Fremd, Prospect battle
for 100 minutes, net 0 goals
Teams find plenty of positive takeaways after MSL stalemate
By Bill McLean
MOUNT PROSPECT -- A gust of wind disrupted the slumber of a fairly heavy coat behind the Fremd bench in the 17th minute of the Vikings’ Mid-Suburban League match Wednesday night at Prospect.
The sudden breeze blew it more than 20 feet, the outer garment bouncing and flailing and careening away toward the table separating the teams’ benches.
A Viking popped up to retrieve it and then returned it to its former resting place.
The coat wound up moving way more than either of the nets did at George Gattas Memorial Stadium.
Fremd and Prospect settled for a 0-0, double-overtime draw in brisk conditions. Vikings senior goalkeeper Sam Gary stopped seven shots, while her counterpart, Prospect junior Lily Barich, collected five saves in a contest lasting 100 minutes, the last 20 in a pair of 10-minute OT sessions.
“I thought both teams fought hard, played well, and it was a terrific battle between two very good teams in the MSL,” Prospect coach Tom Froats said.
“Good, hard-fought game,” Fremd coach Steve Keller said. “Two decent teams, going at it. Both had chances, though there weren’t a ton of offensive opportunities.”
Each defense stood out. Fremd senior Shannon Moran and junior Bella Scesniak blanketed and thwarted Prospect’s top offensive threats all night. Prospect (4-1-1, 1-0-1 in MSL action), meanwhile, received another fine effort from co-captain Jackie Keane, a defender with midfielder-esque dribbling and escape skills.
“Jackie is a terrific leader and a wonderful player on a backline that is working well together and improving each game,” Froats said. “All have a tremendous work rate.
“Jackie,” he added, “is very skillful on the ball, reads the game well and likes to join in the attack as well as defend.”
On the Fremd side, Moran is a Scesniak fan.
Also, Scesniak is a Moran fan.
“Shannon,” Scesniak said, “is really aggressive. I can count on her; we all can. She’s fearless.”
“Bella,” Moran noted, “gives 100 percent, every game. She’s there for me when we’re playing defense, saving me when I need her to save me.
“As I defender, I have to make sure I keep the ball in front of me at all times. Diving in—that’s what I have to avoid doing.”
The Vikings (3-1-1, 2-0-1) — a “team to look out for’ in the latest Chicagoland Soccer rankings — applied the heat on Prospect’s midfielders and defenders in the final 10 minutes of regulation, despite having to contend with a wind that was buffeting their faces most of the time and crossing occasionally.
Vikings senior forward Lily Spotak’s speed got the hosts’ attention, and senior forward Anna Schmidt’s hustle down a sideline resulted in a corner kick in the 73rd minute.
Moments after the corner skittered outside a crowded box, Fremd junior midfielder Kaitlyn Rodi settled the ball and dished it to senior midfielder Kylie Williams, who then served it to Spotak.
It wasn’t a successful sequence, but its design was certainly attractive.
Two minutes later Knights senior forward Abby Knott blocked a close-range shot off the foot of Rodi. Knott bravely got in the way of another shot, this one by Moran, with only 10 ticks left in the second half.
Knott had authored one of the Knights’ few dangerous rushes in the second half at the 51-minute mark. Her sprint-dribble past Prospect’s bench preceded an abrupt cut and quick cross attempt.
Corner kick, Prospect.
“Abby has done a great job and is continuing to improve each and every game,” Froats said. “Abby is growing in each practice, and in each game, in her attacking game and decision-making. Abby is extremely determined on the field and is relentless with her work rate.
“Watching Abby, Jackie and all of their teammates work so hard for each other and to trust each other is really special to watch as a coach.”
Keane lauded her teammates after the goose-egg-squared game.
“I’m really proud of how we played,” she said. “One hundred minutes of soccer—that’s a lot of soccer. We were tired, but we powered through.”
Keller would have liked to have seen a cleaner effort from his side, noting, “Our touches were at little off tonight.”
But it’s early, and the helmsman never has to worry about the collective personality of his bunch.
“They’re bubbly and happy all the time,” Keller said 15 minutes before kickoff. “Lots of laughs. I wish I had their demeanor. What I really like is, it’s a fun group that’s also competitive.”
Added Scesniak, who left the game late with a knee injury but returned to action at the start of the first OT: “We can joke around, but we know when to turn it on.”
Prospect takes on another MSL West foe, host Conant, Friday at 6:45 p.m. in Hoffman Estates; Fremd opens its home slate against Wheeling on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Footnotes
The ageless Keller is in this 22nd season as girls soccer coach at Fremd. Retirement, he said before Wednesday night’s kickoff, is eight years away. “Play more golf,” Keller said of what he’ll do in his sunset years. “What’s the best part of my game? Maybe that I’m consistently inconsistent.” Keller, who also coaches boys soccer at Fremd, carded a career-low round of 81 with his father at UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at the tail end of his college years. “Every once in a while you hit a great shot,” said Keller. “That’s why I continue to play.” … Prospect assistant coach Michael Andrews, who’s also Prospect’s head boys soccer coach, spent most of spring break last month at home relaxing and taking care of the family dog, Rosie, a German Shepherd, Pit Bull, Chihuahua mix. “She’s pretty demanding,” Andrews said. Rosie entered the lives of the coach and his wife shortly after the start of the pandemic in 2020. … Andrews, on Keane, moments after the end of Wednesday’s 0-0 tie: “She’s always solid.” … Moran, on Prospect: “Definitely a tough team.” … Froats, on Fremd: “Such a high-quality opponent.”
Starting lineups
Fremd
GK Sam Gary
D Shannon Moran
D Bella Scesniak
D Maddie McMillan
M Gemma Gillespie
M Kylie Williams
M Kaitlyn Rodi
F Lily Spotak
F Ania Ciborowski
F Anna Schmitt
F Sammie Findysz
Prospect
GK Lily Barich
D Kaela Salehzadeh
D Julia Valentini
D Natalie Bouzas
D Jackie Keane
M Maggie Rosenburg
M Hannah Mekky
M Kayley Bouzas
F Abby Knott
F Jillian Sawadski
F Lauren Harrell
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match:
Jackie Keane, sr., D, Prospect; Shannon Moran, sr., D, Fremd
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
No scoring
First overtime
No scoring
Second overtime
No scoring
for 100 minutes, net 0 goals
Teams find plenty of positive takeaways after MSL stalemate
By Bill McLean
MOUNT PROSPECT -- A gust of wind disrupted the slumber of a fairly heavy coat behind the Fremd bench in the 17th minute of the Vikings’ Mid-Suburban League match Wednesday night at Prospect.
The sudden breeze blew it more than 20 feet, the outer garment bouncing and flailing and careening away toward the table separating the teams’ benches.
A Viking popped up to retrieve it and then returned it to its former resting place.
The coat wound up moving way more than either of the nets did at George Gattas Memorial Stadium.
Fremd and Prospect settled for a 0-0, double-overtime draw in brisk conditions. Vikings senior goalkeeper Sam Gary stopped seven shots, while her counterpart, Prospect junior Lily Barich, collected five saves in a contest lasting 100 minutes, the last 20 in a pair of 10-minute OT sessions.
“I thought both teams fought hard, played well, and it was a terrific battle between two very good teams in the MSL,” Prospect coach Tom Froats said.
“Good, hard-fought game,” Fremd coach Steve Keller said. “Two decent teams, going at it. Both had chances, though there weren’t a ton of offensive opportunities.”
Each defense stood out. Fremd senior Shannon Moran and junior Bella Scesniak blanketed and thwarted Prospect’s top offensive threats all night. Prospect (4-1-1, 1-0-1 in MSL action), meanwhile, received another fine effort from co-captain Jackie Keane, a defender with midfielder-esque dribbling and escape skills.
“Jackie is a terrific leader and a wonderful player on a backline that is working well together and improving each game,” Froats said. “All have a tremendous work rate.
“Jackie,” he added, “is very skillful on the ball, reads the game well and likes to join in the attack as well as defend.”
On the Fremd side, Moran is a Scesniak fan.
Also, Scesniak is a Moran fan.
“Shannon,” Scesniak said, “is really aggressive. I can count on her; we all can. She’s fearless.”
“Bella,” Moran noted, “gives 100 percent, every game. She’s there for me when we’re playing defense, saving me when I need her to save me.
“As I defender, I have to make sure I keep the ball in front of me at all times. Diving in—that’s what I have to avoid doing.”
The Vikings (3-1-1, 2-0-1) — a “team to look out for’ in the latest Chicagoland Soccer rankings — applied the heat on Prospect’s midfielders and defenders in the final 10 minutes of regulation, despite having to contend with a wind that was buffeting their faces most of the time and crossing occasionally.
Vikings senior forward Lily Spotak’s speed got the hosts’ attention, and senior forward Anna Schmidt’s hustle down a sideline resulted in a corner kick in the 73rd minute.
Moments after the corner skittered outside a crowded box, Fremd junior midfielder Kaitlyn Rodi settled the ball and dished it to senior midfielder Kylie Williams, who then served it to Spotak.
It wasn’t a successful sequence, but its design was certainly attractive.
Two minutes later Knights senior forward Abby Knott blocked a close-range shot off the foot of Rodi. Knott bravely got in the way of another shot, this one by Moran, with only 10 ticks left in the second half.
Knott had authored one of the Knights’ few dangerous rushes in the second half at the 51-minute mark. Her sprint-dribble past Prospect’s bench preceded an abrupt cut and quick cross attempt.
Corner kick, Prospect.
“Abby has done a great job and is continuing to improve each and every game,” Froats said. “Abby is growing in each practice, and in each game, in her attacking game and decision-making. Abby is extremely determined on the field and is relentless with her work rate.
“Watching Abby, Jackie and all of their teammates work so hard for each other and to trust each other is really special to watch as a coach.”
Keane lauded her teammates after the goose-egg-squared game.
“I’m really proud of how we played,” she said. “One hundred minutes of soccer—that’s a lot of soccer. We were tired, but we powered through.”
Keller would have liked to have seen a cleaner effort from his side, noting, “Our touches were at little off tonight.”
But it’s early, and the helmsman never has to worry about the collective personality of his bunch.
“They’re bubbly and happy all the time,” Keller said 15 minutes before kickoff. “Lots of laughs. I wish I had their demeanor. What I really like is, it’s a fun group that’s also competitive.”
Added Scesniak, who left the game late with a knee injury but returned to action at the start of the first OT: “We can joke around, but we know when to turn it on.”
Prospect takes on another MSL West foe, host Conant, Friday at 6:45 p.m. in Hoffman Estates; Fremd opens its home slate against Wheeling on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Footnotes
The ageless Keller is in this 22nd season as girls soccer coach at Fremd. Retirement, he said before Wednesday night’s kickoff, is eight years away. “Play more golf,” Keller said of what he’ll do in his sunset years. “What’s the best part of my game? Maybe that I’m consistently inconsistent.” Keller, who also coaches boys soccer at Fremd, carded a career-low round of 81 with his father at UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at the tail end of his college years. “Every once in a while you hit a great shot,” said Keller. “That’s why I continue to play.” … Prospect assistant coach Michael Andrews, who’s also Prospect’s head boys soccer coach, spent most of spring break last month at home relaxing and taking care of the family dog, Rosie, a German Shepherd, Pit Bull, Chihuahua mix. “She’s pretty demanding,” Andrews said. Rosie entered the lives of the coach and his wife shortly after the start of the pandemic in 2020. … Andrews, on Keane, moments after the end of Wednesday’s 0-0 tie: “She’s always solid.” … Moran, on Prospect: “Definitely a tough team.” … Froats, on Fremd: “Such a high-quality opponent.”
Starting lineups
Fremd
GK Sam Gary
D Shannon Moran
D Bella Scesniak
D Maddie McMillan
M Gemma Gillespie
M Kylie Williams
M Kaitlyn Rodi
F Lily Spotak
F Ania Ciborowski
F Anna Schmitt
F Sammie Findysz
Prospect
GK Lily Barich
D Kaela Salehzadeh
D Julia Valentini
D Natalie Bouzas
D Jackie Keane
M Maggie Rosenburg
M Hannah Mekky
M Kayley Bouzas
F Abby Knott
F Jillian Sawadski
F Lauren Harrell
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match:
Jackie Keane, sr., D, Prospect; Shannon Moran, sr., D, Fremd
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
No scoring
First overtime
No scoring
Second overtime
No scoring