Barrington bests Buffalo Grove,
adds to Soccer Bowl legacy
Fantastic Fillies control 3-0 win, win 9th-straight edition
By Mike Garofola
BUFFALO GROVE -- Barrington beat Buffalo Grove to win its ninth-consecutive Mid-Suburban League Soccer Bowl on Friday, and the fifth-ranked Fillies owe the accomplishment to far too many people to mention.
The command performance in the 31st edition of the event before a chilled evening audience at Grant Blaney Stadium dashed the hopes of host Buffalo Grove, who came into their home park hoping it enter the history books as the team that ended the impressive streak.
Jen Devona, whose play this season has made her a strong candidate for Chicagoland Soccer all-state honors, opened the scoring at 22 minutes. The cappers came from an out-of-the-blue performance by Lara Lubinsky who doubled the Filles’ advantage in the 54th minute and put a dagger in the dwindling Buffalo Grove hopes eight minutes from time.
"With (Buffalo Grove) having an entire week to prepare, and having (Alyssa) Weede back playing, plus us just playing our last game of the year two days earlier, I have to admit there was concern on my part how we would respond in easily the biggest game of the year for every player on our roster, especiall those who have never been a part of the Soccer Bowl," said Fillies manager Ryan Stengren, who has now claimed 11 of the 14 championship trophies won in program history.
"(Yesterday) the girls never touched the ball in our final training session before the game. All we did was a walk-through, spending time on how we would defend just about everything we knew about them and how we would rotate on defense as a team, along our backline, and to review one last time how we would defend no. 18 (Pam Bolis), because their attack went through her."
Bolis, who was named the MSL East Division Player of the Year, and another strong candidate to earn all-state honors, entered the contest with an eye-popping 16 goals and 10 assists. She had proven to be a danger when allowed to turn or left free to collect early balls from her teammates.
Stengren assign Ella VanNess to man-mark the best the Bison had to offer, and it wasn’t until the 63rd minute that Bolis got her first attempt on frame.
"Ella had the most important job of the night of any of us, and she came through with an amazing effort, just amazing," beamed Devona.
"Ella never let no. 18 receive the ball and turn. And on the one, maybe two occasions in the second half when she DID get the ball, I was right there to double, and offer support," added Kate McGreevy, the Fillies marvelous central defender who along with Devona and keeper Coast Liapis, are the only three on the roster from the 2018 MSL Soccer Bowl champs and Class 3A state championship teams.
"Barrington was clearly the better team tonight," began Buffalo Grove's classy manager Pat Dudle, who also managed the runnerup in the 2013 and 2016-17 Fillies Soccer Bowl wins.
Barrington stayed true to form with its impressive ninth clean-sheet in its league championship run.
"The way they defended Pam in the first half was key to our attack struggling so much, but it wasn't just that," Dudle said.
"They won just about every 50-50 ball. Their midfield totally outworked ours, and they finished the chances they created. That almost always spells trouble and defeat."
While most games of this magnitude begin like a chess match as each side treads carefully to test the other. This proceeding began at a furious pace.
Quinlan Libit went wide for the Bison in the 3rd minute; then a floater from sophomore Kate Lubinsky was easily collected by BG keeper Sophie Veystman moments later.
After a Libit corner was headed out by McGreevy header, a quiet time started for the Bison faithful, who watched the visitors begin to put the blue and orange shirts under pressure for the rest of the first period.
Devona spent part of her time helping to mark the Illinois-bound Weede, who was back in action after extended time on the injured list.
Dudle kept an eye on Weede’s minutes, especially in the cold and in advance of the postseason.
Devona, along with her midfield mates Nicole Gwiasda and Brooke Brown, dominated the space and tempo of the attack. Brown and Gwiasda specifically were able to exploit the gaps in and behind the Bison midfield.
"Both of those girls were just fantastic in the first half," Stengren said of Brown and Gwiasda. The pair would alternate beautifully winning the ball and quickly playing to other. That caused the Bison to be overrun in their own end and upset the hosts’ defensive balance.
If not for the steady play of Buffalo Grove's all-MSL central defender, Savannah Larsen, things may have gotten out of hand earlier than the Devona opener.
Larsen, who has the ability to sense danger when it approaches, came forward on three separate occasions to send troublesome balls out of the Buffalo Grove penalty box with thundering headers.
But she could do nothing when Devona ran freely through the middle of the park and redirected her 12th goal of the season under Vetysman, who could only watch the extraordinary pass from the left by Ellie Sanchez find the Fillies captain.
"The first goal is almost always the most important, and in a game like this the importance is even greater," said Devona.
Buffalo Grove’s Larsen was busy again when she moved quickly to stop Riley Raynor from getting into a 1-v-1 with Veytsman in the 24th minute after Devona created the opportunity.
Veystman, who will play at Illinois State, went airborne to her right to make a brilliant save on Brooke Brown's inward swinging corner in the 31st minute. If not pushed around the post, it was headed to the ever-present Devona at the back post.
Barrington enjoyed 85 percent of the possession in the first half. The Fillies high rate of passes completed and lockdown of Bolis were the largest factors.
"That was one of our best halves of soccer this year," said McGreevy, who has done a masterful job of bringing together a brand new unit after playing serving her apprenticeship alongside former Chicagoland Soccer all-state defenders Christine Batliner, Juliana Moreno and Madi Rosen.
"Juliana and Madi were my mentors when I came on as a freshman to the varsity, I learned so much from them," McGreevy said earlier in the season.
The veteran has taken those teachings and passed them along to Sanchez, Gracie Stagnito and VanNess. The group built an air-tight defense in front of Liapis. Barrington (12-1-2) recorded 12 clean-sheets and conceded just four goals on the year.
Buffalo Grove, ranked 25th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, pushed Libit forward alongside Bolis to begin the second period. However Barrington used its organized pressure in the middle of the park and up-front from Lara and Kate Lubinsky and Raynor to keep the Bison backline busy.
Gwiasda headed over the bar in the 44th minute. A Liapis free kick from just inside the midline led to a Fillies corner at 49 minutes.
From nothing the Fillies goal-scoring heroine of this night, Lara Lubinsky, added another to the score line and brought her mates off their seats.
The speedy forward never stopped running when it appeared a Liapis wind-aided punt had a chance to sail deep. When the Bison allowed the ball to bounce high off the turf, Lubinsky brought the ball down and tricked her way free of pressure.
Her initial strike was saved by Veytsman; but the ball spilled free, and she drove it home with authority.
Now faced with chasing two goals, Dudle moved Larsen into the middle of the park and went with three in the back in the hope of generating something going forward for Buffalo Grove (9-5-3). But Barrington’s midfield energy was relentless and prevented the Bison from linking up with their forwards, forced them to play backwards, then piled on the pressure on the player in possession.
"The thing that I am most proud of, besides the result, was how well the girls were able to take what we worked on in training with our positioning, defensive rotations, spacing and overall tactical approach to stopping a very talented Buffalo Grove team from doing what they do so well," said Stengren.
The hosts’ Bolis went wide with her 18-yard effort in the 65th minute. Isabella Dulany did the same four minutes later, but that was it for the Bison, who could only look the other way when Lara Lubinsky hit an unstoppable left-footed blast off the near post and into the inside netting on the other side.
"It felt really good to score those two goals and to help my team in a game that was so important to all of us, such an important game," said Lara Lubinsky.
Prior to Lubinsky's double, Stengren began to bring a handful of his starting 11 off the field. He brought the rest off in the final five minutes including Liapis, who was relieved by sophomore Abby Raynor.
"It was great to get all of our players in tonight to give them the experience of playing in a Soccer Bowl. It's something they will all remember, and hopefully they can use that experience next season," Stengren said.
Dudle and his staff will now turn its attention to its regional opener at home against no. 13 seed Round Lake on Wednesday.
"Hats off to Ryan, and his girls. They were deserving of this result tonight, I hope that us, or someone in the league can end this long streak of championships sooner than later,” Dudle said with a wry smile.
"We had a few girls really taking this loss hard. The hope is they channel that disappointment, and get after it when we train, then go after Round Lake and hopefully Fremd (in the regional final)."
Devona, Lara Lubinsky and McGreevy happily helped lift the MSL trophy after going to their fans to celebrate. But after a team photo in between the sticks on the south side of the stadium, it was back to business for this talented trio.
"This is a special night because, no doubt," said Devona, with both Lubinsky and McGreevy nodding their heads in approval. “An effort like we gave is really good for the confidence of everyone. But this game is over, and after a day off we're back to work at training to prepare for our first game in regionals.”
"It's always about our next game and how we can be better," added McGreevy. “That's what our next session together is all about”
Lara Lubinsky, whose eighth goal tied her for second on the team with Riley Raynor, said: "It was a great team effort from everyone tonight. That's something we should all be happy about, but we can be better. That's what we'll work on all week before our next game."
The Fillies will host Auburn, of Rockford, at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Barrington Community Stadium to open the playoffs.
Starting lineups
Barrington (4-4-2)
G- Coast Liapis
D- Ellie Sanchez
D- Kate McGreevy
D- Ella VanNess
D- Gracie Stagnito
M- Kate Lubinsky
M- Brooke Brown
M- Jen Devona
M- Nicole Gwiasda
F- Lara Lubinsky
F- Riley Raynor
Buffalo Grove (4-4-2)
G: Sophie Veytsman
D- Kora Kipley
D- Bridget Reynolds
D- Samantha Larsen
D- Susie Kirsh
M- Kayla Askew
M- Quinlan Libit
M- Alyssa Weede
M- Leah Limber
F- Pam Bolis
F- Gianna Palano
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match:
Lara Lubinsky, sr. F, Barrington;
Ella VanNess, jr., D, Barrington
Referee: Bill Niemeyer
Scoring summary
First half
Barrington: Devona (Sanchez) 22'
Second half
Barrington: L. Lubinsky (Liapis) 54'
Barrington: L. Lubinsky (Gwiasda) 72'
adds to Soccer Bowl legacy
Fantastic Fillies control 3-0 win, win 9th-straight edition
By Mike Garofola
BUFFALO GROVE -- Barrington beat Buffalo Grove to win its ninth-consecutive Mid-Suburban League Soccer Bowl on Friday, and the fifth-ranked Fillies owe the accomplishment to far too many people to mention.
The command performance in the 31st edition of the event before a chilled evening audience at Grant Blaney Stadium dashed the hopes of host Buffalo Grove, who came into their home park hoping it enter the history books as the team that ended the impressive streak.
Jen Devona, whose play this season has made her a strong candidate for Chicagoland Soccer all-state honors, opened the scoring at 22 minutes. The cappers came from an out-of-the-blue performance by Lara Lubinsky who doubled the Filles’ advantage in the 54th minute and put a dagger in the dwindling Buffalo Grove hopes eight minutes from time.
"With (Buffalo Grove) having an entire week to prepare, and having (Alyssa) Weede back playing, plus us just playing our last game of the year two days earlier, I have to admit there was concern on my part how we would respond in easily the biggest game of the year for every player on our roster, especiall those who have never been a part of the Soccer Bowl," said Fillies manager Ryan Stengren, who has now claimed 11 of the 14 championship trophies won in program history.
"(Yesterday) the girls never touched the ball in our final training session before the game. All we did was a walk-through, spending time on how we would defend just about everything we knew about them and how we would rotate on defense as a team, along our backline, and to review one last time how we would defend no. 18 (Pam Bolis), because their attack went through her."
Bolis, who was named the MSL East Division Player of the Year, and another strong candidate to earn all-state honors, entered the contest with an eye-popping 16 goals and 10 assists. She had proven to be a danger when allowed to turn or left free to collect early balls from her teammates.
Stengren assign Ella VanNess to man-mark the best the Bison had to offer, and it wasn’t until the 63rd minute that Bolis got her first attempt on frame.
"Ella had the most important job of the night of any of us, and she came through with an amazing effort, just amazing," beamed Devona.
"Ella never let no. 18 receive the ball and turn. And on the one, maybe two occasions in the second half when she DID get the ball, I was right there to double, and offer support," added Kate McGreevy, the Fillies marvelous central defender who along with Devona and keeper Coast Liapis, are the only three on the roster from the 2018 MSL Soccer Bowl champs and Class 3A state championship teams.
"Barrington was clearly the better team tonight," began Buffalo Grove's classy manager Pat Dudle, who also managed the runnerup in the 2013 and 2016-17 Fillies Soccer Bowl wins.
Barrington stayed true to form with its impressive ninth clean-sheet in its league championship run.
"The way they defended Pam in the first half was key to our attack struggling so much, but it wasn't just that," Dudle said.
"They won just about every 50-50 ball. Their midfield totally outworked ours, and they finished the chances they created. That almost always spells trouble and defeat."
While most games of this magnitude begin like a chess match as each side treads carefully to test the other. This proceeding began at a furious pace.
Quinlan Libit went wide for the Bison in the 3rd minute; then a floater from sophomore Kate Lubinsky was easily collected by BG keeper Sophie Veystman moments later.
After a Libit corner was headed out by McGreevy header, a quiet time started for the Bison faithful, who watched the visitors begin to put the blue and orange shirts under pressure for the rest of the first period.
Devona spent part of her time helping to mark the Illinois-bound Weede, who was back in action after extended time on the injured list.
Dudle kept an eye on Weede’s minutes, especially in the cold and in advance of the postseason.
Devona, along with her midfield mates Nicole Gwiasda and Brooke Brown, dominated the space and tempo of the attack. Brown and Gwiasda specifically were able to exploit the gaps in and behind the Bison midfield.
"Both of those girls were just fantastic in the first half," Stengren said of Brown and Gwiasda. The pair would alternate beautifully winning the ball and quickly playing to other. That caused the Bison to be overrun in their own end and upset the hosts’ defensive balance.
If not for the steady play of Buffalo Grove's all-MSL central defender, Savannah Larsen, things may have gotten out of hand earlier than the Devona opener.
Larsen, who has the ability to sense danger when it approaches, came forward on three separate occasions to send troublesome balls out of the Buffalo Grove penalty box with thundering headers.
But she could do nothing when Devona ran freely through the middle of the park and redirected her 12th goal of the season under Vetysman, who could only watch the extraordinary pass from the left by Ellie Sanchez find the Fillies captain.
"The first goal is almost always the most important, and in a game like this the importance is even greater," said Devona.
Buffalo Grove’s Larsen was busy again when she moved quickly to stop Riley Raynor from getting into a 1-v-1 with Veytsman in the 24th minute after Devona created the opportunity.
Veystman, who will play at Illinois State, went airborne to her right to make a brilliant save on Brooke Brown's inward swinging corner in the 31st minute. If not pushed around the post, it was headed to the ever-present Devona at the back post.
Barrington enjoyed 85 percent of the possession in the first half. The Fillies high rate of passes completed and lockdown of Bolis were the largest factors.
"That was one of our best halves of soccer this year," said McGreevy, who has done a masterful job of bringing together a brand new unit after playing serving her apprenticeship alongside former Chicagoland Soccer all-state defenders Christine Batliner, Juliana Moreno and Madi Rosen.
"Juliana and Madi were my mentors when I came on as a freshman to the varsity, I learned so much from them," McGreevy said earlier in the season.
The veteran has taken those teachings and passed them along to Sanchez, Gracie Stagnito and VanNess. The group built an air-tight defense in front of Liapis. Barrington (12-1-2) recorded 12 clean-sheets and conceded just four goals on the year.
Buffalo Grove, ranked 25th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, pushed Libit forward alongside Bolis to begin the second period. However Barrington used its organized pressure in the middle of the park and up-front from Lara and Kate Lubinsky and Raynor to keep the Bison backline busy.
Gwiasda headed over the bar in the 44th minute. A Liapis free kick from just inside the midline led to a Fillies corner at 49 minutes.
From nothing the Fillies goal-scoring heroine of this night, Lara Lubinsky, added another to the score line and brought her mates off their seats.
The speedy forward never stopped running when it appeared a Liapis wind-aided punt had a chance to sail deep. When the Bison allowed the ball to bounce high off the turf, Lubinsky brought the ball down and tricked her way free of pressure.
Her initial strike was saved by Veytsman; but the ball spilled free, and she drove it home with authority.
Now faced with chasing two goals, Dudle moved Larsen into the middle of the park and went with three in the back in the hope of generating something going forward for Buffalo Grove (9-5-3). But Barrington’s midfield energy was relentless and prevented the Bison from linking up with their forwards, forced them to play backwards, then piled on the pressure on the player in possession.
"The thing that I am most proud of, besides the result, was how well the girls were able to take what we worked on in training with our positioning, defensive rotations, spacing and overall tactical approach to stopping a very talented Buffalo Grove team from doing what they do so well," said Stengren.
The hosts’ Bolis went wide with her 18-yard effort in the 65th minute. Isabella Dulany did the same four minutes later, but that was it for the Bison, who could only look the other way when Lara Lubinsky hit an unstoppable left-footed blast off the near post and into the inside netting on the other side.
"It felt really good to score those two goals and to help my team in a game that was so important to all of us, such an important game," said Lara Lubinsky.
Prior to Lubinsky's double, Stengren began to bring a handful of his starting 11 off the field. He brought the rest off in the final five minutes including Liapis, who was relieved by sophomore Abby Raynor.
"It was great to get all of our players in tonight to give them the experience of playing in a Soccer Bowl. It's something they will all remember, and hopefully they can use that experience next season," Stengren said.
Dudle and his staff will now turn its attention to its regional opener at home against no. 13 seed Round Lake on Wednesday.
"Hats off to Ryan, and his girls. They were deserving of this result tonight, I hope that us, or someone in the league can end this long streak of championships sooner than later,” Dudle said with a wry smile.
"We had a few girls really taking this loss hard. The hope is they channel that disappointment, and get after it when we train, then go after Round Lake and hopefully Fremd (in the regional final)."
Devona, Lara Lubinsky and McGreevy happily helped lift the MSL trophy after going to their fans to celebrate. But after a team photo in between the sticks on the south side of the stadium, it was back to business for this talented trio.
"This is a special night because, no doubt," said Devona, with both Lubinsky and McGreevy nodding their heads in approval. “An effort like we gave is really good for the confidence of everyone. But this game is over, and after a day off we're back to work at training to prepare for our first game in regionals.”
"It's always about our next game and how we can be better," added McGreevy. “That's what our next session together is all about”
Lara Lubinsky, whose eighth goal tied her for second on the team with Riley Raynor, said: "It was a great team effort from everyone tonight. That's something we should all be happy about, but we can be better. That's what we'll work on all week before our next game."
The Fillies will host Auburn, of Rockford, at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Barrington Community Stadium to open the playoffs.
Starting lineups
Barrington (4-4-2)
G- Coast Liapis
D- Ellie Sanchez
D- Kate McGreevy
D- Ella VanNess
D- Gracie Stagnito
M- Kate Lubinsky
M- Brooke Brown
M- Jen Devona
M- Nicole Gwiasda
F- Lara Lubinsky
F- Riley Raynor
Buffalo Grove (4-4-2)
G: Sophie Veytsman
D- Kora Kipley
D- Bridget Reynolds
D- Samantha Larsen
D- Susie Kirsh
M- Kayla Askew
M- Quinlan Libit
M- Alyssa Weede
M- Leah Limber
F- Pam Bolis
F- Gianna Palano
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match:
Lara Lubinsky, sr. F, Barrington;
Ella VanNess, jr., D, Barrington
Referee: Bill Niemeyer
Scoring summary
First half
Barrington: Devona (Sanchez) 22'
Second half
Barrington: L. Lubinsky (Liapis) 54'
Barrington: L. Lubinsky (Gwiasda) 72'