New Trier tops GBN for CSL title
Weaver’s goal, Charchut’s save key 1-0 Trevians victory
By Gary Larsen
NORTHFIELD — The castle guard can’t ever fall asleep on the job, just in case somebody decides to storm the tower. New Trier goalkeeper Courtney Charchut was wide awake when Glenbrook North came knocking Tuesday.
With 15 minutes left to play and the host Trevians holding a 1-0 lead, Glenbrook North’s Alyssa Nekritz blistered a shot from 20 yards that was tearing a path under the crossbar. It was the Spartans’ best scoring chance in the Central Suburban League title game.
But Charchut was ready for it.
The junior keeper elevated and tipped the shot over the bar to keep the slate clean, and arguably made the pivotal play of the game in the Trevians’ 13th shutout of the year.
“Courtney made a big save tonight,” New Trier coach Jim Burnside said, “and that’s what she does so well.”
Was it difficult to stay focused on a cold night, with her team applying the lion’s share of attacking pressure and her defense protecting her well?
“A little bit,” Charchut said. “It can be hard to stay engaged in that situation, but I just have to keep watching the game and make sure nothing goes in.”
Charchut’s win-preserving save earned her the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
Nothing has gotten past Charchut or keeper Meghan Dwyer in eight of New Trier’s last nine games, all shutouts. Starting central defenders Heidi Bianucci and Josie Crumley, and outside defenders Ava Shah and Jenna Birdsell seem to be peaking with the postseason looming.
“We’re lucky to have two amazing goalies,” Crumley said. “We all just got more comfortable with each other. Heidi is great with her feet and also out of the air, and we’re all pretty quick, which is helpful in covering each other and making sure we all have our marks.”
New Trier (16-2-5), ranked fourth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, got the game’s lone goal from Emma Weaver, who was also named as an Allstate All-American player on Tuesday.
Weaver scored at 51 minutes from 20 yards on a Naya Rhee assist after knocking on the door twice in the previous minute. It was Weaver’s 23rd goal of the year.
“She creates a shot out of an opportunity you wouldn’t expect her to have,” Glenbrook North coach Tony Valsamis said of Weaver. “She cut quickly and ripped one back post. She could have very easily put a goal in earlier, and a combination of (North keeper Ellie Scott) making some nice saves and (Weaver) missing just wide of the goal helped us stay in it a little bit longer.”
A scoreless first half in Northfield opened with New Trier outside mid Mia Sedgwick finding four shots through 12 minutes, including one that forced Scott to make a fine diving save. Sedgwick also played a prominent role late in the contest as the Spartans pushed hard for a tying goal.
“I thought Mia had a great night,” Burnside said. “In the end, when they started pushing forward, we put her on (North’s Margy Porta), and she did everything she needed to do tonight. She’s been getting better and better every game.”
Scott snared a hard-hit free kick at the post, taken from distance by Bianucci at 15 minutes, made another quality stop a minute later, and dove to turn Weaver away at 22 minutes.
Scott also tipped a Kate Sawdey shot over the crossbar in the final minute of the first half. “Ellie Scott made some phenomenal saves for us,” Valsamis said.
Glenbrook North (11-8-0) defended hard through 40 minutes and kept Weaver and company off the board.
“My two center backs (Sophia Sparacio and Kat Sellas) have only worked together for three games,” Valsamis said. “They’re both first-year varsity players, and they worked well together and kept that defense pretty organized.”
The unenviable task of slowing down Weaver was given to North freshman Margy Porta.
“For the most part she did a good job,” Valsamis said. “She’s very physical. She challenges every fifty-fifty ball, and Margy has contributed a lot to the season both offensively and defensively. She’s very fit, and she’ll sprint for everything.”
Sedgwick found Weaver for a shot sent wide from 18 yards at 50 minutes, and Weaver sent another Sedgwick feed wide less than a minute later. Weaver’s goal at 51 minutes came partially thanks to a change implemented by Burnside.
“Naya Rhee, who’s normally our outside left back, went in and played center forward and got the assist for Emma,” Burnside said. “We put her in there to get a little ball control, and she played awesome for us.”
The keepers prevented any more scoring.
Charchut hit the turf at the post to collect a ball with Porta converging on her at 55 minutes, and Scott made a diving stop of an Alex Wirth shot at 59 minutes. Charchut’s tip over the bar came at 64 minutes when Nekritz got a ball to her left foot and let fly.
Nekritz only recently returned from an ACL injury suffered last season, and the Spartans’ senior captain is rounding into form.
“Her skill, surprisingly, hasn’t gone away despite being out with the injury,” Valsamis said of Nekritz. “It’s been about getting her back into game shape, and that naturally takes a handful of games.
"I think she’s just about ready to play a full game at 100 percent. She was working really hard hustling back to retrieve the ball. She has worked hard to get back to where she needs to be.”
New Trier’s Fallon Warshauer forced another save from Scott on a Shah feed at 65 minutes, and Birdsell found a shot that Scott handled a minute later.
Charchut left her line to punch away a corner kick at 68 minutes and North’s Logan Leiter sent a free kick high of frame at 70 minutes. The Trevians’ defense stood firm from there. The backline has only given up six goals in the team’s last 10 games, four of which came in a loss to second-ranked St. Charles North.
“It’s still hard to talk about that game,” Crumley said.
Tuesday’s win also marked the 19th time the Trevians have been CSL champions under Burnside. The Trevians play Fremd in a regular-season finale Friday before opening post-season play as the top seed of this year’s Class 3A New Trier Sectional.
New Trier travels to Des Plaines on May 14 for a Maine West regional semifinal against the play-in winner between Taft and Schurz.
The Trevians have played in the Class 3A state title game for five-consecutive seasons.
“We want to make it far in playoffs, and we’re ready,” Crumley said. “We’ve gotten good at playing to feet and winning balls out of the air, which is something we struggled with in the beginning of the season.
“I think we’re ready, I think we’re pumped.”
Eighth-seeded Glenbrook North opens against no. 10 Niles West in its regional opener at Glenbrook South. Second-seeded South plays no. 15 Maine East in the other semifinal game.
Key defender and captain Olivia Kosla should return by then for the Spartans, and Valsamis liked what he saw from his young team against New Trier.
“Their reaction to the loss was phenomenal. Mentally they were in a good place,” Valsamis said. “They knew they played pretty well and left everything on the field, and it was not at all a disappointing defeat.
“It was an indication to us that if we’re healthy for the playoffs we can compete against the best, and in any given game we might be able to pull a win against New Trier or Glenbrook South.”
Starting lineups
New Trier
GK Courtney Charchut
D Josie Crumley
D Heidi Bianucci
D Jenna Birdsell
D Ava Shah
M Lily Conley
M Kate Sawdey
M Alex Wirth
M Mia Sedgwick
F Fallon Warshauer
F Emma Weaver
Glenbrook North
GK Ellie Scott
D Sophia Sparacio
D Logan Leiter
D Kat Sellas
D Morissa Lambert
M Janet Garside
M Lily Denk
M Tara Mellul
M Abby Knebelkamp
M Margy Porta
F Alyssa Nekritz
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match — Courtney Charchut, jr., GK, New Trier
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
New Trier — Weaver (Rhee) 51 minutes
Weaver’s goal, Charchut’s save key 1-0 Trevians victory
By Gary Larsen
NORTHFIELD — The castle guard can’t ever fall asleep on the job, just in case somebody decides to storm the tower. New Trier goalkeeper Courtney Charchut was wide awake when Glenbrook North came knocking Tuesday.
With 15 minutes left to play and the host Trevians holding a 1-0 lead, Glenbrook North’s Alyssa Nekritz blistered a shot from 20 yards that was tearing a path under the crossbar. It was the Spartans’ best scoring chance in the Central Suburban League title game.
But Charchut was ready for it.
The junior keeper elevated and tipped the shot over the bar to keep the slate clean, and arguably made the pivotal play of the game in the Trevians’ 13th shutout of the year.
“Courtney made a big save tonight,” New Trier coach Jim Burnside said, “and that’s what she does so well.”
Was it difficult to stay focused on a cold night, with her team applying the lion’s share of attacking pressure and her defense protecting her well?
“A little bit,” Charchut said. “It can be hard to stay engaged in that situation, but I just have to keep watching the game and make sure nothing goes in.”
Charchut’s win-preserving save earned her the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
Nothing has gotten past Charchut or keeper Meghan Dwyer in eight of New Trier’s last nine games, all shutouts. Starting central defenders Heidi Bianucci and Josie Crumley, and outside defenders Ava Shah and Jenna Birdsell seem to be peaking with the postseason looming.
“We’re lucky to have two amazing goalies,” Crumley said. “We all just got more comfortable with each other. Heidi is great with her feet and also out of the air, and we’re all pretty quick, which is helpful in covering each other and making sure we all have our marks.”
New Trier (16-2-5), ranked fourth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, got the game’s lone goal from Emma Weaver, who was also named as an Allstate All-American player on Tuesday.
Weaver scored at 51 minutes from 20 yards on a Naya Rhee assist after knocking on the door twice in the previous minute. It was Weaver’s 23rd goal of the year.
“She creates a shot out of an opportunity you wouldn’t expect her to have,” Glenbrook North coach Tony Valsamis said of Weaver. “She cut quickly and ripped one back post. She could have very easily put a goal in earlier, and a combination of (North keeper Ellie Scott) making some nice saves and (Weaver) missing just wide of the goal helped us stay in it a little bit longer.”
A scoreless first half in Northfield opened with New Trier outside mid Mia Sedgwick finding four shots through 12 minutes, including one that forced Scott to make a fine diving save. Sedgwick also played a prominent role late in the contest as the Spartans pushed hard for a tying goal.
“I thought Mia had a great night,” Burnside said. “In the end, when they started pushing forward, we put her on (North’s Margy Porta), and she did everything she needed to do tonight. She’s been getting better and better every game.”
Scott snared a hard-hit free kick at the post, taken from distance by Bianucci at 15 minutes, made another quality stop a minute later, and dove to turn Weaver away at 22 minutes.
Scott also tipped a Kate Sawdey shot over the crossbar in the final minute of the first half. “Ellie Scott made some phenomenal saves for us,” Valsamis said.
Glenbrook North (11-8-0) defended hard through 40 minutes and kept Weaver and company off the board.
“My two center backs (Sophia Sparacio and Kat Sellas) have only worked together for three games,” Valsamis said. “They’re both first-year varsity players, and they worked well together and kept that defense pretty organized.”
The unenviable task of slowing down Weaver was given to North freshman Margy Porta.
“For the most part she did a good job,” Valsamis said. “She’s very physical. She challenges every fifty-fifty ball, and Margy has contributed a lot to the season both offensively and defensively. She’s very fit, and she’ll sprint for everything.”
Sedgwick found Weaver for a shot sent wide from 18 yards at 50 minutes, and Weaver sent another Sedgwick feed wide less than a minute later. Weaver’s goal at 51 minutes came partially thanks to a change implemented by Burnside.
“Naya Rhee, who’s normally our outside left back, went in and played center forward and got the assist for Emma,” Burnside said. “We put her in there to get a little ball control, and she played awesome for us.”
The keepers prevented any more scoring.
Charchut hit the turf at the post to collect a ball with Porta converging on her at 55 minutes, and Scott made a diving stop of an Alex Wirth shot at 59 minutes. Charchut’s tip over the bar came at 64 minutes when Nekritz got a ball to her left foot and let fly.
Nekritz only recently returned from an ACL injury suffered last season, and the Spartans’ senior captain is rounding into form.
“Her skill, surprisingly, hasn’t gone away despite being out with the injury,” Valsamis said of Nekritz. “It’s been about getting her back into game shape, and that naturally takes a handful of games.
"I think she’s just about ready to play a full game at 100 percent. She was working really hard hustling back to retrieve the ball. She has worked hard to get back to where she needs to be.”
New Trier’s Fallon Warshauer forced another save from Scott on a Shah feed at 65 minutes, and Birdsell found a shot that Scott handled a minute later.
Charchut left her line to punch away a corner kick at 68 minutes and North’s Logan Leiter sent a free kick high of frame at 70 minutes. The Trevians’ defense stood firm from there. The backline has only given up six goals in the team’s last 10 games, four of which came in a loss to second-ranked St. Charles North.
“It’s still hard to talk about that game,” Crumley said.
Tuesday’s win also marked the 19th time the Trevians have been CSL champions under Burnside. The Trevians play Fremd in a regular-season finale Friday before opening post-season play as the top seed of this year’s Class 3A New Trier Sectional.
New Trier travels to Des Plaines on May 14 for a Maine West regional semifinal against the play-in winner between Taft and Schurz.
The Trevians have played in the Class 3A state title game for five-consecutive seasons.
“We want to make it far in playoffs, and we’re ready,” Crumley said. “We’ve gotten good at playing to feet and winning balls out of the air, which is something we struggled with in the beginning of the season.
“I think we’re ready, I think we’re pumped.”
Eighth-seeded Glenbrook North opens against no. 10 Niles West in its regional opener at Glenbrook South. Second-seeded South plays no. 15 Maine East in the other semifinal game.
Key defender and captain Olivia Kosla should return by then for the Spartans, and Valsamis liked what he saw from his young team against New Trier.
“Their reaction to the loss was phenomenal. Mentally they were in a good place,” Valsamis said. “They knew they played pretty well and left everything on the field, and it was not at all a disappointing defeat.
“It was an indication to us that if we’re healthy for the playoffs we can compete against the best, and in any given game we might be able to pull a win against New Trier or Glenbrook South.”
Starting lineups
New Trier
GK Courtney Charchut
D Josie Crumley
D Heidi Bianucci
D Jenna Birdsell
D Ava Shah
M Lily Conley
M Kate Sawdey
M Alex Wirth
M Mia Sedgwick
F Fallon Warshauer
F Emma Weaver
Glenbrook North
GK Ellie Scott
D Sophia Sparacio
D Logan Leiter
D Kat Sellas
D Morissa Lambert
M Janet Garside
M Lily Denk
M Tara Mellul
M Abby Knebelkamp
M Margy Porta
F Alyssa Nekritz
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match — Courtney Charchut, jr., GK, New Trier
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
New Trier — Weaver (Rhee) 51 minutes