Masello, DGS enjoy Senior Night fireworks
Defender's brace, assist lead 6-0 win honoring class of '18
By Dave Owen
DOWNERS GROVE – One of the winningest programs in Illinois girls soccer history is back on the rise.
Downers Grove South’s 6-0 win Tuesday over Leyden achieved three big goals for the Mustangs (5-2-2): a win in their West Suburban Conference Gold Division opener, a Senior Night to remember and continued momentum in what has been an impressive bounce back season.
“Last year we had our first conference loss in like 96 attempts,” Downers Grove South coach Chris Hernandez said. “We lost to Hinsdale South in double overtime. We had to start a new streak.
“The message tonight on Senior Night was, keep the streak alive. That was the focus from the seniors down to the freshmen who did an awesome job for us. They sent a message.”
Andrea Lopez wasted little time getting the first word in on Tuesday. Just 4:25 into the match, the senior pounced on a loose ball off a Jennifer Masello cross to score her first goal of 2018.
“It was an awesome cross from Jen,” Lopez said. “I saw the goalie bobble it, and I knew right away I had to do what I could for my team. So I was just went in and went for it, because I really wanted it badly on Senior Night.”
In her third year on varsity, Masello had her own Senior Night to remember. After setting up the first goal, she followed with the next two of the night to completely decide the match.
“I’ve been through a lot of these before not being a senior,” said Masello, whose play on offense and at center back earned her Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors.
“It’s cool for it to finally be my Senior Night, but I also like that it’s still early in the season, and we have so many games left. This was just our first conference game. It was really cool to have everyone come together and just celebrate.”
After the Mustangs’ chances were denied over a 20-minute span following Lopez’s goal, Masello broke the drought with 14:21 left in the half with an strike just outside the box to make it 2-0.
With 6:30 left, another Masello chance (a header off a Jillian Paladino corner kick) went just wide.
Outside of the two finishes, Leyden (4-6-1, 0-1-0) kept the Mustangs from breaking the game open in the first 40 minutes.
“I definitely think we could have finished more and had a little bit better possession going into halftime,” Masello said. “That was one of our main focuses (in the second half), to possess and play our style of game. We knew the goals were going to come once we started to play our game.”
Masello, Lopez and fellow Downers Grove South varsity seniors Brenda Gonzalez, Emily Brindac, Lauren Kelly, Lauren Diddia, Natalie Repole and Kendall Brost were all driven to produce a memorable Senior Night second half.
“I think the emotional aspect (of the occasion) was something that helped us come together even more,” Lopez said. “We agreed that our first half wasn’t what we wanted, but we came together, said ‘This is our night,’ and we emotionally just brought it together and brought our intensity up.”
Masello was dangerous again on a Paladino corner kick with 36:20 left, but her 10-yard shot was blocked and the rebound try deflected harmlessly on goal.
But with 33:03 to play, Masello used her height advantage and great positioning to produce a nice finish.
After Paladino’s initial corner kick was blocked, she captured the rebound and sent a high ball to the back (left) post. Masello was there for the header putaway, and the hoem team's lead was 3-0.
The goals Tuesday were Masello’s first two of the season. But she has made a constant impact all season as part of a stellar Mustangs’ backline in front of sophomore goalkeeper Rose Dumford.
“Emily (Brindac) and I played together last year, and we also play club together,” Masello said of her fellow defender. “That helps that we have that connection together, so we know each other.
“And our outsides have been working so hard. Sav (Savannah Hanyzewski) and Bren (Gonzalez) have been working so hard in practice.
“We all work well together because we all listen, take what each other says into account,” Masello added. “We’re all really close. So we’re able to say, ‘Hey, we need to pick it up, it needs to be better’ or ‘You’re doing good.’ Our communication really helps.”
The solid defense has been just part of Hernandez’s roll call of early season Downers Grove South strengths.
“Jen and Emily have been fantastic for us in the back, and Jordan Rose has been fantastic for us in the midfield,” he said. “It’s her first year playing high school soccer as a sophomore, and she’s been great for us.
“Then we have the younger group – five sophomores and a freshman (Olivia Meyer) all had big minutes tonight. All of them had a goal or assist, or key moments in the game. So the future’s bright.”
Things kept looking brighter throughout the second half Tuesday.
With 27:01 left, Lauren Travis’ bid for a goal was denied on a sliding save by Leyden goalkeeper Evelyn Arzola. But when the rebound squirted loose, sophomore Allison Eberhard was there for the point-blank rebound score to up the lead to 4-0.
Then just less than six minutes later, a beautiful finish led to an officials’ discussion – and a wonderful result for the Mustangs.
Travis sprinted in on the back post to head in Paladino’s perfectly struck 16-yard left sideline free kick. The perfectly-timed play was initially denied by an offside call. But after a brief conference between the officiating crew, the goal was allowed and a highlight film play was complete.
The night’s scoring became complete with 9:47 left. Rose took a pass from Kelly, dribbled from the left wing towards open space in the middle and powered a 25-yard shot into the upper left corner to make the Downers Grove South lead 6-0.
Via a series of nice finishes, the Mustangs built on Lopez’s early first half goal to produce a second half avalanche of chances.
Beyond the four goals, among the many other near-misses were Arzola’s diving saves on Paladino (a 25-yard shot 11 minutes into the half), Rose (a 6-yard shot in front off a nice Talia Davis cross with 16:50 left) and Davis (with 1:50 to play).
Paige Reichert also sent shots just wide with 12:10 to go (off a Nicole Fajardo pass) and 50 seconds left (off a Brindac run upfield and pass).
“I thought they capitalized on a lot of our mistakes, and they played very well,” Leyden coach John Schiemann said of the Mustangs. “Especially on free kicks and corner kicks they were organized, and they had people who were aggressive and went up in the air and won the ball. And they finished their opportunities. They played well.”
Playing well has been Downers South’s mantra this season. The Mustangs tied 2017 state semifinalist and 21st-ranked Downers Grove North 1-1, and their only losses came by razor thin margins to Pleasant Valley, Iowa (on penalty kicks) and no. 15 Batavia (1-0 on a late goal last Thursday).
“Certainly progress from last year,” Hernandez said. “The biggest thing for us is understanding that all the details matter.
“We saw that against Batavia. They’re a fantastic team, and in the last 1:20 of the game we gave up a corner (kick) because we didn’t head a ball to half field. That little thing leads to a corner and a goal.
“A lot of that comes with experience,” Hernandez added, “and we’re at a stage where the freshmen and sophomores who played last year are now regular starters for us.
“We’re on the right track. It’s now about comparing us to what those top level programs look like. We saw Batavia, and we’ll have Geneva and Waubonsie Valley coming up.”
For the Mustangs, confidence levels are also coming up fast.
“I think what’s really working for us is our chemistry,” Lopez said. “It’s something that we haven’t seen in some time. I can’t explain how close we are, and it really shows through in practice connecting our passes and in our games.
“It’s that trust that we have in each other. We know everyone’s going to give 100 percent to each run and each pass. And we hold each other accountable, which is something really big for the team.”
Starting lineups
Leyden
GK Evelyn Arzola
D Liah Rodriguez
D Angelica Perez
D Julia Kornatowska
D Kathy Sotelo
M Diane Santos
M Catherine Saponieri
M Evelyn Abundes
M Liliana Herrera
F Areli Avila
F Karla Rubio
Downers Grove South
GK Rose Dumford
D Lauren Diddia
D Emily Brindac
D Jennifer Masello
D Brenda Gonzalez
M Jordan Rose
M Natalie Repole
M Kendall Brost
M Lauren Kelly
F Andrea Lopez
F Paige Reichert
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Jennifer Masello, sr. D, Downers South.
Scoring
First half
DGS – Andrea Lopez (Jennifer Masello), 5th minute
DGS – Masello (unassisted), 25th minute
Second half
DGS – Masello (Jillian Paladino), 46th minute
DGS – Allison Eberhard (Lauren Travis), 52nd minute
DGS – Travis (Paladino), 58th minute
DGS – Jordan Rose (Lauren Kelly), 70th minute
Defender's brace, assist lead 6-0 win honoring class of '18
By Dave Owen
DOWNERS GROVE – One of the winningest programs in Illinois girls soccer history is back on the rise.
Downers Grove South’s 6-0 win Tuesday over Leyden achieved three big goals for the Mustangs (5-2-2): a win in their West Suburban Conference Gold Division opener, a Senior Night to remember and continued momentum in what has been an impressive bounce back season.
“Last year we had our first conference loss in like 96 attempts,” Downers Grove South coach Chris Hernandez said. “We lost to Hinsdale South in double overtime. We had to start a new streak.
“The message tonight on Senior Night was, keep the streak alive. That was the focus from the seniors down to the freshmen who did an awesome job for us. They sent a message.”
Andrea Lopez wasted little time getting the first word in on Tuesday. Just 4:25 into the match, the senior pounced on a loose ball off a Jennifer Masello cross to score her first goal of 2018.
“It was an awesome cross from Jen,” Lopez said. “I saw the goalie bobble it, and I knew right away I had to do what I could for my team. So I was just went in and went for it, because I really wanted it badly on Senior Night.”
In her third year on varsity, Masello had her own Senior Night to remember. After setting up the first goal, she followed with the next two of the night to completely decide the match.
“I’ve been through a lot of these before not being a senior,” said Masello, whose play on offense and at center back earned her Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors.
“It’s cool for it to finally be my Senior Night, but I also like that it’s still early in the season, and we have so many games left. This was just our first conference game. It was really cool to have everyone come together and just celebrate.”
After the Mustangs’ chances were denied over a 20-minute span following Lopez’s goal, Masello broke the drought with 14:21 left in the half with an strike just outside the box to make it 2-0.
With 6:30 left, another Masello chance (a header off a Jillian Paladino corner kick) went just wide.
Outside of the two finishes, Leyden (4-6-1, 0-1-0) kept the Mustangs from breaking the game open in the first 40 minutes.
“I definitely think we could have finished more and had a little bit better possession going into halftime,” Masello said. “That was one of our main focuses (in the second half), to possess and play our style of game. We knew the goals were going to come once we started to play our game.”
Masello, Lopez and fellow Downers Grove South varsity seniors Brenda Gonzalez, Emily Brindac, Lauren Kelly, Lauren Diddia, Natalie Repole and Kendall Brost were all driven to produce a memorable Senior Night second half.
“I think the emotional aspect (of the occasion) was something that helped us come together even more,” Lopez said. “We agreed that our first half wasn’t what we wanted, but we came together, said ‘This is our night,’ and we emotionally just brought it together and brought our intensity up.”
Masello was dangerous again on a Paladino corner kick with 36:20 left, but her 10-yard shot was blocked and the rebound try deflected harmlessly on goal.
But with 33:03 to play, Masello used her height advantage and great positioning to produce a nice finish.
After Paladino’s initial corner kick was blocked, she captured the rebound and sent a high ball to the back (left) post. Masello was there for the header putaway, and the hoem team's lead was 3-0.
The goals Tuesday were Masello’s first two of the season. But she has made a constant impact all season as part of a stellar Mustangs’ backline in front of sophomore goalkeeper Rose Dumford.
“Emily (Brindac) and I played together last year, and we also play club together,” Masello said of her fellow defender. “That helps that we have that connection together, so we know each other.
“And our outsides have been working so hard. Sav (Savannah Hanyzewski) and Bren (Gonzalez) have been working so hard in practice.
“We all work well together because we all listen, take what each other says into account,” Masello added. “We’re all really close. So we’re able to say, ‘Hey, we need to pick it up, it needs to be better’ or ‘You’re doing good.’ Our communication really helps.”
The solid defense has been just part of Hernandez’s roll call of early season Downers Grove South strengths.
“Jen and Emily have been fantastic for us in the back, and Jordan Rose has been fantastic for us in the midfield,” he said. “It’s her first year playing high school soccer as a sophomore, and she’s been great for us.
“Then we have the younger group – five sophomores and a freshman (Olivia Meyer) all had big minutes tonight. All of them had a goal or assist, or key moments in the game. So the future’s bright.”
Things kept looking brighter throughout the second half Tuesday.
With 27:01 left, Lauren Travis’ bid for a goal was denied on a sliding save by Leyden goalkeeper Evelyn Arzola. But when the rebound squirted loose, sophomore Allison Eberhard was there for the point-blank rebound score to up the lead to 4-0.
Then just less than six minutes later, a beautiful finish led to an officials’ discussion – and a wonderful result for the Mustangs.
Travis sprinted in on the back post to head in Paladino’s perfectly struck 16-yard left sideline free kick. The perfectly-timed play was initially denied by an offside call. But after a brief conference between the officiating crew, the goal was allowed and a highlight film play was complete.
The night’s scoring became complete with 9:47 left. Rose took a pass from Kelly, dribbled from the left wing towards open space in the middle and powered a 25-yard shot into the upper left corner to make the Downers Grove South lead 6-0.
Via a series of nice finishes, the Mustangs built on Lopez’s early first half goal to produce a second half avalanche of chances.
Beyond the four goals, among the many other near-misses were Arzola’s diving saves on Paladino (a 25-yard shot 11 minutes into the half), Rose (a 6-yard shot in front off a nice Talia Davis cross with 16:50 left) and Davis (with 1:50 to play).
Paige Reichert also sent shots just wide with 12:10 to go (off a Nicole Fajardo pass) and 50 seconds left (off a Brindac run upfield and pass).
“I thought they capitalized on a lot of our mistakes, and they played very well,” Leyden coach John Schiemann said of the Mustangs. “Especially on free kicks and corner kicks they were organized, and they had people who were aggressive and went up in the air and won the ball. And they finished their opportunities. They played well.”
Playing well has been Downers South’s mantra this season. The Mustangs tied 2017 state semifinalist and 21st-ranked Downers Grove North 1-1, and their only losses came by razor thin margins to Pleasant Valley, Iowa (on penalty kicks) and no. 15 Batavia (1-0 on a late goal last Thursday).
“Certainly progress from last year,” Hernandez said. “The biggest thing for us is understanding that all the details matter.
“We saw that against Batavia. They’re a fantastic team, and in the last 1:20 of the game we gave up a corner (kick) because we didn’t head a ball to half field. That little thing leads to a corner and a goal.
“A lot of that comes with experience,” Hernandez added, “and we’re at a stage where the freshmen and sophomores who played last year are now regular starters for us.
“We’re on the right track. It’s now about comparing us to what those top level programs look like. We saw Batavia, and we’ll have Geneva and Waubonsie Valley coming up.”
For the Mustangs, confidence levels are also coming up fast.
“I think what’s really working for us is our chemistry,” Lopez said. “It’s something that we haven’t seen in some time. I can’t explain how close we are, and it really shows through in practice connecting our passes and in our games.
“It’s that trust that we have in each other. We know everyone’s going to give 100 percent to each run and each pass. And we hold each other accountable, which is something really big for the team.”
Starting lineups
Leyden
GK Evelyn Arzola
D Liah Rodriguez
D Angelica Perez
D Julia Kornatowska
D Kathy Sotelo
M Diane Santos
M Catherine Saponieri
M Evelyn Abundes
M Liliana Herrera
F Areli Avila
F Karla Rubio
Downers Grove South
GK Rose Dumford
D Lauren Diddia
D Emily Brindac
D Jennifer Masello
D Brenda Gonzalez
M Jordan Rose
M Natalie Repole
M Kendall Brost
M Lauren Kelly
F Andrea Lopez
F Paige Reichert
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Jennifer Masello, sr. D, Downers South.
Scoring
First half
DGS – Andrea Lopez (Jennifer Masello), 5th minute
DGS – Masello (unassisted), 25th minute
Second half
DGS – Masello (Jillian Paladino), 46th minute
DGS – Allison Eberhard (Lauren Travis), 52nd minute
DGS – Travis (Paladino), 58th minute
DGS – Jordan Rose (Lauren Kelly), 70th minute