Nourse leads Fenwick past Trinity
Senior's brace and assist gain GCAC win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
RIVER FOREST -- Anissa Nourse often exists in her own time. She moves quickly and easily, cutting or swerving, the ball always seemingly at her feet. She is perpetual motion, writ large.
“It is hard to keep up with her because she is so fast,” said teammate and junior forward Taylor Hultquist. “When we can get up on the six and she can sprint he ball around, it is really fun to be able to connect that pass and watch her play.”
A senior midfielder at Fenwick, Nourse is virtually impossible to contain in the middle of the Friars’ attack. She is a blur on the field, and her creativity and playmaking is the crucial component at Fenwick.
Nourse showcased her all-around skill by assisting a goal at the open and scoring two other goals as Fenwick defeated Trinity 4-0 in Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red Division play Wednesday at Dominican University.
Fenwick is very much built around the identity of Nourse, a 2018 Chicagoland Soccer all-stater, who is quick, dynamic and slippery in the open field.
That burden was sometimes hard for Nourse.
“I think definitely in the beginning it was hard to adjust,” said Nourse, who was a featured player last year with fellow all-stater Lauren Stibich, now at Illiois, as well as a large of upperclassmen. “It is hard to fill thshoes like Lauren because they were such key players, but we have a lot of really good young players with a lot of talent and potential.”
With Nourse setting the agenda, Fenwick (10-4-1, 2-0-1) put Trinity on its heels right at the start. In the third minute, Nourse controlled a ball and pushed it into the Blazers’ final third before slotting a ball that junior defender Alyssa Ruiz blasted home for the quick advantage.
“I love those kinds of goals, to swing it across after dribbling,” Nourse said. “Then I feel really good knowing I have teammates who are going to be there for support or take the shot.”
Early goals are frequently devastating for those who surrender them. Trinity adjusted to the Friars’ fast start, another subtle though significant sign of a team growing with each game.
“We responded well after we gave up the early goal, which was nice to see,” Trinity coach Kyle McClure said. “We have had some times this year where one goal has led to two or three [goals]. I think our composure after that was good.”
Trinity (7-11-0, 0-5-0) is also coping with the absence of its top players. Freshman Bridget Whiteside is still nursing a foot injury. Her play up-top has been instrumental in the attack. Kaitlyn Poulsen, who is an important component, also missed the game.
“Right now we are playing without three of our four best players,” McClure said. “We played more physical today, which I liked. Bridget could have played today, but we want her to be 100 percent for the start of the state tournament.
“Our defenders, Antonella [Rivoir] and Natalie [Maite] are playing really well in the center, and Natalia [Guerra] and Tabatha [Mucci] on the outside. What hurts us right now is we are without a threat up-top, and we are not really able to hold the ball.”
Trinity neutralized the Friars the balance of the half. Nourse deepened the lead by converting a penalty kick in the 37th minute on a call McClure disputed. Still, the Blazers acquitted themselves well.
Guerra was dangerous as usual with a couple of free kicks. Trinity was not really able to string passes together and punish Fenwick in the final third. Without the possibility of creating a counter, Fenwick ran relatively uninhibited in the second half.
“We are banged up, we don’t have a lot of subs, and we are just worn out right now,” McClure said. “It was 2-0 at halftime, and we could not keep up with them. They are a really fast, well-conditioned team, and they have a lot of girls. We were doing a lot of chasing.”
In the 49th minute, Hultquist drilled a shot for the 3-0 advantage.
“It is important to have confidence on the ball, myself included,” she said. “We have a lot of new players, and sometimes the hardest part is having that confidence. As we have moved later into our season, we are definitely working harder as a team.”
Nourse put the finishing touches on the victory by catching a ball in the seam, wheeling and blasting a shot from about 19 yards that ripped inside the far post in the 63rd minute.
For her accomplishments, Nourse earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
“I think we started off the season a little rocky, but we are definitely getting together as a team,” Nourse said. “We had a lot of good players last year, but we have good players this year. We are excited by the opportunity to play together, and I think we are finally starting to connect more.”
Nourse is the kind of rare talent who lifts everyone around her. She has the charisma and the natural leadership to push the team and bring out a sense of control and authority.
“I think after that first goal that Anissa assisted, we got our mojo going and having that uplifting sense of believing we could win this game,” Hultquist said. “Our defense was pushing up to the forwards and everybody was pushing up together.”
The game was vital to the conference hopes of the Friars. Fenwick faces the two other conference unbeaten programs next week in Loyola and St. Ignatius, ranked 12th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
“Our mantra this year is we are really hungry, and we are taking it one game at a time,” Nourse said. “We are really looking forward to go out there this year, and compete with those teams.”
Despite the string of losses, McClure is optimistic about his team going forward. One of his signature acts in taking the job was making the Blazers more competitive in the Red Division, the toughest in the league.
“I just think we play a really tough schedule for what we are,” he said. “We could play [weaker] schedules and pretend we are better than we actually are. I think this is going to make us stronger for the playoffs. I think those teams that don’t play tougher schools are not going to be as prepared.”
McClure has done the one essential thing, bringing hope and a direction forward. Conference games that in the past had lopsided margins and no hope are now replaced by more competitive games that show a team growing each day.
Trinity plays hard, regardless of the situation. The Blazers were trying to score until the very end, generating one of their strongest scoring chances off a corner kick in the closing second that they could not quite get on the end of.
“I look at the soccer we are playing now compared to a month ago, and I think we are playing our best soccer, even with some of our best players missing,” McClure said. “We are not worried about the results. We already have more wins than last year, and that is one our check marks. Our goal now is to win a regional championship. We want to be prepared for that.
“If we win a regional championship the whole season is a success.”
Starting lineups
Fenwick
GK: Mary Heneghan
D: Jacqueline McMahon
D: Margaux Shearer
D: Sheila Hogan
D: Alyssa Ruiz
MF: Emi Kapusta
MF: Regan Hultquist
MF: Anissa Nourse
F: Grace McGann
F: Julianna Giuffre
F: Lily Reardon
Trinity
GK: Jackie Ostiguin
D: Tabitha Mucci
D: Antonella Rivoir
D: Natalia Guerra
D: Natalie Maite
MF: Josie Poe
MF: Christina Martinez
MF: Nora Clements
MF: Isabella Whitlock
F: Grace McCaughey
F: Caroline Leyden
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Anissa Nourse, sr., MF, Fenwick
Scoring summary
First half
Fenwick—Alyssa Ruiz (Anissa Nourse), third minute
Fenwick—Nourse (penalty kick), 37th minute
Second half
Fenwick—Taylor Hultquist (Courtney Yungerman), 49th minute
Fenwick—Nourse (Lily Reardon), 63rd minute
Senior's brace and assist gain GCAC win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
RIVER FOREST -- Anissa Nourse often exists in her own time. She moves quickly and easily, cutting or swerving, the ball always seemingly at her feet. She is perpetual motion, writ large.
“It is hard to keep up with her because she is so fast,” said teammate and junior forward Taylor Hultquist. “When we can get up on the six and she can sprint he ball around, it is really fun to be able to connect that pass and watch her play.”
A senior midfielder at Fenwick, Nourse is virtually impossible to contain in the middle of the Friars’ attack. She is a blur on the field, and her creativity and playmaking is the crucial component at Fenwick.
Nourse showcased her all-around skill by assisting a goal at the open and scoring two other goals as Fenwick defeated Trinity 4-0 in Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red Division play Wednesday at Dominican University.
Fenwick is very much built around the identity of Nourse, a 2018 Chicagoland Soccer all-stater, who is quick, dynamic and slippery in the open field.
That burden was sometimes hard for Nourse.
“I think definitely in the beginning it was hard to adjust,” said Nourse, who was a featured player last year with fellow all-stater Lauren Stibich, now at Illiois, as well as a large of upperclassmen. “It is hard to fill thshoes like Lauren because they were such key players, but we have a lot of really good young players with a lot of talent and potential.”
With Nourse setting the agenda, Fenwick (10-4-1, 2-0-1) put Trinity on its heels right at the start. In the third minute, Nourse controlled a ball and pushed it into the Blazers’ final third before slotting a ball that junior defender Alyssa Ruiz blasted home for the quick advantage.
“I love those kinds of goals, to swing it across after dribbling,” Nourse said. “Then I feel really good knowing I have teammates who are going to be there for support or take the shot.”
Early goals are frequently devastating for those who surrender them. Trinity adjusted to the Friars’ fast start, another subtle though significant sign of a team growing with each game.
“We responded well after we gave up the early goal, which was nice to see,” Trinity coach Kyle McClure said. “We have had some times this year where one goal has led to two or three [goals]. I think our composure after that was good.”
Trinity (7-11-0, 0-5-0) is also coping with the absence of its top players. Freshman Bridget Whiteside is still nursing a foot injury. Her play up-top has been instrumental in the attack. Kaitlyn Poulsen, who is an important component, also missed the game.
“Right now we are playing without three of our four best players,” McClure said. “We played more physical today, which I liked. Bridget could have played today, but we want her to be 100 percent for the start of the state tournament.
“Our defenders, Antonella [Rivoir] and Natalie [Maite] are playing really well in the center, and Natalia [Guerra] and Tabatha [Mucci] on the outside. What hurts us right now is we are without a threat up-top, and we are not really able to hold the ball.”
Trinity neutralized the Friars the balance of the half. Nourse deepened the lead by converting a penalty kick in the 37th minute on a call McClure disputed. Still, the Blazers acquitted themselves well.
Guerra was dangerous as usual with a couple of free kicks. Trinity was not really able to string passes together and punish Fenwick in the final third. Without the possibility of creating a counter, Fenwick ran relatively uninhibited in the second half.
“We are banged up, we don’t have a lot of subs, and we are just worn out right now,” McClure said. “It was 2-0 at halftime, and we could not keep up with them. They are a really fast, well-conditioned team, and they have a lot of girls. We were doing a lot of chasing.”
In the 49th minute, Hultquist drilled a shot for the 3-0 advantage.
“It is important to have confidence on the ball, myself included,” she said. “We have a lot of new players, and sometimes the hardest part is having that confidence. As we have moved later into our season, we are definitely working harder as a team.”
Nourse put the finishing touches on the victory by catching a ball in the seam, wheeling and blasting a shot from about 19 yards that ripped inside the far post in the 63rd minute.
For her accomplishments, Nourse earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
“I think we started off the season a little rocky, but we are definitely getting together as a team,” Nourse said. “We had a lot of good players last year, but we have good players this year. We are excited by the opportunity to play together, and I think we are finally starting to connect more.”
Nourse is the kind of rare talent who lifts everyone around her. She has the charisma and the natural leadership to push the team and bring out a sense of control and authority.
“I think after that first goal that Anissa assisted, we got our mojo going and having that uplifting sense of believing we could win this game,” Hultquist said. “Our defense was pushing up to the forwards and everybody was pushing up together.”
The game was vital to the conference hopes of the Friars. Fenwick faces the two other conference unbeaten programs next week in Loyola and St. Ignatius, ranked 12th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
“Our mantra this year is we are really hungry, and we are taking it one game at a time,” Nourse said. “We are really looking forward to go out there this year, and compete with those teams.”
Despite the string of losses, McClure is optimistic about his team going forward. One of his signature acts in taking the job was making the Blazers more competitive in the Red Division, the toughest in the league.
“I just think we play a really tough schedule for what we are,” he said. “We could play [weaker] schedules and pretend we are better than we actually are. I think this is going to make us stronger for the playoffs. I think those teams that don’t play tougher schools are not going to be as prepared.”
McClure has done the one essential thing, bringing hope and a direction forward. Conference games that in the past had lopsided margins and no hope are now replaced by more competitive games that show a team growing each day.
Trinity plays hard, regardless of the situation. The Blazers were trying to score until the very end, generating one of their strongest scoring chances off a corner kick in the closing second that they could not quite get on the end of.
“I look at the soccer we are playing now compared to a month ago, and I think we are playing our best soccer, even with some of our best players missing,” McClure said. “We are not worried about the results. We already have more wins than last year, and that is one our check marks. Our goal now is to win a regional championship. We want to be prepared for that.
“If we win a regional championship the whole season is a success.”
Starting lineups
Fenwick
GK: Mary Heneghan
D: Jacqueline McMahon
D: Margaux Shearer
D: Sheila Hogan
D: Alyssa Ruiz
MF: Emi Kapusta
MF: Regan Hultquist
MF: Anissa Nourse
F: Grace McGann
F: Julianna Giuffre
F: Lily Reardon
Trinity
GK: Jackie Ostiguin
D: Tabitha Mucci
D: Antonella Rivoir
D: Natalia Guerra
D: Natalie Maite
MF: Josie Poe
MF: Christina Martinez
MF: Nora Clements
MF: Isabella Whitlock
F: Grace McCaughey
F: Caroline Leyden
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Anissa Nourse, sr., MF, Fenwick
Scoring summary
First half
Fenwick—Alyssa Ruiz (Anissa Nourse), third minute
Fenwick—Nourse (penalty kick), 37th minute
Second half
Fenwick—Taylor Hultquist (Courtney Yungerman), 49th minute
Fenwick—Nourse (Lily Reardon), 63rd minute