St. Charles East keeps
on rolling with Geneva win
By Jared Birchfield
ST. CHARLES -- A trio of Saints, all with surnames starting with the letter S, scored a total of six goals to sink Geneva, 6-0 in a DuKane Conference match Thursday at Norris Field.
The goal total makes it five games that St. Charles East, ranked second in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, has scored six or more goals.
The team’s defense also continued to vex opponents’ offenses by earning its sixth shutout. To date, the unit has allowed only one goal.
Junior midfielder Ashley Stellon led the charge with her first hat-trick for the Saints (7-0-0, 4-0-0).
Senior forward Jenna Sitta chipped in with her seventh and eight goals of the season.
Even the backline got into the act -- senior defender Megan Stout also found the back of the net.
“I think our attack is dynamic in terms of the movement that they have off the ball and just their desire to just keep on going. They are relentless in their effort to push for more,” said East coach Vince DiNuzzo. “This team is just different from teams we've had in the past in the sense that they don't settle for where they're at. They are always continuing to push forward, even the kids coming off the bench.”
“I don't think there's any doubt that East is a very good team, and they capitalized on other teams’ mistakes and we're young,” Geneva coach Megan Owens said. “I think our youth and our inexperience showed a little bit tonight, but I think we matched well with them at times. We just need to work on our consistency.”
East wasted no time in mounting its attack. Geneva’s freshman goalkeeper Jordan Forbes made the first of her 12 saves 77 seconds into the match.
The Vikings keeper stopped two more shots before Sitta scored her first goal, a 20-yard shot from just right of the net in the fifth minute.
Stellon made it 2-0 at the 24:01 mark of the first half. She corralled a Lindsey Rzeszutko pass and found the back of the net on a 30-yard boot.
While most of the action remained on the Vikings’ side of the pitch, East was unable to increase its lead for the rest of period.
“We saw a little bit of a drop off after goal two. I thought that we kind of got a little bit complacent (in the first half),” said DiNuzzo.
The Saints first two goals got Geneva’s attention.
“I think we didn't wake up and start playing until after their second goal,” Owens said.
Geneva (3-2-0, 2-2-0) could not capitalize on two scoring opportunities in the last six minutes of the first half.
Olivia Rawls’ header in front of the net went wide. With 5:17 left before halftime, Lilly Coats lofted a free kick from the 40-yard line toward the goal, but it too went wide.
East stepped up its attack in the second half and capitalized on two corner kicks.
In the 48th minute, Stout finished a Saints’ corner kick sequence with a goal to increase the lead to 3-0. The kick was headed away by a Vikings defender to East’s Megan Sreniawski. The Saints forward, just outside the goal area, took a shot that Forbes deflected. Stout corralled the rebound and put it into the net.
“I was facing the goalkeeper, so I rebounded off her and got a toe-poke,” Stout said “A goal is goal, and I'll take the toe-poke in.”
Two minutes later, Stellen scored her second goal on a shot from just outside the penalty box on a play that also started on a corner.
Sitta earned her brace on a score at the 22:45 mark of the second half. The senior now leads the team with eight goals.
Stellon’s tally in the 61st minute finished the Saints’ scoring. It was her favorite of the three.
“I like the last one, because I think it was a really good pass by Ella Stehman. I like going at the goalie and taking space,” the junior said. “and I think that it just put the game away for us and gave us more momentum.”
East’s backline continued to frustrate Geneva’s attack by preventing them from getting close shots on goal.
“I don't think a lot of credit is being given to our backline,” said DiNuzzo. “I think we limited them to two shots, and they weren’t very dangerous.”
The Saints’ midfield play also stalled the Vikings’ attack.
“I think it was really important that we won the balls in the air and the 50/50 chances, because that did give us a lot of momentum going forward and being able to win the first and second ball,” Stellon said about the mids. “I think we work really well together, and I think we work off each other really well so we can form the attacks.”
DiNuzzo praised his midfield play, particularly Stellon.
“I think the leadership from Ashley Stellon has been have been exceptional. (Midfielders) McKenna (Gahagan) and Yazmin (Martinez) have both been very good. Yazmin has been dealing with the first ball out of the air. Today we saw a bunch of punts with her knocking them down. because they played pretty direct,” the East coach said.
“I just think it's that desire to be organized and win the first ball and that kind of dictates the way the game is played. We like to get the ball on the floor and play. When you get a team that just wants to lump it over, you just have to be able to get the first ball and be willing to head it.”
Stellon’s hat-trick and midfield play earned her the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
One of Geneva’s best opportunities in the second half came on a Coats’ throw-in from the far sideline 10 yards away from the goal. Her attempt was stopped by Saints’ keeper Grace Stehman. Stehman also stopped Morgan Rudowicz’ chip shot from 30 yards. The junior keeper, who made three saves, alternates in the net with junior Sofia Iori. Iori started the match with Stehman stepping in to start the second half.
Owens viewed the match as a teachable moment.
“It was a great learning experience for us. We learned a lot about ourselves as a team. I think going in we were just a little wide-eyed and intimidated. I think we learned from it and grew as a team,” said the Geneva coach. “We learned that we have the ability to hang with some of these teams for a period of time. You take what they did well and learn from it.
“I'm very happy with the effort I saw from my kids, how hard they worked, and they didn't give up at any point,” she continued. “So, there are a lot of positives.”
The Saints next match is Saturday against crosstown rival St. Charles North. The last time these two teams met was in a 2019 Class 3A sectional final which North won 3-1.
“I expect a very competitive match with a lot of emotion. It doesn't matter, throw records out the window, throw everything out the window. It's Charles East versus Saint Charles North. and it's going to be a good game,” DiNuzzo said.”
Sitta is optimistically confident about the outcome.
“It's a crosstown rival so it's going to be a tough game,” the senior forward said. “Everyone's going to come out with their best and I know we're going to do the same and we're going to put them away. “
Geneva will regroup and travel to Batavia on Saturday.
Starting lineups
Geneva
GK: Jordan Forbes
D: Morgan Slagle
D: Bella Walls
D: Lilly Coats
D: Grace Belanger
M: Kya Trejo
M: Kelly Anderson
M: Evyn Schokora
F: Olivia Rawls
F: Rilee Hasegawa
F: Erin Slagle
St. Charles East
GK: Grace Stehman
D: Lindsey Rzeszutko
D: Anna Champine
D: Jessica Stepien
D: Megan Stout
M: Ashley Stellon
M: McKenna Gahagan
M: Yazmin Martinez
F: Hannah Miller
F: Megan Sreniawski
F: Jenna Sitta
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Ashley Stellon, jr., M, St. Charles East
Scoring summary
First half
SCE: Sitta (Miller) 5 minutes
SCE: Stellen (Rzeszutko) 16 minutes
Second half
SCE: Stout (Sreniawski) 48 minutes
SCE: Stellon (Sitta) 51 minutes
SCE: Sitta (Rzeszutko) 58 minutes
SCE: Stellon (E. Stehman) 61 minutes
on rolling with Geneva win
By Jared Birchfield
ST. CHARLES -- A trio of Saints, all with surnames starting with the letter S, scored a total of six goals to sink Geneva, 6-0 in a DuKane Conference match Thursday at Norris Field.
The goal total makes it five games that St. Charles East, ranked second in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, has scored six or more goals.
The team’s defense also continued to vex opponents’ offenses by earning its sixth shutout. To date, the unit has allowed only one goal.
Junior midfielder Ashley Stellon led the charge with her first hat-trick for the Saints (7-0-0, 4-0-0).
Senior forward Jenna Sitta chipped in with her seventh and eight goals of the season.
Even the backline got into the act -- senior defender Megan Stout also found the back of the net.
“I think our attack is dynamic in terms of the movement that they have off the ball and just their desire to just keep on going. They are relentless in their effort to push for more,” said East coach Vince DiNuzzo. “This team is just different from teams we've had in the past in the sense that they don't settle for where they're at. They are always continuing to push forward, even the kids coming off the bench.”
“I don't think there's any doubt that East is a very good team, and they capitalized on other teams’ mistakes and we're young,” Geneva coach Megan Owens said. “I think our youth and our inexperience showed a little bit tonight, but I think we matched well with them at times. We just need to work on our consistency.”
East wasted no time in mounting its attack. Geneva’s freshman goalkeeper Jordan Forbes made the first of her 12 saves 77 seconds into the match.
The Vikings keeper stopped two more shots before Sitta scored her first goal, a 20-yard shot from just right of the net in the fifth minute.
Stellon made it 2-0 at the 24:01 mark of the first half. She corralled a Lindsey Rzeszutko pass and found the back of the net on a 30-yard boot.
While most of the action remained on the Vikings’ side of the pitch, East was unable to increase its lead for the rest of period.
“We saw a little bit of a drop off after goal two. I thought that we kind of got a little bit complacent (in the first half),” said DiNuzzo.
The Saints first two goals got Geneva’s attention.
“I think we didn't wake up and start playing until after their second goal,” Owens said.
Geneva (3-2-0, 2-2-0) could not capitalize on two scoring opportunities in the last six minutes of the first half.
Olivia Rawls’ header in front of the net went wide. With 5:17 left before halftime, Lilly Coats lofted a free kick from the 40-yard line toward the goal, but it too went wide.
East stepped up its attack in the second half and capitalized on two corner kicks.
In the 48th minute, Stout finished a Saints’ corner kick sequence with a goal to increase the lead to 3-0. The kick was headed away by a Vikings defender to East’s Megan Sreniawski. The Saints forward, just outside the goal area, took a shot that Forbes deflected. Stout corralled the rebound and put it into the net.
“I was facing the goalkeeper, so I rebounded off her and got a toe-poke,” Stout said “A goal is goal, and I'll take the toe-poke in.”
Two minutes later, Stellen scored her second goal on a shot from just outside the penalty box on a play that also started on a corner.
Sitta earned her brace on a score at the 22:45 mark of the second half. The senior now leads the team with eight goals.
Stellon’s tally in the 61st minute finished the Saints’ scoring. It was her favorite of the three.
“I like the last one, because I think it was a really good pass by Ella Stehman. I like going at the goalie and taking space,” the junior said. “and I think that it just put the game away for us and gave us more momentum.”
East’s backline continued to frustrate Geneva’s attack by preventing them from getting close shots on goal.
“I don't think a lot of credit is being given to our backline,” said DiNuzzo. “I think we limited them to two shots, and they weren’t very dangerous.”
The Saints’ midfield play also stalled the Vikings’ attack.
“I think it was really important that we won the balls in the air and the 50/50 chances, because that did give us a lot of momentum going forward and being able to win the first and second ball,” Stellon said about the mids. “I think we work really well together, and I think we work off each other really well so we can form the attacks.”
DiNuzzo praised his midfield play, particularly Stellon.
“I think the leadership from Ashley Stellon has been have been exceptional. (Midfielders) McKenna (Gahagan) and Yazmin (Martinez) have both been very good. Yazmin has been dealing with the first ball out of the air. Today we saw a bunch of punts with her knocking them down. because they played pretty direct,” the East coach said.
“I just think it's that desire to be organized and win the first ball and that kind of dictates the way the game is played. We like to get the ball on the floor and play. When you get a team that just wants to lump it over, you just have to be able to get the first ball and be willing to head it.”
Stellon’s hat-trick and midfield play earned her the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
One of Geneva’s best opportunities in the second half came on a Coats’ throw-in from the far sideline 10 yards away from the goal. Her attempt was stopped by Saints’ keeper Grace Stehman. Stehman also stopped Morgan Rudowicz’ chip shot from 30 yards. The junior keeper, who made three saves, alternates in the net with junior Sofia Iori. Iori started the match with Stehman stepping in to start the second half.
Owens viewed the match as a teachable moment.
“It was a great learning experience for us. We learned a lot about ourselves as a team. I think going in we were just a little wide-eyed and intimidated. I think we learned from it and grew as a team,” said the Geneva coach. “We learned that we have the ability to hang with some of these teams for a period of time. You take what they did well and learn from it.
“I'm very happy with the effort I saw from my kids, how hard they worked, and they didn't give up at any point,” she continued. “So, there are a lot of positives.”
The Saints next match is Saturday against crosstown rival St. Charles North. The last time these two teams met was in a 2019 Class 3A sectional final which North won 3-1.
“I expect a very competitive match with a lot of emotion. It doesn't matter, throw records out the window, throw everything out the window. It's Charles East versus Saint Charles North. and it's going to be a good game,” DiNuzzo said.”
Sitta is optimistically confident about the outcome.
“It's a crosstown rival so it's going to be a tough game,” the senior forward said. “Everyone's going to come out with their best and I know we're going to do the same and we're going to put them away. “
Geneva will regroup and travel to Batavia on Saturday.
Starting lineups
Geneva
GK: Jordan Forbes
D: Morgan Slagle
D: Bella Walls
D: Lilly Coats
D: Grace Belanger
M: Kya Trejo
M: Kelly Anderson
M: Evyn Schokora
F: Olivia Rawls
F: Rilee Hasegawa
F: Erin Slagle
St. Charles East
GK: Grace Stehman
D: Lindsey Rzeszutko
D: Anna Champine
D: Jessica Stepien
D: Megan Stout
M: Ashley Stellon
M: McKenna Gahagan
M: Yazmin Martinez
F: Hannah Miller
F: Megan Sreniawski
F: Jenna Sitta
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Ashley Stellon, jr., M, St. Charles East
Scoring summary
First half
SCE: Sitta (Miller) 5 minutes
SCE: Stellen (Rzeszutko) 16 minutes
Second half
SCE: Stout (Sreniawski) 48 minutes
SCE: Stellon (Sitta) 51 minutes
SCE: Sitta (Rzeszutko) 58 minutes
SCE: Stellon (E. Stehman) 61 minutes