Late goal-per-minute run leads
Evanston to comeback win over Carmel
Wildkits score in 73rd, 74th and 75th minutes for 3-1 victory
By Rusty Silber
MUNDELEIN – Besides the difficulty of being matched with a hungry Carmel squad on the road, Evanston was also up against the difficult challenge of finding a way to advance to the semifinals of the Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Classic.
With ties in its first two games, the Wildkits found themselves two points behind Naperville North in Group B and trailing New Trier (Group A) and Loyola (Group C) for the wild card spot.
After losses in their first two games of the tournament, the Corsairs were eager to break back into the win column. At the 72-minute mark the situation looked bleak. Evanston trailed the Carmel 1-0.
In a late bid to shake up an unsuccessful offense, Evanston coach Stacy Salgado made her move.
She added a fourth attacker up-top and challenged a now three-person backline to hold the line.
The idea not only produced the equalizer but created three goals in a three-minute span to completely turn the game around. The team trailing with eight minutes left now led by two goals with five minutes remaining. The shocking shift in fortunes delivered Evanston a 3-1 victory.
Furthermore the goal explosion pushed the running for the wild card semifinal spot to the third tiebreaker after New Trier played to a 1-1 draw with Stevenson that left the teams with identical second place records of 1-0-2.
Loyola was eliminated from the wild card race with its goal differential of one. Evanston and New Trier each had two. The Wildkits got their golden ticket because they gave up only one goal in group play compared to New Trier’s two.
Evanston (5-3-2) savored the turn of events after the game.
"We have switched it one time before," Salgado said. "It gets us numbers up, and it worked. We were able to create opportunities out of it.
"It was an exciting game, yes, because we scored so many goals to come back. It was a letdown to get scored upon in the first place. We should've had those goals earlier on in the game. I thought our legs were tired, to be honest. We had some good opportunities in the first 20 minutes if we had some better connections."
The Wildkits' Hadley Bushala included the game-winning goal among her brace and Ruby Siegel added the other tally
Bushala increased her goal total to six on the season and earned Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match honor for her performances.
"These were pretty good goals," Bushala said. "I think both were solid goals in the last few minutes. There was pressure for us, and we were able to come back with the three goals.
“Switching the lineup helped out a bit and made it definitely easier to hold the ball up-top with the addition of another forward. In situations like this one, (that) helps you when you’re down. But if it's against a team that's very offensive then we would need help in the back."
The Corsairs (3-3-0, 0-3-0) weren't too sure how they would match up entering the match with six of their starters out because of illness or injury. But the hosts put up a good fight.
Each team had opportunities through a scoreless first 40 minutes.
Carmel took the lead in the 63rd minute. Junior Skyler Thomas broke through three Wildkits defenders to create a breakaway and finish. The goal appeared to give the Corsairs confidence, but it didn’t hold up down the stretch.
"We just had a five-minute moment and have been saying that all season that’s where it matters," Thomas said of the span that allowed Evanston to take over the game. "We just questioned ourselves and (the Wildkits) took advantage of us and shut us down."
Evanston's Siegel evened the game at 1-1 in the 73rd minute with a header off a corner kick from Callista O'Connor. The score capped an incredible run for Siegel. In the first two games of group play, the senior defender was forced to play goalkeeper due to injuries and turned in shutout performances against then no. 4 Naperville North and Hinsdale Central. If there was an award for player of the group stage (a gold-plated pizza cutter perhaps?), Siegel would have been a runaway choice.
Not more than a minute later. Bushala took a ball off a Corsairs' defender and found the back of the net for the eventual game-winning goal.
The junior forward added the goal that helped push the ‘Kits into the semis in the 75th minute after taking a pass from Avery Ackman to complete the stunning turnaround.
Evanston’s completed its improbable run to the Final Four with yet another manufactured goalkeeper. This time it was JV call-up Abra Levin. The sophomore, a field player who normally plays forward, stepped up and filled a crucial role. It was not only a must-win scenario but also one where the Wildkits needed to keep the ball out of their own net. Not to mention, it was Levin's varsity debut.
“She was up for the task,” said Salgado. “Abra stepped in goal as a backup when the JV was out a goalie earlier this season but didn't see much action. Coming up to play on varsity in such a highly competitive tournament was a big jump for her. She never showed doubt and was up for the task. She's been working hard at practice to learn the basic movements of a keeper.”
Fourteenth-ranked Carmel fought through some early growing pains with the new players in its lineup, but the group settled in and held the lead late into the game
"The longer the game goes they started believing in themselves," Carmel coach Ray Krawzak said. "Then we scored and everything was great
“Then it was a matter of (Evanston) scored. Then you start doubting yourself.
“If we were stronger mentally, we would respond by going to score on them and instead, we did the wrong thing. … We do have a young team, and younger people you hope they grow in that experience. They take this as a learning moment and maintaining belief in yourself once something bad happens.
“You have to respond on raising that intensity and not sinking. That's what I hope we got out of this game. We could've had the turning point of the season if we won that game."
Evanston meets no. 20 St. Francis at 5 p.m. Friday in the first of the semifinals at New Trier. Seventh-ranked Naperville North meets no. 18 Glenbrook South in the nightcap.
Carmel plays its final game in the consolation round of the tournament against host New Trier at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Starting lineups
Evanston
GK-Abra Levin
D-Ruby Rogers
D-Ryann Lucas
D-Ruby Siegel
D-Kati Donati
MF-Keara Kerr
MF-Annika DeStefano
MF-Callista O'Connor
MF-Kat Sehgal
F-Hadley Bushala
F-Vanessa Eljaiek
Carmel
GK-Kylee Smith
D-Lily Sykes
D-Ciara Thomas
D-Liz Galla
D-Molly Machala
MF-Jen Cutro
MF-Caitlin Teehan
MF-Emma Heinrich
F-Zenaya Barnes
F-Skyler Thomas
F-Sarah Galla
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Hadley Bushala, jr., F, Evanston
Scoring summary
First half
None
Second half
Carmel-Thomas 63
Evanston-Siegal (O'Connor) 73
Evanston-Bushala 74
Evanston-Bushala (Ackman) 75
Saves (goalkeeper)
Evanston: 8 (Levin)
Carmel: 7 (Smith)
Evanston to comeback win over Carmel
Wildkits score in 73rd, 74th and 75th minutes for 3-1 victory
By Rusty Silber
MUNDELEIN – Besides the difficulty of being matched with a hungry Carmel squad on the road, Evanston was also up against the difficult challenge of finding a way to advance to the semifinals of the Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Classic.
With ties in its first two games, the Wildkits found themselves two points behind Naperville North in Group B and trailing New Trier (Group A) and Loyola (Group C) for the wild card spot.
After losses in their first two games of the tournament, the Corsairs were eager to break back into the win column. At the 72-minute mark the situation looked bleak. Evanston trailed the Carmel 1-0.
In a late bid to shake up an unsuccessful offense, Evanston coach Stacy Salgado made her move.
She added a fourth attacker up-top and challenged a now three-person backline to hold the line.
The idea not only produced the equalizer but created three goals in a three-minute span to completely turn the game around. The team trailing with eight minutes left now led by two goals with five minutes remaining. The shocking shift in fortunes delivered Evanston a 3-1 victory.
Furthermore the goal explosion pushed the running for the wild card semifinal spot to the third tiebreaker after New Trier played to a 1-1 draw with Stevenson that left the teams with identical second place records of 1-0-2.
Loyola was eliminated from the wild card race with its goal differential of one. Evanston and New Trier each had two. The Wildkits got their golden ticket because they gave up only one goal in group play compared to New Trier’s two.
Evanston (5-3-2) savored the turn of events after the game.
"We have switched it one time before," Salgado said. "It gets us numbers up, and it worked. We were able to create opportunities out of it.
"It was an exciting game, yes, because we scored so many goals to come back. It was a letdown to get scored upon in the first place. We should've had those goals earlier on in the game. I thought our legs were tired, to be honest. We had some good opportunities in the first 20 minutes if we had some better connections."
The Wildkits' Hadley Bushala included the game-winning goal among her brace and Ruby Siegel added the other tally
Bushala increased her goal total to six on the season and earned Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match honor for her performances.
"These were pretty good goals," Bushala said. "I think both were solid goals in the last few minutes. There was pressure for us, and we were able to come back with the three goals.
“Switching the lineup helped out a bit and made it definitely easier to hold the ball up-top with the addition of another forward. In situations like this one, (that) helps you when you’re down. But if it's against a team that's very offensive then we would need help in the back."
The Corsairs (3-3-0, 0-3-0) weren't too sure how they would match up entering the match with six of their starters out because of illness or injury. But the hosts put up a good fight.
Each team had opportunities through a scoreless first 40 minutes.
Carmel took the lead in the 63rd minute. Junior Skyler Thomas broke through three Wildkits defenders to create a breakaway and finish. The goal appeared to give the Corsairs confidence, but it didn’t hold up down the stretch.
"We just had a five-minute moment and have been saying that all season that’s where it matters," Thomas said of the span that allowed Evanston to take over the game. "We just questioned ourselves and (the Wildkits) took advantage of us and shut us down."
Evanston's Siegel evened the game at 1-1 in the 73rd minute with a header off a corner kick from Callista O'Connor. The score capped an incredible run for Siegel. In the first two games of group play, the senior defender was forced to play goalkeeper due to injuries and turned in shutout performances against then no. 4 Naperville North and Hinsdale Central. If there was an award for player of the group stage (a gold-plated pizza cutter perhaps?), Siegel would have been a runaway choice.
Not more than a minute later. Bushala took a ball off a Corsairs' defender and found the back of the net for the eventual game-winning goal.
The junior forward added the goal that helped push the ‘Kits into the semis in the 75th minute after taking a pass from Avery Ackman to complete the stunning turnaround.
Evanston’s completed its improbable run to the Final Four with yet another manufactured goalkeeper. This time it was JV call-up Abra Levin. The sophomore, a field player who normally plays forward, stepped up and filled a crucial role. It was not only a must-win scenario but also one where the Wildkits needed to keep the ball out of their own net. Not to mention, it was Levin's varsity debut.
“She was up for the task,” said Salgado. “Abra stepped in goal as a backup when the JV was out a goalie earlier this season but didn't see much action. Coming up to play on varsity in such a highly competitive tournament was a big jump for her. She never showed doubt and was up for the task. She's been working hard at practice to learn the basic movements of a keeper.”
Fourteenth-ranked Carmel fought through some early growing pains with the new players in its lineup, but the group settled in and held the lead late into the game
"The longer the game goes they started believing in themselves," Carmel coach Ray Krawzak said. "Then we scored and everything was great
“Then it was a matter of (Evanston) scored. Then you start doubting yourself.
“If we were stronger mentally, we would respond by going to score on them and instead, we did the wrong thing. … We do have a young team, and younger people you hope they grow in that experience. They take this as a learning moment and maintaining belief in yourself once something bad happens.
“You have to respond on raising that intensity and not sinking. That's what I hope we got out of this game. We could've had the turning point of the season if we won that game."
Evanston meets no. 20 St. Francis at 5 p.m. Friday in the first of the semifinals at New Trier. Seventh-ranked Naperville North meets no. 18 Glenbrook South in the nightcap.
Carmel plays its final game in the consolation round of the tournament against host New Trier at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Starting lineups
Evanston
GK-Abra Levin
D-Ruby Rogers
D-Ryann Lucas
D-Ruby Siegel
D-Kati Donati
MF-Keara Kerr
MF-Annika DeStefano
MF-Callista O'Connor
MF-Kat Sehgal
F-Hadley Bushala
F-Vanessa Eljaiek
Carmel
GK-Kylee Smith
D-Lily Sykes
D-Ciara Thomas
D-Liz Galla
D-Molly Machala
MF-Jen Cutro
MF-Caitlin Teehan
MF-Emma Heinrich
F-Zenaya Barnes
F-Skyler Thomas
F-Sarah Galla
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Hadley Bushala, jr., F, Evanston
Scoring summary
First half
None
Second half
Carmel-Thomas 63
Evanston-Siegal (O'Connor) 73
Evanston-Bushala 74
Evanston-Bushala (Ackman) 75
Saves (goalkeeper)
Evanston: 8 (Levin)
Carmel: 7 (Smith)