West Aurora's Kuhn hotter
than weather and Aurora Central
Junior scores 4 in nonconference win over neighborhood foe
By Bobby Narang
AURORA -- West Aurora junior forward Elizabeth Kuhn starting becoming curious from all the commotion outside the stadium during the second half of Monday’s home game against Aurora Central.
As the Blackhawks and Chargers, teams who are two miles away from each other but unfamiliar opponents, battled it out on Senior Night, a long procession of cars started lining up along the surrounding streets.
That eventually led to a nonstop group of 100s of cars honking throughout the second half, leading to some rare glances for the first few minutes, including from Kuhn.
“I really didn’t know what it was all for, until I figured out halfway through second half that it was for a graduation at Jefferson (Elementary School),” Kuhn said, smiling. “I have a lot of friends from Jefferson, so I’m happy that another class is coming.”
Meanwhile, Kuhn was creating her own commotion at Ken Zimmerman Field.
After scoring two goals in the first half, Kuhn added two more goals in the second half to finish with four goals to lead West Aurora to a 4-2 comeback win over Aurora Central.
Scoring four goals in a game is nothing new for the speedy and talented Kuhn. She tallied four goals in a 6-0 win over Joliet Central on May 6, and now has a team-high 11 for the season.
Sparked by Kuhn’s flurry, the Blackhawks (4-8-1) snapped a four-game losing skid and make the final home game for their four seniors -- Madison Russell, Katherine Hernandez, Elva Hernandez and Jazmin Quinto -- a special one.
Each seniors was honored before the nonconference game, and took pictures with family members at the 50-yard line. The Blackhawks celebrated their fourth win of the season with a small party on the sideline.
Kuhn, known as “Lizzy” in the program, was the main factor why the Blackhawks were all smiling after the scorching late afternoon game.
“This was the fourth or fifth game in a row where we talked about that we have to start off strong,” West Aurora coach Laura Wagley said. “We dug ourselves a hole, but fortunately we were able to dig out and get those four goals from Lizzy. I thought offensively they connected really well up-top.
“Lizzy’s speed is hard for some teams. We know that, so we try and catch that defense with their backs turned, so we can get Lizzy going straight forward. Once she gets going, she’s hard to catch.”
Scoring two goals in the opening 30 minutes, the Chargers (6-5-0) dominated their larger opponent. Aurora Central, which will play in the in Class A playoffs next week, received goals from Jada Urbealis and K.K. Nash to shock the hosts with an early 2-0 lead.
Aurora Central first-year coach Enrique Anaya said his team’s inability to slow down Kuhn factored into the loss, plus losing standout freshman defender Amanda Bush to an injury in the 26th minute.
Bush did not play in the final 55 minutes – the period of time that Kuhn scored her goals.
"You can’t teach that,” Anaya said of Kuhn’s skills. “That was beautiful finishing. She knew our weakness right there in the back end and was able to capitalize on our mistakes. She did a great job.
“It was a good battle in the beginning, but we have to capitalize better. We kept up with a big school, but couldn’t keep it all 80 minutes. Against a striker like that, you have to capitalize on your chances. Yes, it was hot, and we were struggling with injuries, but it was nice playing well, and they kept going.”
Wagley admitted Bush’s absence changed her team’s approach, especially with Kuhn’s next-level speed causing fits for the Chargers.
“She’s a great player and knows a lot of my girls,” Wagley said of Bush. “Once we saw her out, we took advantage and shoved more stuff up the middle and tried to get Lizzy through.
“We had to get these girls going, Lizzy had that breakaway in the first half and missed it. I think that would’ve helped, but they kept pushing and didn’t give up. I told them yesterday that we have to play 80 minutes.”
Ironically, Kuhn lamented about the one goal that got away. She broke free from several defenders, raced nearly 30 yards in a rare one-on-one play with Charger’s keeper River Grabowski, in the 26th minute.
But Grabowski kept the scoring-sheet clean with a stellar diving save off a shot from 20 yards from Kuhn.
“It was frustrating not getting that goal,” Kuhn said. “I had never played center forward before this season on any team, so that comes with experience. She had a great save.”
Nash, a forward, was one of the bright spots for the Chargers. She was all over the field, relying on her speed to make up ground and attempt to slow down Kuhn. Nash scored on a long shot into the far post in the 29th minute that padded her team’s lead to 2-0.
“All I could think about was shoot the ball and don’t let the goalie get it,” Nash said. “I knew there was a person on the side of me, and I knew I could chip it over her head.”
Nash credited Kuhn for taking over the game soon after the Chargers seized a two-goal lead.
“I’ve worked with her, and she's a friend of mine,” Nash said of Kuhn. “It was fun going against her. I didn't know how fast she was. She surprised me at first with her speed, but I got used to it."
Aurora Central senior Alexa Orozco said her team let a potential upset win over the 3A Blackhawks slip away.
“It was a good match,” she said. “We knew they were a really good team. We did good, and getting that 2-0 lead was unexpected. We held up pretty good. I think we can do well in the playoffs. We have a chance to do well. We played well today and knew they were a tough team.”
Junior Riley Russellburg said the Chargers can learn from the tough loss.
“We played well defensively, but we typically play better,” Russellburg said. “I think offensively we kept the ball a good percentage and can learn from this. We came out strong but lost it over time. I think it was a good confidence boost that we can take a lead and just have to work on keeping it throughout the entire game.”
Kuhn said her favorite goal came in the 36th minute, when she took an excellent side-by-side pass from Alphoncine Tuyisenge, then created some separation with her speed to knock in a shot into the far post.
“It’s definitely a good experience to play them,” Kuhn said. “We seem to do slow starts a lot. We knew we had to come back. It didn't really phase us. We’ve done it before. We know we can score two goals. I think even though we were down, it wasn’t a deterrent.
“Me and Alphoncine Tuyisenge had a good combination in the middle on the second goal, and it was a great ball by her.”
West Aurora sophomore defender Xochitl Galvan said her team understood the main objective in the game was a simple one: Get the ball to “Lizzy.”
"We weren’t communicating a lot over the past two games, but today we did a lot and were coming to our passes … and stepped up,” Galvan said.
“Down 2-0, we knew we had to set Lizzy up. A couple of times I tried setting her, but they didn’t go way I wanted. She then just took off.”
Sophomore defender Arely Lares said the younger players were motivated to send the seniors off with a victory.
“I feel like communication in the second half was better,” Lares said. "We pushed each other and gave more effort. We didn’t want to let our seniors down. We all came together as a team
“I feel it was all about communication and looking for each other on the field. It was a very good game and very hot, but this was a good way for the seniors to go out.”
The Blackhawks open the Class 3A playoffs against Waubonsie Valley on June 2 at Waubonsie Valley. The Chargers battle against Indian Creek in Class A on June 1 at Indian Creek.
Starting lineups
Aurora Central
GK: River Grabowski
D: Katie McDonnell
D: Gabby Morales
D: Micaela Paihr
D: Amanda Bush
M: Alexia Jones
M: Claire Olesen
M: Alexia Orozco
F: Mary Kate O’Hare
F: K.K. Nash
F: Riley Russellburg
West Aurora
GK: Madison Russell
D: Xochitl Galvan
D: Arely Lares
D: Elva Hernandez
D: Katherine Hernandez
M: Bella Vargas
M: Brenda Juarez
M: Arely Soto
M: Jazmin Quinto
F: Elizabeth Kuhn
F: Alphoncine Tuyisenge
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Elizabeth Kuhn, jr., F, West Aurora
Scoring summary
First half
AC: Jada Urbealis (Jones) 4’
AC: K.K. Nash (UA) 29’
WA: Elizabeth Kuhn (UA) 31’
WA: Elizabeth Kuhn (Tuyisenge) 36’
Second half
WA: Elizabeth Kuhn (UA) 60’
WA: Elizabeth Kuhn (UA) 65’
than weather and Aurora Central
Junior scores 4 in nonconference win over neighborhood foe
By Bobby Narang
AURORA -- West Aurora junior forward Elizabeth Kuhn starting becoming curious from all the commotion outside the stadium during the second half of Monday’s home game against Aurora Central.
As the Blackhawks and Chargers, teams who are two miles away from each other but unfamiliar opponents, battled it out on Senior Night, a long procession of cars started lining up along the surrounding streets.
That eventually led to a nonstop group of 100s of cars honking throughout the second half, leading to some rare glances for the first few minutes, including from Kuhn.
“I really didn’t know what it was all for, until I figured out halfway through second half that it was for a graduation at Jefferson (Elementary School),” Kuhn said, smiling. “I have a lot of friends from Jefferson, so I’m happy that another class is coming.”
Meanwhile, Kuhn was creating her own commotion at Ken Zimmerman Field.
After scoring two goals in the first half, Kuhn added two more goals in the second half to finish with four goals to lead West Aurora to a 4-2 comeback win over Aurora Central.
Scoring four goals in a game is nothing new for the speedy and talented Kuhn. She tallied four goals in a 6-0 win over Joliet Central on May 6, and now has a team-high 11 for the season.
Sparked by Kuhn’s flurry, the Blackhawks (4-8-1) snapped a four-game losing skid and make the final home game for their four seniors -- Madison Russell, Katherine Hernandez, Elva Hernandez and Jazmin Quinto -- a special one.
Each seniors was honored before the nonconference game, and took pictures with family members at the 50-yard line. The Blackhawks celebrated their fourth win of the season with a small party on the sideline.
Kuhn, known as “Lizzy” in the program, was the main factor why the Blackhawks were all smiling after the scorching late afternoon game.
“This was the fourth or fifth game in a row where we talked about that we have to start off strong,” West Aurora coach Laura Wagley said. “We dug ourselves a hole, but fortunately we were able to dig out and get those four goals from Lizzy. I thought offensively they connected really well up-top.
“Lizzy’s speed is hard for some teams. We know that, so we try and catch that defense with their backs turned, so we can get Lizzy going straight forward. Once she gets going, she’s hard to catch.”
Scoring two goals in the opening 30 minutes, the Chargers (6-5-0) dominated their larger opponent. Aurora Central, which will play in the in Class A playoffs next week, received goals from Jada Urbealis and K.K. Nash to shock the hosts with an early 2-0 lead.
Aurora Central first-year coach Enrique Anaya said his team’s inability to slow down Kuhn factored into the loss, plus losing standout freshman defender Amanda Bush to an injury in the 26th minute.
Bush did not play in the final 55 minutes – the period of time that Kuhn scored her goals.
"You can’t teach that,” Anaya said of Kuhn’s skills. “That was beautiful finishing. She knew our weakness right there in the back end and was able to capitalize on our mistakes. She did a great job.
“It was a good battle in the beginning, but we have to capitalize better. We kept up with a big school, but couldn’t keep it all 80 minutes. Against a striker like that, you have to capitalize on your chances. Yes, it was hot, and we were struggling with injuries, but it was nice playing well, and they kept going.”
Wagley admitted Bush’s absence changed her team’s approach, especially with Kuhn’s next-level speed causing fits for the Chargers.
“She’s a great player and knows a lot of my girls,” Wagley said of Bush. “Once we saw her out, we took advantage and shoved more stuff up the middle and tried to get Lizzy through.
“We had to get these girls going, Lizzy had that breakaway in the first half and missed it. I think that would’ve helped, but they kept pushing and didn’t give up. I told them yesterday that we have to play 80 minutes.”
Ironically, Kuhn lamented about the one goal that got away. She broke free from several defenders, raced nearly 30 yards in a rare one-on-one play with Charger’s keeper River Grabowski, in the 26th minute.
But Grabowski kept the scoring-sheet clean with a stellar diving save off a shot from 20 yards from Kuhn.
“It was frustrating not getting that goal,” Kuhn said. “I had never played center forward before this season on any team, so that comes with experience. She had a great save.”
Nash, a forward, was one of the bright spots for the Chargers. She was all over the field, relying on her speed to make up ground and attempt to slow down Kuhn. Nash scored on a long shot into the far post in the 29th minute that padded her team’s lead to 2-0.
“All I could think about was shoot the ball and don’t let the goalie get it,” Nash said. “I knew there was a person on the side of me, and I knew I could chip it over her head.”
Nash credited Kuhn for taking over the game soon after the Chargers seized a two-goal lead.
“I’ve worked with her, and she's a friend of mine,” Nash said of Kuhn. “It was fun going against her. I didn't know how fast she was. She surprised me at first with her speed, but I got used to it."
Aurora Central senior Alexa Orozco said her team let a potential upset win over the 3A Blackhawks slip away.
“It was a good match,” she said. “We knew they were a really good team. We did good, and getting that 2-0 lead was unexpected. We held up pretty good. I think we can do well in the playoffs. We have a chance to do well. We played well today and knew they were a tough team.”
Junior Riley Russellburg said the Chargers can learn from the tough loss.
“We played well defensively, but we typically play better,” Russellburg said. “I think offensively we kept the ball a good percentage and can learn from this. We came out strong but lost it over time. I think it was a good confidence boost that we can take a lead and just have to work on keeping it throughout the entire game.”
Kuhn said her favorite goal came in the 36th minute, when she took an excellent side-by-side pass from Alphoncine Tuyisenge, then created some separation with her speed to knock in a shot into the far post.
“It’s definitely a good experience to play them,” Kuhn said. “We seem to do slow starts a lot. We knew we had to come back. It didn't really phase us. We’ve done it before. We know we can score two goals. I think even though we were down, it wasn’t a deterrent.
“Me and Alphoncine Tuyisenge had a good combination in the middle on the second goal, and it was a great ball by her.”
West Aurora sophomore defender Xochitl Galvan said her team understood the main objective in the game was a simple one: Get the ball to “Lizzy.”
"We weren’t communicating a lot over the past two games, but today we did a lot and were coming to our passes … and stepped up,” Galvan said.
“Down 2-0, we knew we had to set Lizzy up. A couple of times I tried setting her, but they didn’t go way I wanted. She then just took off.”
Sophomore defender Arely Lares said the younger players were motivated to send the seniors off with a victory.
“I feel like communication in the second half was better,” Lares said. "We pushed each other and gave more effort. We didn’t want to let our seniors down. We all came together as a team
“I feel it was all about communication and looking for each other on the field. It was a very good game and very hot, but this was a good way for the seniors to go out.”
The Blackhawks open the Class 3A playoffs against Waubonsie Valley on June 2 at Waubonsie Valley. The Chargers battle against Indian Creek in Class A on June 1 at Indian Creek.
Starting lineups
Aurora Central
GK: River Grabowski
D: Katie McDonnell
D: Gabby Morales
D: Micaela Paihr
D: Amanda Bush
M: Alexia Jones
M: Claire Olesen
M: Alexia Orozco
F: Mary Kate O’Hare
F: K.K. Nash
F: Riley Russellburg
West Aurora
GK: Madison Russell
D: Xochitl Galvan
D: Arely Lares
D: Elva Hernandez
D: Katherine Hernandez
M: Bella Vargas
M: Brenda Juarez
M: Arely Soto
M: Jazmin Quinto
F: Elizabeth Kuhn
F: Alphoncine Tuyisenge
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Elizabeth Kuhn, jr., F, West Aurora
Scoring summary
First half
AC: Jada Urbealis (Jones) 4’
AC: K.K. Nash (UA) 29’
WA: Elizabeth Kuhn (UA) 31’
WA: Elizabeth Kuhn (Tuyisenge) 36’
Second half
WA: Elizabeth Kuhn (UA) 60’
WA: Elizabeth Kuhn (UA) 65’