Murray scouts goals, leads Lane past Jones
Junior’s hat-trick gives Indians title-game berth
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- She is named after the inquisitive and graceful young child of Harper Lee’s iconic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
For some a name is everything. Lane forward Scout Murray has the outsized reputation to match hers.
During her breakout junior year, she has turned the conversation about the proud history of Lane soccer into a discussion about her place within its elite club of top players.
In about six minutes of game action, Murray turned a marquee showdown between two ranked city powers into a one-note affair.
Murray staked her claim to elite status by scoring three goals during her torrid stretch of the no. 22 Indians’ 3-0 victory over no. 24 Jones in the first semifinal of the Chicago Public League Tournament on Tuesday at Lane.
“Scout is very dangerous and hurt us throughout,” Jones coach Derek Bylsma said.
The five-time defending city champions advanced to the final Thursday against Payton, which stunned top-seed and 20th-ranked Young 2-1 in overtime.
Jones plays in the third place game against Young at 5 p.m. Thursday at Lane.
Each win this season for Lane (10-3-2) has come against a CPL team and has been a shutout. The Indians have won their last seven matches and have a 10-game unbeaten string (8-0-2).
The win atoned for a 78th-minute goal by Jones star Carmen Marshall that forced a 2-2 draw between the teams on May 7.
Lane also gave up a late lead against Young that same week that cost the Indians the regular-season Premier Division title.
Comments from Jones’s parents ignited Murray.
In the 33rd minute, she created a breakaway opportunity. While trying to get separation from the trailing defender, she clipped her shot wide.
“I heard the other team’s parents yelling and talking about us missing that one,” Murray said. “That play was definitely on me, and I just told myself that we are going to keep pushing through.”
Jones (10-2-1) had the gusting northern winds in the first half. Marshall created some solid chances early. The larger story was the Eagles’ inability to cash in.
“I thought we started out well, but we needed to put one away early,” Bylsma said. “We are all disappointed and did not feel like it was our best effort.
“I thought we worked hard but got away from the things we do well.”
Murray’s earlier chance signaled the shift in momentum. It was subtle though clear. The opportunity underscored greater pressure and more significant offensive opportunities.
Lane broke through late in the half. Junior midfielder Julie Medina made a great tackle of Marshall that stripped the ball away and allowed her to play it wide to midfielder Briyana Bellis.
Bellis played a terrific through-ball on the right edge that Murray hammered home from about eight yards in the 39th minute.
“That really swung the game,” Bylsma said.
Murray’s composure and balance lifted the Indians.
“We were a little nervous the first 15 minutes, because we were not playing our best, and we were going into the wind,” Murray said.
“I think we like playing so much together, and we have developed so much chemistry from the beginning of the season. We know how to play together, and we have gotten a lot more confidence.”
Murray took her game to another level at the start of the second half. In a matter of minutes, she disabused the Eagles of any chance of a comeback.
“We knew they were going to come out strong in the second half even though they didn’t have the wind,” Murray said of Jones. “We decided that we were going to score.”
The Indians (10-3-2) generated a corner in the first minute. Maintaining the pressure, senior midfielder Lisa Rios got the ball to the middle of the box and slotted a ball left that was right in Murray’s wheelhouse.
She blasted in the shot for the 2-0 lead in the 42nd minute.
“We knew we had to make everything count,” Rios said. “All I really did was pass it to her.”
Moments later, midfielder Maya Martinez-Bates angled the ball toward the right edge until she was clipped from behind.
Two-way standout Laura Butler delivered the left-footed free kick just outside the box. Her ball smashed off the post. The alert Murray was perfectly positioned for the easy put-back.
Six minutes, three goals to build her total to 23 on the season. Without question Murray demanded the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
Marshall, Murray and Young junior Ella Koleno entered the semifinals acknowledged as the three best players in the city. Marshall and Koleno have been Chicagoland Soccer All-State Team players. Murray is a two-time All-State Watch List player.
“Whenever we play Payton, Jones or Whitney Young, it’s always a very exciting game,” Lane coach Michelle Vale said. “I think what we have to do is continue to maintain our mental strength and our composure.
“I’m glad to hear that Scout used the voices of the crowd as fuel. Not every kid can do that. My team has really grown and proven themselves to be really strong.”
The game was a deeply personal one for Lisa Rios. Her identical twin sister Laura Rios is an equally fantastic midfielder for the Eagles.
That connection has only amplified the rivalry of the two schools. Laura Rios is the Eagles’ free kick and corner specialist.
The melancholy tinge in Lisa Rios’s voice spoke to the special bond.
“It was actually kind of sad,” Lisa Rios said. “I don’t really like playing against her. She really wanted to get to the city title game in her last year.
“I didn’t want her to have to come through us.”
Marshall’s dazzling combination of speed, quickness and her shot-making prowess makes her a riveting and special talent in her own terms.
She willed that earlier tie against Lane with her playmaking and open-field speed.
“Laura (Butler) was on Carmen a lot more today, and she wasn’t there much during the first game,” Murray said. “We knew we needed as much speed as we could get back there.
“She is very fast. We knew we needed to shut her down, because she takes large touches and she gets on goal.”
Marshall had the Eagles’ best scoring chance in the 55th minute on a free kick just outside the box.
She drilled the shot only to have Lane’s rapidly improving sophomore keeper Siena Belko make a superb diving stop.
“One of the things we talked about defensively was making sure that we stayed in front of the ball,” Vale said. “We allowed Carmen a lot of freedom in our last game, and the fact we didn’t respect her enough hurt us.”
Lane’s Butler, Alexis Dempsey, Jocelyn Ramirez and Maria Kastogridakis also disrupted Jones patented passing game and prevented the Eagles’ gifted sophomores Carolina Rondelli and Caroline Patterson from getting free.
The Lane attack has been so explosive, it has overshadowed the team’s developing and tenacious backline. Bellis is another emerging weapon in the attack, a physical and electric talent with a very powerful shot.
Murray has become the headliner. The depth is the other significant story.
“I am very proud of Scout’s ethic and work effort, but I also very much credit our midfield,” Vale said. “Without Julie Medina, Laura Butler, Mary Rau and Lisa Rios, we would not be as dangerous as we are now.
“I definitely agree that Scout has been very strong on the attack, but if we didn’t have the players to support her and push the momentum forward, I don’t think we’d be in that position now.”
Jones has never beaten Lane in its history of girls soccer. The toughness, discipline and maturity materializing in the form of the late goal during the earlier game provided a foundation of hope.
“Lane is well-coached and a very talented team,” Bylsma said. “We didn’t have a good day, and the score showed that.
“We are disappointed, but are confident we will finish strong and be back in the conversation for city champions as we move forward.”
Starting lineups
Jones
GK: Nicole Leon
D: Olivia Rodriguez
D: Shayna Ellis
D: Parker Ellis
D: Patricia Felder
MF: Giselle McPhilliamy
MF: Morgan Scott
MF: Carolina Rondelli
MF: Laura Rios
MF: Caroline Patterson
F: Carmen Marshall
Lane
GK: Siena Belko
D: Jocelyn Ramirez
D: Laura Butler
D: Alexis Dempsey
D: Maria Katsogridakis
MF: Mary Rau
MF: Lisa Rios
MF: Maya Martinez-Bates
MF: Julie Medina
MF: Gabriela Pop
F: Scout Murray
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Scout Murray, jr., F, Lane
Scoring summary
First half
Lane—Scout Murray (Briyana Bellis), 39th minute
Second half
Lane—Murray (Lisa Rios), 42nd minute
Lane—Murray (Laura Butler), 45th minute
Junior’s hat-trick gives Indians title-game berth
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- She is named after the inquisitive and graceful young child of Harper Lee’s iconic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
For some a name is everything. Lane forward Scout Murray has the outsized reputation to match hers.
During her breakout junior year, she has turned the conversation about the proud history of Lane soccer into a discussion about her place within its elite club of top players.
In about six minutes of game action, Murray turned a marquee showdown between two ranked city powers into a one-note affair.
Murray staked her claim to elite status by scoring three goals during her torrid stretch of the no. 22 Indians’ 3-0 victory over no. 24 Jones in the first semifinal of the Chicago Public League Tournament on Tuesday at Lane.
“Scout is very dangerous and hurt us throughout,” Jones coach Derek Bylsma said.
The five-time defending city champions advanced to the final Thursday against Payton, which stunned top-seed and 20th-ranked Young 2-1 in overtime.
Jones plays in the third place game against Young at 5 p.m. Thursday at Lane.
Each win this season for Lane (10-3-2) has come against a CPL team and has been a shutout. The Indians have won their last seven matches and have a 10-game unbeaten string (8-0-2).
The win atoned for a 78th-minute goal by Jones star Carmen Marshall that forced a 2-2 draw between the teams on May 7.
Lane also gave up a late lead against Young that same week that cost the Indians the regular-season Premier Division title.
Comments from Jones’s parents ignited Murray.
In the 33rd minute, she created a breakaway opportunity. While trying to get separation from the trailing defender, she clipped her shot wide.
“I heard the other team’s parents yelling and talking about us missing that one,” Murray said. “That play was definitely on me, and I just told myself that we are going to keep pushing through.”
Jones (10-2-1) had the gusting northern winds in the first half. Marshall created some solid chances early. The larger story was the Eagles’ inability to cash in.
“I thought we started out well, but we needed to put one away early,” Bylsma said. “We are all disappointed and did not feel like it was our best effort.
“I thought we worked hard but got away from the things we do well.”
Murray’s earlier chance signaled the shift in momentum. It was subtle though clear. The opportunity underscored greater pressure and more significant offensive opportunities.
Lane broke through late in the half. Junior midfielder Julie Medina made a great tackle of Marshall that stripped the ball away and allowed her to play it wide to midfielder Briyana Bellis.
Bellis played a terrific through-ball on the right edge that Murray hammered home from about eight yards in the 39th minute.
“That really swung the game,” Bylsma said.
Murray’s composure and balance lifted the Indians.
“We were a little nervous the first 15 minutes, because we were not playing our best, and we were going into the wind,” Murray said.
“I think we like playing so much together, and we have developed so much chemistry from the beginning of the season. We know how to play together, and we have gotten a lot more confidence.”
Murray took her game to another level at the start of the second half. In a matter of minutes, she disabused the Eagles of any chance of a comeback.
“We knew they were going to come out strong in the second half even though they didn’t have the wind,” Murray said of Jones. “We decided that we were going to score.”
The Indians (10-3-2) generated a corner in the first minute. Maintaining the pressure, senior midfielder Lisa Rios got the ball to the middle of the box and slotted a ball left that was right in Murray’s wheelhouse.
She blasted in the shot for the 2-0 lead in the 42nd minute.
“We knew we had to make everything count,” Rios said. “All I really did was pass it to her.”
Moments later, midfielder Maya Martinez-Bates angled the ball toward the right edge until she was clipped from behind.
Two-way standout Laura Butler delivered the left-footed free kick just outside the box. Her ball smashed off the post. The alert Murray was perfectly positioned for the easy put-back.
Six minutes, three goals to build her total to 23 on the season. Without question Murray demanded the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
Marshall, Murray and Young junior Ella Koleno entered the semifinals acknowledged as the three best players in the city. Marshall and Koleno have been Chicagoland Soccer All-State Team players. Murray is a two-time All-State Watch List player.
“Whenever we play Payton, Jones or Whitney Young, it’s always a very exciting game,” Lane coach Michelle Vale said. “I think what we have to do is continue to maintain our mental strength and our composure.
“I’m glad to hear that Scout used the voices of the crowd as fuel. Not every kid can do that. My team has really grown and proven themselves to be really strong.”
The game was a deeply personal one for Lisa Rios. Her identical twin sister Laura Rios is an equally fantastic midfielder for the Eagles.
That connection has only amplified the rivalry of the two schools. Laura Rios is the Eagles’ free kick and corner specialist.
The melancholy tinge in Lisa Rios’s voice spoke to the special bond.
“It was actually kind of sad,” Lisa Rios said. “I don’t really like playing against her. She really wanted to get to the city title game in her last year.
“I didn’t want her to have to come through us.”
Marshall’s dazzling combination of speed, quickness and her shot-making prowess makes her a riveting and special talent in her own terms.
She willed that earlier tie against Lane with her playmaking and open-field speed.
“Laura (Butler) was on Carmen a lot more today, and she wasn’t there much during the first game,” Murray said. “We knew we needed as much speed as we could get back there.
“She is very fast. We knew we needed to shut her down, because she takes large touches and she gets on goal.”
Marshall had the Eagles’ best scoring chance in the 55th minute on a free kick just outside the box.
She drilled the shot only to have Lane’s rapidly improving sophomore keeper Siena Belko make a superb diving stop.
“One of the things we talked about defensively was making sure that we stayed in front of the ball,” Vale said. “We allowed Carmen a lot of freedom in our last game, and the fact we didn’t respect her enough hurt us.”
Lane’s Butler, Alexis Dempsey, Jocelyn Ramirez and Maria Kastogridakis also disrupted Jones patented passing game and prevented the Eagles’ gifted sophomores Carolina Rondelli and Caroline Patterson from getting free.
The Lane attack has been so explosive, it has overshadowed the team’s developing and tenacious backline. Bellis is another emerging weapon in the attack, a physical and electric talent with a very powerful shot.
Murray has become the headliner. The depth is the other significant story.
“I am very proud of Scout’s ethic and work effort, but I also very much credit our midfield,” Vale said. “Without Julie Medina, Laura Butler, Mary Rau and Lisa Rios, we would not be as dangerous as we are now.
“I definitely agree that Scout has been very strong on the attack, but if we didn’t have the players to support her and push the momentum forward, I don’t think we’d be in that position now.”
Jones has never beaten Lane in its history of girls soccer. The toughness, discipline and maturity materializing in the form of the late goal during the earlier game provided a foundation of hope.
“Lane is well-coached and a very talented team,” Bylsma said. “We didn’t have a good day, and the score showed that.
“We are disappointed, but are confident we will finish strong and be back in the conversation for city champions as we move forward.”
Starting lineups
Jones
GK: Nicole Leon
D: Olivia Rodriguez
D: Shayna Ellis
D: Parker Ellis
D: Patricia Felder
MF: Giselle McPhilliamy
MF: Morgan Scott
MF: Carolina Rondelli
MF: Laura Rios
MF: Caroline Patterson
F: Carmen Marshall
Lane
GK: Siena Belko
D: Jocelyn Ramirez
D: Laura Butler
D: Alexis Dempsey
D: Maria Katsogridakis
MF: Mary Rau
MF: Lisa Rios
MF: Maya Martinez-Bates
MF: Julie Medina
MF: Gabriela Pop
F: Scout Murray
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Scout Murray, jr., F, Lane
Scoring summary
First half
Lane—Scout Murray (Briyana Bellis), 39th minute
Second half
Lane—Murray (Lisa Rios), 42nd minute
Lane—Murray (Laura Butler), 45th minute