Rose in full bloom as DGS tops DGN
Junior's brace leads Mustangs to crosstown win
By Matt Le Cren
DOWNERS GROVE – Downers Grove South juniors Jordan Rose and Maddie Raftery have been playing soccer for about a decade, though they haven’t suited up together for their high school team until this season.
The prep scene is getting a glimpse of the pair’s chemistry and ability, and it’s something opponents would rather not see.
Rose continued her hot start to the season by scoring two beautiful goals, one of which was assisted by Raftery, and Raftery tallied her first high school goal as the visiting Mustangs knocked off crosstown rival Downers Grove North 3-2 on Saturday at frigid Carstens Field.
Rose now has six goals in five games, while Raftery, who is in her first season with the Mustangs after playing exclusively club soccer her first two seasons, has a goal and a pair of assists.
“There is that club connection that they have,” Downers South coach Chris Hernandez said. “It’s something nice.
“We were worried, because we were missing Nicole (Fajardo) who is an all-conference forward, who was ill, and we still have two or three starters making their way back from injuries.
“So we’re excited about this. This is a great win. Any time you have a rivalry match, anything can happen.”
A lot did at both ends of the field, sometimes within seconds of each other.
Rose bagged the first two goals for South, including the opening tally with 18:03 left in the first half. Teammate Talia Davis tried to catch North’s defense napping with a quickly executed back-heel pass which was intended for Rose.
A North defender broke it up just outside the 6, but Rose tracked it down and ripped a left-footed shot to the short side. The strike got between Downers North goalie Emma Duncan and the right post.
But the lead didn’t last long. Downers North junior striker Alexis Parker got the equalizer a mere 27 seconds later, rushing up the right side and into the box and scoring on a 15-yard roller into the lower left corner.
“That was pretty nice,” Parker said of her third goal of the season. “We needed the momentum.
“I think with that (goal) we started to create more. We started to get more balls but in the second half it was like everything restarted. It was another coming-from-behind situation. (We came up) just a little short.”
But not before both teams had their moments. Hernandez was pleased with his team’s mental fortitude after surrendering the lead so quickly. The Mustangs (2-2-1) allowed only one more shot before intermission and just three overall in the first 40 minutes.
“We made a couple mistakes in the back, but collectively they figured it out, and we had that mental toughness,” Hernandez said. “We told the girls before the match that today it would be 80 percent mental.
“Those rivalries that you have, the former club teammates, your friends, it’s about focusing and being the most disciplined team, and the team that will be the most disciplined will be the one that (wins).”
This was the first crosstown game appearance for Raftery, who came out for high school soccer because of Rose, who played on the same Eclipse club team. This was Rose’s first victory over North.
“They’re a great team, and it was really fun getting to play against them,” Raftery said. “We used to play with a couple of them when we were younger, so it was really fun.”
Winning, of course, increased the fun. It also gave the Mustangs an indication that they are improving.
“We keep saying we’re going to figure it out,” Rose said. “It kind of feels like we are figuring it out.
“Progress feels good. It’s nice to win against a good team.”
Defenses are still trying to figure out how to slow down Rose and Raftery, who have an advantage because they know each other like the backs of their hands.
“We’ve been playing together since we were 7 years old,” Raftery said. “I feel like we always know where we’re supposed to be.”
And they can communicate without their opponents hearing it.
“We’ve just been playing together for so long, I don’t have to tell her,” Rose said. “I just look at her, and we both look at our faces and I don’t have to point. That’s how it works.”
It worked perfectly late in the first half as the pair teamed up to give the Mustangs the lead for good. They worked a bit of tiki-taka around the penalty spot, with Raftery springing Rose for a great cutback shot inside the left post with 1:54 to go.
“I saw the player in front of me,” Rose recalled. “So I kind of faked like I was going to shoot behind and just went far post because goalies go front post.”
The Mustangs pressed their advantage early in the second half, scoring on their first attempt after intermission. Paige Reichert’s powerful, pin-point through-ball found the foot of Raftery, who raced through a pair of defenders and slotted home what turned out to be the game-winner at the 34:50 mark.
“Paige played a great ball to me,” Raftery said. “It was a beautiful ball through, so it was awesome. It was my first high school goal, so that was really exciting.”
That would, however, be the next-to-last shot for the Mustangs, whose 3-1 lead proved to be a little precarious.
The Trojans (1-4-0) outshot the Mustangs 7-2 in the second half, with Parker and junior midfielder Mia Marconi picking up steam as the game went on. Downers South goalie Angel Biondo made all five of her saves after the break, deflecting a shot from Parker wide of the left post a minute before Raftery’s goal, then making a diving denial of Marconi’s hard shot in the box with 25:45 left.
North’s next chance came two minutes later when Lindsay Ringbloom sent a pass into the box to Margaret Urbanski, who missed wide on a volley. Ninety seconds after that, Parker’s left-footed blast from 21 yards was turned aside by Biondo.
But the Trojans pulled within 3-2 at the 17:11 mark. Marconi sent a corner kick into the six, where Biondo attempted to punch it out. The ball got hung up in a crowd until sophomore Abbie Peterson poked it home.
Marconi had a good chance at the equalizer, but Biondo lunged to stop a 23-yard rocket with 6:40 remaining.
“South was good,” Parker said. “They’re tough, and we just lacked leadership on the field.
“We need more leaders, we need more people to step up ... and play as a team.”
Indeed, Downers North coach Brian Papa was not pleased with his backline, which like most of the lineup is still a work in progress.
“We’ve definitely got to fix the backline because we make too many mistakes,” Papa said. “We coughed the ball up in bad spots.
“Their three goals came from us giving them the ball inside the 35-yard line.”
Part of that is inexperience. The Trojans graduated a strong senior class from the squad that produced the first two sectional titles in program history as well as the fourth place trophy at the 2017 state finals, and they have no experienced players in the back.
“The girls don’t quit, which is good,” Papa said. “We’re moving people around because we don’t know.
“It’s very difficult when you’re trying to figure things out. We’re getting some practices in, and we’re playing so much better than we did in the Elk Grove Tournament.
“Now it’s up to me to identify who can play what position. I’ve got people all over the place, so I’m going to take the blame until I can figure out giving them homes so they can get comfortable. Right now they’re not comfortable.”
Parker thinks that will change over time.
“It’s just a lot of rebuilding this year,” Parker said. “We have some very good seniors, and we have great underclassmen.
“Everybody’s good. We just have to get to the point where we can all play together.”
Starting lineups
Downers Grove South
GK Angel Biondo
D Savannah Hanyzewski
D Taylor Petring
D Brynn Davis
D Marlo Rachie
M Rachel Foster
M Olivia Meyer
M Maddie Raftery
M Lauren Victorin
F Lauren Travis
F Paige Reichert
Downers Grove North
GK Emma Duncan
D Rachael Wilson
D Ana Klumb
D Kendall Hennelly
D Julia Bauer
M Mia Marconi
M Victoria Finklea
M Lindsay Ringbloom
M Julia Kramper
F Margaret Urbanski
F Alexis Parker
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Jordan Rose, jr., MF, Downers South.
Scoring summary
First half
DGS – Jordan Rose 18:03
DGN – Alexis Parker 17:36
DGS – Rose (Maddie Raftery) 1:54
Second half
DGS – Raftery (Paige Reichert) 34:50
DGN – Abbie Peterson 17:11
Junior's brace leads Mustangs to crosstown win
By Matt Le Cren
DOWNERS GROVE – Downers Grove South juniors Jordan Rose and Maddie Raftery have been playing soccer for about a decade, though they haven’t suited up together for their high school team until this season.
The prep scene is getting a glimpse of the pair’s chemistry and ability, and it’s something opponents would rather not see.
Rose continued her hot start to the season by scoring two beautiful goals, one of which was assisted by Raftery, and Raftery tallied her first high school goal as the visiting Mustangs knocked off crosstown rival Downers Grove North 3-2 on Saturday at frigid Carstens Field.
Rose now has six goals in five games, while Raftery, who is in her first season with the Mustangs after playing exclusively club soccer her first two seasons, has a goal and a pair of assists.
“There is that club connection that they have,” Downers South coach Chris Hernandez said. “It’s something nice.
“We were worried, because we were missing Nicole (Fajardo) who is an all-conference forward, who was ill, and we still have two or three starters making their way back from injuries.
“So we’re excited about this. This is a great win. Any time you have a rivalry match, anything can happen.”
A lot did at both ends of the field, sometimes within seconds of each other.
Rose bagged the first two goals for South, including the opening tally with 18:03 left in the first half. Teammate Talia Davis tried to catch North’s defense napping with a quickly executed back-heel pass which was intended for Rose.
A North defender broke it up just outside the 6, but Rose tracked it down and ripped a left-footed shot to the short side. The strike got between Downers North goalie Emma Duncan and the right post.
But the lead didn’t last long. Downers North junior striker Alexis Parker got the equalizer a mere 27 seconds later, rushing up the right side and into the box and scoring on a 15-yard roller into the lower left corner.
“That was pretty nice,” Parker said of her third goal of the season. “We needed the momentum.
“I think with that (goal) we started to create more. We started to get more balls but in the second half it was like everything restarted. It was another coming-from-behind situation. (We came up) just a little short.”
But not before both teams had their moments. Hernandez was pleased with his team’s mental fortitude after surrendering the lead so quickly. The Mustangs (2-2-1) allowed only one more shot before intermission and just three overall in the first 40 minutes.
“We made a couple mistakes in the back, but collectively they figured it out, and we had that mental toughness,” Hernandez said. “We told the girls before the match that today it would be 80 percent mental.
“Those rivalries that you have, the former club teammates, your friends, it’s about focusing and being the most disciplined team, and the team that will be the most disciplined will be the one that (wins).”
This was the first crosstown game appearance for Raftery, who came out for high school soccer because of Rose, who played on the same Eclipse club team. This was Rose’s first victory over North.
“They’re a great team, and it was really fun getting to play against them,” Raftery said. “We used to play with a couple of them when we were younger, so it was really fun.”
Winning, of course, increased the fun. It also gave the Mustangs an indication that they are improving.
“We keep saying we’re going to figure it out,” Rose said. “It kind of feels like we are figuring it out.
“Progress feels good. It’s nice to win against a good team.”
Defenses are still trying to figure out how to slow down Rose and Raftery, who have an advantage because they know each other like the backs of their hands.
“We’ve been playing together since we were 7 years old,” Raftery said. “I feel like we always know where we’re supposed to be.”
And they can communicate without their opponents hearing it.
“We’ve just been playing together for so long, I don’t have to tell her,” Rose said. “I just look at her, and we both look at our faces and I don’t have to point. That’s how it works.”
It worked perfectly late in the first half as the pair teamed up to give the Mustangs the lead for good. They worked a bit of tiki-taka around the penalty spot, with Raftery springing Rose for a great cutback shot inside the left post with 1:54 to go.
“I saw the player in front of me,” Rose recalled. “So I kind of faked like I was going to shoot behind and just went far post because goalies go front post.”
The Mustangs pressed their advantage early in the second half, scoring on their first attempt after intermission. Paige Reichert’s powerful, pin-point through-ball found the foot of Raftery, who raced through a pair of defenders and slotted home what turned out to be the game-winner at the 34:50 mark.
“Paige played a great ball to me,” Raftery said. “It was a beautiful ball through, so it was awesome. It was my first high school goal, so that was really exciting.”
That would, however, be the next-to-last shot for the Mustangs, whose 3-1 lead proved to be a little precarious.
The Trojans (1-4-0) outshot the Mustangs 7-2 in the second half, with Parker and junior midfielder Mia Marconi picking up steam as the game went on. Downers South goalie Angel Biondo made all five of her saves after the break, deflecting a shot from Parker wide of the left post a minute before Raftery’s goal, then making a diving denial of Marconi’s hard shot in the box with 25:45 left.
North’s next chance came two minutes later when Lindsay Ringbloom sent a pass into the box to Margaret Urbanski, who missed wide on a volley. Ninety seconds after that, Parker’s left-footed blast from 21 yards was turned aside by Biondo.
But the Trojans pulled within 3-2 at the 17:11 mark. Marconi sent a corner kick into the six, where Biondo attempted to punch it out. The ball got hung up in a crowd until sophomore Abbie Peterson poked it home.
Marconi had a good chance at the equalizer, but Biondo lunged to stop a 23-yard rocket with 6:40 remaining.
“South was good,” Parker said. “They’re tough, and we just lacked leadership on the field.
“We need more leaders, we need more people to step up ... and play as a team.”
Indeed, Downers North coach Brian Papa was not pleased with his backline, which like most of the lineup is still a work in progress.
“We’ve definitely got to fix the backline because we make too many mistakes,” Papa said. “We coughed the ball up in bad spots.
“Their three goals came from us giving them the ball inside the 35-yard line.”
Part of that is inexperience. The Trojans graduated a strong senior class from the squad that produced the first two sectional titles in program history as well as the fourth place trophy at the 2017 state finals, and they have no experienced players in the back.
“The girls don’t quit, which is good,” Papa said. “We’re moving people around because we don’t know.
“It’s very difficult when you’re trying to figure things out. We’re getting some practices in, and we’re playing so much better than we did in the Elk Grove Tournament.
“Now it’s up to me to identify who can play what position. I’ve got people all over the place, so I’m going to take the blame until I can figure out giving them homes so they can get comfortable. Right now they’re not comfortable.”
Parker thinks that will change over time.
“It’s just a lot of rebuilding this year,” Parker said. “We have some very good seniors, and we have great underclassmen.
“Everybody’s good. We just have to get to the point where we can all play together.”
Starting lineups
Downers Grove South
GK Angel Biondo
D Savannah Hanyzewski
D Taylor Petring
D Brynn Davis
D Marlo Rachie
M Rachel Foster
M Olivia Meyer
M Maddie Raftery
M Lauren Victorin
F Lauren Travis
F Paige Reichert
Downers Grove North
GK Emma Duncan
D Rachael Wilson
D Ana Klumb
D Kendall Hennelly
D Julia Bauer
M Mia Marconi
M Victoria Finklea
M Lindsay Ringbloom
M Julia Kramper
F Margaret Urbanski
F Alexis Parker
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Jordan Rose, jr., MF, Downers South.
Scoring summary
First half
DGS – Jordan Rose 18:03
DGN – Alexis Parker 17:36
DGS – Rose (Maddie Raftery) 1:54
Second half
DGS – Raftery (Paige Reichert) 34:50
DGN – Abbie Peterson 17:11