Lane tops Jones for share of Premier title
Sophomore MF Niforos assists both goals in 2-0 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Few things beguile like seeing a young talent take flight. The sense of discovery and self-recognition becomes an act of witness.
It happens in stages, over time. Though Camaron Niforos has achieved a heightened level of achievement in moving from a situational young player on a veteran team to a precocious and skilled talent in bloom.
A sophomore midfielder at Lane, Niforos flashed her ability last year and secured mention on Chicagoland Soccer watch list for the brightest prospects in her class. She was an energy player off the bench who brought an offensive flare.
Now making the most of her opportunities as a starter, she has smoothly integrated herself into the flow of the offensive attack.
Her older sister, Anastasia Niforos, was a superb talent who played on three Lane city title teams. Camaron Niforos exhibits a steadiness and solidity about her game, showing a knack or presence for being in the center of the action.
“I’ve played with a lot of these girls for a long time,” Niforos said. “I have played with a lot of them on travel. This is different situation now. It’s different people and different positions when I am playing for Lane. I just think I have gotten a lot more comfortable and confident.”
Niforos ideally performed the part of orchestrator by setting up a momentum-changing goal in the first half and an invaluable follow up assist for the insurance score in powering the no. 21 Indians’ 2-0 Chicago Public League Premier Division victory over Jones on Wednesday at the Eagles’ turf soccer field in Chinatown.
Camaron Niforos earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the match honor for her efforts.
The Indians faced a must-win scenario after playing Young (6-0-1 final lead record) to a dramatic 1-1 draw on Monday.
“We knew it was a do-or-die situation,” junior Grace Dunaway said. After the rematch of last year’s city championship, Lane (7-3-2, 6-0-1) has now won or shared an unprecedented nine-consecutive Premier Division regular season titles.
Lane also secured the top seed in the city tournament that begins group play on Monday. Young, Payton and Jones are the respective two-, three- and four-seeds.
The emergence of Niforos is just another dynamic piece Lane coach Michelle Vale has at her command. Vale has many interchangeable parts and players whose positional versatility gives her all manner of choices. With so many comparable talents, Vale has often radically experimented with position and lineups.
“We know that Camaron is a player who has a good view of the field,” Vale said. “She is able to look up and know where her teammates are going to be. At practice, we talk about her setting up other players to shoot, and we talk about her also taking a shot, and I think she likes doing both. In the game today she was definitely excelling in assisting her teammates.
“That is something a lot of people don’t talk about very much. Most of the time we give all of the glory to the person who scores and the one who finishes it, but in order to get that ball up to the forward it had to come through a whole team. I am very pleased with Camaron’s ability to set it up for her teammates.”
Lane seized control in the 15th minute. Working the middle of the field, Niforos controlled a ball and punched it over the top of the Eagles’ backline to a streaking Dunaway on the left wing. Dunaway broke down the defense and slotted a beautiful cross to a streaking senior midfielder Ayla Guvener for the textbook finish.
“I have played with Grace a lot in the past, and she usually plays forward,” Niforos said. “Having her back on the outside was really nice because I know how fast she is. We read each other really well. I kept telling her to stay wide and the ball would be coming. I finally got the ball, and I saw her going wide. I knew if I got it over the defense she would get to it.”
Jones (9-4-3, 3-2-2) had posted eight shutouts and conceded just 11 goals coming into the game. Junior Devin Barry is sensational, an athletic and acrobatic keeper who is exceptionally difficult to score against.
“I think with one exception, every goal we have given up this year is when teams have gotten behind our defense,” Jones coach Derek Bylsma said. “Devin is so rangy and talented, nobody is able to score from distance against us. Lane has some quick players, and they took advantage a couple of times.”
The Eagles are a mirror of the Indians. Bylsma also has a young and deep roster. The difference is one of time and experience, and Jones is still getting accustomed to playing at this elevated level. Jones is without the rock of its backline, Gabriela Baxtrom, a captain and four-year starter who is dealing with complications of a right hamstring pull.
Only one senior, midfielder Rachel Sohn, started for the Eagles. Jones played well and hard, indicative of the culture that Bylsma has brought to a rapidly improved program. Junior forward Avery Kaplan broke free a couple of occasions. Lane quickly negated the threat. Sophomore speedster Sophia Jennerjahn, an electric young talent, started and brought a second-stage burst to the Eagles’ attack. The effort was visible.
“Lane definitely had the better run of play, but I was very happy with how we played,” Bylsma said. “I’ve said all year when we compete and play hard, we are a dangerous team. We did that today. We played hard.”
After Monday's wild game, when Young took the lead with 26 seconds left before Sydney Varga’s even more dramatic goal tied the game with 10 seconds to go in a 1-1 draw with Young, Lane was thrilled by the quicker start.
“I even told everybody before the game I know sometimes we feel like we can’t score and we get frustrated because we are not scoring a lot,” Niforos said. “On Monday Sydney had her reason to score and she did. We had a reason to score today and we wanted to win conference. We played really well offensively. I think we were all pretty excited. A couple of people were nervous. We were also very excited to play, and we wanted to win.”
Niforos broke the game open at the start of the second half with another beautiful scoring sequence in collaboration with Dunaway. In the 48th minute, Niforos broke down the Eagles’ interior and played a sharp ball on the left wing that Dunaway timed perfectly with her run.
Barry broke from her line and got a touch on the ball. Dunaway had just enough velocity to push it inside the near post. Dunaway, a junior, was the Indians’ leading scorer last year and earned Chicagoland Soccer's all-state distinction for scoring 19 goals.
“I am playing a different position this year,” Dunaway said. “Last year I camped out on top, and I waited for the longer through-ball. I think a lot of the teams we have played this season have caught on to that. We have a new formation, and we like to change it up. I am playing more on the outside now, and I am making more plays and creating for others.”
The two-goal deficit proved too much for the Eagles to overcome. Jones competed until the very end, symbolized by a blast from sophomore midfielder Martina Bianchi that smashed off the bar. Bylsma knew if the Eagles had any chance for the upset, they had to play aggressive and try to take Lane on at the point of the attack
“I feel very good about where we are,” Bylsma said. “This is a team that wants to take on challenges. I talked to the kids after the game and nobody was down. They were excited about what comes next. We want to continue to play hard and do what we have to do in order to become more dangerous.”
Jones finishes regular season play hosting Mother McAuley in a Chicago Cup game. A win would push them into the third place game on Saturday. Lane hosts Niles West Friday for its Senior Night.
“We are ready for the postseason,” Dunaway said.
Starting lineups
Lane
GK: Maggie Grossman
D: Alana Coffman
D: Kinuko Mrozik
D: Izzy Oganovich
D: Zehra Halilic
M: Carlye Makuch
M: Camaron Niforos
M: Ayla Guvener
M: Grace Dunaway
F: Ayser Guvener
F: Jazzmin Jordan
Jones
GK: Devin Barry
D: Natalie Loos
D: Izzy Kamba
D: Catherine Lorden
M: Samantha White
M: Audrey Bruce
M: Rachel Sohn
M: Sophia Jennerjahn
M: Laura Rios
F: Avery Kaplan
F: Lauren Nichols
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Camaron Niforos, M, soph., Lane
Scoring summary
First half
Lane—Ayla Guvener (Camaron Niforos, Grace Dunaway), 15th minute
Second half
Lane—Dunaway (Niforos), 48th minute
Sophomore MF Niforos assists both goals in 2-0 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Few things beguile like seeing a young talent take flight. The sense of discovery and self-recognition becomes an act of witness.
It happens in stages, over time. Though Camaron Niforos has achieved a heightened level of achievement in moving from a situational young player on a veteran team to a precocious and skilled talent in bloom.
A sophomore midfielder at Lane, Niforos flashed her ability last year and secured mention on Chicagoland Soccer watch list for the brightest prospects in her class. She was an energy player off the bench who brought an offensive flare.
Now making the most of her opportunities as a starter, she has smoothly integrated herself into the flow of the offensive attack.
Her older sister, Anastasia Niforos, was a superb talent who played on three Lane city title teams. Camaron Niforos exhibits a steadiness and solidity about her game, showing a knack or presence for being in the center of the action.
“I’ve played with a lot of these girls for a long time,” Niforos said. “I have played with a lot of them on travel. This is different situation now. It’s different people and different positions when I am playing for Lane. I just think I have gotten a lot more comfortable and confident.”
Niforos ideally performed the part of orchestrator by setting up a momentum-changing goal in the first half and an invaluable follow up assist for the insurance score in powering the no. 21 Indians’ 2-0 Chicago Public League Premier Division victory over Jones on Wednesday at the Eagles’ turf soccer field in Chinatown.
Camaron Niforos earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the match honor for her efforts.
The Indians faced a must-win scenario after playing Young (6-0-1 final lead record) to a dramatic 1-1 draw on Monday.
“We knew it was a do-or-die situation,” junior Grace Dunaway said. After the rematch of last year’s city championship, Lane (7-3-2, 6-0-1) has now won or shared an unprecedented nine-consecutive Premier Division regular season titles.
Lane also secured the top seed in the city tournament that begins group play on Monday. Young, Payton and Jones are the respective two-, three- and four-seeds.
The emergence of Niforos is just another dynamic piece Lane coach Michelle Vale has at her command. Vale has many interchangeable parts and players whose positional versatility gives her all manner of choices. With so many comparable talents, Vale has often radically experimented with position and lineups.
“We know that Camaron is a player who has a good view of the field,” Vale said. “She is able to look up and know where her teammates are going to be. At practice, we talk about her setting up other players to shoot, and we talk about her also taking a shot, and I think she likes doing both. In the game today she was definitely excelling in assisting her teammates.
“That is something a lot of people don’t talk about very much. Most of the time we give all of the glory to the person who scores and the one who finishes it, but in order to get that ball up to the forward it had to come through a whole team. I am very pleased with Camaron’s ability to set it up for her teammates.”
Lane seized control in the 15th minute. Working the middle of the field, Niforos controlled a ball and punched it over the top of the Eagles’ backline to a streaking Dunaway on the left wing. Dunaway broke down the defense and slotted a beautiful cross to a streaking senior midfielder Ayla Guvener for the textbook finish.
“I have played with Grace a lot in the past, and she usually plays forward,” Niforos said. “Having her back on the outside was really nice because I know how fast she is. We read each other really well. I kept telling her to stay wide and the ball would be coming. I finally got the ball, and I saw her going wide. I knew if I got it over the defense she would get to it.”
Jones (9-4-3, 3-2-2) had posted eight shutouts and conceded just 11 goals coming into the game. Junior Devin Barry is sensational, an athletic and acrobatic keeper who is exceptionally difficult to score against.
“I think with one exception, every goal we have given up this year is when teams have gotten behind our defense,” Jones coach Derek Bylsma said. “Devin is so rangy and talented, nobody is able to score from distance against us. Lane has some quick players, and they took advantage a couple of times.”
The Eagles are a mirror of the Indians. Bylsma also has a young and deep roster. The difference is one of time and experience, and Jones is still getting accustomed to playing at this elevated level. Jones is without the rock of its backline, Gabriela Baxtrom, a captain and four-year starter who is dealing with complications of a right hamstring pull.
Only one senior, midfielder Rachel Sohn, started for the Eagles. Jones played well and hard, indicative of the culture that Bylsma has brought to a rapidly improved program. Junior forward Avery Kaplan broke free a couple of occasions. Lane quickly negated the threat. Sophomore speedster Sophia Jennerjahn, an electric young talent, started and brought a second-stage burst to the Eagles’ attack. The effort was visible.
“Lane definitely had the better run of play, but I was very happy with how we played,” Bylsma said. “I’ve said all year when we compete and play hard, we are a dangerous team. We did that today. We played hard.”
After Monday's wild game, when Young took the lead with 26 seconds left before Sydney Varga’s even more dramatic goal tied the game with 10 seconds to go in a 1-1 draw with Young, Lane was thrilled by the quicker start.
“I even told everybody before the game I know sometimes we feel like we can’t score and we get frustrated because we are not scoring a lot,” Niforos said. “On Monday Sydney had her reason to score and she did. We had a reason to score today and we wanted to win conference. We played really well offensively. I think we were all pretty excited. A couple of people were nervous. We were also very excited to play, and we wanted to win.”
Niforos broke the game open at the start of the second half with another beautiful scoring sequence in collaboration with Dunaway. In the 48th minute, Niforos broke down the Eagles’ interior and played a sharp ball on the left wing that Dunaway timed perfectly with her run.
Barry broke from her line and got a touch on the ball. Dunaway had just enough velocity to push it inside the near post. Dunaway, a junior, was the Indians’ leading scorer last year and earned Chicagoland Soccer's all-state distinction for scoring 19 goals.
“I am playing a different position this year,” Dunaway said. “Last year I camped out on top, and I waited for the longer through-ball. I think a lot of the teams we have played this season have caught on to that. We have a new formation, and we like to change it up. I am playing more on the outside now, and I am making more plays and creating for others.”
The two-goal deficit proved too much for the Eagles to overcome. Jones competed until the very end, symbolized by a blast from sophomore midfielder Martina Bianchi that smashed off the bar. Bylsma knew if the Eagles had any chance for the upset, they had to play aggressive and try to take Lane on at the point of the attack
“I feel very good about where we are,” Bylsma said. “This is a team that wants to take on challenges. I talked to the kids after the game and nobody was down. They were excited about what comes next. We want to continue to play hard and do what we have to do in order to become more dangerous.”
Jones finishes regular season play hosting Mother McAuley in a Chicago Cup game. A win would push them into the third place game on Saturday. Lane hosts Niles West Friday for its Senior Night.
“We are ready for the postseason,” Dunaway said.
Starting lineups
Lane
GK: Maggie Grossman
D: Alana Coffman
D: Kinuko Mrozik
D: Izzy Oganovich
D: Zehra Halilic
M: Carlye Makuch
M: Camaron Niforos
M: Ayla Guvener
M: Grace Dunaway
F: Ayser Guvener
F: Jazzmin Jordan
Jones
GK: Devin Barry
D: Natalie Loos
D: Izzy Kamba
D: Catherine Lorden
M: Samantha White
M: Audrey Bruce
M: Rachel Sohn
M: Sophia Jennerjahn
M: Laura Rios
F: Avery Kaplan
F: Lauren Nichols
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Camaron Niforos, M, soph., Lane
Scoring summary
First half
Lane—Ayla Guvener (Camaron Niforos, Grace Dunaway), 15th minute
Second half
Lane—Dunaway (Niforos), 48th minute