Resurgent Elk Grove tips Prospect in OT
Veteran Slattery nets game-winner in 92nd minute for 1-0 win
By Ken Keenan
MOUNT PROSPECT -- After nearly scoring on a great opportunity in the opening minute, Elk Grove had the finishing touch in the second overtime session to post a 1-0 win over host Prospect in Mid-Suburban League action Wednesday night.
Stellar Grenadiers senior defender Emma Slattery was the hero, pounding in a shot from close range with 8:20 remaining in OT no. 2. Senior midfielder Zoe Blomquist, a force on the attack throughout the match, earned the assist.
The game-winning tally came after a corner kick by Elk Grove freshman midfielder Alexa Joshi was headed away by Prospect senior middie Natalie Marfilius. A scramble ensued, and Blomquist nudged the ball to Slattery, who quickly deposited a low shot into the left corner past Prospect junior goalkeeper Gianna Rossi.
"I called for it, Zoe tapped it to me and I kicked it in," said Slattery, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match.
The resurgent Grenadiers improved to 5-4-2 overall with the victory, including a 2-3-1 mark in conference play. Elk Grove's final record in MSL play the last three seasons was 2-9-0 in 2017, and 2-8-1 in both 2015 and '16.
"There was a lot of anger in the past," said the veteran Slattery, who anchored the back end against Prospect with aggressive marking and several timely clears. "But this year, things are coming together. It's more of a group effort."
Blomquist, also a multi-year veteran, said, "We're hungry for wins, especially the (six) seniors, just hungry for something different his year."
Something else different from the recent past is the presence of first-year Grenadiers head coach Dean Burrier Sanchis, whose squad almost went up 1-0 less than 60 seconds into the match when senior forward Amanda Sitkowski was robbed in-close on a brilliant stop by Rossi.
A back-and-forth affair ensued, but Burrier Sanchis' bunch gained momentum in the latter going and kept building on it as the battle stretched into extra time.
"That's definitely a characteristic of this team -- we can go deep into OT," he said. "These girls make it difficult for other teams. They make sacrifices and do the little things to get it done. We've gone through some tough times, faced some adversity, but never lost faith in what we can accomplish. The girls believe in what we can do.
"We may get overlooked at times, but the girls have done a great job changing expectations. Tonight, we were dead-set on doing whatever it takes to get a win."
Prospect (7-5-1, 4-3-1) pushed the pace in the early going, creating several opportunities that began with strong midfield play.
A give-and-go passing sequence between senior midfielder Faith Fitzsimmons and junior forward Ashley Adams in the 6th minute ended with junior defender Madalyn Ladd firing wide-left from 35 yards. Less than 2 minutes later, senior forward Sarah Mulvihill missed just high on a 10-yard, left-footed try.
With 15 minutes to go before halftime, a multi-touch effort involving Knights senior defender Kelly Moran, junior defender Kristina Suto and forward Shawna Stokes came to a halt when Moran's cross deflected off the side of the net.
In the 38th minute, Elk Grove junior keeper Rachel Kandefer made a nice save on a wide-angle try by Adams, who cut in on the left side after taking a perfect pass from Fitzsimmons.
"Overall, I thought we had the run of the play early on," said Prospect head coach Tom Froats. "But (Elk Grove) held us. It seemed like it would be a one-goal game tonight. Both defenses were solid, for sure."
Following Sitkowski's early try, the Grenadiers' best chances in the first half came on a 35-yard free kick by Blomquist that Rossi nabbed in the 22nd minute, a blast by sophomore mid Emily Sitkowski on another 35-yard free kick that floated high in the 28th minute, and a quick, left-footed strike by Blomquist that was stopped by Rossi with 1:40 showing before the break.
In the second half, Prospect had its best chance to break the deadlock with 22:15 left in regulation when Kandefer spoiled a strong try by Fitzsimmons that concluded a nifty give-and-go with Stokes.
Otherwise, the Grenadiers were the aggressors in the final 40 -- make that 60 -- minutes of play.
Slattery barely missed high on a 40-yard rocket with 24:15 left in regulation, and Amanda Sitkowski hit the right side of the cage after charging in on the same side four minutes later.
In the 63rd minute, an Elk Grove corner kick resulted in a wild, rugby-like pile-up at the goal line, with Elk Grove sophomore forward Kate Talens jamming away until Rossi somehow corralled the ball. Rossi also had the answer on a try by Blomquist in the 76th minute, as well as consecutive strikes by Emily Sitkowski in the 78th and 79th minutes, and one with 50 seconds to go.
"I tip my hat to (Elk Grove)," Froats said. "They were aggressive, and they got the result on the board. It's a disappointing result but not the effort. We played hard to the end."
Added Fitzsimmons: "I think we dominated in the first half. But we let off a bit in the second half, and it became a tighter game. We weren't expecting (the Grenadiers) to get stronger in the second half, but they were really aggressive. We had some good possessions. In the end, we couldn't connect."
Slattery did connect for Elk Grove, drawing postgame praise from her skipper beyond mere mention of the winning tally.
"She's definitely all-terrain," Burrier said. "She steps up at big moments, makes a big play on defense, makes a hard sprint back -- just willing to do absolutely anything for the team. She's a great leader who really sets the tone for our younger girls."
Starting lineups
Elk Grove
G: Rachel Kandefer
D: Emma Simmons
D: Marisa Mauro
D: Emma Slattery
D: Leila Aguilar-Cervantes
M: Emily Sitkowski
M: Alexa Joshi
M: Zoe Blomquist
M: Gabriella Mauro
F: Amanda Sitkowski
F: Kate Talens
Prospect
G: Gianna Rossi
D: Madalyn Ladd
D: Helen Siavelis
D: Ashley Erickson
D: Kelly Moran
M: Faith Fitzsimmons
M: Natalie Marfilius
M: Shawna Stokes
F: Sarah Mulvihill
F: Ella Marzolf
F: Ashley Adams
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Emma Slattery, sr., M, Elk Grove
Officials: Ninos Alexander, Marek Zacios, Dimitri Panagiotidis
Scoring summary
2nd overtime
1. Elk Grove: Emma Slattery (assisted by Zoe Blomquist) with 8:20 left in 2nd OT
Veteran Slattery nets game-winner in 92nd minute for 1-0 win
By Ken Keenan
MOUNT PROSPECT -- After nearly scoring on a great opportunity in the opening minute, Elk Grove had the finishing touch in the second overtime session to post a 1-0 win over host Prospect in Mid-Suburban League action Wednesday night.
Stellar Grenadiers senior defender Emma Slattery was the hero, pounding in a shot from close range with 8:20 remaining in OT no. 2. Senior midfielder Zoe Blomquist, a force on the attack throughout the match, earned the assist.
The game-winning tally came after a corner kick by Elk Grove freshman midfielder Alexa Joshi was headed away by Prospect senior middie Natalie Marfilius. A scramble ensued, and Blomquist nudged the ball to Slattery, who quickly deposited a low shot into the left corner past Prospect junior goalkeeper Gianna Rossi.
"I called for it, Zoe tapped it to me and I kicked it in," said Slattery, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match.
The resurgent Grenadiers improved to 5-4-2 overall with the victory, including a 2-3-1 mark in conference play. Elk Grove's final record in MSL play the last three seasons was 2-9-0 in 2017, and 2-8-1 in both 2015 and '16.
"There was a lot of anger in the past," said the veteran Slattery, who anchored the back end against Prospect with aggressive marking and several timely clears. "But this year, things are coming together. It's more of a group effort."
Blomquist, also a multi-year veteran, said, "We're hungry for wins, especially the (six) seniors, just hungry for something different his year."
Something else different from the recent past is the presence of first-year Grenadiers head coach Dean Burrier Sanchis, whose squad almost went up 1-0 less than 60 seconds into the match when senior forward Amanda Sitkowski was robbed in-close on a brilliant stop by Rossi.
A back-and-forth affair ensued, but Burrier Sanchis' bunch gained momentum in the latter going and kept building on it as the battle stretched into extra time.
"That's definitely a characteristic of this team -- we can go deep into OT," he said. "These girls make it difficult for other teams. They make sacrifices and do the little things to get it done. We've gone through some tough times, faced some adversity, but never lost faith in what we can accomplish. The girls believe in what we can do.
"We may get overlooked at times, but the girls have done a great job changing expectations. Tonight, we were dead-set on doing whatever it takes to get a win."
Prospect (7-5-1, 4-3-1) pushed the pace in the early going, creating several opportunities that began with strong midfield play.
A give-and-go passing sequence between senior midfielder Faith Fitzsimmons and junior forward Ashley Adams in the 6th minute ended with junior defender Madalyn Ladd firing wide-left from 35 yards. Less than 2 minutes later, senior forward Sarah Mulvihill missed just high on a 10-yard, left-footed try.
With 15 minutes to go before halftime, a multi-touch effort involving Knights senior defender Kelly Moran, junior defender Kristina Suto and forward Shawna Stokes came to a halt when Moran's cross deflected off the side of the net.
In the 38th minute, Elk Grove junior keeper Rachel Kandefer made a nice save on a wide-angle try by Adams, who cut in on the left side after taking a perfect pass from Fitzsimmons.
"Overall, I thought we had the run of the play early on," said Prospect head coach Tom Froats. "But (Elk Grove) held us. It seemed like it would be a one-goal game tonight. Both defenses were solid, for sure."
Following Sitkowski's early try, the Grenadiers' best chances in the first half came on a 35-yard free kick by Blomquist that Rossi nabbed in the 22nd minute, a blast by sophomore mid Emily Sitkowski on another 35-yard free kick that floated high in the 28th minute, and a quick, left-footed strike by Blomquist that was stopped by Rossi with 1:40 showing before the break.
In the second half, Prospect had its best chance to break the deadlock with 22:15 left in regulation when Kandefer spoiled a strong try by Fitzsimmons that concluded a nifty give-and-go with Stokes.
Otherwise, the Grenadiers were the aggressors in the final 40 -- make that 60 -- minutes of play.
Slattery barely missed high on a 40-yard rocket with 24:15 left in regulation, and Amanda Sitkowski hit the right side of the cage after charging in on the same side four minutes later.
In the 63rd minute, an Elk Grove corner kick resulted in a wild, rugby-like pile-up at the goal line, with Elk Grove sophomore forward Kate Talens jamming away until Rossi somehow corralled the ball. Rossi also had the answer on a try by Blomquist in the 76th minute, as well as consecutive strikes by Emily Sitkowski in the 78th and 79th minutes, and one with 50 seconds to go.
"I tip my hat to (Elk Grove)," Froats said. "They were aggressive, and they got the result on the board. It's a disappointing result but not the effort. We played hard to the end."
Added Fitzsimmons: "I think we dominated in the first half. But we let off a bit in the second half, and it became a tighter game. We weren't expecting (the Grenadiers) to get stronger in the second half, but they were really aggressive. We had some good possessions. In the end, we couldn't connect."
Slattery did connect for Elk Grove, drawing postgame praise from her skipper beyond mere mention of the winning tally.
"She's definitely all-terrain," Burrier said. "She steps up at big moments, makes a big play on defense, makes a hard sprint back -- just willing to do absolutely anything for the team. She's a great leader who really sets the tone for our younger girls."
Starting lineups
Elk Grove
G: Rachel Kandefer
D: Emma Simmons
D: Marisa Mauro
D: Emma Slattery
D: Leila Aguilar-Cervantes
M: Emily Sitkowski
M: Alexa Joshi
M: Zoe Blomquist
M: Gabriella Mauro
F: Amanda Sitkowski
F: Kate Talens
Prospect
G: Gianna Rossi
D: Madalyn Ladd
D: Helen Siavelis
D: Ashley Erickson
D: Kelly Moran
M: Faith Fitzsimmons
M: Natalie Marfilius
M: Shawna Stokes
F: Sarah Mulvihill
F: Ella Marzolf
F: Ashley Adams
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Emma Slattery, sr., M, Elk Grove
Officials: Ninos Alexander, Marek Zacios, Dimitri Panagiotidis
Scoring summary
2nd overtime
1. Elk Grove: Emma Slattery (assisted by Zoe Blomquist) with 8:20 left in 2nd OT