St. Ignatius star Richards remains amazing
Soph sensation scores 2 goals as no. 7 Wolfpack roll
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- The definition of a very scary notion: Ella Richards is even better than a year ago.
That is the judgement of her coach, Sean Palacios. The sophomore midfielder at St. Ignatius burst on the scene last year as a precocious freshman who scored a remarkable 29 goals in leading the Wolfpack to a Class AA sectional final.
Richards is also a basketball standout, and she has the grace, toughness and skill that removes her from the group picture. She stands alone, a portrait of skill under pressure.
“I play best with my back to the goal, and I play off the midfielders behind me,” Richards said. “I also like to shoot from outside and take people on one on one.
“This year I am feeling a little bit better about playing.”
In other words, the natural nerves and apprehension about being a freshman and being the featured player on a rising program are a thing of the past.
Richards showcased her singular talent as a scorer and creator with two goals and an assist in the first in a startling opening 15 minutes as the Wolfpack, ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, defeated Back of the Yards 7-0 in the start of group play in the Chicago Cup on Thursday at home.
Richards earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for her play.
This is the third year of the tournament, which has expanded significantly since its modest four-team format of two years ago. The Wolfpack won the first year. In the expanded eight-team format last year, Latin defeated the Wolfpack 2-1 in the title game.
The new iteration features 12 teams, with three four-team groups. The group play winners and a wild card advance to the semifinal round next week. In addition to past participants like Chicago Public League programs Payton, Young and Jones, no. 17 Lane is the major new program in the mix.
Mother McAuley, Latin, Parker, St. Ignatius and University (Chicago) make up the private school side of the equation.
“We designed this tournament to get everybody ready for a state tournament run,” Palacios said. “You have to play three group play games and then a semifinal and final, so it replicate a state tournament run with a regional, sectional and supersectional final.”
Richards is one of the marquee talents in the tournament. She had the Wolfpack (11-0-2) ready and energized from the start. In the opening minute, she drove down the right wing and blasted a rocket ball that gifted Bobcats’ keeper Roxana Herrera made a strong deflection of.
“We wanted to treat this like a regional semifinal game, and really go out there, no matter who the other team was, and strive to come out hard and play with a lot of energy and focus,” Richards said.
The constant pressure yielded the first goal in the fourth minute as Richards drove home a ball from the right wing. That was just the start as Richards followed suit with her second goal in the 12th minute and then a beautiful cross that Maura Murphy put away in the 13th for the quick and commanding 3-0 lead.
Richards’ explosive play now gives her a remarkable 23 goals in just 13 games. The Wolfpack have had some very impressive results so far with ties with no. 3 New Trier and no. 23 Loyola and a 2-1 victory over no. 8 St. Charles East.
“The players really got to know each other a lot over the summer, and we are very close as a group,” Richards said. “I think that translates to the field and how we play together and get results.”
Richards played limited minutes the balance of the game as Palacios was able to cycle through his deep and talented roster. He has seven returning starters and 19 players back. This is his fourth year in the program. The seniors like midfielder Shay Reifert celebrated a milestone with a cake for earning the 50th win in their careers.
Reifert recorded two assists.
“Having so many returning players is great because we know where we have been and where we want to go,” she said. ‘We came into the season knowing what our goals were, and we are going out to accomplish them no matter who we have to play or what we have to do.”
Maura Murphy added two assists. Midfielder Alea Ruben Evens assisted Richards’ first goal and smashed home a volley off a service from Murphy for the 4-0 lead at halftime.
Itzel Calderon, Lauren Allgeretti and Kendall Chube finished in the second half.
“Energy and focus are the main objectives for us,” Palacios said. “When you return as many starters as we do, you already have the experience. A lot of our players have gotten better, and that is a testament to their work rate and commitment to the program.
“The start of the year has been great as far as continuity. We have not had to introduce anything new, just build off the end of last year.”
Despite the lopsided score, Back of the Yards showed encouraging signs. The Bobcats (5-7-1) never quit and showed moxie and resilience in fighting against very steep odds.
The team plays in the 1st Division South of the Public League. This is the fourth year for coach Collin Rook. His team opened some eyes in last year’s tournament when they played Young to a draw in group play.
Herrera was a bright spot. Sure, the Wolfpack scored the multiple goals. She was sensational at times, making 11 saves, including several-point blank volleys or rapid-fire rebounds that showed impressive athleticism and skill.
“We played Ignatius and Young last season, and had tough matches against them, and the girls that are back are well prepared,” Rook said. “I think that experience showed today. Our focus right now is getting better. Despite today, we are pretty sound defensively.”
Junior midfielder Lissette Gallegos was a bright spot who flashed athleticism and a flair for the ball. She had the Bobcats’ best scoring chance with a shot from about 25 yards in the first half.
“The game was really competitive, and we tried out best our there,” Gallegos said. “It was hard, but we tried our best to play the way we are capable. That is one of the best teams we have played. This tournament is a good experience for us. As we play more we are going to learn more things about ourselves, what we are as a team, and we are going to learn how to communicate better out there.”
Starting lineups
Back of the Yards
GK: Roxana Herrera
D: Nayeli Aranda
D: Neidy De La Paz
D: Jacqueline Soto
D: Alejandra Hernandez
MF: Lissette Gallegos
MF: Yasmin Miron
MF: Marbella Gil
MF: Elizabeth Vallejo
F: Maria Patino
F: Valeria Servin
St. Ignatius
GK: Darcy Schoen
D: Keylan West
D: Cameron Shutt
D: Kate Abdo
MF: Alea Ruben Evens
MF: Shay Reifert
MF: Grace Campbell
MF: Ella Richards
MF: Maddie Flynn
F: Maura Murphy
F: Hailey Laurence
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Ella Richards, so., MF, St. Ignatius
Scoring summary
First half
St. Ignatius—Ella Richards (Alea Ruben Evens), fourth minute
St. Ignatius—Richards (Shay Reifert), 14th
St. Ignatius—Maura Murphy (Richards), 15th
St. Ignatius—Ruben Evens (Murphy), 24th
Second half
St. Ignatius—Itzel Calderon (Murphy), 44th
St. Ignatius—Lauren Allgeretti (Shay Reifert), 48th
St. Ignatius—Kendall Chube (penalty kick), 62nd
Soph sensation scores 2 goals as no. 7 Wolfpack roll
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- The definition of a very scary notion: Ella Richards is even better than a year ago.
That is the judgement of her coach, Sean Palacios. The sophomore midfielder at St. Ignatius burst on the scene last year as a precocious freshman who scored a remarkable 29 goals in leading the Wolfpack to a Class AA sectional final.
Richards is also a basketball standout, and she has the grace, toughness and skill that removes her from the group picture. She stands alone, a portrait of skill under pressure.
“I play best with my back to the goal, and I play off the midfielders behind me,” Richards said. “I also like to shoot from outside and take people on one on one.
“This year I am feeling a little bit better about playing.”
In other words, the natural nerves and apprehension about being a freshman and being the featured player on a rising program are a thing of the past.
Richards showcased her singular talent as a scorer and creator with two goals and an assist in the first in a startling opening 15 minutes as the Wolfpack, ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, defeated Back of the Yards 7-0 in the start of group play in the Chicago Cup on Thursday at home.
Richards earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for her play.
This is the third year of the tournament, which has expanded significantly since its modest four-team format of two years ago. The Wolfpack won the first year. In the expanded eight-team format last year, Latin defeated the Wolfpack 2-1 in the title game.
The new iteration features 12 teams, with three four-team groups. The group play winners and a wild card advance to the semifinal round next week. In addition to past participants like Chicago Public League programs Payton, Young and Jones, no. 17 Lane is the major new program in the mix.
Mother McAuley, Latin, Parker, St. Ignatius and University (Chicago) make up the private school side of the equation.
“We designed this tournament to get everybody ready for a state tournament run,” Palacios said. “You have to play three group play games and then a semifinal and final, so it replicate a state tournament run with a regional, sectional and supersectional final.”
Richards is one of the marquee talents in the tournament. She had the Wolfpack (11-0-2) ready and energized from the start. In the opening minute, she drove down the right wing and blasted a rocket ball that gifted Bobcats’ keeper Roxana Herrera made a strong deflection of.
“We wanted to treat this like a regional semifinal game, and really go out there, no matter who the other team was, and strive to come out hard and play with a lot of energy and focus,” Richards said.
The constant pressure yielded the first goal in the fourth minute as Richards drove home a ball from the right wing. That was just the start as Richards followed suit with her second goal in the 12th minute and then a beautiful cross that Maura Murphy put away in the 13th for the quick and commanding 3-0 lead.
Richards’ explosive play now gives her a remarkable 23 goals in just 13 games. The Wolfpack have had some very impressive results so far with ties with no. 3 New Trier and no. 23 Loyola and a 2-1 victory over no. 8 St. Charles East.
“The players really got to know each other a lot over the summer, and we are very close as a group,” Richards said. “I think that translates to the field and how we play together and get results.”
Richards played limited minutes the balance of the game as Palacios was able to cycle through his deep and talented roster. He has seven returning starters and 19 players back. This is his fourth year in the program. The seniors like midfielder Shay Reifert celebrated a milestone with a cake for earning the 50th win in their careers.
Reifert recorded two assists.
“Having so many returning players is great because we know where we have been and where we want to go,” she said. ‘We came into the season knowing what our goals were, and we are going out to accomplish them no matter who we have to play or what we have to do.”
Maura Murphy added two assists. Midfielder Alea Ruben Evens assisted Richards’ first goal and smashed home a volley off a service from Murphy for the 4-0 lead at halftime.
Itzel Calderon, Lauren Allgeretti and Kendall Chube finished in the second half.
“Energy and focus are the main objectives for us,” Palacios said. “When you return as many starters as we do, you already have the experience. A lot of our players have gotten better, and that is a testament to their work rate and commitment to the program.
“The start of the year has been great as far as continuity. We have not had to introduce anything new, just build off the end of last year.”
Despite the lopsided score, Back of the Yards showed encouraging signs. The Bobcats (5-7-1) never quit and showed moxie and resilience in fighting against very steep odds.
The team plays in the 1st Division South of the Public League. This is the fourth year for coach Collin Rook. His team opened some eyes in last year’s tournament when they played Young to a draw in group play.
Herrera was a bright spot. Sure, the Wolfpack scored the multiple goals. She was sensational at times, making 11 saves, including several-point blank volleys or rapid-fire rebounds that showed impressive athleticism and skill.
“We played Ignatius and Young last season, and had tough matches against them, and the girls that are back are well prepared,” Rook said. “I think that experience showed today. Our focus right now is getting better. Despite today, we are pretty sound defensively.”
Junior midfielder Lissette Gallegos was a bright spot who flashed athleticism and a flair for the ball. She had the Bobcats’ best scoring chance with a shot from about 25 yards in the first half.
“The game was really competitive, and we tried out best our there,” Gallegos said. “It was hard, but we tried our best to play the way we are capable. That is one of the best teams we have played. This tournament is a good experience for us. As we play more we are going to learn more things about ourselves, what we are as a team, and we are going to learn how to communicate better out there.”
Starting lineups
Back of the Yards
GK: Roxana Herrera
D: Nayeli Aranda
D: Neidy De La Paz
D: Jacqueline Soto
D: Alejandra Hernandez
MF: Lissette Gallegos
MF: Yasmin Miron
MF: Marbella Gil
MF: Elizabeth Vallejo
F: Maria Patino
F: Valeria Servin
St. Ignatius
GK: Darcy Schoen
D: Keylan West
D: Cameron Shutt
D: Kate Abdo
MF: Alea Ruben Evens
MF: Shay Reifert
MF: Grace Campbell
MF: Ella Richards
MF: Maddie Flynn
F: Maura Murphy
F: Hailey Laurence
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Ella Richards, so., MF, St. Ignatius
Scoring summary
First half
St. Ignatius—Ella Richards (Alea Ruben Evens), fourth minute
St. Ignatius—Richards (Shay Reifert), 14th
St. Ignatius—Maura Murphy (Richards), 15th
St. Ignatius—Ruben Evens (Murphy), 24th
Second half
St. Ignatius—Itzel Calderon (Murphy), 44th
St. Ignatius—Lauren Allgeretti (Shay Reifert), 48th
St. Ignatius—Kendall Chube (penalty kick), 62nd