Reavis works overtime for victory
Rams 1 game from Toyota Park game after topping Bolingbrook
By Steve Millar
BURBANK – In the opening minute of the second overtime period of Saturday’s game against Bolingbrook, Reavis senior midfielder Kim Marquez was given a message from teammate Litzy Corona.
After nearly 76 minutes of scoreless soccer, Corona was ready to see a goal.
“Litzy came over and told me ‘Kim, you’ve got to get this,’” Marquez said.
Marquez answered the call, directing in Corona’s corner kick for the game-winning goal as the Rams topped Bolingbrook 1-0 in a Windy City Ram Classic consolation quarterfinal.
Reavis (2-1-0) advanced to take on Leyden in Tuesday’s consolation semifinals.
Marquez’s goal came just 36 seconds into the second overtime.
“I saw Litzy take the corner, and I saw it was coming to me,” she said. “I put my chest on it, and it was in the net. Then my emotions started running wild. I was like 'Oh my God, I can’t believe it.'
“We came close to scoring a lot of times before that. We just kept going. We had the intensity and the passion we needed, and it was just a great finish.”
After the heroics from Marquez, Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match, Reavis still had to hang on for the final 4:24.
Bolingbrook (1-2-0) got one good look in the closing minutes, but Alexa Ballesteros fired wide.
The result was satisfying for Reavis coach Phil Basile, who felt his team earned the victory with its effort.
“When it comes to these really close games, it often comes down to who’s willing to lay it all out there,” he said. “My team was ready to play in overtime. It was more difficult of a win than we wanted it to be, but a win is a win, and I’m happy we got it.”
Reavis used its speed, and the playmaking abilities of Marquez and forward Sylwia Rzadkosz, to create some early scoring opportunities.
The Rams earned two corner kicks in the opening 15 minutes and Corona sent dangerous balls into the box both times, but each attempt was thwarted by the aggressive goalkeeping of Bolingbrook’s Julia Lentz, a Northern Illinois recruit.
Lentz also made an impressive play to stymie Rzadkosz on a breakaway, charging out to the top of the box to cut off Rzadkosz’s angle, then batting down her shot.
“Julia is a great goalkeeper,” Bolingbrook coach Matt Kocourek said. “Having her back there is huge. We know she’ll keep us in games.”
Four minutes into the second half, Rzadkosz made a nifty move to split two defenders and get into the box unmarked but fired just wide.
Moments later, Corona had her shot stopped by Lentz, who made her third and final save.
“We had success on counters,” Basile said. “We’re running a pretty high-energy system, but we have girls with the legs to do it. We try to work the seams and stretch the defense outside.
“We did a good job getting them on their heels, but we allowed them to stay in the game by not finishing.”
Bolingbrook, meanwhile, created a dangerous opportunity of its own five minutes into the second half. Rachel Perez played a short corner kick to Ariana Hopewell, who quickly played the ball back to Perez.
Perez unleased a shot toward the top of the net, but Reavis goalkeeper Briana Silva was able to bat it down.
Silva made four saves to record the shutout in her first game of the season. She missed the first two games after undergoing LASIK surgery.
“Having her back, I think that gave my defense more confidence,” Basile said.
Silva got plenty of help from the backline of Alejandra Rodriguez, Yasmeen Perez, Alyssa Froylan and Camilina Valdez.
“Alyssa Froylan is a phenomenal athlete in the back, and she’s really smart,” Basile said. “She sees the angles, knows when to drop, and she’s quick. She’s like the no. 3 cross country runner in our school, so that helps.”
Froylan, a sophomore, was able to use her speed to chase down Bolingbrook’s forwards and limit the Raiders’ chances.
“Cross country helps me a lot,” she said. “It gets me conditioned for the season, and I’m ready to run.
“I’m the most experienced player in the back, and I try to be the leader back there, make sure we communicate and not let them score.”
It was the second 1-0 loss of the young season for Bolingbrook.
Kocourek, though, is optimistic.
“We’re young, and I’m pleasantly surprised that we’re in these games with good programs,” he said. “Reavis is a really good team, and Phil does a great job. Plus we had a 1-0 loss to Morton. We’re in these games, and it’s just a matter of getting on the winning end of it. We’re right where we need to be. I think it’s going to be an exciting year.”
Kocourek said the key now is for the Raiders to find difference-makers.
“This was an exciting game, a great battle; and it just came down to how do you minimize your mistakes and how do you take advantage of the other team’s,” he said. “We tell our girls you’ve got to be really tough inside the 18.
“That’s where these girls transition from being just regular contributors to being All-Conference, All-Sectional or All-State. The really good players are going to get in there and finish. Reavis finished at the right time.”
As a result, the Rams are one win away from playing at Toyota Park for the consolation championship.
“We’re super fired up,” Marquez said. “We really want to push to get to Toyota Park. This is my last chance playing in this tournament, and I really want to go out with a bang for my last year.”
Starting lineups
Bolingbrook
GK: Julia Lentz
D: Graciela Navas
D: Lizvette Paz
D: Eunice Fowora
D: Rachel Perez
M: Paige Smith
M: Jasmine Urbanek
M: Abigail Dellamorte
M: Jane Villagran
F: Ariana Hopewell
F: Salma Ramos
Reavis
GK: Briana Silva
D: Alejandra Rodriguez
D: Yasmeen Perez
D: Alyssa Froylan
D: Camilina Valdez
M: Isabel Guzman
M: Kim Marquez
M: Litzy Corona
M: Arlette Hernandez
M: Lily Saenz
F: Sylwia Rzadkosz
Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match: Kim Marquez, sr., MF, Reavis
Scoring Summary
2nd Overtime
Reavis: Kim Marquez (Litzy Corona), 76th minute
Rams 1 game from Toyota Park game after topping Bolingbrook
By Steve Millar
BURBANK – In the opening minute of the second overtime period of Saturday’s game against Bolingbrook, Reavis senior midfielder Kim Marquez was given a message from teammate Litzy Corona.
After nearly 76 minutes of scoreless soccer, Corona was ready to see a goal.
“Litzy came over and told me ‘Kim, you’ve got to get this,’” Marquez said.
Marquez answered the call, directing in Corona’s corner kick for the game-winning goal as the Rams topped Bolingbrook 1-0 in a Windy City Ram Classic consolation quarterfinal.
Reavis (2-1-0) advanced to take on Leyden in Tuesday’s consolation semifinals.
Marquez’s goal came just 36 seconds into the second overtime.
“I saw Litzy take the corner, and I saw it was coming to me,” she said. “I put my chest on it, and it was in the net. Then my emotions started running wild. I was like 'Oh my God, I can’t believe it.'
“We came close to scoring a lot of times before that. We just kept going. We had the intensity and the passion we needed, and it was just a great finish.”
After the heroics from Marquez, Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match, Reavis still had to hang on for the final 4:24.
Bolingbrook (1-2-0) got one good look in the closing minutes, but Alexa Ballesteros fired wide.
The result was satisfying for Reavis coach Phil Basile, who felt his team earned the victory with its effort.
“When it comes to these really close games, it often comes down to who’s willing to lay it all out there,” he said. “My team was ready to play in overtime. It was more difficult of a win than we wanted it to be, but a win is a win, and I’m happy we got it.”
Reavis used its speed, and the playmaking abilities of Marquez and forward Sylwia Rzadkosz, to create some early scoring opportunities.
The Rams earned two corner kicks in the opening 15 minutes and Corona sent dangerous balls into the box both times, but each attempt was thwarted by the aggressive goalkeeping of Bolingbrook’s Julia Lentz, a Northern Illinois recruit.
Lentz also made an impressive play to stymie Rzadkosz on a breakaway, charging out to the top of the box to cut off Rzadkosz’s angle, then batting down her shot.
“Julia is a great goalkeeper,” Bolingbrook coach Matt Kocourek said. “Having her back there is huge. We know she’ll keep us in games.”
Four minutes into the second half, Rzadkosz made a nifty move to split two defenders and get into the box unmarked but fired just wide.
Moments later, Corona had her shot stopped by Lentz, who made her third and final save.
“We had success on counters,” Basile said. “We’re running a pretty high-energy system, but we have girls with the legs to do it. We try to work the seams and stretch the defense outside.
“We did a good job getting them on their heels, but we allowed them to stay in the game by not finishing.”
Bolingbrook, meanwhile, created a dangerous opportunity of its own five minutes into the second half. Rachel Perez played a short corner kick to Ariana Hopewell, who quickly played the ball back to Perez.
Perez unleased a shot toward the top of the net, but Reavis goalkeeper Briana Silva was able to bat it down.
Silva made four saves to record the shutout in her first game of the season. She missed the first two games after undergoing LASIK surgery.
“Having her back, I think that gave my defense more confidence,” Basile said.
Silva got plenty of help from the backline of Alejandra Rodriguez, Yasmeen Perez, Alyssa Froylan and Camilina Valdez.
“Alyssa Froylan is a phenomenal athlete in the back, and she’s really smart,” Basile said. “She sees the angles, knows when to drop, and she’s quick. She’s like the no. 3 cross country runner in our school, so that helps.”
Froylan, a sophomore, was able to use her speed to chase down Bolingbrook’s forwards and limit the Raiders’ chances.
“Cross country helps me a lot,” she said. “It gets me conditioned for the season, and I’m ready to run.
“I’m the most experienced player in the back, and I try to be the leader back there, make sure we communicate and not let them score.”
It was the second 1-0 loss of the young season for Bolingbrook.
Kocourek, though, is optimistic.
“We’re young, and I’m pleasantly surprised that we’re in these games with good programs,” he said. “Reavis is a really good team, and Phil does a great job. Plus we had a 1-0 loss to Morton. We’re in these games, and it’s just a matter of getting on the winning end of it. We’re right where we need to be. I think it’s going to be an exciting year.”
Kocourek said the key now is for the Raiders to find difference-makers.
“This was an exciting game, a great battle; and it just came down to how do you minimize your mistakes and how do you take advantage of the other team’s,” he said. “We tell our girls you’ve got to be really tough inside the 18.
“That’s where these girls transition from being just regular contributors to being All-Conference, All-Sectional or All-State. The really good players are going to get in there and finish. Reavis finished at the right time.”
As a result, the Rams are one win away from playing at Toyota Park for the consolation championship.
“We’re super fired up,” Marquez said. “We really want to push to get to Toyota Park. This is my last chance playing in this tournament, and I really want to go out with a bang for my last year.”
Starting lineups
Bolingbrook
GK: Julia Lentz
D: Graciela Navas
D: Lizvette Paz
D: Eunice Fowora
D: Rachel Perez
M: Paige Smith
M: Jasmine Urbanek
M: Abigail Dellamorte
M: Jane Villagran
F: Ariana Hopewell
F: Salma Ramos
Reavis
GK: Briana Silva
D: Alejandra Rodriguez
D: Yasmeen Perez
D: Alyssa Froylan
D: Camilina Valdez
M: Isabel Guzman
M: Kim Marquez
M: Litzy Corona
M: Arlette Hernandez
M: Lily Saenz
F: Sylwia Rzadkosz
Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match: Kim Marquez, sr., MF, Reavis
Scoring Summary
2nd Overtime
Reavis: Kim Marquez (Litzy Corona), 76th minute