Prospect tops Cary-Grove 3-1,
maintains hot start
Knights have amassed 11 goals in first 2 games
By Bill McLean
MOUNT PROSPECT — They uttered their spring break destinations, one after another after another.
“Hawaii,” Prospect senior midfielder/forward Hannah Mekky said after the Knights’ nonconference match against visiting Cary-Grove in chilly, windless conditions Tuesday night. “Cancun,” Prospect senior defender Kaela Salehzadeh said a
nanosecond later. “Anna Maria Island,” Knights midfielder/forward Abby Knott said.
Hot places, all of them.
But none is as sizzling as Prospect’s start to the 2022 spring season. The Knights defeated C-G’s Trojans 3-1 Tuesday, a night after downing Antioch’s visiting Sequoits 8-0 in their season opener at George Gattas Memorial Stadium.
“So far, so good,” said Prospect coach Tom Froats, who received a hat-trick from Knights midfielder Maggie Rosenburg and a shared shutout from junior goalkeepers Lily Barich (first half) and Rachel Winski in the opener. “We had to play a well- coached side tonight.
“I’ve liked what I’ve seen from our players.”
Prospect (2-0-0) wasted little time in jumping out to a 1-0 lead. Fans who blinked shortly after the kickoff might have missed something special. A scant 52 seconds in, Mekky’s corner kick found the head of Salehzadeh, who conked noggins with a Trojan in midair before nodding a far-post shot past freshman keeper Lindsay Simons (eight saves, including a couple of dandy halts).
“Beautiful,” Salehzadeh said of Mekky’s delivery.
In the season-opener off another spot-on Mekky corner, Prospect notched its first goal of the campaign inside the first two minutes.
The hosts threatened several times to double the lead in the next 10 minutes Tuesday night against the visitors from the Fox Valley Conference. A shot from Knights junior midfielder/forward Jillian Sawadski hit a post after Simons found herself perilously far from the action.
Much later with only two ticks left in the first half, Sawadski and senior midfielder Jackie Keane nearly connected for a goal. Keane’s shot scooted mere inches from the outside of the post as the horn blared.
Cary-Grove (0-1-1), behind the sound, sturdy play of senior defender Kameron Zurzolo, trailed only 1-0 at the break. Junior midfielder Carlie Burns also thwarted and disrupted Prospect’s forays.
The hosts didn’t strike again until the 61st minute, getting a 20-yard goal near the top of the box off another stellar, lefty cross from the speedy Knott, whose craftiness makes a hard game look simple.
Knott scored 12 minutes later, on a tap-in via a pass from junior midfielder/forward Lauren Harrell, to cap the scoring.
“Our team,” Mekky said, “is attack-minded, especially our front five.”
Cary-Grove had cut Prospect’s lead to 2-1 on a goal by senior forward Avery Nielsen from 18-20 yards up-top in the 71st minute. Senior defender Katie Jannusch provided the assist.
“Fantastic,” Trojans coach Raymond Krystal said of Nielsen, who last played as a freshman because of several knee injuries. “She’s an outstanding player, a quality person.”
Nielsen suffered a torn ACL, followed by a torn MCL in the same knee, followed by a knee infection in the same knee.
One, two, three.
“That’s a long ‘hat track,’ ” a smiling Nielsen said. “We’re young (four freshmen and six sophomores on varsity), with a lot of potential,” she added. “I think we’ll be fine, once we find our rhythm as a team.”
Knott and Prospect junior holding midfielder Kayley Bouzas earned Chicagoland Soccer co-MVP of the Match honors.
Knott’s electric rushes and terrific crosses in both halves impressed Froats, and Bouzas was a calming presence in the back all night for the Mid-Suburban League East Division club.
“Kayley,” Froats said, “played very, very composed soccer from start to finish. She settled the ball well, settled us down. And she was all in on 50/50 balls.”
Simons stopped four shots for a team that boasts superb depth and a slew of talented, returning players. Resilience, too.
That collective trait showed up soon after Cary-Grove’s goal Tuesday night.
“They say a 2-0 lead in soccer is a tenuous lead,” Froats said. “They were right about that tonight. I was happy with our response to finding ourselves up only 2-1.”
Krystal was forthright after the loss.
“First game,” he said. “That’s what this was for us. What was nice was the opportunity to play a good, quality opponent right away.”
Prospect visits New Trier at 6:15 p.m. Thursday. The Trevians are ranked no. 7 in Chicagoland Soccer’s First 50 state-wide preseason poll behind Naperville North, Naperville Central, Lyons, O’Fallon, Libertyville and no. 1 Triad.
Perennial power New Trier went 20-2-4 last spring.
“Kind of an OK team,” a laughing Froats said of Thursday's opponents before Tuesday’s kickoff.
Then he turned serious.
“That’s a wonderful program, a benchmark program. We’re excited to play them; we’re excited about playing Cary-Grove tonight. Each game presents a new challenge for us.”
Cary-Grove travels to take on another MSL East opponent in Hersey on Thursday at 5 p.m.
Footnotes
Prospect assistant coach Michael Andrews, who coaches the Knights’ boys varsity squad in the spring, on Prospect’s 8-0 defeat of Antioch on Monday: “Our team came out ready. They were all feeling it.” Prospect led 5-0 at the half. … Krystal is a 1991 St. Francis graduate, but he didn’t play soccer for the Spartans for a very good reason: The school didn’t field a boys soccer team back then. A librarian and a former club soccer coach for several teams (spanning nearly 20 years), Krystal likes to bike in his free time. … Froats, in his 20th season at Prospect, was asked what a coach gets for reaching
such a milestone. “More gray hair,” he cracked. “That would come either way, coaching or not.” … Salehzadeh, on Knott’s crosses: “They’re intense.” … Mekky, on corner kicks, one of Prospect’s blatant strengths after two games. “We like to own the air; it’s something we strive for in each game.”
Starting lineups
Cary-Grove
GK Lindsay Simons
D Morgan Csajahy
D Julia Howdeshell
D Katie Jannusch
D Kameron Zurzolo
MF Carlie Burns
MF Katelyn Gitzke
MF Grace Apgar
F Natalie Warren
F Avery Nielsen
F Alyssa Hamann
Prospect
GK Lily Barich
D Kaela Salehzadeh
D Julia Valentini
D Natalie Bouzas
M Maggie Rosenburg
M Hannah Mekky
M Kayley Bouzas
M Jackie Keane
F Abby Knott
F Jillian Sawadski
F Lauren Harrell
Chicagoland Soccer co-MVPs of the Match: Abby Knott, sr., F, Prospect
Kayley Bouzas, jr., MF, Prospect
Scoring summary
First half
Prospect: Salehzadeh (Mekky), 1’
Second half
Prospect: Mekky (Knott), 61’
Cary-Grove: Nielsen (Jannusch), 71’
Prospect: Knott (Harrell), 73'
maintains hot start
Knights have amassed 11 goals in first 2 games
By Bill McLean
MOUNT PROSPECT — They uttered their spring break destinations, one after another after another.
“Hawaii,” Prospect senior midfielder/forward Hannah Mekky said after the Knights’ nonconference match against visiting Cary-Grove in chilly, windless conditions Tuesday night. “Cancun,” Prospect senior defender Kaela Salehzadeh said a
nanosecond later. “Anna Maria Island,” Knights midfielder/forward Abby Knott said.
Hot places, all of them.
But none is as sizzling as Prospect’s start to the 2022 spring season. The Knights defeated C-G’s Trojans 3-1 Tuesday, a night after downing Antioch’s visiting Sequoits 8-0 in their season opener at George Gattas Memorial Stadium.
“So far, so good,” said Prospect coach Tom Froats, who received a hat-trick from Knights midfielder Maggie Rosenburg and a shared shutout from junior goalkeepers Lily Barich (first half) and Rachel Winski in the opener. “We had to play a well- coached side tonight.
“I’ve liked what I’ve seen from our players.”
Prospect (2-0-0) wasted little time in jumping out to a 1-0 lead. Fans who blinked shortly after the kickoff might have missed something special. A scant 52 seconds in, Mekky’s corner kick found the head of Salehzadeh, who conked noggins with a Trojan in midair before nodding a far-post shot past freshman keeper Lindsay Simons (eight saves, including a couple of dandy halts).
“Beautiful,” Salehzadeh said of Mekky’s delivery.
In the season-opener off another spot-on Mekky corner, Prospect notched its first goal of the campaign inside the first two minutes.
The hosts threatened several times to double the lead in the next 10 minutes Tuesday night against the visitors from the Fox Valley Conference. A shot from Knights junior midfielder/forward Jillian Sawadski hit a post after Simons found herself perilously far from the action.
Much later with only two ticks left in the first half, Sawadski and senior midfielder Jackie Keane nearly connected for a goal. Keane’s shot scooted mere inches from the outside of the post as the horn blared.
Cary-Grove (0-1-1), behind the sound, sturdy play of senior defender Kameron Zurzolo, trailed only 1-0 at the break. Junior midfielder Carlie Burns also thwarted and disrupted Prospect’s forays.
The hosts didn’t strike again until the 61st minute, getting a 20-yard goal near the top of the box off another stellar, lefty cross from the speedy Knott, whose craftiness makes a hard game look simple.
Knott scored 12 minutes later, on a tap-in via a pass from junior midfielder/forward Lauren Harrell, to cap the scoring.
“Our team,” Mekky said, “is attack-minded, especially our front five.”
Cary-Grove had cut Prospect’s lead to 2-1 on a goal by senior forward Avery Nielsen from 18-20 yards up-top in the 71st minute. Senior defender Katie Jannusch provided the assist.
“Fantastic,” Trojans coach Raymond Krystal said of Nielsen, who last played as a freshman because of several knee injuries. “She’s an outstanding player, a quality person.”
Nielsen suffered a torn ACL, followed by a torn MCL in the same knee, followed by a knee infection in the same knee.
One, two, three.
“That’s a long ‘hat track,’ ” a smiling Nielsen said. “We’re young (four freshmen and six sophomores on varsity), with a lot of potential,” she added. “I think we’ll be fine, once we find our rhythm as a team.”
Knott and Prospect junior holding midfielder Kayley Bouzas earned Chicagoland Soccer co-MVP of the Match honors.
Knott’s electric rushes and terrific crosses in both halves impressed Froats, and Bouzas was a calming presence in the back all night for the Mid-Suburban League East Division club.
“Kayley,” Froats said, “played very, very composed soccer from start to finish. She settled the ball well, settled us down. And she was all in on 50/50 balls.”
Simons stopped four shots for a team that boasts superb depth and a slew of talented, returning players. Resilience, too.
That collective trait showed up soon after Cary-Grove’s goal Tuesday night.
“They say a 2-0 lead in soccer is a tenuous lead,” Froats said. “They were right about that tonight. I was happy with our response to finding ourselves up only 2-1.”
Krystal was forthright after the loss.
“First game,” he said. “That’s what this was for us. What was nice was the opportunity to play a good, quality opponent right away.”
Prospect visits New Trier at 6:15 p.m. Thursday. The Trevians are ranked no. 7 in Chicagoland Soccer’s First 50 state-wide preseason poll behind Naperville North, Naperville Central, Lyons, O’Fallon, Libertyville and no. 1 Triad.
Perennial power New Trier went 20-2-4 last spring.
“Kind of an OK team,” a laughing Froats said of Thursday's opponents before Tuesday’s kickoff.
Then he turned serious.
“That’s a wonderful program, a benchmark program. We’re excited to play them; we’re excited about playing Cary-Grove tonight. Each game presents a new challenge for us.”
Cary-Grove travels to take on another MSL East opponent in Hersey on Thursday at 5 p.m.
Footnotes
Prospect assistant coach Michael Andrews, who coaches the Knights’ boys varsity squad in the spring, on Prospect’s 8-0 defeat of Antioch on Monday: “Our team came out ready. They were all feeling it.” Prospect led 5-0 at the half. … Krystal is a 1991 St. Francis graduate, but he didn’t play soccer for the Spartans for a very good reason: The school didn’t field a boys soccer team back then. A librarian and a former club soccer coach for several teams (spanning nearly 20 years), Krystal likes to bike in his free time. … Froats, in his 20th season at Prospect, was asked what a coach gets for reaching
such a milestone. “More gray hair,” he cracked. “That would come either way, coaching or not.” … Salehzadeh, on Knott’s crosses: “They’re intense.” … Mekky, on corner kicks, one of Prospect’s blatant strengths after two games. “We like to own the air; it’s something we strive for in each game.”
Starting lineups
Cary-Grove
GK Lindsay Simons
D Morgan Csajahy
D Julia Howdeshell
D Katie Jannusch
D Kameron Zurzolo
MF Carlie Burns
MF Katelyn Gitzke
MF Grace Apgar
F Natalie Warren
F Avery Nielsen
F Alyssa Hamann
Prospect
GK Lily Barich
D Kaela Salehzadeh
D Julia Valentini
D Natalie Bouzas
M Maggie Rosenburg
M Hannah Mekky
M Kayley Bouzas
M Jackie Keane
F Abby Knott
F Jillian Sawadski
F Lauren Harrell
Chicagoland Soccer co-MVPs of the Match: Abby Knott, sr., F, Prospect
Kayley Bouzas, jr., MF, Prospect
Scoring summary
First half
Prospect: Salehzadeh (Mekky), 1’
Second half
Prospect: Mekky (Knott), 61’
Cary-Grove: Nielsen (Jannusch), 71’
Prospect: Knott (Harrell), 73'