WWS bounces back against young Geneva
Tigers earn 1st DKC win at home in 2-0 triumph
By Mike Garofola
WHEATON – Wheaton Warrenville South (2-2-0, 1-1-0) collected its first DuKane Conference points of the season when goals from Elise Farrell and Lauren Barnett gave them a 2-0 home victory over Geneva at Red Grange Field.
"We needed a good result after giving up (10) goals in our last two games, so working collectively to earn the clean-sheet made this win so much more rewarding," said Tigers manager Guy Callipari.
"We opened our season with a win at the Pepsi tournament last week, but then had a couple of tough losses, so we kind of needed a win tonight," said senior Emma Showman, who was named the Chicagoland Soccer MVP Player of the Match for her efforts.
Showman played club soccer for Eclipse and the Sockers during her first two seasons. Her high school debut last season was erased altogether by the coronavirus pandemic. She will attend the University of Illinois next fall where she plans on majoring in Health Sciences at the onset, with an eye as becoming a dietician physical therapist.
Farrell, whose 34th minute freekick strike prove to be the game-winner, agreed with her teammate Showman.
"It was important for us to get a win tonight," said Farrell, who enjoyed a solid evening along the backline as a central defender.
"We were looking to come out and play more consistently and with more intensity. We did for most of the night."
The visiting Vikings fresh off a resounding 8-0 victory over league rival Glenbard North, came into this contest with easily one of the youngest rosters in the conference.
"We have 11 freshmen and sophomores on our team, five of whom are starters, and just three seniors," said Vikings manager, Megan Owens. “We know, in time, Geneva soccer has the chance to be very good for several years.
"I know the girls felt very good about their win the other night against Glenbard North, but … Guy has a big, strong and fast team, which for many of our younger players was a real test for them.”
Strength, size and speed aside, the first quarter hour did not see much from either side. Both clubs struggled to possess or to show much of a threat in its attack.
Despite the absence of anything of substance during this time, it was clear who would run the show in the center of the park for each team: Showman for the Tigers; and Evyn Schokora for Geneva.
"(Showman) didn't play South soccer her first two seasons here, and, obviously her junior season did not happen, so this is my first experience in having her as a player," began Callipari.
"She is groomed to be a player in which you build a program around. She needs to be in the role of influence; she will be an impactful player in every game."
The pace, purpose, creativity and willingness to go box-to-box were key reasons for her club to be successful on this night. Her performance was all the more impressive due an injury she sustained during the Tigers 5-3 loss on Tuesday to St. Charles North.
"Emma was actually a last-minute addition to our lineup, because she sustained a pretty bad quad (injury) against North, but even at 60 percent she did very well for us."
"I suffered a pulled quad in that game," said Showman, who, still gave her club plenty of quality throughout her terrific performance. “It's actually been quite painful, but I played through knowing I wouldn't be at my best tonight.”
Schokora is one of Geneva’s four first-team freshman regulars. She gave a glimpse of what's to come with her ability to win the 50/50 first and second balls, distribute with accuracy, defend, and like her counterpart Showman, go box-to-box with her high-level fitness.
"Evyn is really going to be a player," senior captain Kelly Anderson said.
The best early chance came from the home side in the 22nd minute when senior midfielder, Melisa Hadzic, outstanding all night long, and fellow senior co-captain Becca Hauenstein combined. Hadzic raced up the right side and played it across to Hauenstein, who in turn linked with Mia McCoyd, who came deep from her spot at the no. 6.
A Geneva defender denied McCoyd's close-range effort/
This sequence helped open the game up for both sides. Geneva sophomore Morgan Rudowicz had a go from 22 yards from the left side that went wide of Tigers keeper Caroline Spayth.
The Achilles heel for the visitors became several corners accurately served from Hadzic. The first came at 29 minutes and forced Schokora to parry it out of the area with a strong header.
"We have a freshmen keeper, and a very good backline that we'll need to work with on corners and deep throws into our box - which was our only weakness of the night in my opinion," Owens saidf.
Owens' young keeper Jordan Forbes had no chance on the Farrell 35-yard free kick which exploded into the upper right corner.
"That's the spot I was trying to place my shot into," said Farrell, who on two other occasions on the night came this close to grabbing another line on the scoresheet.
With youth the belief that anything can be done is, of course, wonderful. But in the sport of soccer, it must be done for 80 minutes. In the first 20 minutes after intermission, Geneva struggled to match the intensity and urgency that the home side brought.
"We play decent soccer in the first half, but we came out and controlled the second half right from the start," offered Farrell.
"It was all about coming out strong, which we did as a team, and going after that second goal, which is always so important," added Showman.
Hadzic, Hauenstein, Showman and Barnett were at another level after the whistle. The quartet repeatedly pried open the Vikings in their own end.
If not for some valiant defending from juniors Grace Belanger and Kya Trejo, along with Morgan Slagle and freshman Lilly Coats, the visitors may have conceded more than the second goal that followed shortly.
"I was very proud of our backline, they obviously have little experience together, but still played very well for most of the night," said Owens.
"We didn't play as well after the break, but we battled hard and came back in the last half of the second half and played our best soccer of the night," said Coats, who later flashed the skill and ability to join the Vikings attack with confidence.
After Hadzic’s attempt went off the side netting in the 49th minute, Barnett sealed the victory when the third-straight deep throw from Olivia Vassios was allowed to sail through the box and bounce without resistance.
Barnett ran through to the Vassios’ helper - and steer in the goal to give the Tigers a two-goal advantage.
The goal was a result of a breakdown in communication or inability to clear the several Hadzic corners and Vassios' long throws against Owens’ young Vikings club.
Another long Farrell free kick found the woodwork at 52 minutes. Then Hauenstein ran onto an early ball in-close only to see her angled blast saved by Forbes.
Geneva came back into the game, after nearly 20 minutes of constant pressure from the Tigers, with a quality chance from Olivia Rawls, whose redirected header went just wide off a ball sent in from Trejo.
Spayth saved an attempt from Schokora; then the Tigers keeper watched a corner fueled by Coats and Rudowicz cleared nicely by her defenders.
Influenced by Rilee Hasegawa, Olivia Rawls, Coats, Rudowicz and Trejo, it was more one-way traffic for the visitors who pushed numbers forward as they went in search of halving the Tigers advantage.
"That second goal really woke all of us up," admitted Hasegawa.
"I was really proud with the way we played after we went down two goals, (we) never hung our heads, and just went out and played the best that we could," said the sophomore.
There was a sigh of relief from the Tigers bench when Rudowicz unloaded a blast off the bar in the 68th minute. It was followed by a half chance by Olivia Rawls.
"Towards the end of the game (they) had us on our back foot, but our backline held firm (outside) of those balls that hit the crossbar," said Callipari.
The home side slowed the Vikings attack with a pair of quality chances. The first came after some lovely trickery by Showman that set Barnett free in the 73rd minute but did not find paydirt. The next featured a terrific bit of combination work by Showman and Hauenstein but ended when Showman went wide.
Hasegawa went off the bar two minutes from time after a Schokora effort spilled free inside the area, but the Tigers maintained their clean-sheet.
"I am proud of the effort from the girls tonight," said Owens.
"This was a good opportunity for a team as young as ours against a very solid team, and I think we held up well, especially when you consider many of our players went the full 80 minutes, and a few others just under that."
The Vikings (2-1-0) got back on the winning track with a 2-0 nonconference win at Kaneland on Saturday. Hasegawa and Anderson (assist Julie Drew) scored for the winners.
Callipari was happy with Wheaton Warrenville South’s effort and progress.
“Our backline looked much better tonight, we got ourselves two very good goals. Our combination work with Elise, Becca and Emma is what we come to expect from them," said Callipari.
"Four games in six days saw us have some heavy legs in the last half of the second half when Geneva put us under. But we held firm to get the result, so that's something to be pleased with."
For Showman and her teammates, four days off until a trip to St. Charles East is a welcome mini-vacation.
"I can use the time to rest my quad a little, but I so excited to be playing my senior year after my junior year was lost," began Showman.
"I wasn't sure about this season, because I’m not really close with anyone except my really good friend Becca (Hauenstein). But this is a great group of girls with a lot of talent, who in my opinion are capable of competing with anyone in our conference."
Starting lineups
Geneva (4-4-2)
G- Jordan Forbes
D- Kya Trejo
D- Morgan Slagle
D- Grace Belanger
D- Lilly Coats
M- Olivia Rawls
M- Kelly Anderson
M- Evyn Schokora
M- Addyson Mitchell
F- Alana Rawls
F- Rilee Hasegawa
Wheaton-Warrenville South (4-2-3-1)
G- Caroline Spayth
D- Olivia Vassios
D- Mallory Cadagin
D- Elise Farrell
D- Ella McClatchy
M- Mia Herbert
M- Mia McCoyd
M- Melisa Hadzic
M- Emma Showman
M- Becca Hauenstein
F- Lauren Barnett
Chicagoland Soccer MVP: Emma Showman, sr., MF, Wheaton Warrenville South
Scoring summary
First half
Wheaton Warrenville South: Farrell (FK) 34'
Second half
Wheaton Warrenville South: Barrett (Vassios) 50'
Tigers earn 1st DKC win at home in 2-0 triumph
By Mike Garofola
WHEATON – Wheaton Warrenville South (2-2-0, 1-1-0) collected its first DuKane Conference points of the season when goals from Elise Farrell and Lauren Barnett gave them a 2-0 home victory over Geneva at Red Grange Field.
"We needed a good result after giving up (10) goals in our last two games, so working collectively to earn the clean-sheet made this win so much more rewarding," said Tigers manager Guy Callipari.
"We opened our season with a win at the Pepsi tournament last week, but then had a couple of tough losses, so we kind of needed a win tonight," said senior Emma Showman, who was named the Chicagoland Soccer MVP Player of the Match for her efforts.
Showman played club soccer for Eclipse and the Sockers during her first two seasons. Her high school debut last season was erased altogether by the coronavirus pandemic. She will attend the University of Illinois next fall where she plans on majoring in Health Sciences at the onset, with an eye as becoming a dietician physical therapist.
Farrell, whose 34th minute freekick strike prove to be the game-winner, agreed with her teammate Showman.
"It was important for us to get a win tonight," said Farrell, who enjoyed a solid evening along the backline as a central defender.
"We were looking to come out and play more consistently and with more intensity. We did for most of the night."
The visiting Vikings fresh off a resounding 8-0 victory over league rival Glenbard North, came into this contest with easily one of the youngest rosters in the conference.
"We have 11 freshmen and sophomores on our team, five of whom are starters, and just three seniors," said Vikings manager, Megan Owens. “We know, in time, Geneva soccer has the chance to be very good for several years.
"I know the girls felt very good about their win the other night against Glenbard North, but … Guy has a big, strong and fast team, which for many of our younger players was a real test for them.”
Strength, size and speed aside, the first quarter hour did not see much from either side. Both clubs struggled to possess or to show much of a threat in its attack.
Despite the absence of anything of substance during this time, it was clear who would run the show in the center of the park for each team: Showman for the Tigers; and Evyn Schokora for Geneva.
"(Showman) didn't play South soccer her first two seasons here, and, obviously her junior season did not happen, so this is my first experience in having her as a player," began Callipari.
"She is groomed to be a player in which you build a program around. She needs to be in the role of influence; she will be an impactful player in every game."
The pace, purpose, creativity and willingness to go box-to-box were key reasons for her club to be successful on this night. Her performance was all the more impressive due an injury she sustained during the Tigers 5-3 loss on Tuesday to St. Charles North.
"Emma was actually a last-minute addition to our lineup, because she sustained a pretty bad quad (injury) against North, but even at 60 percent she did very well for us."
"I suffered a pulled quad in that game," said Showman, who, still gave her club plenty of quality throughout her terrific performance. “It's actually been quite painful, but I played through knowing I wouldn't be at my best tonight.”
Schokora is one of Geneva’s four first-team freshman regulars. She gave a glimpse of what's to come with her ability to win the 50/50 first and second balls, distribute with accuracy, defend, and like her counterpart Showman, go box-to-box with her high-level fitness.
"Evyn is really going to be a player," senior captain Kelly Anderson said.
The best early chance came from the home side in the 22nd minute when senior midfielder, Melisa Hadzic, outstanding all night long, and fellow senior co-captain Becca Hauenstein combined. Hadzic raced up the right side and played it across to Hauenstein, who in turn linked with Mia McCoyd, who came deep from her spot at the no. 6.
A Geneva defender denied McCoyd's close-range effort/
This sequence helped open the game up for both sides. Geneva sophomore Morgan Rudowicz had a go from 22 yards from the left side that went wide of Tigers keeper Caroline Spayth.
The Achilles heel for the visitors became several corners accurately served from Hadzic. The first came at 29 minutes and forced Schokora to parry it out of the area with a strong header.
"We have a freshmen keeper, and a very good backline that we'll need to work with on corners and deep throws into our box - which was our only weakness of the night in my opinion," Owens saidf.
Owens' young keeper Jordan Forbes had no chance on the Farrell 35-yard free kick which exploded into the upper right corner.
"That's the spot I was trying to place my shot into," said Farrell, who on two other occasions on the night came this close to grabbing another line on the scoresheet.
With youth the belief that anything can be done is, of course, wonderful. But in the sport of soccer, it must be done for 80 minutes. In the first 20 minutes after intermission, Geneva struggled to match the intensity and urgency that the home side brought.
"We play decent soccer in the first half, but we came out and controlled the second half right from the start," offered Farrell.
"It was all about coming out strong, which we did as a team, and going after that second goal, which is always so important," added Showman.
Hadzic, Hauenstein, Showman and Barnett were at another level after the whistle. The quartet repeatedly pried open the Vikings in their own end.
If not for some valiant defending from juniors Grace Belanger and Kya Trejo, along with Morgan Slagle and freshman Lilly Coats, the visitors may have conceded more than the second goal that followed shortly.
"I was very proud of our backline, they obviously have little experience together, but still played very well for most of the night," said Owens.
"We didn't play as well after the break, but we battled hard and came back in the last half of the second half and played our best soccer of the night," said Coats, who later flashed the skill and ability to join the Vikings attack with confidence.
After Hadzic’s attempt went off the side netting in the 49th minute, Barnett sealed the victory when the third-straight deep throw from Olivia Vassios was allowed to sail through the box and bounce without resistance.
Barnett ran through to the Vassios’ helper - and steer in the goal to give the Tigers a two-goal advantage.
The goal was a result of a breakdown in communication or inability to clear the several Hadzic corners and Vassios' long throws against Owens’ young Vikings club.
Another long Farrell free kick found the woodwork at 52 minutes. Then Hauenstein ran onto an early ball in-close only to see her angled blast saved by Forbes.
Geneva came back into the game, after nearly 20 minutes of constant pressure from the Tigers, with a quality chance from Olivia Rawls, whose redirected header went just wide off a ball sent in from Trejo.
Spayth saved an attempt from Schokora; then the Tigers keeper watched a corner fueled by Coats and Rudowicz cleared nicely by her defenders.
Influenced by Rilee Hasegawa, Olivia Rawls, Coats, Rudowicz and Trejo, it was more one-way traffic for the visitors who pushed numbers forward as they went in search of halving the Tigers advantage.
"That second goal really woke all of us up," admitted Hasegawa.
"I was really proud with the way we played after we went down two goals, (we) never hung our heads, and just went out and played the best that we could," said the sophomore.
There was a sigh of relief from the Tigers bench when Rudowicz unloaded a blast off the bar in the 68th minute. It was followed by a half chance by Olivia Rawls.
"Towards the end of the game (they) had us on our back foot, but our backline held firm (outside) of those balls that hit the crossbar," said Callipari.
The home side slowed the Vikings attack with a pair of quality chances. The first came after some lovely trickery by Showman that set Barnett free in the 73rd minute but did not find paydirt. The next featured a terrific bit of combination work by Showman and Hauenstein but ended when Showman went wide.
Hasegawa went off the bar two minutes from time after a Schokora effort spilled free inside the area, but the Tigers maintained their clean-sheet.
"I am proud of the effort from the girls tonight," said Owens.
"This was a good opportunity for a team as young as ours against a very solid team, and I think we held up well, especially when you consider many of our players went the full 80 minutes, and a few others just under that."
The Vikings (2-1-0) got back on the winning track with a 2-0 nonconference win at Kaneland on Saturday. Hasegawa and Anderson (assist Julie Drew) scored for the winners.
Callipari was happy with Wheaton Warrenville South’s effort and progress.
“Our backline looked much better tonight, we got ourselves two very good goals. Our combination work with Elise, Becca and Emma is what we come to expect from them," said Callipari.
"Four games in six days saw us have some heavy legs in the last half of the second half when Geneva put us under. But we held firm to get the result, so that's something to be pleased with."
For Showman and her teammates, four days off until a trip to St. Charles East is a welcome mini-vacation.
"I can use the time to rest my quad a little, but I so excited to be playing my senior year after my junior year was lost," began Showman.
"I wasn't sure about this season, because I’m not really close with anyone except my really good friend Becca (Hauenstein). But this is a great group of girls with a lot of talent, who in my opinion are capable of competing with anyone in our conference."
Starting lineups
Geneva (4-4-2)
G- Jordan Forbes
D- Kya Trejo
D- Morgan Slagle
D- Grace Belanger
D- Lilly Coats
M- Olivia Rawls
M- Kelly Anderson
M- Evyn Schokora
M- Addyson Mitchell
F- Alana Rawls
F- Rilee Hasegawa
Wheaton-Warrenville South (4-2-3-1)
G- Caroline Spayth
D- Olivia Vassios
D- Mallory Cadagin
D- Elise Farrell
D- Ella McClatchy
M- Mia Herbert
M- Mia McCoyd
M- Melisa Hadzic
M- Emma Showman
M- Becca Hauenstein
F- Lauren Barnett
Chicagoland Soccer MVP: Emma Showman, sr., MF, Wheaton Warrenville South
Scoring summary
First half
Wheaton Warrenville South: Farrell (FK) 34'
Second half
Wheaton Warrenville South: Barrett (Vassios) 50'