Drama queen Skonicki leads LWW to win
Two pressure-packed goals deliver 2-1 SW Red victory
By Kevin Newberry
BRADLEY — What's better than celebrating a golden goal in double overtime by mobbing a teammate and cheering at the top of your lungs?
Doing it twice, of course.
How it was done and why it happened in Lincoln-Way West's 2-1 win over host Bradley-Bourbonnais begs explanation.
With just over four minutes remaining in the second overtime with the score tied 1-1 against SouthWest Suburban Conference Red Division rival Bradley-Bourbonnais, Lincoln-Way West lined up for a free kick wide to the far right of the Boilermakers' goal. The positioning of the ball was far enough forward to make the situation effectively resemble a corner kick with the difference being the defense had the option to set up a wall in front of the kicker.
The rule is that the line of players must be separated from the kicker by at least 10 yards, but the Boilermakers lined up slightly closer and the official whistled the proceedings to a halt and moved the Boilermakers back a few steps.
The action is a slight bit of adjustment happens regularly in games and is hardly out of the ordinary.
After the official's say-so, the Warriors lobbed a beautiful serve toward the front of the Boilermakers' goal which was subsequently met with a header sent in freshman keeper Kaitlyn Randle's direction. Though she managed a nice save considering the close range, Lincoln-Way West's junior midfielder Angie Skonicki came streaking in from the left side and sent the ball sizzling into the back of the net before Randle had time to recover.
As the Warriors erupted in celebration of Skonicki's clutch strike, Bradley-Bourbonnais' coaching staff had an outburst of its own.
They contended that the goal should not count. When play resumed after the realligment of the Bradley-Bourbonnais defenders, it restarted without a whistle signal from the center referee, who instead voiced to the girls around him that play could resume.
According to Boilermakers' head coach Rohan Robinson, the unexpected restart came while his squad was flat-footed and still waiting for a audible signal from the ref.
"The thing about it is, whenever it stops like that it has to be restarted with a whistle. The center ref wasn't even aware of what was going on," Robinson said. "So our players backed up and my assistant coach was talking to them and telling them to be ready for the whistle just as they kicked it. We were not even back in position yet. We were still waiting on the whistle."
After a lively discussion, another of the officials conceded the he was caught off guard as well and the goal was waved off. This brought Warriors' head coach Jeff Theiss into the discussion. Another round of spirited debate ensued and, somewhat surprisingly, the team of refs were swayed yet again.
They reversed their reversal, signaling the end of the game and igniting a second round of cheers from the Warriors, who headed for a happy bus ride home to New Lenox with an upset victory over the previously once-defeated Boilermakers.
In spite of the late-game controversy, the win remained a satisfying one for Theiss and the Warriors, who have had an unfortunate runs of 'almosts' and 'what-ifs' this season due to a propensity for falling behind early. Though they have done a reliable job of getting back in games after digging themselves a hole, cresting that final hill has proven difficult.
Lincoln-Way West entered play Tuesday on a streak of three one-goal losses. After Bradley-Bourbonnais scored in the 39th minute, Lincoln-Way West faced the prospect of suffering that familiar fate for a fourth-consecutive time.
There was a clear sense of relief from Lincoln-Way West to have finally gotten the proverbial monkey off its back.
"We've just been on the doorstep lately. Really the bottom line is finishing, that's the toughest part right now," Theiss said. "We've been struggling to score goals, but we've been battling in every game.
"When we were playing Andrew (on April 19), I thought we were playing phenomenally and we found ourselves down 3-0 with 20 minutes left, but got two there and ended with a little momentum. We hit a couple of posts against Lemont (a 1-0 loss April 21) while they put the ball in the back of our net," he recounted. "So It's been a little bit of a grind for us. This right here — the confidence boost from this one for these girls — is massive for us.
"That's a quality Bradley-Bourbonnais team and the girls grinded, scrapped it out and found the net with two minutes left (in regulation). That demonstrates to me a ton of resiliency and to come out and finish it off with a set-piece in overtime is huge for us moving forward."
Skonicki scored both Warriors goals and for the clutch twin strikes, she earned Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors.
Her coach was proud of her effort.
"I thought it was a phenomenal first ball that Kylee Brandau won and then Ang, I mean, what a game for her today," Theiss said. "It's so overdue for her. She does everything right, and she works her butt off during the season and in the offseason as well.
"She's been more of a role player to start the season and now all of a sudden she's competing for a starting role, and she's been putting the ball into the back of the net," he continued. "That's what we've asked of these girls, just be confident in that attacking third. Everybody's got the chance to be the hero, and we couldn't be happier that Angela Skonicki is the one tonight. She's definitely earned it."
For her part, Skonicki was eager to share the glory.
"It was a great team effort, and my teammates were the ones who gave me the opportunities to score my goals," she said. "I was just there at the right time. I was right there, and all I did was shoot it as hard as possible."
Both goals came as a result of her ability to find the optimal positioning to deliver the coup de grace as soon as the enemy keeper was caught in a vulnerable position.
The defensive third of the Lincoln-Way West club also earned credit. It's no small feat for a defense to hold the high-powered offense of the Bradley-Bourbonnais to a single goal through 95 minutes of soccer. The backline was strong and the keeper was outstanding for the Warriors.
Bradley-Bourbonnais had no shortage of opportunities to expand on its 1-0 lead, including a trio of gorgeous through-balls that gave dangerous midfielder Zoie Langlois one-on-one shots at Lincoln-Way West goalie Grace Pearse with space.
The sophomore keeper came through each time in an overall performance that was rock-solid from nose to tail.
Straightforward duels with strikers certainly don't favor the keeper on most occasions, but Pearse was prepared and vigilant.
"You're looking for a misstep. Even if the ball is coming off the dribble an inch too far, you have to go out for it. Otherwise it's just chance and all you can do is hope you dive the right way," she said. "A lot of the time, people will send it out farther and try to wind up for one big kick. If you're looking, you can tell and you can get out there and beat them to it."
The big conference win improved Lincoln-Way West to 6-6-1 overall and 1-2-0 in the SouthWest Red Division. Bradley-Bourbonnais suffered its second conference loss in as many games and saw its overall record drop to 12-2-1.
Starting lineups
Lincoln-Way West (3-5-2)
GK - Grace Pearse
D - Sam Sarna
D - Meghan Schick
D - Amanda Yaeger
M - Alyssa Peterson
M - Savina Filip
M - Sara Loichinger
M - Anna Kirk
M - Jane Pinkerton
F - Sarah Wintercorn
F - Kylee Brandau
Bradley-Bourbonnais (4-3-3)
GK - Kaitlyn Randle
D - Kenya Partee
D - Allison Zimmer
D - Alexis Keener
D - Mikayla Brandon
M - Brenna Castillo
M - Isabella Fritz
M - Zoie Langlois
F - Jillian Basile
F - Veronica Davila
F - Autumn Hollowell
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Angela Skonicki, jr., MF, Lincoln-Way West
Scoring Summary
Lincoln-Way West 0-1-1 2
Bradley-Bourbonnais 1-0-0 1
First Half
BB — Hollowell (1:28)
Second Half
LWW — Skonicki (1:51)
2OT
LWW — Skonicki (4:37)
Two pressure-packed goals deliver 2-1 SW Red victory
By Kevin Newberry
BRADLEY — What's better than celebrating a golden goal in double overtime by mobbing a teammate and cheering at the top of your lungs?
Doing it twice, of course.
How it was done and why it happened in Lincoln-Way West's 2-1 win over host Bradley-Bourbonnais begs explanation.
With just over four minutes remaining in the second overtime with the score tied 1-1 against SouthWest Suburban Conference Red Division rival Bradley-Bourbonnais, Lincoln-Way West lined up for a free kick wide to the far right of the Boilermakers' goal. The positioning of the ball was far enough forward to make the situation effectively resemble a corner kick with the difference being the defense had the option to set up a wall in front of the kicker.
The rule is that the line of players must be separated from the kicker by at least 10 yards, but the Boilermakers lined up slightly closer and the official whistled the proceedings to a halt and moved the Boilermakers back a few steps.
The action is a slight bit of adjustment happens regularly in games and is hardly out of the ordinary.
After the official's say-so, the Warriors lobbed a beautiful serve toward the front of the Boilermakers' goal which was subsequently met with a header sent in freshman keeper Kaitlyn Randle's direction. Though she managed a nice save considering the close range, Lincoln-Way West's junior midfielder Angie Skonicki came streaking in from the left side and sent the ball sizzling into the back of the net before Randle had time to recover.
As the Warriors erupted in celebration of Skonicki's clutch strike, Bradley-Bourbonnais' coaching staff had an outburst of its own.
They contended that the goal should not count. When play resumed after the realligment of the Bradley-Bourbonnais defenders, it restarted without a whistle signal from the center referee, who instead voiced to the girls around him that play could resume.
According to Boilermakers' head coach Rohan Robinson, the unexpected restart came while his squad was flat-footed and still waiting for a audible signal from the ref.
"The thing about it is, whenever it stops like that it has to be restarted with a whistle. The center ref wasn't even aware of what was going on," Robinson said. "So our players backed up and my assistant coach was talking to them and telling them to be ready for the whistle just as they kicked it. We were not even back in position yet. We were still waiting on the whistle."
After a lively discussion, another of the officials conceded the he was caught off guard as well and the goal was waved off. This brought Warriors' head coach Jeff Theiss into the discussion. Another round of spirited debate ensued and, somewhat surprisingly, the team of refs were swayed yet again.
They reversed their reversal, signaling the end of the game and igniting a second round of cheers from the Warriors, who headed for a happy bus ride home to New Lenox with an upset victory over the previously once-defeated Boilermakers.
In spite of the late-game controversy, the win remained a satisfying one for Theiss and the Warriors, who have had an unfortunate runs of 'almosts' and 'what-ifs' this season due to a propensity for falling behind early. Though they have done a reliable job of getting back in games after digging themselves a hole, cresting that final hill has proven difficult.
Lincoln-Way West entered play Tuesday on a streak of three one-goal losses. After Bradley-Bourbonnais scored in the 39th minute, Lincoln-Way West faced the prospect of suffering that familiar fate for a fourth-consecutive time.
There was a clear sense of relief from Lincoln-Way West to have finally gotten the proverbial monkey off its back.
"We've just been on the doorstep lately. Really the bottom line is finishing, that's the toughest part right now," Theiss said. "We've been struggling to score goals, but we've been battling in every game.
"When we were playing Andrew (on April 19), I thought we were playing phenomenally and we found ourselves down 3-0 with 20 minutes left, but got two there and ended with a little momentum. We hit a couple of posts against Lemont (a 1-0 loss April 21) while they put the ball in the back of our net," he recounted. "So It's been a little bit of a grind for us. This right here — the confidence boost from this one for these girls — is massive for us.
"That's a quality Bradley-Bourbonnais team and the girls grinded, scrapped it out and found the net with two minutes left (in regulation). That demonstrates to me a ton of resiliency and to come out and finish it off with a set-piece in overtime is huge for us moving forward."
Skonicki scored both Warriors goals and for the clutch twin strikes, she earned Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors.
Her coach was proud of her effort.
"I thought it was a phenomenal first ball that Kylee Brandau won and then Ang, I mean, what a game for her today," Theiss said. "It's so overdue for her. She does everything right, and she works her butt off during the season and in the offseason as well.
"She's been more of a role player to start the season and now all of a sudden she's competing for a starting role, and she's been putting the ball into the back of the net," he continued. "That's what we've asked of these girls, just be confident in that attacking third. Everybody's got the chance to be the hero, and we couldn't be happier that Angela Skonicki is the one tonight. She's definitely earned it."
For her part, Skonicki was eager to share the glory.
"It was a great team effort, and my teammates were the ones who gave me the opportunities to score my goals," she said. "I was just there at the right time. I was right there, and all I did was shoot it as hard as possible."
Both goals came as a result of her ability to find the optimal positioning to deliver the coup de grace as soon as the enemy keeper was caught in a vulnerable position.
The defensive third of the Lincoln-Way West club also earned credit. It's no small feat for a defense to hold the high-powered offense of the Bradley-Bourbonnais to a single goal through 95 minutes of soccer. The backline was strong and the keeper was outstanding for the Warriors.
Bradley-Bourbonnais had no shortage of opportunities to expand on its 1-0 lead, including a trio of gorgeous through-balls that gave dangerous midfielder Zoie Langlois one-on-one shots at Lincoln-Way West goalie Grace Pearse with space.
The sophomore keeper came through each time in an overall performance that was rock-solid from nose to tail.
Straightforward duels with strikers certainly don't favor the keeper on most occasions, but Pearse was prepared and vigilant.
"You're looking for a misstep. Even if the ball is coming off the dribble an inch too far, you have to go out for it. Otherwise it's just chance and all you can do is hope you dive the right way," she said. "A lot of the time, people will send it out farther and try to wind up for one big kick. If you're looking, you can tell and you can get out there and beat them to it."
The big conference win improved Lincoln-Way West to 6-6-1 overall and 1-2-0 in the SouthWest Red Division. Bradley-Bourbonnais suffered its second conference loss in as many games and saw its overall record drop to 12-2-1.
Starting lineups
Lincoln-Way West (3-5-2)
GK - Grace Pearse
D - Sam Sarna
D - Meghan Schick
D - Amanda Yaeger
M - Alyssa Peterson
M - Savina Filip
M - Sara Loichinger
M - Anna Kirk
M - Jane Pinkerton
F - Sarah Wintercorn
F - Kylee Brandau
Bradley-Bourbonnais (4-3-3)
GK - Kaitlyn Randle
D - Kenya Partee
D - Allison Zimmer
D - Alexis Keener
D - Mikayla Brandon
M - Brenna Castillo
M - Isabella Fritz
M - Zoie Langlois
F - Jillian Basile
F - Veronica Davila
F - Autumn Hollowell
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Angela Skonicki, jr., MF, Lincoln-Way West
Scoring Summary
Lincoln-Way West 0-1-1 2
Bradley-Bourbonnais 1-0-0 1
First Half
BB — Hollowell (1:28)
Second Half
LWW — Skonicki (1:51)
2OT
LWW — Skonicki (4:37)