Lake Park's Senior Night rally falls short
Lancers swarm with the wind, but fall 1-0 to Glenbard North
By Ken Keenan
ROSELLE -- Matching the intensity of the ferocious wind behind its back in the second half, host Lake Park's desperate comeback effort fell short in a 1-0 loss to Glenbard North during DuPage Valley Conference action Tuesday night.
The Lancers, celebrating Senior Night, threw everything they had at the Panthers in the final 40 minutes after spotting the visitors a 1-0 lead on a goal by Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match Perla Kamami in the 35th minute.
Glenbard North was on its heels nearly the entire second half with Lake Park adeptly switching the field to maintain possession and push the attack. Opportunities aplenty resulted, but the Lancers never hit the back of the net.
"We counted 15 chances in 15 minutes, enough to give us a good opportunity to score," said Lake Park head coach Sean Crosby, whose squad dropped to 4-13-0 overall and 0-7-0 in league play with the loss. "It felt like (a goal) was gonna come. We came very close. The wind was a big disadvantage in the first half, but we certainly had the ball more in the second half. When we did catch feet, we created some chances."
And then some.
Seven minutes into the second session, Lancers senior midfielder Brianna McAloon set up fellow senior mid Jaclyn Lamz for a 10-yard try from the right side that missed high. Two minutes later, a passing sequence among senior defender Amber Sedwick, senior forward Gianna Pistorio and sophomore mid Lili Giron resulted in a 15-yard wide-angle shot by Pistorio that was stopped by Panthers senior goalkeeper Stephany Marin, who replaced junior starter Karissa Chalus after the break.
In the 51st minute, a similar passing play featuring speedy Lake Park freshman mid Ann Marie Ahrens, senior mid Lauren Tarchala, McAloon and Giron ended with a low 20-yard strike by Tarchala that Marin saved. With 23:45 left in regulation, Lancers junior defender found herself alone in front and barely missed wide-right.
"I think we had more urgency on possessions in the second half," said Tarchala, one of 10 seniors on this year's team. "We were collectively playing together ... wanting to win. Ultimately, you have to adjust how to play with the wind and take stronger shots. We just couldn't strike it on net."
Added Ahrens: "We had the opportunities ... couldn't finish. We just couldn't get that final shot off."
Lake Park kept trying.
Giron cut in hard on the left side in the 60th minute and crossed the ball to Ahrens, who then fired a 20-yard rocket slightly over the crossbar. Soon after, Marin nabbed a 15-yard chip shot by Giron. Ahrens had another good look from 20 yards in the 67th minute, but Marin answered with a strong one-handed save.
Tarchala nipped a close-in try wide-left with 7:50 to go. With 5:25 left, a Glenbard North defender headed a ball out of danger in a scramble following a corner kick by Ahrens. An ensuing corner try by Lake Park was also cleared away. Lastly, a head attempt by McAloon was scooped up by Marin with only 1:30 showing.
"It was a game of two halves, really," said Glenbard North skipper Dave Stanfield, whose team notched its first DVC win of the season while improving to 4-11-0, 1-6-1. "The wind picked up in the second half, and it was almost like playing against another player. I was proud of the way our girls kept (Lake Park) out."
A bit of good fortune was on the Panthers' side when Kamami scored. Starting Lancers goalkeeper Amanda Reining juggled a corner kick by junior mid Sofia Espana, and Kamami pounced on the loose ball in the box and quickly banged it home.
"Sofia (Espana) crossed it, and I think the goalie got distracted, Kamami said. "I saw it was coming to me, and I put it in."
Stanfield said, "We've moved (Kamami) around a lot this season, and she's improving all the time. She's only a sophomore, but she's becoming something of a leader."
Kamami and Co. created a handful of chances with the wind behind them in the first half, including a left-footed try from 25 yards in the 7th minute by senior forward Jessica West that Reining easily handled, a 40-yard pop-up shot by Kamami in the 12th minute, and a hard 30-yard strike by Espana that Reining grabbed at the left post.
Reining was replaced by senior keeper Sarah Yochem in the second half. Yochem, who's been nursing a foot injury, had little to do once she took her spot between the pipes.
"The second half, it made the whole back row anxious," Kamami said. "We tried to focus on the player (who was) not passing the ball -- and the ball not passing us."
Though success eluded the Lancers on Senior Night, Crosby said his players from the Class of 2018 will be remembered for more than the final score.
"This senior class -- what a group," Crosby said. "They were the strength of the team. They all led in different ways -- vocal on the field, coach 'em up on the sideline -- and that means a lot to the younger girls in the program. It will be difficult to fill those shoes. They helped create a culture, 'I've got your back,' and above everything else, that's what makes this group special. The younger girls look up to that and buy into it.
"Wins and losses, that's not always what it's all about."
Starting lineups
Glenbard North
G: Karissa Chalus
D: Hannah Arista
D: Perla Kamami
D: Jacqueline Arroyo
D: Anna Pedraza
M: Alexis Bolger
M: Sofia Espana
M: Olivia Corona
M: Teagan Flanagan
F: Aurelia Carulli
F: Jessica West
Lake Park
G: Amanda Reining
D: Elizabeth Guenther
D: Ziri Hernandez
D: Stephanie Zachemski
D: Amber Sedwick
M: Isabel Armas
M: Jaclyn Lamz
M: Lauren Tarchala
M: Brianna McAloon
M: Chloe Harris
F: Gianna Pistorio
Officials: Boris Vukovic, Arek Bugacewicz, John Jakobsze
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Perla Kamami, so., D, Glenbard North
Scoring summary
First half
1. Glenbard North: Perla Kamami (assisted by Sofia Espana), 35th minute
Lancers swarm with the wind, but fall 1-0 to Glenbard North
By Ken Keenan
ROSELLE -- Matching the intensity of the ferocious wind behind its back in the second half, host Lake Park's desperate comeback effort fell short in a 1-0 loss to Glenbard North during DuPage Valley Conference action Tuesday night.
The Lancers, celebrating Senior Night, threw everything they had at the Panthers in the final 40 minutes after spotting the visitors a 1-0 lead on a goal by Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match Perla Kamami in the 35th minute.
Glenbard North was on its heels nearly the entire second half with Lake Park adeptly switching the field to maintain possession and push the attack. Opportunities aplenty resulted, but the Lancers never hit the back of the net.
"We counted 15 chances in 15 minutes, enough to give us a good opportunity to score," said Lake Park head coach Sean Crosby, whose squad dropped to 4-13-0 overall and 0-7-0 in league play with the loss. "It felt like (a goal) was gonna come. We came very close. The wind was a big disadvantage in the first half, but we certainly had the ball more in the second half. When we did catch feet, we created some chances."
And then some.
Seven minutes into the second session, Lancers senior midfielder Brianna McAloon set up fellow senior mid Jaclyn Lamz for a 10-yard try from the right side that missed high. Two minutes later, a passing sequence among senior defender Amber Sedwick, senior forward Gianna Pistorio and sophomore mid Lili Giron resulted in a 15-yard wide-angle shot by Pistorio that was stopped by Panthers senior goalkeeper Stephany Marin, who replaced junior starter Karissa Chalus after the break.
In the 51st minute, a similar passing play featuring speedy Lake Park freshman mid Ann Marie Ahrens, senior mid Lauren Tarchala, McAloon and Giron ended with a low 20-yard strike by Tarchala that Marin saved. With 23:45 left in regulation, Lancers junior defender found herself alone in front and barely missed wide-right.
"I think we had more urgency on possessions in the second half," said Tarchala, one of 10 seniors on this year's team. "We were collectively playing together ... wanting to win. Ultimately, you have to adjust how to play with the wind and take stronger shots. We just couldn't strike it on net."
Added Ahrens: "We had the opportunities ... couldn't finish. We just couldn't get that final shot off."
Lake Park kept trying.
Giron cut in hard on the left side in the 60th minute and crossed the ball to Ahrens, who then fired a 20-yard rocket slightly over the crossbar. Soon after, Marin nabbed a 15-yard chip shot by Giron. Ahrens had another good look from 20 yards in the 67th minute, but Marin answered with a strong one-handed save.
Tarchala nipped a close-in try wide-left with 7:50 to go. With 5:25 left, a Glenbard North defender headed a ball out of danger in a scramble following a corner kick by Ahrens. An ensuing corner try by Lake Park was also cleared away. Lastly, a head attempt by McAloon was scooped up by Marin with only 1:30 showing.
"It was a game of two halves, really," said Glenbard North skipper Dave Stanfield, whose team notched its first DVC win of the season while improving to 4-11-0, 1-6-1. "The wind picked up in the second half, and it was almost like playing against another player. I was proud of the way our girls kept (Lake Park) out."
A bit of good fortune was on the Panthers' side when Kamami scored. Starting Lancers goalkeeper Amanda Reining juggled a corner kick by junior mid Sofia Espana, and Kamami pounced on the loose ball in the box and quickly banged it home.
"Sofia (Espana) crossed it, and I think the goalie got distracted, Kamami said. "I saw it was coming to me, and I put it in."
Stanfield said, "We've moved (Kamami) around a lot this season, and she's improving all the time. She's only a sophomore, but she's becoming something of a leader."
Kamami and Co. created a handful of chances with the wind behind them in the first half, including a left-footed try from 25 yards in the 7th minute by senior forward Jessica West that Reining easily handled, a 40-yard pop-up shot by Kamami in the 12th minute, and a hard 30-yard strike by Espana that Reining grabbed at the left post.
Reining was replaced by senior keeper Sarah Yochem in the second half. Yochem, who's been nursing a foot injury, had little to do once she took her spot between the pipes.
"The second half, it made the whole back row anxious," Kamami said. "We tried to focus on the player (who was) not passing the ball -- and the ball not passing us."
Though success eluded the Lancers on Senior Night, Crosby said his players from the Class of 2018 will be remembered for more than the final score.
"This senior class -- what a group," Crosby said. "They were the strength of the team. They all led in different ways -- vocal on the field, coach 'em up on the sideline -- and that means a lot to the younger girls in the program. It will be difficult to fill those shoes. They helped create a culture, 'I've got your back,' and above everything else, that's what makes this group special. The younger girls look up to that and buy into it.
"Wins and losses, that's not always what it's all about."
Starting lineups
Glenbard North
G: Karissa Chalus
D: Hannah Arista
D: Perla Kamami
D: Jacqueline Arroyo
D: Anna Pedraza
M: Alexis Bolger
M: Sofia Espana
M: Olivia Corona
M: Teagan Flanagan
F: Aurelia Carulli
F: Jessica West
Lake Park
G: Amanda Reining
D: Elizabeth Guenther
D: Ziri Hernandez
D: Stephanie Zachemski
D: Amber Sedwick
M: Isabel Armas
M: Jaclyn Lamz
M: Lauren Tarchala
M: Brianna McAloon
M: Chloe Harris
F: Gianna Pistorio
Officials: Boris Vukovic, Arek Bugacewicz, John Jakobsze
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Perla Kamami, so., D, Glenbard North
Scoring summary
First half
1. Glenbard North: Perla Kamami (assisted by Sofia Espana), 35th minute