 11:10 to go in the second half. Laws got loose in the middle of the box and walked in on Parrish, only to have Nicole Mondi knock the ball away before she could fire.
“I think our back line played the best we’ve played,” Neuqua Valley coach Joe Moreau said. “We cut service. We didn’t backpedal. We kept pressuring them. I think that set the tone for the game more than anything.”
The Wildcats have surrendered only five goals so far, which has allowed them to battle through injuries to key players like midfielder Lauren Ciesla, who is out with a sprained ankle, and some spotty offensive play. That is an encouraging sign for a team still integrating several talented freshmen into the lineup.
“Since I’ve been in high school I think that this is the best team we’ve got so far,” Williams said. “We just have a lot of hardworking girls, and I think we’ve been working really well together.”
The Wildcats worked extremely well at the start, pressuring the Warriors for the first 20 minutes and grabbing a 1-0 lead on sophomore Haley Singer’s first career goal.
Tappin triggered the play by sending a cross from the right side into the box to freshman Alyssa Bombacino, who flicked a pass in front to Singer for a composed finish inside the right post at the 25:51 mark.
The visitors were unlucky not to get a chance to extend the lead six minutes later when Kiley Czerwinski was taken down in the box and no foul was called.
But even though both sides generated plenty of exciting runs, the Wildcats held a 14-7 advantage in shots.
“I thought both teams played hard, both teams played aggressive, but it was a clean game with only a handful of fouls,” Joe Moreau said. “I was disappointed with the result. It would have been nice to come out on top, but we were pleased with the effort we put out there.
“We didn’t have that effort on Saturday (in a 1-0 win over Freeport) and we didn’t have that effort in the first 40 minutes against Glenbard East (a 2-0 win on Thursday). We’ve got to have that effort.”
Count Waubonsie Valley senior defender Tori Christiansen among those impressed with Neuqua’s effort.
“I just feel like they definitely came out with intensity,” Christiansen said. “It took us a little while to match it, but once we did, both teams had even play and (a tie) is what it comes down to.”
Christiansen played a big role in that, consistently thwarting the Neuqua offense. She had her hands full with the speedy Jamie Goralski on Waubonsie’s right flank, but managed to contain her as well as trigger the offense.
“We just worked on pressuring and covering for each other and working as a team,” Christiansen said. “They got one on us and we got one on them, so it was an evenly matched game."
It was the second straight draw for the Warriors, who have allowed only four goals while posting five shutouts.
“I feel like we’re learning to play as a team,” Christiansen said. “We still have to look to finish more, but as each game progresses we’re getting better.”
Goalkeeper Emma Rigby made five saves and handled several dangerous crosses, including two leaping efforts to pick off high-arcing corner kicks. That demonstrated to Moreau that the Warriors need to be more precise with their entry passes.
“I don’t know how many crosses went right at Emma,” Joe Moreau said. “We’ve got to get the (pressure) off of her so we have an opportunity to score. She’s too good of a goalkeeper to put balls four yards from.”
Both teams are in the early stages of a key stretch of matches.
Waubonsie Valley has matches against local rivals Naperville North on Friday and Metea Valley on Tuesday, both at home, while Neuqua Valley travels to another local rival, Naperville Central, on Saturday and hosts UEC Valley contender South Elgin (8-1-1) on Tuesday. Both sides then begin play in the Naperville Invite on April 23.
“It’s an exciting little run we’ve got coming up, and each game we’re going to learn from our mistakes and get better and keep striving,” Christiansen said. “We’re looking forward to (Naperville) North.”
Starting lineups
Neuqua Valley
GK: Hannah Parrish
D: Sophia Moreau
D: Dannah Williams
D: Anna Toersloev
D: Tatiana Espinoza
D: Nicole Mondi
M: Veda Tappin
M: Amy McNeal
M: Kiley Czerwinski
F: Jamie Goralski
F: Alyssa Bombacino
Waubonsie Valley
GK: Emma Rigby
D: Tori Christiansen
D: Grace Anderson
D: Maddie Pokora
M: Kennedy Metzger
M: Sarah Griffith
M: Morgan Kemerling
M: Paige Filipek
M: Emily Dickens
F: Cici Gazder
F: Maggie Roe
MVP of the Match: Dannah Williams, Neuqua Valley