NT’s Weaver turns it on against GBN
Star midfielder scores twice in no. 3 Trevians’ shutout win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
NORTHFIELD -- Positional flexibility is a key to success, and New Trier coach Jim Burnside has a wealth of options when it comes to how to deploy his star junior Emma Weaver.
“Where I am on the field depends more on where Burnside needs me based on our opponent,” Weaver said. “If he feels like we need more attacking chances, he will put me up in the center forward. Usually he does start me in the center midfielder role with Lily [Conley], because he knows we work well together.
“But he also knows if we need a scorer he might put me up-top.”
Weaver found herself shadowed all over the field by an aggressive Glenbrook North team, but trying to contain her for the full 80 minutes is a lot to ask.
She needed two chances, and she found her rhythm and finishing touch.
Weaver freed herself in scoring a goal in each half in leading the third-ranked Trevians to the 2-0 victory in a Central Suburban League crossover game Monday afternoon.
For her accomplishments, Weaver was chosen the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match.
After playing back-to-back 1-1 draws with Warren and Prospect last week, New Trier was hungry to get on the right side of the scoreboard.
“We needed this,” Weaver said.
Weaver, it is clearly evident, could play anywhere she wants on the field. The youngest of a family of four remarkable athletes, Emma is a two-time Chicagoland Soccer All-State player.
She made an extraordinary debut on the big stage, scoring both goals in the Trevians’ 2-1 Class 3A state semifinal victory over Collinsville. She finished her freshman year with 14 goals and six assists for the team that finished second in the state.
Last year she took her game to another level in scoring 15 goals and adding 22 assists for the Trevians.
In New Trier’s first two games, they held a 27-4 advantage in shot differential on goal. The primary focus was finishing opportunities.
“I think we have learned a lot from the first two games that we played, and we are just going to get better,” Conley said.
A senior, Conley is one of the other experienced, savvy players Burnside is counting on to smooth out the edges of a talented, youth-laden roster.
“I think we have a really great group of kids,” Burnside said. “Our experience level is relatively low compared to previous years. It has shown a little bit the first few games. I feel like we have played very hard and tried to do what they could to come together.”
Glenbrook North (2-2-0) provided a compelling opponent. Tony Valsamis has taken over the direction of the historically solid program. Against the Trevians, he started five freshmen.
“For me it has been a really successful start to the season,” he said. “We have a relatively young team. We are bringing in a lot of freshmen this year. The style we are trying to play is keeping possession and moving it around, and I think so far we have been really effective so far.”
New Trier (1-0-2) showed an aggressive style from the start that the Spartans largely checked. The game changed in the 18th minute as New Trier took advantage of the youth of Glenbrook North.
Freshman keeper Taylor Brocato, who showed impressive athleticism and anticipation skills, made a clearance error that New Trier sophomore forward Alex Wirth intercepted.
“Alex cut off the side angle, and she touched it to me and I was one-on-one with the keeper,” Weaver said.
Weaver expertly froze Brocato in her tracks and made a deft one-touch ball that curled inside the far post for her second goal of the year.
“They were a very good Glenbrook North team,” Weaver said.
“As we progress in the season, we are getting to know each other and discover our strengths and try to play to those as a team. As we get to know each other it becomes easier to play with each other.”
Young Glenbrook North was schooled in an important lesson, according to their coach. Every mistake is magnified when it involves a singular talent like Weaver.
“It is an awesome opportunity, especially with the younger girls, to learn from this,” Valsamis said. “One mistake does sometimes cost games. We try to minimize that, but we also have to score.”
Two of the Spartans’ freshmen, midfielders Margy Porta and Morrisa Lambert, displayed admirable tenacity and on-the-ball skills. Glenbrook North created some credible scoring chances in the second half: a long free kick from Lambert, and Porta proving inventive with the ball created pressure in the Trevians’ final third.
“Being a freshman with not a lot of seniors on the team, just one, we have had some good leadership on the team and the freshmen have tried to step up and be as much a part of the team as possible,” Porta said.
“It has been a good season so far. We have a year to progress as a team, since everybody else is going to be on the team again next year. Hopefully we are going to continue to grow as a team.”
Conley and Weaver have a special rapport on the field, given the three years they have spent as the principal midfield operators for the Trevians.
In the 55th minute, the two collaborated on a fantastic goal to put the game away. Conley worked the ball in the middle and slotted it to Weaver in space. She made an extraordinary pirouette move to control the ball and generate space.
Weaver smashed home her second goal with a wicked torque shot across her body inside the far post.
“In games like this you might only get that one chance to score and you have to capitalize on it,” Porta said. “New Trier had those two chances, and they were able to do that.”
In addition to Weaver and Conley, senior keeper Meagan Dwyer has the most returning experience. She started 24 games for the Trevians, including the state championship game against Barrington. She allowed just eight goals in those games.
“I have to talk a lot being the leader in the back,” Dwyer said. “Organizing everybody is something I really have to work on this year. We have to learn everybody’s strengths. If somebody is good at spinning around a defender, we know to play off a certain foot. Everybody gets up, and I don’t really feel as though my role has changed that much from last year.”
New Trier has played in the last five Class 3A state championship games, winning three straight from 2014 to 2016. The Trevians have lost penalty kick shootouts to Barrington in each of the last two years.
Some would say this edition of the Trevians has a lot to live up to.
“It is not kind of unrealistic [the expectations], it is very unrealistic every year,” Burnside said. “The kids are asked all the time are you going to win it this year. That is a lot to take on. With Emma, Lily and Meagan who all have two or three years of state tournament experience, we are going to get it together as a team. [Sophomore] Mia Sedgwick has been fantastic.
“They are going to do the best they can.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook North
GK: Taylor Brocato
D: Kat Sellas
D: Lily Denk
D: Olivia Kosla
D: Abby Knebelkamp
MF: Morrisa Lambert
MF: Margy Porta
MF: Tara Mellul
F: Lauren McGinnis
F: Lizzie Hardesty
F: Shannon Hardy
New Trier
GK: Meghan Dwyer
D: Jenna Birdsell
D: Kate Sawdey
D: Naya Rhee
D: Josie Crumley
MF: Lily Conley
MF: Emma Weaver
MF: Julia Goldish
F: Fallon Warshauer
F: Mia Sedgwick
F: Lilly Frentzel
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the match: Emma Weaver, jr., MF, New Trier
Scoring summary
First half
New Trier—Emma Weaver (Alex Wirth), 18th minute
Second half
New Trier—Weaver (Lily Conley), 55th minute
Star midfielder scores twice in no. 3 Trevians’ shutout win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
NORTHFIELD -- Positional flexibility is a key to success, and New Trier coach Jim Burnside has a wealth of options when it comes to how to deploy his star junior Emma Weaver.
“Where I am on the field depends more on where Burnside needs me based on our opponent,” Weaver said. “If he feels like we need more attacking chances, he will put me up in the center forward. Usually he does start me in the center midfielder role with Lily [Conley], because he knows we work well together.
“But he also knows if we need a scorer he might put me up-top.”
Weaver found herself shadowed all over the field by an aggressive Glenbrook North team, but trying to contain her for the full 80 minutes is a lot to ask.
She needed two chances, and she found her rhythm and finishing touch.
Weaver freed herself in scoring a goal in each half in leading the third-ranked Trevians to the 2-0 victory in a Central Suburban League crossover game Monday afternoon.
For her accomplishments, Weaver was chosen the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match.
After playing back-to-back 1-1 draws with Warren and Prospect last week, New Trier was hungry to get on the right side of the scoreboard.
“We needed this,” Weaver said.
Weaver, it is clearly evident, could play anywhere she wants on the field. The youngest of a family of four remarkable athletes, Emma is a two-time Chicagoland Soccer All-State player.
She made an extraordinary debut on the big stage, scoring both goals in the Trevians’ 2-1 Class 3A state semifinal victory over Collinsville. She finished her freshman year with 14 goals and six assists for the team that finished second in the state.
Last year she took her game to another level in scoring 15 goals and adding 22 assists for the Trevians.
In New Trier’s first two games, they held a 27-4 advantage in shot differential on goal. The primary focus was finishing opportunities.
“I think we have learned a lot from the first two games that we played, and we are just going to get better,” Conley said.
A senior, Conley is one of the other experienced, savvy players Burnside is counting on to smooth out the edges of a talented, youth-laden roster.
“I think we have a really great group of kids,” Burnside said. “Our experience level is relatively low compared to previous years. It has shown a little bit the first few games. I feel like we have played very hard and tried to do what they could to come together.”
Glenbrook North (2-2-0) provided a compelling opponent. Tony Valsamis has taken over the direction of the historically solid program. Against the Trevians, he started five freshmen.
“For me it has been a really successful start to the season,” he said. “We have a relatively young team. We are bringing in a lot of freshmen this year. The style we are trying to play is keeping possession and moving it around, and I think so far we have been really effective so far.”
New Trier (1-0-2) showed an aggressive style from the start that the Spartans largely checked. The game changed in the 18th minute as New Trier took advantage of the youth of Glenbrook North.
Freshman keeper Taylor Brocato, who showed impressive athleticism and anticipation skills, made a clearance error that New Trier sophomore forward Alex Wirth intercepted.
“Alex cut off the side angle, and she touched it to me and I was one-on-one with the keeper,” Weaver said.
Weaver expertly froze Brocato in her tracks and made a deft one-touch ball that curled inside the far post for her second goal of the year.
“They were a very good Glenbrook North team,” Weaver said.
“As we progress in the season, we are getting to know each other and discover our strengths and try to play to those as a team. As we get to know each other it becomes easier to play with each other.”
Young Glenbrook North was schooled in an important lesson, according to their coach. Every mistake is magnified when it involves a singular talent like Weaver.
“It is an awesome opportunity, especially with the younger girls, to learn from this,” Valsamis said. “One mistake does sometimes cost games. We try to minimize that, but we also have to score.”
Two of the Spartans’ freshmen, midfielders Margy Porta and Morrisa Lambert, displayed admirable tenacity and on-the-ball skills. Glenbrook North created some credible scoring chances in the second half: a long free kick from Lambert, and Porta proving inventive with the ball created pressure in the Trevians’ final third.
“Being a freshman with not a lot of seniors on the team, just one, we have had some good leadership on the team and the freshmen have tried to step up and be as much a part of the team as possible,” Porta said.
“It has been a good season so far. We have a year to progress as a team, since everybody else is going to be on the team again next year. Hopefully we are going to continue to grow as a team.”
Conley and Weaver have a special rapport on the field, given the three years they have spent as the principal midfield operators for the Trevians.
In the 55th minute, the two collaborated on a fantastic goal to put the game away. Conley worked the ball in the middle and slotted it to Weaver in space. She made an extraordinary pirouette move to control the ball and generate space.
Weaver smashed home her second goal with a wicked torque shot across her body inside the far post.
“In games like this you might only get that one chance to score and you have to capitalize on it,” Porta said. “New Trier had those two chances, and they were able to do that.”
In addition to Weaver and Conley, senior keeper Meagan Dwyer has the most returning experience. She started 24 games for the Trevians, including the state championship game against Barrington. She allowed just eight goals in those games.
“I have to talk a lot being the leader in the back,” Dwyer said. “Organizing everybody is something I really have to work on this year. We have to learn everybody’s strengths. If somebody is good at spinning around a defender, we know to play off a certain foot. Everybody gets up, and I don’t really feel as though my role has changed that much from last year.”
New Trier has played in the last five Class 3A state championship games, winning three straight from 2014 to 2016. The Trevians have lost penalty kick shootouts to Barrington in each of the last two years.
Some would say this edition of the Trevians has a lot to live up to.
“It is not kind of unrealistic [the expectations], it is very unrealistic every year,” Burnside said. “The kids are asked all the time are you going to win it this year. That is a lot to take on. With Emma, Lily and Meagan who all have two or three years of state tournament experience, we are going to get it together as a team. [Sophomore] Mia Sedgwick has been fantastic.
“They are going to do the best they can.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook North
GK: Taylor Brocato
D: Kat Sellas
D: Lily Denk
D: Olivia Kosla
D: Abby Knebelkamp
MF: Morrisa Lambert
MF: Margy Porta
MF: Tara Mellul
F: Lauren McGinnis
F: Lizzie Hardesty
F: Shannon Hardy
New Trier
GK: Meghan Dwyer
D: Jenna Birdsell
D: Kate Sawdey
D: Naya Rhee
D: Josie Crumley
MF: Lily Conley
MF: Emma Weaver
MF: Julia Goldish
F: Fallon Warshauer
F: Mia Sedgwick
F: Lilly Frentzel
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the match: Emma Weaver, jr., MF, New Trier
Scoring summary
First half
New Trier—Emma Weaver (Alex Wirth), 18th minute
Second half
New Trier—Weaver (Lily Conley), 55th minute