IC prevails on thrilling Senior Night
Host Knights top Elmwood Park 4-3
By Ken Keenan
ELMHURST -- Featuring all the thrills and chills of a stomach-churning roller coaster ride, IC Catholic Prep's Senior Night celebration landed safely with a 4-3 decision over Elmwood Park in Metro Suburban Conference crossover action Wednesday night at Lewis Field.
The topsy-turvy affair saw the Knights turn an early 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead, only to see the Tigers fight back to knot the score at 3-3 early in the second half. IC, which improved to 10-7-0 overall with its ninth victory in 11 matches, netted the game-winner with 15:18 remaining in the second session.
"It was the wildest game of the year," said IC Catholic Prep senior midfieler Olivia Hurt, who assisted on her team's second goal and then tallied the third. "We didn't start as strong as we could. Once (the Tigers) scored, we wanted to step it up as a group."
Elmwood Park (9-5-0) opened the scoring in the 14th minute when a 40-yard free kick by dangerous senior forward Denisse Avila deflected off the hands of IC senior goalkeeper Gaby Smola and was tapped in by Tigers senior midfielder Elliana Jimenez.
The Knights struck back on a pair of goals by dynamic junior midfielder Abi Wagner, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. Settling a free kick from freshman defender (and sister) Claire Wagner in the 21st minute, the elder Wagner dashed around the Elmwood Park defense and beat junior goalkeeper Yasmine Garcia with a rising blast into the top left corner from 15 yards on the right side for her first tally.
Merely 39 seconds later, Abi Wagner mirrored her effort to give the Knights a 2-1 lead. After nabbing a pass from Hurt, Wagner raced ahead on a semi-breakaway along the left flank before firing the ball past Garcia with a sharp, left-footed strike.
Building on the shift in momentum, IC upped the margin to 3-1 with 14:06 to go in the first when Hurt finished a cross from Abi Wagner with a picture-perfect one-timer on the doorstep.
"Their defense was strong and fast ... hard to get around them," Abi Wagner said. "But when you have that momentum ..."
Added Hurt: "At 3-1, we were pretty confident. That's a good cushion. But we had to keep going."
First, the Knights had to hold off the Tigers, who roared back with several chances, including a pair from the ever-present Avila. Dancing in on the far right side in the 31st minute, Avila hit the side of the net on a try from 10 yards. Less than a minute later, she unleashed a laser from 30 yards that soared wide-left.
Avila's aim was true on her next opportunity, coming on a penalty kick following a collision between Elmwood Park's Jimenez and Smola with 3:40 to go before halftime. Avila scored to Smola's left as the Knights keeper slightly moved the opposite way, cutting the lead to 3-2 at the break.
Smola's Senior Night then came to an abrupt end after another collision with an opponent resulted in a red card for the Knights keeper. Charging out in pursuit of a bouncing ball in the 45th minute, Smola collided with a Tigers player just outside the top of the box. Though it appeared that Smola headed the ball just prior to the impact, officials ruled that she made contact with the player's body before touching the ball, resulting in the red card and subsequent ejection.
"That's the call that was made and you have to deal with it," said IC Catholic Prep head coach Antonio Godinez.
Quickly donning a keeper's jersey, Claire Wagner took over for Smola as Elmwood Park lined up an ensuing free kick from the spot of the foul. But Wagner didn't have the answer for a well-executed conversion by the Tigers, which saw Jimenez shovel a swift pass off the free look to Avila, who instantly buried a low-left strike past the diving Wagner to deadlock the match at 3-3.
The new Knights keeper held her ground from there, stopping a deflected shot by Elmwood Park freshman midfielder Lauren Olsen with 31:10 showing; diving to snuff a try by Tigers senior mid Mia DeLaGarza in the 58th minute; kicking away a short shot from the left side by freshman defender Allison Scheidt in the 60th minute; and then nabbing a 35-yard strike by Avila with 19 minutes to go.
"I'm the back-up goalie, so this has happened before," Claire Wagner said. "I was nervous, but just a little. My energy went high. I knew I had to play my 'A' game. But my teammates made me comfortable, and I trusted them being in front of me."
Added Hurt: "When Claire went in goal, we wanted to pump her up -- and we wanted to motivate each other. We had to deal with (the red card) and keep pushing through."
Less than four minutes later, the Knights took the lead for good. After eyeballing a corner kick by Abi Wagner, IC junior mid Rachel Simonides headed the ball off the crossbar -- and then watched as it pinballed off an Elmwood Park defender and into the back of the net.
The Knights banded together to bolt the door the rest of the way. With 13:20 to go, Claire Wagner slapped away a 35-yard free kick by Avila, and then stopped Avila again on a 25-yard try with 8:30 left.
"Everyone stepped up and played more defensive-minded after our fourth goal," Abi Wagner said. "With time running out, we were trying to run down the clock."
Elmwood Park managed two more opportunities, but Avila's 40-yard free kick sailed over the crossbar in the 75th minute, and a similar free boot by senior defender Ashley Kerner was handled with ease by Claire Wagner in the final minute of the wild-and-crazy affair.
"If it was crazy, we made it crazy," said Elmwood Park skipper Marty Blake. "I thought it was the worst we played all year. We didn't control the ball. We couldn't trap the ball ... pass the ball. And we didn't hustle. There was just bad energy on our part."
Disappointed Tigers Avila and Jimenez didn't sugarcoat their coach's assessment.
"We could have played better," Avila said. "We can't bark at each other. We have to communicate and work as a team."
Added Jimenez: "We got nervous when (IC) was scoring. But we should have gained control. We need to control ourselves under pressure ... stay calm under pressure and play like it's 0-0, play for each other and not worry about the score."
No such worries for the Knights, who were all smiles after surviving the scintillating Senior Night match.
"Everyone out there (including senior defenders Suzy Maloney and Kelly Murray) gave it their best effort," Godinez said. "The girls had adversity on the field and dealt with it. They did a phenomenal job, and that's a testament to their character and fight.
"I'm very proud of the effort as a group. They fought and got the result. It was a great victory."
Added Abi Wagner: "There is a sense of pride. Everyone has improved so much, and it's all coming together."
Starting lineups
Elmwood Park
G: Yasmine Garcia
D: Ashley Kerner
D: Samantha Soto
D: Madison Garcia
M: Elliana Jimenez
M: Vanessa Verna
M: Diana Rivero
M: Mia DeLaGarza
M: Lauren Olsen
F: Denisse Avila
F: Natalie Monet
IC Catholic Prep
G: Gaby Smola
D: Claire Wagner
D: Suzy Maloney
D: Kelly Murray
D: Cassandra Serrano
M: Olivia Hurt
M: Abi Wagner
M: Rachel Simonides
M: Eva Calles
F: Frances Cook
F: Kate Sebastian
Officials: Dylan Kramer, Dana Joras, Bob Karcz
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Abi Wagner, jr., MF, IC Catholic Prep
Scoring summary
First half
Elmwood Park: Elliana Jimenez (assisted by Denisse Avila) in 14th minute
IC: Abi Wagner (assisted by Claire Wagner) in 21st minute
IC: Abi Wagner (assisted by Olivia Hurt) in 22nd minute
IC: Hurt (assisted by Abi Wagner) in 26th minute
Elmwood Park: Avila (penalty kick) in 37th minute
Second half
Elmwood Park: Avila (assisted by Jimenez) in 45th minute
IC: Rachel Simonides (assisted by Abi Wagner) in 65th minute
Host Knights top Elmwood Park 4-3
By Ken Keenan
ELMHURST -- Featuring all the thrills and chills of a stomach-churning roller coaster ride, IC Catholic Prep's Senior Night celebration landed safely with a 4-3 decision over Elmwood Park in Metro Suburban Conference crossover action Wednesday night at Lewis Field.
The topsy-turvy affair saw the Knights turn an early 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead, only to see the Tigers fight back to knot the score at 3-3 early in the second half. IC, which improved to 10-7-0 overall with its ninth victory in 11 matches, netted the game-winner with 15:18 remaining in the second session.
"It was the wildest game of the year," said IC Catholic Prep senior midfieler Olivia Hurt, who assisted on her team's second goal and then tallied the third. "We didn't start as strong as we could. Once (the Tigers) scored, we wanted to step it up as a group."
Elmwood Park (9-5-0) opened the scoring in the 14th minute when a 40-yard free kick by dangerous senior forward Denisse Avila deflected off the hands of IC senior goalkeeper Gaby Smola and was tapped in by Tigers senior midfielder Elliana Jimenez.
The Knights struck back on a pair of goals by dynamic junior midfielder Abi Wagner, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. Settling a free kick from freshman defender (and sister) Claire Wagner in the 21st minute, the elder Wagner dashed around the Elmwood Park defense and beat junior goalkeeper Yasmine Garcia with a rising blast into the top left corner from 15 yards on the right side for her first tally.
Merely 39 seconds later, Abi Wagner mirrored her effort to give the Knights a 2-1 lead. After nabbing a pass from Hurt, Wagner raced ahead on a semi-breakaway along the left flank before firing the ball past Garcia with a sharp, left-footed strike.
Building on the shift in momentum, IC upped the margin to 3-1 with 14:06 to go in the first when Hurt finished a cross from Abi Wagner with a picture-perfect one-timer on the doorstep.
"Their defense was strong and fast ... hard to get around them," Abi Wagner said. "But when you have that momentum ..."
Added Hurt: "At 3-1, we were pretty confident. That's a good cushion. But we had to keep going."
First, the Knights had to hold off the Tigers, who roared back with several chances, including a pair from the ever-present Avila. Dancing in on the far right side in the 31st minute, Avila hit the side of the net on a try from 10 yards. Less than a minute later, she unleashed a laser from 30 yards that soared wide-left.
Avila's aim was true on her next opportunity, coming on a penalty kick following a collision between Elmwood Park's Jimenez and Smola with 3:40 to go before halftime. Avila scored to Smola's left as the Knights keeper slightly moved the opposite way, cutting the lead to 3-2 at the break.
Smola's Senior Night then came to an abrupt end after another collision with an opponent resulted in a red card for the Knights keeper. Charging out in pursuit of a bouncing ball in the 45th minute, Smola collided with a Tigers player just outside the top of the box. Though it appeared that Smola headed the ball just prior to the impact, officials ruled that she made contact with the player's body before touching the ball, resulting in the red card and subsequent ejection.
"That's the call that was made and you have to deal with it," said IC Catholic Prep head coach Antonio Godinez.
Quickly donning a keeper's jersey, Claire Wagner took over for Smola as Elmwood Park lined up an ensuing free kick from the spot of the foul. But Wagner didn't have the answer for a well-executed conversion by the Tigers, which saw Jimenez shovel a swift pass off the free look to Avila, who instantly buried a low-left strike past the diving Wagner to deadlock the match at 3-3.
The new Knights keeper held her ground from there, stopping a deflected shot by Elmwood Park freshman midfielder Lauren Olsen with 31:10 showing; diving to snuff a try by Tigers senior mid Mia DeLaGarza in the 58th minute; kicking away a short shot from the left side by freshman defender Allison Scheidt in the 60th minute; and then nabbing a 35-yard strike by Avila with 19 minutes to go.
"I'm the back-up goalie, so this has happened before," Claire Wagner said. "I was nervous, but just a little. My energy went high. I knew I had to play my 'A' game. But my teammates made me comfortable, and I trusted them being in front of me."
Added Hurt: "When Claire went in goal, we wanted to pump her up -- and we wanted to motivate each other. We had to deal with (the red card) and keep pushing through."
Less than four minutes later, the Knights took the lead for good. After eyeballing a corner kick by Abi Wagner, IC junior mid Rachel Simonides headed the ball off the crossbar -- and then watched as it pinballed off an Elmwood Park defender and into the back of the net.
The Knights banded together to bolt the door the rest of the way. With 13:20 to go, Claire Wagner slapped away a 35-yard free kick by Avila, and then stopped Avila again on a 25-yard try with 8:30 left.
"Everyone stepped up and played more defensive-minded after our fourth goal," Abi Wagner said. "With time running out, we were trying to run down the clock."
Elmwood Park managed two more opportunities, but Avila's 40-yard free kick sailed over the crossbar in the 75th minute, and a similar free boot by senior defender Ashley Kerner was handled with ease by Claire Wagner in the final minute of the wild-and-crazy affair.
"If it was crazy, we made it crazy," said Elmwood Park skipper Marty Blake. "I thought it was the worst we played all year. We didn't control the ball. We couldn't trap the ball ... pass the ball. And we didn't hustle. There was just bad energy on our part."
Disappointed Tigers Avila and Jimenez didn't sugarcoat their coach's assessment.
"We could have played better," Avila said. "We can't bark at each other. We have to communicate and work as a team."
Added Jimenez: "We got nervous when (IC) was scoring. But we should have gained control. We need to control ourselves under pressure ... stay calm under pressure and play like it's 0-0, play for each other and not worry about the score."
No such worries for the Knights, who were all smiles after surviving the scintillating Senior Night match.
"Everyone out there (including senior defenders Suzy Maloney and Kelly Murray) gave it their best effort," Godinez said. "The girls had adversity on the field and dealt with it. They did a phenomenal job, and that's a testament to their character and fight.
"I'm very proud of the effort as a group. They fought and got the result. It was a great victory."
Added Abi Wagner: "There is a sense of pride. Everyone has improved so much, and it's all coming together."
Starting lineups
Elmwood Park
G: Yasmine Garcia
D: Ashley Kerner
D: Samantha Soto
D: Madison Garcia
M: Elliana Jimenez
M: Vanessa Verna
M: Diana Rivero
M: Mia DeLaGarza
M: Lauren Olsen
F: Denisse Avila
F: Natalie Monet
IC Catholic Prep
G: Gaby Smola
D: Claire Wagner
D: Suzy Maloney
D: Kelly Murray
D: Cassandra Serrano
M: Olivia Hurt
M: Abi Wagner
M: Rachel Simonides
M: Eva Calles
F: Frances Cook
F: Kate Sebastian
Officials: Dylan Kramer, Dana Joras, Bob Karcz
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Abi Wagner, jr., MF, IC Catholic Prep
Scoring summary
First half
Elmwood Park: Elliana Jimenez (assisted by Denisse Avila) in 14th minute
IC: Abi Wagner (assisted by Claire Wagner) in 21st minute
IC: Abi Wagner (assisted by Olivia Hurt) in 22nd minute
IC: Hurt (assisted by Abi Wagner) in 26th minute
Elmwood Park: Avila (penalty kick) in 37th minute
Second half
Elmwood Park: Avila (assisted by Jimenez) in 45th minute
IC: Rachel Simonides (assisted by Abi Wagner) in 65th minute