Olinski's career night powers
Lake Park past West Chicago
Junior records 1st varsity hat-trick in 3-0 nonconference win
By Bobby Narang
WEST CHICAGO — Lake Park’s Peyton Olinski found herself in unusual territory late in Monday’s game at West Chicago.
The midfielder was a scoring revelation after knocking in two goals in the first 50 minutes of the nonconference game.
She raced to a loose ball that squirted away from a group of players and dribbled the ball toward the offensive third. After nearly 60 yards without a single defender or teammate in front of her, the junior slowed down just enough to gather herself for a good shot. Slightly tapping the ball to her left, Olinski watched the ball go to the back of the net.
Olinski preferred to memorialize her first varsity triple with a subdued tone while she watched her teammates jump up and down. The all-Olinski offense led Lake Park to a 3-0 win over West Chicago.
The Lancers (2-12-1) were all smiles following the match, grouping together to revel in victory. Second-year varsity player Olinski shied away from talking about her goals, preferring to talk about the team. She raised her total to five goals this season.
“I was happy, because we don’t have a lot of wins, so this was good for the team,” Olinski said. “This win feels good. I think we can keep our positive mindset. That definitely helped us. The whole team contributed.”
Lake Park coach Sean Crosby said Olinski is blossoming into a player to watch in the Chicago area.
“Peyton Olinski is a great attacking talent for us,” he said. “She has speed, composure, ballhandling ability and is a nuisance in front of the goal. Our most dynamic attacking player, she can spread the ball to her teammates in the attack, or she can take players on 1-v-1 to get goal-scoring chances.
“She deserved a hat-trick tonight, and we were happy to see her hard work and determination pay off with three goals. On two of her goals, she helped press West Chicago’s defensive line to force a turnover. Her second goal of the night came from a great through-ball pass from Cora Riter, right through midfield that allowed her to go on a breakaway, and she slotted home the finish.”
Lake Park junior defender Peyton Sarubbi said the team was ready to let loose on the bus ride home.
“It felt good to not let goals in, especially since it doesn’t happen very often,” Sarubbi said. “I love to have someone score, like (Olinski). We showed a lot of determination.”
Lake Park junior defender Madie Mintrup echoed Sarubbi’s words.
“It was so awesome to get a win and a shutout,” she said. “We’ve been working so hard all year. I’m so happy we were able to get this win.
“(Olinski) is so good at handling the ball, just the way she weaves through everyone. It’s so cool to watch her play. She’s always trying to make connections.
“I’m super excited for the rest of the season, even though we only have a few games. This is a good way breaking the losing streak for us.”
West Chicago coach J. Cesar Gomez said it was a disappointing loss, especially for his three seniors.
The trio, Melissa Pani, Isabella Lopez and Sydney Ostapa, were all honored before the game in Senior Night festivities.
The Wildcats (1-10-3) nearly knocked in a goal with 40 seconds left, but Heidi Pereckas lost control of the ball and misfired from close range.
“It’s tough, because it looked like we didn’t step on the field with any warmup,” Gomez said. “We were too excited about posters. We wanted to celebrate the seniors with a victory, but we didn’t have an answer for (Olinski).
“She’s a very good player and did a great job. She just needs the ball going forward, and no way she was going to stop.
“But we were off today. Normally, when people score on us, we maintain the possession of the ball, but today we looked in a hurry. Hopefully, we can get better.
“We have to possess the ball and move it around. We have to put this behind us and readjust and take the field back in our next game.
“Melissa Pani has showed a lot of character in her four years. The three seniors have been great. We have a lot of young kids, and the seniors are working and leading these young kids.”
Lopez, a defender, said the Wildcats struggled to contain Olinski throughout the match, noting her speed allowed her to outrace defenders to several balls.
“She’s incredibly fast. It was difficult adjusting, because we played in a different formation, and we had to adjust to cover them,” Lopez said. “We tried our best. Overall, win or lose, you still have your teammates to rely on and coaches to rely on. The seniors have some good memories. We have to learn and adjust from this.”
The Wildcats were unable to take advantage after Lake Park starting goalie Vanessa Boafo left the game midway through the second half after a red card for tackling a West Chicago player outside the box.
Standing after the game with two Senior Night bouquets of flowers in her hands, Pani reflected on the evening.
“Everybody was happy to celebrate the three seniors,” Pani said. “Everybody was all about the surprise, and we got a little distracted with the game.
“We’re not going to dwell on this one. (Olinski) was quick on her feet. She knew how to get us at the right time. We’re struggling right now with a lack of players and goalie. She took on the whole team and did what she had to do.
“We were overthinking when it came to the last third of the field. Finishing is something we’re lacking.”
Crosby said he was thrilled to watch his players smile following the shutout victory that ended an eight-game losing streak. The Lancers defeated Elk Grove 2-1 on April 4 for their first win of the season.
“It was great to see the girls playing hard and enjoying a sport they love,” Crosby said. “It’s been a tough road with our schedule, injuries and performances that didn’t go our way this season.
“We’re a relatively young team, so a lot of our challenges this year have been valuable learning opportunities. We haven’t had a massive amount of goals this season, but it has been great to see our attack and possession play pick up in the last few matches.
“It was on full display tonight. It was great to see our team as a whole have more energy and positivity on the field.
“You have to respect a team like West Chicago which didn’t quit in any moment of the game. They tested us and had a lot of set pieces, corners, and shots on goal throughout the second half.
“We did everything we could to make it difficult for them to score, but it wasn’t easy. They’re a team that tries to keep the ball and maintain possession rather than kicking it away when under pressure. It was impressive to see their commitment to passing out of pressure in all areas of the field.
“Our defensive work from Gianna Kubica, Peyton Sarubbi, Brynn Ellenbecker, Madie Mintrup and Olivia Ramirez was a key in us keeping a shutout in the game. Along with our goalie, Vanessa Boafo, that group really put a focus on keeping goals out of our net.
“Francesca Cali and Teagan Locus were major catalysts for our attack. Both brought great pace of play in attacking 1-v-1, and pressing West Chicago’s backline.”
Starting lineups
Lake Park
GK Vanessa Boafo
D Madie Mintrup
D Brynn Ellenbecker
D Gianna Kubica
D Peyton Sarubbi
MF Isabella Witt
MF Francesca Cali
MF Peyton Olinski
MF Janice Hernandez-Bustos
MF Erin Vachlin
F Teagan Locus
West Chicago
GK Leila Garcia
D Isabella Lopez
D Lizbeth Orozco
D Nicole Murphy
MF Jenna Velasco
MF Natalie Fernandez
MF Melissa Pani
MF Leslie Garnica
F Jenna Zeitoun
F Arizbeth Zuniga
F Sydney Ostapa
Chicagoland MVP of the Match: Peyton Olinski, jr., MF, Lake Park.
Scoring summary
First half
LP: Peyton Olinski (unassisted), 23nd minute
Second half
LP: Peyton Olinski (Cora Riter) 48th minute
LP: Peyton Olinski (unassisted), 53rd minute
Lake Park past West Chicago
Junior records 1st varsity hat-trick in 3-0 nonconference win
By Bobby Narang
WEST CHICAGO — Lake Park’s Peyton Olinski found herself in unusual territory late in Monday’s game at West Chicago.
The midfielder was a scoring revelation after knocking in two goals in the first 50 minutes of the nonconference game.
She raced to a loose ball that squirted away from a group of players and dribbled the ball toward the offensive third. After nearly 60 yards without a single defender or teammate in front of her, the junior slowed down just enough to gather herself for a good shot. Slightly tapping the ball to her left, Olinski watched the ball go to the back of the net.
Olinski preferred to memorialize her first varsity triple with a subdued tone while she watched her teammates jump up and down. The all-Olinski offense led Lake Park to a 3-0 win over West Chicago.
The Lancers (2-12-1) were all smiles following the match, grouping together to revel in victory. Second-year varsity player Olinski shied away from talking about her goals, preferring to talk about the team. She raised her total to five goals this season.
“I was happy, because we don’t have a lot of wins, so this was good for the team,” Olinski said. “This win feels good. I think we can keep our positive mindset. That definitely helped us. The whole team contributed.”
Lake Park coach Sean Crosby said Olinski is blossoming into a player to watch in the Chicago area.
“Peyton Olinski is a great attacking talent for us,” he said. “She has speed, composure, ballhandling ability and is a nuisance in front of the goal. Our most dynamic attacking player, she can spread the ball to her teammates in the attack, or she can take players on 1-v-1 to get goal-scoring chances.
“She deserved a hat-trick tonight, and we were happy to see her hard work and determination pay off with three goals. On two of her goals, she helped press West Chicago’s defensive line to force a turnover. Her second goal of the night came from a great through-ball pass from Cora Riter, right through midfield that allowed her to go on a breakaway, and she slotted home the finish.”
Lake Park junior defender Peyton Sarubbi said the team was ready to let loose on the bus ride home.
“It felt good to not let goals in, especially since it doesn’t happen very often,” Sarubbi said. “I love to have someone score, like (Olinski). We showed a lot of determination.”
Lake Park junior defender Madie Mintrup echoed Sarubbi’s words.
“It was so awesome to get a win and a shutout,” she said. “We’ve been working so hard all year. I’m so happy we were able to get this win.
“(Olinski) is so good at handling the ball, just the way she weaves through everyone. It’s so cool to watch her play. She’s always trying to make connections.
“I’m super excited for the rest of the season, even though we only have a few games. This is a good way breaking the losing streak for us.”
West Chicago coach J. Cesar Gomez said it was a disappointing loss, especially for his three seniors.
The trio, Melissa Pani, Isabella Lopez and Sydney Ostapa, were all honored before the game in Senior Night festivities.
The Wildcats (1-10-3) nearly knocked in a goal with 40 seconds left, but Heidi Pereckas lost control of the ball and misfired from close range.
“It’s tough, because it looked like we didn’t step on the field with any warmup,” Gomez said. “We were too excited about posters. We wanted to celebrate the seniors with a victory, but we didn’t have an answer for (Olinski).
“She’s a very good player and did a great job. She just needs the ball going forward, and no way she was going to stop.
“But we were off today. Normally, when people score on us, we maintain the possession of the ball, but today we looked in a hurry. Hopefully, we can get better.
“We have to possess the ball and move it around. We have to put this behind us and readjust and take the field back in our next game.
“Melissa Pani has showed a lot of character in her four years. The three seniors have been great. We have a lot of young kids, and the seniors are working and leading these young kids.”
Lopez, a defender, said the Wildcats struggled to contain Olinski throughout the match, noting her speed allowed her to outrace defenders to several balls.
“She’s incredibly fast. It was difficult adjusting, because we played in a different formation, and we had to adjust to cover them,” Lopez said. “We tried our best. Overall, win or lose, you still have your teammates to rely on and coaches to rely on. The seniors have some good memories. We have to learn and adjust from this.”
The Wildcats were unable to take advantage after Lake Park starting goalie Vanessa Boafo left the game midway through the second half after a red card for tackling a West Chicago player outside the box.
Standing after the game with two Senior Night bouquets of flowers in her hands, Pani reflected on the evening.
“Everybody was happy to celebrate the three seniors,” Pani said. “Everybody was all about the surprise, and we got a little distracted with the game.
“We’re not going to dwell on this one. (Olinski) was quick on her feet. She knew how to get us at the right time. We’re struggling right now with a lack of players and goalie. She took on the whole team and did what she had to do.
“We were overthinking when it came to the last third of the field. Finishing is something we’re lacking.”
Crosby said he was thrilled to watch his players smile following the shutout victory that ended an eight-game losing streak. The Lancers defeated Elk Grove 2-1 on April 4 for their first win of the season.
“It was great to see the girls playing hard and enjoying a sport they love,” Crosby said. “It’s been a tough road with our schedule, injuries and performances that didn’t go our way this season.
“We’re a relatively young team, so a lot of our challenges this year have been valuable learning opportunities. We haven’t had a massive amount of goals this season, but it has been great to see our attack and possession play pick up in the last few matches.
“It was on full display tonight. It was great to see our team as a whole have more energy and positivity on the field.
“You have to respect a team like West Chicago which didn’t quit in any moment of the game. They tested us and had a lot of set pieces, corners, and shots on goal throughout the second half.
“We did everything we could to make it difficult for them to score, but it wasn’t easy. They’re a team that tries to keep the ball and maintain possession rather than kicking it away when under pressure. It was impressive to see their commitment to passing out of pressure in all areas of the field.
“Our defensive work from Gianna Kubica, Peyton Sarubbi, Brynn Ellenbecker, Madie Mintrup and Olivia Ramirez was a key in us keeping a shutout in the game. Along with our goalie, Vanessa Boafo, that group really put a focus on keeping goals out of our net.
“Francesca Cali and Teagan Locus were major catalysts for our attack. Both brought great pace of play in attacking 1-v-1, and pressing West Chicago’s backline.”
Starting lineups
Lake Park
GK Vanessa Boafo
D Madie Mintrup
D Brynn Ellenbecker
D Gianna Kubica
D Peyton Sarubbi
MF Isabella Witt
MF Francesca Cali
MF Peyton Olinski
MF Janice Hernandez-Bustos
MF Erin Vachlin
F Teagan Locus
West Chicago
GK Leila Garcia
D Isabella Lopez
D Lizbeth Orozco
D Nicole Murphy
MF Jenna Velasco
MF Natalie Fernandez
MF Melissa Pani
MF Leslie Garnica
F Jenna Zeitoun
F Arizbeth Zuniga
F Sydney Ostapa
Chicagoland MVP of the Match: Peyton Olinski, jr., MF, Lake Park.
Scoring summary
First half
LP: Peyton Olinski (unassisted), 23nd minute
Second half
LP: Peyton Olinski (Cora Riter) 48th minute
LP: Peyton Olinski (unassisted), 53rd minute