Libertyville has right touch
against top-ranked New Trier
70th-minute set piece goal completes no. 4 Wildcats’ comeback
By Patrick Z. McGavin
NORTHFIELD -- Senior Lanie Szatmary had to adjust quickly when she discovered that junior center back Sally Grace Rogers was unavailable to play against top-ranked New Trier.
Szatmary is typically a midfielder, and she had to drop back to play more of a defensive role against the explosive and dynamic Trevians’ attack.
Rogers is known on the team for her prowess on set pieces.
“Usually Sally is one of our players who is really important off corner kicks,” Szatmary said. “She has great timing, and she is really good at getting header goals.”
Szatmary took her place -- in every way imaginable.
Her goal off a corner kick in the 70th minute marked the finishing touch on the no. 4 Wildcats’ electrifying 2-1 victory over no. 1 New Trier in a marquee showdown of undefeated powers.
Libertyville (6-0-0) ended the nine-game unbeaten streak of New Trier (5-1-3) that dated back to the Class 3A third-place game in 2019.
For the third day this week, the game was unduly defined and shaped by the ferocious winds that gusted up to 30 mph. Libertyville had multiple standouts who contributed to the victory.
One of the most significant storylines was conceding New Trier a single goal in the first half when the Trevians had the advantage.
“We won the coin toss, and we chose to go against the wind at the start,” Libertyville coach Daniel De Paz said. “We are confident with what we have. We kind of set back and weathered that storm in the first half.
“Whether it was a tied game, up 1-0 or down 1-0, it didn’t really matter. We knew the second half would be a different game.”
Played in the abundant afternoon natural light, the game was itself a riveting platform for watching two of the state’s top teams battle over every possession.
Tellingly the wind shaped the game-winning sequence. Libertyville keeper Hannah Vieth created a corner opportunity with a booming wind-supported punt that glanced off a Trevian defender.
Sophomore midfielder Jenna Krakowski served the corner into the box. The initial ball hit the ground, permitting Szatmary the first opportunity to make the decisive play.
“We didn’t challenge the ball there, and that was our mistake,” New Trier coach Jim Burnside said. “We have to win that ball in the air. Whenever you allow a corner kick to hit the ground, it becomes a scrum.”
New Trier scored off a corner from the same location in the 28th minute. Star midfielder Morgan Fagan served a beautiful ball that freshman Annie Paden hammered home with a header.
A Boston University recruit, Fagan is playing her first year with the Trevians after the pandemic wiped out her planned debut a year ago. Her speed, quickness and electrifying ability on the ball opens up the Trevians’ offense.
New Trier created a series of impressive moments with its ability to switch sides. Fagan’s shot creation is deeply impressive and placed Libertyville repeatedly off balance early.
Vieth made a couple of spectacular stops, breaking up a volley by Mia Sedgwick and a looping ball from distance by Charlotte Dellin that she punched over the top of the crossbar.
To his credit, Burnside never turns down a chance to get an accurate appraisal of his team from competition.
The Trevians played their third game in three days against regarded foes: no. 8 Glenbrook North on Thursday night and previously ranked Chicago Public League power Lane on Friday.
Burnside has won six state championships and 534 career games. He said what has happened so far goes beyond one program.
“This is awesome for every team and every kid,” Burnside said. “We’re all out here to compete and to win, but the subtext of that is when I see a kid from Libertyville laughing before the game, or from New Trier or Lane Tech, the key there is they’re out here having a good time.
“I think that in itself is a win. We’re starting to get back to some normal rhythms and some competition on top of that. It’s a double-win. I’m so happy for these kids they have a chance to be out here and compete.
“Libertyville was very impressive, an elite team that was very athletic, and they really moved well.”
New Trier had the 1-0 margin at the break. Libertyville was dangerous even going into the wind. Krakowski played a shot from about 14 yards that just curved wide off frame.
Forward Lauren Rocco just missed connecting with Paige Gleason off a cross during another juncture.
“Coming out of the first half, we knew what we had to do in the second half,” Krakowski said. “We were preparing ourselves to go to goal and use the wind to our advantage, because they did that in the first half.
“One goal in a big game is not anything. It was still very close. We’ve thrived under the pressure, and we came back.”
Libertyville secured the equalizer early in the second half. Rocco slotted a ball toward the left wing that midfielder Abby Gordon blasted from about 22 yards.
The shot achieved a brisk acceleration with the help of that wind. Just like that, the New Trier lead had evaporated.
“That was a key to being able to score just six minutes into the half,” De Paz said. “Sometimes the things coaches say, it’s nice to have something pay off.
“That was a great shot.”
The momentum clearly swung, signified by a shot from distance from Krakowski moments later that hit off the crossbar.
The Libertyville shots just had wings.
“The wind played such a factor,” De Paz said. “We normally are a possession team, and we like to pass the ball to our feet. After the first half, our attitude was to take some long shots.
“It’s not something we generally do, taking shots from 40 or 45 yards out, but today it was worth it.”
Krakowski earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match distinction for her standout play. She had constant involvement in her team’s activities.
“This is my first year playing high school,” she said. “We have 12 new players that have never played in the program before.
“I think the team chemistry and the fact that everybody is so nice, loving and welcoming is why we have played so well. It makes it way easier to play when you respect all the girls you’re on the field with.”
Libertyville secured its second victory over a top-10 team after beating No. 7 Barrington 1-0 last month. The Wildcats face No. 3 Warren on Thursday in an early test of the North Suburban Conference.
“We were comparing ourselves to New Trier, and we wanted to show them and everybody in our conference and the state what Libertyville soccer is,” Krakowski said.
Starting lineups
Libertyville
GK: Hannah Vieth
D: Annie Whisenand
D: Lauren Milz
D: Riley Brennan
D/MF: Lanie Szatmary
MF: Faith Roberts
MF: Abby Gordon
MF: Jenna Krakowski
F: Lauren Rocco
F: Paige Gleason
F: Avery Gleason
New Trier
GK: Wynne Hague
D: Jenna Birdsell
D: Anna Marshall
D: Naya Rhee
D: Kate Dobsch
MF: Annie Paden
MF: Charlotte Dellin
MF: Mia Sedgwick
MF: Morgan Fagan
F: Alex Wirth
F: Kendall Sierens
MVP of the Match: Jenna Krakowski
So., MF, Libertyville -- W 2-1 vs. New Trier, conference, May 1
Scoring summary
First half
New Trier—Annie Paden (Morgan Fagan), 28th minute
Second half
Libertyville—Abby Gordon (Lauren Rocco), 46th minute
Libertyville—Lanie Szatmary (Jenna Krakowski), 70th minute
against top-ranked New Trier
70th-minute set piece goal completes no. 4 Wildcats’ comeback
By Patrick Z. McGavin
NORTHFIELD -- Senior Lanie Szatmary had to adjust quickly when she discovered that junior center back Sally Grace Rogers was unavailable to play against top-ranked New Trier.
Szatmary is typically a midfielder, and she had to drop back to play more of a defensive role against the explosive and dynamic Trevians’ attack.
Rogers is known on the team for her prowess on set pieces.
“Usually Sally is one of our players who is really important off corner kicks,” Szatmary said. “She has great timing, and she is really good at getting header goals.”
Szatmary took her place -- in every way imaginable.
Her goal off a corner kick in the 70th minute marked the finishing touch on the no. 4 Wildcats’ electrifying 2-1 victory over no. 1 New Trier in a marquee showdown of undefeated powers.
Libertyville (6-0-0) ended the nine-game unbeaten streak of New Trier (5-1-3) that dated back to the Class 3A third-place game in 2019.
For the third day this week, the game was unduly defined and shaped by the ferocious winds that gusted up to 30 mph. Libertyville had multiple standouts who contributed to the victory.
One of the most significant storylines was conceding New Trier a single goal in the first half when the Trevians had the advantage.
“We won the coin toss, and we chose to go against the wind at the start,” Libertyville coach Daniel De Paz said. “We are confident with what we have. We kind of set back and weathered that storm in the first half.
“Whether it was a tied game, up 1-0 or down 1-0, it didn’t really matter. We knew the second half would be a different game.”
Played in the abundant afternoon natural light, the game was itself a riveting platform for watching two of the state’s top teams battle over every possession.
Tellingly the wind shaped the game-winning sequence. Libertyville keeper Hannah Vieth created a corner opportunity with a booming wind-supported punt that glanced off a Trevian defender.
Sophomore midfielder Jenna Krakowski served the corner into the box. The initial ball hit the ground, permitting Szatmary the first opportunity to make the decisive play.
“We didn’t challenge the ball there, and that was our mistake,” New Trier coach Jim Burnside said. “We have to win that ball in the air. Whenever you allow a corner kick to hit the ground, it becomes a scrum.”
New Trier scored off a corner from the same location in the 28th minute. Star midfielder Morgan Fagan served a beautiful ball that freshman Annie Paden hammered home with a header.
A Boston University recruit, Fagan is playing her first year with the Trevians after the pandemic wiped out her planned debut a year ago. Her speed, quickness and electrifying ability on the ball opens up the Trevians’ offense.
New Trier created a series of impressive moments with its ability to switch sides. Fagan’s shot creation is deeply impressive and placed Libertyville repeatedly off balance early.
Vieth made a couple of spectacular stops, breaking up a volley by Mia Sedgwick and a looping ball from distance by Charlotte Dellin that she punched over the top of the crossbar.
To his credit, Burnside never turns down a chance to get an accurate appraisal of his team from competition.
The Trevians played their third game in three days against regarded foes: no. 8 Glenbrook North on Thursday night and previously ranked Chicago Public League power Lane on Friday.
Burnside has won six state championships and 534 career games. He said what has happened so far goes beyond one program.
“This is awesome for every team and every kid,” Burnside said. “We’re all out here to compete and to win, but the subtext of that is when I see a kid from Libertyville laughing before the game, or from New Trier or Lane Tech, the key there is they’re out here having a good time.
“I think that in itself is a win. We’re starting to get back to some normal rhythms and some competition on top of that. It’s a double-win. I’m so happy for these kids they have a chance to be out here and compete.
“Libertyville was very impressive, an elite team that was very athletic, and they really moved well.”
New Trier had the 1-0 margin at the break. Libertyville was dangerous even going into the wind. Krakowski played a shot from about 14 yards that just curved wide off frame.
Forward Lauren Rocco just missed connecting with Paige Gleason off a cross during another juncture.
“Coming out of the first half, we knew what we had to do in the second half,” Krakowski said. “We were preparing ourselves to go to goal and use the wind to our advantage, because they did that in the first half.
“One goal in a big game is not anything. It was still very close. We’ve thrived under the pressure, and we came back.”
Libertyville secured the equalizer early in the second half. Rocco slotted a ball toward the left wing that midfielder Abby Gordon blasted from about 22 yards.
The shot achieved a brisk acceleration with the help of that wind. Just like that, the New Trier lead had evaporated.
“That was a key to being able to score just six minutes into the half,” De Paz said. “Sometimes the things coaches say, it’s nice to have something pay off.
“That was a great shot.”
The momentum clearly swung, signified by a shot from distance from Krakowski moments later that hit off the crossbar.
The Libertyville shots just had wings.
“The wind played such a factor,” De Paz said. “We normally are a possession team, and we like to pass the ball to our feet. After the first half, our attitude was to take some long shots.
“It’s not something we generally do, taking shots from 40 or 45 yards out, but today it was worth it.”
Krakowski earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match distinction for her standout play. She had constant involvement in her team’s activities.
“This is my first year playing high school,” she said. “We have 12 new players that have never played in the program before.
“I think the team chemistry and the fact that everybody is so nice, loving and welcoming is why we have played so well. It makes it way easier to play when you respect all the girls you’re on the field with.”
Libertyville secured its second victory over a top-10 team after beating No. 7 Barrington 1-0 last month. The Wildcats face No. 3 Warren on Thursday in an early test of the North Suburban Conference.
“We were comparing ourselves to New Trier, and we wanted to show them and everybody in our conference and the state what Libertyville soccer is,” Krakowski said.
Starting lineups
Libertyville
GK: Hannah Vieth
D: Annie Whisenand
D: Lauren Milz
D: Riley Brennan
D/MF: Lanie Szatmary
MF: Faith Roberts
MF: Abby Gordon
MF: Jenna Krakowski
F: Lauren Rocco
F: Paige Gleason
F: Avery Gleason
New Trier
GK: Wynne Hague
D: Jenna Birdsell
D: Anna Marshall
D: Naya Rhee
D: Kate Dobsch
MF: Annie Paden
MF: Charlotte Dellin
MF: Mia Sedgwick
MF: Morgan Fagan
F: Alex Wirth
F: Kendall Sierens
MVP of the Match: Jenna Krakowski
So., MF, Libertyville -- W 2-1 vs. New Trier, conference, May 1
Scoring summary
First half
New Trier—Annie Paden (Morgan Fagan), 28th minute
Second half
Libertyville—Abby Gordon (Lauren Rocco), 46th minute
Libertyville—Lanie Szatmary (Jenna Krakowski), 70th minute