Fast start powers Lyons
past archrival Hinsdale Central
2 early goals spark 4-0 win, keep Lions undefeated in league
By Dave Owen
LA GRANGE – Facing its biggest and certainly busiest week of the West Suburban Conference Silver Division season, Lyons passed the first test with flying blue and gold colors Monday.
With huge conference games to follow Tuesday at Glenbard West and Thursday against defending 2017 Class 3A fourth place finisher Downers Grove North, the Lions (9-5-0, 4-0) warmed up for those challenges Monday by playing their biggest rivalry game of the year.
Striking for two goals in the first 15:06 of play, the hosts rolled on to an impressive 4-0 win over Hinsdale Central (5-9-2, 2-2).
The Red Devils had played the talented likes of Naperville North, Downers Grove North and Batavia to 1-0 or 2-0 games, but ran into a buzzsaw Monday.
“Our kids were fired up for sure,” Lyons coach Bill Lanspeary said. “They came out and in the first 10 or 15 minutes changed the game.”
The first chance took just 15 seconds, as Ava Dallavo sent a right end line shot onto the top of the goal.
Bella Lestina followed just 1:40 into the match with an 18-yard chip just wide right. The tests of the Red Devils defense continued in the 10th minute on a 40-yard Catherine Johnson free kick caught by goalkeeper Taylor Ward.
Then with 27:37 left in the half, a great extra effort play by Maggie Gilchrist sparked a great chance – and a breakthrough.
Gilchrist made a nice steal along the sideline in the offensive zone and sent a cross to Lestina dashing into the box.
Lestina was tripped on her rush to the net, producing a foul and penalty kick which Johnson drove inside the lower right post for a 1-0 Lyons lead.
“You have to pressure really hard,” Gilchrist said, “and when you do that without fouling, you can wait for them to make a mistake and win the ball. You just have to be smart with your decision-making. I think that helped today.”
A standout defender, Johnson has also scored on three penalty kicks this year in either overtime shootouts or regulation.
“I knew it was coming, because conference games mean PKs most likely at some point,” Johnson said. “I’ve been ready for it and taking them throughout the year.”
Not even three minutes later, a nice defensive end win by Eileen Murphy and hustle play by reserve Izzy Alvarado led to a 2-0 Lyons edge.
Recently brought up from junior varsity, Alvarado fielded a Murphy send, raced up the middle and sent a pass to Dallavo in on a breakaway. She lined a 15-yarder past a charging Ward for her fourth goal of 2018.
“Izzy played a great through-ball,” Dallavo said. “We kind of did a little give-and-go there, and I ended up right in front of the goal.”
Said Lanspeary: “That first goal (in the 13th minute) is a big sigh of relief and a momentum changer. Then to get the second one – it was a great effort by our kids.”
Dallavo is one of five freshmen up on the Lyons varsity since Day One this season. She’s adept at not just scoring big goals in rivalry games, but also spinning out nicknames for her team’s red-haired star midfielder.
“This was really exciting,” she said. “This is my first time playing Hinsdale, which is really fun.
“'Rusty' (Murphy) kept playing great through-balls, and we just kind of attacked early and got a good head start.”
The usually stalwart Hinsdale Central defense faced a rare quandary with the early multi-goal deficit.
“They (Lyons) are definitely a good team, they always are,” Red Devils coach Bryan Ciesiulka said. “But we didn’t help ourselves out. We made two mistakes early in the game that normally we don’t make.
“I’m pretty confident in our backline – we have a very strong defense. But (Lyons) took chances when we gave them chances, and we kind of fell under it a little bit. We got behind the game and just couldn’t find a way to play our way back.”
Hinsdale Central co-captain Madeline Swade produced her team’s first quality scoring chance with a 30-yard free kick wide of the net in the third minute. But then came the wrath of the hungry Lions.
“I think today they were the tougher team,” Swade said. “They won more 50-50 balls, which we got punished for.”
One of the best around at winning 50-50 balls is Murphy, who was her usual dominant force in the midfield. And she had lots of help.
“Eileen Murphy is a special player – our midfield was outstanding today,” Lanspeary said. “And our backline has been really, really solid. The chances we do give up are generally from distance.
“Occasionally teams get in on us but not too often, and then our keepers have made the saves. They’ve done a great job, and our forwards were really dangerous today. Bella Lestina getting around (defenders) and making some unselfish plays when she maybe could go to goal herself, and instead looking for that next player – and they’ve all been doing that. It’s been great.”
Lestina set the table for another great chance 13:45 before halftime. Her perfect cross from the right side found Alvarado in front for an 8-yard shot that Ward brilliantly came out to smother and keep the score 2-0 at halftime.
At the other end, Murphy had two-consecutive blocks of chances in the box for Hinsdale Central’s Brittany Doneske with 4:20 left in the half, and Grace Truax nicely broke up a Red Devils attack in the final seconds of the half.
And throughout the match, standout seniors Johnson and Kaelan Lee had multiple such stellar defensive efforts to keep the Red Devils at bay.
“I think we communicate well in the back, which helps a lot,” Lee said. “And I’ve been playing with Catherine Johnson since I was eight years old, so I think that helps a lot because we kind of know who wants to step up and who wants to drop when. Without even talking we know where we’re going.”
Lee has been part of a new-look defensive unit this season.
“Kaelan moved to the back this year (from midfield), and that’s really been helping us,” Johnson said. “And we’ve added Bri Stirrat (on defense) this year, a really good player.”
Said Lee: “I used to play defense as a kid, so it’s good to be back in the back. I really like it.”
The Lyons offense continued its own excellence in the second half.
Gilchrist created havoc with 38:40 left, making a 1-v.-1 steal at the 25-yard line and sending a 20-yard shot that Ward reached high to deflect and control.
Then three minutes later, Gilchrist’s perfectly struck right side corner kick was headed in at the back post by Murphy. That upped the Lyons lead to 3-0 and all but iced the always-prized win in the Hinsdale Central-Lyons rivalry.
“I’m really proud of our team,” Gilchrist said. “It’s hard to come out against a rival every year and win. Two years in a row now is really good for us. And beating our rival is huge towards winning the conference. I’m super proud.”
Said Johnson: “My freshman and sophomore year we lost to them (Hinsdale Central) to decide the conference, so it’s really nice coming out this year and beating them 4-0.”
That fourth goal came with just 51 seconds left. Dallavo came in on right wing and sent a cross in front to Bella Dziak for a point-blank putaway and a freshman-to-freshman scoring connection.
“It’s great,” Dallavo said of being on varsity as a freshman. “I love the team; I love all the games. It’s a very quick season, but I’m having so much fun.”
The Lyons defense had their own brand of fun in the second half.
With 21:30 left, Murphy and Abby Sheehan each had blocked shots after a Red Devils 50-yard free kick send to the box. That sequence ended with goalkeeper Sophie Grabis’ save of an Elle Jenkins partially deflected shot on goal.
Grabis later made a catch at the left post of Haley Arnold’s athletic somersault flip throw-in with 18:10 to go. Then with three minutes left, Grabis saved the shutout with her best play of the day, a leaping deflection just over the net of Kate Shroyer’s high 20-yard rocket.
On the ensuing corner kick, Grabis’ initial block at the post and Johnson’s clear upfield ended the threat, and Grabic’s save on a 15-yard Camille Lubic shot marked Hinsdale Central’s final bid.
Despite the setback Monday, Red Devils first year coach Ciesiulka continues to see progress.
“We’re definitely getting better,” he said. “We’re pushing the girls really hard to try and get the ball on the ground and play some nice soccer, and that takes time.
“But they’re working really hard, and they’re defending really well, which is allowing us to move quicker, which is great.”
But Lyons’ pressure exposed areas for late season focus.
“There’s a lot of moments that we still need to get better in terms of keeping possession,” Ciesiulka said. “The first two chances came off us turning the ball over unnecessarily. All of a sudden we’re on the defensive again, and that’s when mistakes are made. But we’ll keep doing a better job of that, and I’m pretty happy with what we’ve done so far.”
For her part, Swade is happy to be back after not playing high school soccer last spring.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Swade said. “We’ve had a great experience so far this year, so it was an awesome decision to come back senior year.”
As great as Lyons felt after Monday’s win, a grueling week resumes with a bus ride to Glen Ellyn on Tuesday.
“It’s a huge week,” Lee said. “This gives us a good start to the week, but going into tomorrow it’s 0-0 again. So we have to go in and play strong.”
As if three key WSC Silver games weren’t taxing enough, Plainfield North (12-2-1 and no. 24 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25) comes to town Saturday.
“We have big games this week,” Gilchrist said, “so it’s just about making smart decisions, hydrating, staying healthy and making sure you have a good warmup too, to be able to play well.”
With a 7-2-0 record in their last nine games, the Lions have certainly played well since early April.
“Last year is hard to beat – we were pretty good,” Gilchrist said of the 2017 sectional finalist Lions. “But finally we’re getting a sequence down with the team, especially with the new younger girls.
“I think we’ve done a pretty good job this year, and now we’re getting into the swing of things. I’m proud of us coming together and working together.”
Starting lineups
Hinsdale Central
GK Taylor Ward
D Madeline Swade
D Samantha Moriarty
D Sophie Simmons
D Olivia Rayis
M Samantha Guido
M Jane Bibby
M Sarah Cernugel
M Madigan Lynch
F Camille Lubic
F Haley Arnold
Lyons
GK Sophie Grabis
D Elsa McMahon
D Kaelan Lee
D Catherine Johnson
D Bri Stirrat
M Grace Truax
M Maggie Gilchrist
M Eileen Murphy
M Meara Hilling
F Bella Lestina
F Ava Dallavo
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Maggie Gilchrist, sr. M, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
Lyons – Catherine Johnson (PK), 12:23
Lyons – Ava Dallavo (Izzy Alvarado assist), 15:06
Second half
Lyons – Eileen Murphy (Maggie Gilchrist), 44:13
Lyons – Bella Dziak (Dallavo), 79:09
past archrival Hinsdale Central
2 early goals spark 4-0 win, keep Lions undefeated in league
By Dave Owen
LA GRANGE – Facing its biggest and certainly busiest week of the West Suburban Conference Silver Division season, Lyons passed the first test with flying blue and gold colors Monday.
With huge conference games to follow Tuesday at Glenbard West and Thursday against defending 2017 Class 3A fourth place finisher Downers Grove North, the Lions (9-5-0, 4-0) warmed up for those challenges Monday by playing their biggest rivalry game of the year.
Striking for two goals in the first 15:06 of play, the hosts rolled on to an impressive 4-0 win over Hinsdale Central (5-9-2, 2-2).
The Red Devils had played the talented likes of Naperville North, Downers Grove North and Batavia to 1-0 or 2-0 games, but ran into a buzzsaw Monday.
“Our kids were fired up for sure,” Lyons coach Bill Lanspeary said. “They came out and in the first 10 or 15 minutes changed the game.”
The first chance took just 15 seconds, as Ava Dallavo sent a right end line shot onto the top of the goal.
Bella Lestina followed just 1:40 into the match with an 18-yard chip just wide right. The tests of the Red Devils defense continued in the 10th minute on a 40-yard Catherine Johnson free kick caught by goalkeeper Taylor Ward.
Then with 27:37 left in the half, a great extra effort play by Maggie Gilchrist sparked a great chance – and a breakthrough.
Gilchrist made a nice steal along the sideline in the offensive zone and sent a cross to Lestina dashing into the box.
Lestina was tripped on her rush to the net, producing a foul and penalty kick which Johnson drove inside the lower right post for a 1-0 Lyons lead.
“You have to pressure really hard,” Gilchrist said, “and when you do that without fouling, you can wait for them to make a mistake and win the ball. You just have to be smart with your decision-making. I think that helped today.”
A standout defender, Johnson has also scored on three penalty kicks this year in either overtime shootouts or regulation.
“I knew it was coming, because conference games mean PKs most likely at some point,” Johnson said. “I’ve been ready for it and taking them throughout the year.”
Not even three minutes later, a nice defensive end win by Eileen Murphy and hustle play by reserve Izzy Alvarado led to a 2-0 Lyons edge.
Recently brought up from junior varsity, Alvarado fielded a Murphy send, raced up the middle and sent a pass to Dallavo in on a breakaway. She lined a 15-yarder past a charging Ward for her fourth goal of 2018.
“Izzy played a great through-ball,” Dallavo said. “We kind of did a little give-and-go there, and I ended up right in front of the goal.”
Said Lanspeary: “That first goal (in the 13th minute) is a big sigh of relief and a momentum changer. Then to get the second one – it was a great effort by our kids.”
Dallavo is one of five freshmen up on the Lyons varsity since Day One this season. She’s adept at not just scoring big goals in rivalry games, but also spinning out nicknames for her team’s red-haired star midfielder.
“This was really exciting,” she said. “This is my first time playing Hinsdale, which is really fun.
“'Rusty' (Murphy) kept playing great through-balls, and we just kind of attacked early and got a good head start.”
The usually stalwart Hinsdale Central defense faced a rare quandary with the early multi-goal deficit.
“They (Lyons) are definitely a good team, they always are,” Red Devils coach Bryan Ciesiulka said. “But we didn’t help ourselves out. We made two mistakes early in the game that normally we don’t make.
“I’m pretty confident in our backline – we have a very strong defense. But (Lyons) took chances when we gave them chances, and we kind of fell under it a little bit. We got behind the game and just couldn’t find a way to play our way back.”
Hinsdale Central co-captain Madeline Swade produced her team’s first quality scoring chance with a 30-yard free kick wide of the net in the third minute. But then came the wrath of the hungry Lions.
“I think today they were the tougher team,” Swade said. “They won more 50-50 balls, which we got punished for.”
One of the best around at winning 50-50 balls is Murphy, who was her usual dominant force in the midfield. And she had lots of help.
“Eileen Murphy is a special player – our midfield was outstanding today,” Lanspeary said. “And our backline has been really, really solid. The chances we do give up are generally from distance.
“Occasionally teams get in on us but not too often, and then our keepers have made the saves. They’ve done a great job, and our forwards were really dangerous today. Bella Lestina getting around (defenders) and making some unselfish plays when she maybe could go to goal herself, and instead looking for that next player – and they’ve all been doing that. It’s been great.”
Lestina set the table for another great chance 13:45 before halftime. Her perfect cross from the right side found Alvarado in front for an 8-yard shot that Ward brilliantly came out to smother and keep the score 2-0 at halftime.
At the other end, Murphy had two-consecutive blocks of chances in the box for Hinsdale Central’s Brittany Doneske with 4:20 left in the half, and Grace Truax nicely broke up a Red Devils attack in the final seconds of the half.
And throughout the match, standout seniors Johnson and Kaelan Lee had multiple such stellar defensive efforts to keep the Red Devils at bay.
“I think we communicate well in the back, which helps a lot,” Lee said. “And I’ve been playing with Catherine Johnson since I was eight years old, so I think that helps a lot because we kind of know who wants to step up and who wants to drop when. Without even talking we know where we’re going.”
Lee has been part of a new-look defensive unit this season.
“Kaelan moved to the back this year (from midfield), and that’s really been helping us,” Johnson said. “And we’ve added Bri Stirrat (on defense) this year, a really good player.”
Said Lee: “I used to play defense as a kid, so it’s good to be back in the back. I really like it.”
The Lyons offense continued its own excellence in the second half.
Gilchrist created havoc with 38:40 left, making a 1-v.-1 steal at the 25-yard line and sending a 20-yard shot that Ward reached high to deflect and control.
Then three minutes later, Gilchrist’s perfectly struck right side corner kick was headed in at the back post by Murphy. That upped the Lyons lead to 3-0 and all but iced the always-prized win in the Hinsdale Central-Lyons rivalry.
“I’m really proud of our team,” Gilchrist said. “It’s hard to come out against a rival every year and win. Two years in a row now is really good for us. And beating our rival is huge towards winning the conference. I’m super proud.”
Said Johnson: “My freshman and sophomore year we lost to them (Hinsdale Central) to decide the conference, so it’s really nice coming out this year and beating them 4-0.”
That fourth goal came with just 51 seconds left. Dallavo came in on right wing and sent a cross in front to Bella Dziak for a point-blank putaway and a freshman-to-freshman scoring connection.
“It’s great,” Dallavo said of being on varsity as a freshman. “I love the team; I love all the games. It’s a very quick season, but I’m having so much fun.”
The Lyons defense had their own brand of fun in the second half.
With 21:30 left, Murphy and Abby Sheehan each had blocked shots after a Red Devils 50-yard free kick send to the box. That sequence ended with goalkeeper Sophie Grabis’ save of an Elle Jenkins partially deflected shot on goal.
Grabis later made a catch at the left post of Haley Arnold’s athletic somersault flip throw-in with 18:10 to go. Then with three minutes left, Grabis saved the shutout with her best play of the day, a leaping deflection just over the net of Kate Shroyer’s high 20-yard rocket.
On the ensuing corner kick, Grabis’ initial block at the post and Johnson’s clear upfield ended the threat, and Grabic’s save on a 15-yard Camille Lubic shot marked Hinsdale Central’s final bid.
Despite the setback Monday, Red Devils first year coach Ciesiulka continues to see progress.
“We’re definitely getting better,” he said. “We’re pushing the girls really hard to try and get the ball on the ground and play some nice soccer, and that takes time.
“But they’re working really hard, and they’re defending really well, which is allowing us to move quicker, which is great.”
But Lyons’ pressure exposed areas for late season focus.
“There’s a lot of moments that we still need to get better in terms of keeping possession,” Ciesiulka said. “The first two chances came off us turning the ball over unnecessarily. All of a sudden we’re on the defensive again, and that’s when mistakes are made. But we’ll keep doing a better job of that, and I’m pretty happy with what we’ve done so far.”
For her part, Swade is happy to be back after not playing high school soccer last spring.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Swade said. “We’ve had a great experience so far this year, so it was an awesome decision to come back senior year.”
As great as Lyons felt after Monday’s win, a grueling week resumes with a bus ride to Glen Ellyn on Tuesday.
“It’s a huge week,” Lee said. “This gives us a good start to the week, but going into tomorrow it’s 0-0 again. So we have to go in and play strong.”
As if three key WSC Silver games weren’t taxing enough, Plainfield North (12-2-1 and no. 24 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25) comes to town Saturday.
“We have big games this week,” Gilchrist said, “so it’s just about making smart decisions, hydrating, staying healthy and making sure you have a good warmup too, to be able to play well.”
With a 7-2-0 record in their last nine games, the Lions have certainly played well since early April.
“Last year is hard to beat – we were pretty good,” Gilchrist said of the 2017 sectional finalist Lions. “But finally we’re getting a sequence down with the team, especially with the new younger girls.
“I think we’ve done a pretty good job this year, and now we’re getting into the swing of things. I’m proud of us coming together and working together.”
Starting lineups
Hinsdale Central
GK Taylor Ward
D Madeline Swade
D Samantha Moriarty
D Sophie Simmons
D Olivia Rayis
M Samantha Guido
M Jane Bibby
M Sarah Cernugel
M Madigan Lynch
F Camille Lubic
F Haley Arnold
Lyons
GK Sophie Grabis
D Elsa McMahon
D Kaelan Lee
D Catherine Johnson
D Bri Stirrat
M Grace Truax
M Maggie Gilchrist
M Eileen Murphy
M Meara Hilling
F Bella Lestina
F Ava Dallavo
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Maggie Gilchrist, sr. M, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
Lyons – Catherine Johnson (PK), 12:23
Lyons – Ava Dallavo (Izzy Alvarado assist), 15:06
Second half
Lyons – Eileen Murphy (Maggie Gilchrist), 44:13
Lyons – Bella Dziak (Dallavo), 79:09