Plainfield S. PKs decide 0-0 duel with LWW
Riojas PK puts Cougars in Navy bracket semis of Pepsi tourney
By Dave Owen
PLAINFIELD – With great goalkeeping at both ends of the field the story of the first 80 minutes, it was only natural that this second round PepsiCo Showdown battle between no. 10-seed Lincoln-Way West and second-seeced Plainfield South went to penalty kicks.
Despite another great diving save in the extra session by the Warriors’ Grace Pearse, it was two wide tries by Lincoln-Way West shooters and a calm final finish by Plainfield South sophomore Nina Riojas that made the difference in the Cougars’ win (4-3 in PKs).
Tied at 3-3 entering the final round, a Warriors’ miss left the door open for Riojas. Her pinpoint drive into the upper left corner continued a sizzling start to 2018 for the Cougars (10-1-1).
“She’s a sophomore in her first year up with us,” Plainfield South coach Alfonso Lopez said. “She’s a nice player. Quick, good head on her shoulders, poised. We know we can count on her. She loves taking PKs, so that’s a plus.”
Said Riojas: “I knew I had to hit it right because she (Pearse) was pretty good at getting to it. So I tried to go wide. She was mostly going to the right side, so I decided to shoot left.
“I was really scared at first,” Riojas added about the PK spotlight, “but it felt good to help the team get the win.”
Also keying the Cougars’ PK session win were earlier conversions from Ciara Coneset, Alyssa Grigg and Phoebe Hillery. Scorers for Lincoln-Way West (4-3-1) were Sara Loichinger, Jane Pinkerton and Savina Filip.
Before that, defense and goalkeeping ruled the day. The comeback from early-season adversity of Lincoln-Way West's Pearse was a key element.
Tuesday was her first start of 2018, and Pearse came up huge seven minutes in with a diving save at the left post. The second half was even better with a high grab of an Emily Devivo 18-yard shot with 32:50 left, a block and control of a Gianna Dodaro high 8-yard blast with 20:10 to go, and the game’s best save with just 11 minutes to play.
With Dodaro in alone on left wing, Pearse came out to smother the 15-yard shot by the Cougars’ star striker and maintain the 0-0 tie.
A few months ago, a health scare made such heroics seem like a far-off dream.
“I was supposed to start the season as varsity goalie, but we thought something was wrong with my heart for awhile,” Pearse said. “But everything was fine -- we went to see cardiologists, and everything was OK.
“I started playing second halves of games, and this is my first full game back.
“It’s such a good feeling being back, because everyone is so supportive on this team.”
Huge support from Pearse’s defense came with 30 minutes left. Off a Plainfield South corner kick, Coneset’s 6-yard shot appeared destined for a spot inside the left post. But Warriors defender Meghan Schick blocked the shot at the goal line to preserve the tie.
While that and other threats among Plainfield South’s steady game-long flow of chances all game went unfulfilled (including an Alyssa Grigg 25-yard shot that skimmed off the crossbar in the second half), Cougars senior goalkeeper Trenholm also came up big late to repel a Warriors’ final barrage.
With 9:10 to play, Sara Loichinger burst in off an Angela Skonicki pass only to have her 15-yard shot denied on a nice low save by Trenholm.
Two minutes later came Trenholm’s biggest play. Off a steal by LWW’s Kylee Brandau, Amanda Yaeger hit Sarah Wintercorn driving on goal. But Trenholm slid out to deny the Wintercorn shot and clear the ball away from danger.
“You just have to not hesitate (on saves),” Trenholm said. “Just go with it and follow your gut.
“I think we’ve always been a strong team, and this year we’ve been a stronger team on and off the field. That’s really helped us win. And we just keep a positive mentality through everything.”
That positive attitude was needed against a Lincoln-Way West defense that continues to frustrate opposing offenses.
“Our backline is really coming together,” Warriors coach Jeff Theiss said. “That’s four shutouts in a row.
“I was really impressed with their no. 18 (Dodaro). They had two dynamic forwards. How we dealt with that was with the communication in the back. We talk about being confident and vocal, and that’s going to be contagious throughout. I think that started with Grace in goal, and our backline did a great job.”
The four defenders in front of Pearse each played their roles.
“With Schick and Brandau on the outsides,” Theiss said, “we’re really pressing them to be dynamic and get involved in the attack, and Kylee is doing a great job with her composure on the ball and trying to go forward and connect passes.
“And (Sam) Sarna and (Katie) Honan are the rocks back there (at center backs). They do such a good job of communicating and organizing, not only the backline but the mids as well. And keeping the field short.
“I’m very impressed with our entire backline right now,” Theiss added. “And I feel we have three grunts in the middle of the field with Savina (Filip), Loich (Sara Loichinger) and Yaegs. We just bumped Amanda Yaeger forward from center back, and she’s everywhere. She tackles hard, she gets up and down the field.
“And Sarah Wintercorn up-top, this is her second game back, and I thought she did a great job holding the ball and allowing us to get some numbers forward.”
Filip is one of the Warriors’ catalysts at midfield. She had her own praise for the defensive effort.
“I think our defense is really strong,’ Filip said. “It’s just a matter of who wanted it more. We wanted to keep them out, but we struggled to get up there and score.
“But it’s all about that we made it to PKs. We didn’t let them score. We were keeping them on their toes.”
Along with Riojas and Trenholm, Plainfield South had its own exceptional performers.
“Ciara (Coneset) always does a nice job,” Lopez said. “She’s all over the place for us. We have her push up and fall back. She’s a workhorse for us and does a really nice job.
“Dodaro when she gets the ball on her feet is dangerous, so usually defenses know about her and do all they can to slow her down. But she’s a nice player.”
Lopez also had praise his opponent, who provided a daunting test.
“Their goalie (Pearse) was a heck of a goalie too,” he said. “She can play -- she made a couple of huge saves. She’s a nice player, and they’re a nice team, very well coached.
“I think we played OK today,” Lopez added. “We weren’t as aggressive as we usually are. Nicole had a huge save for us coming down last five minutes or so. But defensively we could have done a little better. A few of them (our players) were off today, but they did enough. We went to PKs and were able to pull through.”
Lincoln-Way West’s push late in regulation culminated with 2:20 left. Pinkerton’s shot off an Anna Kirk corner kick was deflected wide. Then on the ensuing second corner kick, Plainfield South's Trenholm leaped into the crowd in front of her to grab the high ball and set up the PK dramatics.
“One of the things we’ve stressed is that fitness has to improve,” Theiss said. “So to see us press those last five or 10 minutes shows the legs are getting there.”
Said Pearse: “We started off the game really jittery, but as the game went on we calmed down. I think that’s going to carry with us in our next practices and games. We need to slow down, we don’t always need to be rushing.”
For the first 70 minutes, the Cougars defensive unit nicely limited any high-quality chances.
“I feel we just had to press to the ball as quick as we could,” Riojas said. “We couldn’t leave them a lot of space because then they were able to get up. We were doing good at stepping in quick.”
In the PK session, Riojas and her teammates emerged with the slightest edge in the tense battle.
“PKs are really stressful,” Trenholm said. “You just have to block out everything, keep a clear mind, and just focus on it.”
Pearse had the lone save of the PK session, and dove to get a hand on another shot that snuck just inside the left post.
“Every practice we work on PKs, so I was telling myself ‘Just like in practice,’” Pearse said. “You have to stay calm and not freak out.”
“It doesn’t always work but you can look at their hips,” Pearse added about PK shooters. “Sometimes they lean one way or the other, and you can take a guess. It’s not always accurate, but it definitely helps.”
Even in defeat, Lincoln-Way West sees a historical precedent in Tuesday’s PK experience helping them down the road.
“There were spurts where we did some of our best things we’ve seen,” Theiss said. “Really nothing but positives out of today.
“It’s obviously a tough way to go down, but at the same time I’d rather get this experience for the girls now. We had the same situation last year. We lost in PKs in the PepsiCo, then we wound up winning a PK shootout in the sectional. So to gain this experience is huge for us.
“I’m excited about this group,” Theiss added. “That’s a very talented Plainfield South team. They generated chances, we generated chances. It’s one of those games that could have gone either way, but it’s a game that will definitely make us a better team.”
Filip echoed that optimism.
“I think as a team we’re still OK, and it’s something to move on from,” she said. “Last year in the sectional game we had to go to PKs, and I think getting ready for that is going to be good for us. It’s just something to learn from and get better.”
The victorious Cougars (also 4-0-0 in Suburban Prairie Conference play) stay red hot with the win, and have sights set on bigger challenges ahead.
“We have the powerhouses in the conference coming up, and we’re trying to use these games to get ready for those guys,” Lopez said. “When you have Plainfield North, Minooka and Oswego waiting, you have to get ready for them.”
As for the rest of the PepsiCo Showdown, Tuesday’s dramatic win adds plenty of fizz to the Cougars’ confidence.
“I feel good,” Trenholm said. “I think we’ll try our best to do everything we can to make it further (in the tournament), and hopefully we can. I have confidence in the team to go far.”
Said Riojas: “We’re going to hopefully keep going in the PepsiCo, and try to win it.”
Starting lineups
Lincoln-Way West
GK Grace Pearse
D Meghan Schick
D Sam Sarna
D Katie Honan
D Kylee Brandau
M Jane Pinkerton
M Anna Kirk
M Savina Filip
M Sara Loichinger
F Amanda Yaeger
F Sarah Wintercorn
Plainfield South
GK Nicole Trenholm
D Emily Sauder
D Adanelly Escamilla
D Cameron Graham
D Amaya Silvar
M Ciara Coneset
M Isabel Cerda
M Emily Devivo
M Nina Riojas
F Gianna Dodaro
F Alyssa Grigg
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Nicole Trenholm, sr. GK, Plainfield South
Grace Pearse, so. GK, Lincoln-Way West
Riojas PK puts Cougars in Navy bracket semis of Pepsi tourney
By Dave Owen
PLAINFIELD – With great goalkeeping at both ends of the field the story of the first 80 minutes, it was only natural that this second round PepsiCo Showdown battle between no. 10-seed Lincoln-Way West and second-seeced Plainfield South went to penalty kicks.
Despite another great diving save in the extra session by the Warriors’ Grace Pearse, it was two wide tries by Lincoln-Way West shooters and a calm final finish by Plainfield South sophomore Nina Riojas that made the difference in the Cougars’ win (4-3 in PKs).
Tied at 3-3 entering the final round, a Warriors’ miss left the door open for Riojas. Her pinpoint drive into the upper left corner continued a sizzling start to 2018 for the Cougars (10-1-1).
“She’s a sophomore in her first year up with us,” Plainfield South coach Alfonso Lopez said. “She’s a nice player. Quick, good head on her shoulders, poised. We know we can count on her. She loves taking PKs, so that’s a plus.”
Said Riojas: “I knew I had to hit it right because she (Pearse) was pretty good at getting to it. So I tried to go wide. She was mostly going to the right side, so I decided to shoot left.
“I was really scared at first,” Riojas added about the PK spotlight, “but it felt good to help the team get the win.”
Also keying the Cougars’ PK session win were earlier conversions from Ciara Coneset, Alyssa Grigg and Phoebe Hillery. Scorers for Lincoln-Way West (4-3-1) were Sara Loichinger, Jane Pinkerton and Savina Filip.
Before that, defense and goalkeeping ruled the day. The comeback from early-season adversity of Lincoln-Way West's Pearse was a key element.
Tuesday was her first start of 2018, and Pearse came up huge seven minutes in with a diving save at the left post. The second half was even better with a high grab of an Emily Devivo 18-yard shot with 32:50 left, a block and control of a Gianna Dodaro high 8-yard blast with 20:10 to go, and the game’s best save with just 11 minutes to play.
With Dodaro in alone on left wing, Pearse came out to smother the 15-yard shot by the Cougars’ star striker and maintain the 0-0 tie.
A few months ago, a health scare made such heroics seem like a far-off dream.
“I was supposed to start the season as varsity goalie, but we thought something was wrong with my heart for awhile,” Pearse said. “But everything was fine -- we went to see cardiologists, and everything was OK.
“I started playing second halves of games, and this is my first full game back.
“It’s such a good feeling being back, because everyone is so supportive on this team.”
Huge support from Pearse’s defense came with 30 minutes left. Off a Plainfield South corner kick, Coneset’s 6-yard shot appeared destined for a spot inside the left post. But Warriors defender Meghan Schick blocked the shot at the goal line to preserve the tie.
While that and other threats among Plainfield South’s steady game-long flow of chances all game went unfulfilled (including an Alyssa Grigg 25-yard shot that skimmed off the crossbar in the second half), Cougars senior goalkeeper Trenholm also came up big late to repel a Warriors’ final barrage.
With 9:10 to play, Sara Loichinger burst in off an Angela Skonicki pass only to have her 15-yard shot denied on a nice low save by Trenholm.
Two minutes later came Trenholm’s biggest play. Off a steal by LWW’s Kylee Brandau, Amanda Yaeger hit Sarah Wintercorn driving on goal. But Trenholm slid out to deny the Wintercorn shot and clear the ball away from danger.
“You just have to not hesitate (on saves),” Trenholm said. “Just go with it and follow your gut.
“I think we’ve always been a strong team, and this year we’ve been a stronger team on and off the field. That’s really helped us win. And we just keep a positive mentality through everything.”
That positive attitude was needed against a Lincoln-Way West defense that continues to frustrate opposing offenses.
“Our backline is really coming together,” Warriors coach Jeff Theiss said. “That’s four shutouts in a row.
“I was really impressed with their no. 18 (Dodaro). They had two dynamic forwards. How we dealt with that was with the communication in the back. We talk about being confident and vocal, and that’s going to be contagious throughout. I think that started with Grace in goal, and our backline did a great job.”
The four defenders in front of Pearse each played their roles.
“With Schick and Brandau on the outsides,” Theiss said, “we’re really pressing them to be dynamic and get involved in the attack, and Kylee is doing a great job with her composure on the ball and trying to go forward and connect passes.
“And (Sam) Sarna and (Katie) Honan are the rocks back there (at center backs). They do such a good job of communicating and organizing, not only the backline but the mids as well. And keeping the field short.
“I’m very impressed with our entire backline right now,” Theiss added. “And I feel we have three grunts in the middle of the field with Savina (Filip), Loich (Sara Loichinger) and Yaegs. We just bumped Amanda Yaeger forward from center back, and she’s everywhere. She tackles hard, she gets up and down the field.
“And Sarah Wintercorn up-top, this is her second game back, and I thought she did a great job holding the ball and allowing us to get some numbers forward.”
Filip is one of the Warriors’ catalysts at midfield. She had her own praise for the defensive effort.
“I think our defense is really strong,’ Filip said. “It’s just a matter of who wanted it more. We wanted to keep them out, but we struggled to get up there and score.
“But it’s all about that we made it to PKs. We didn’t let them score. We were keeping them on their toes.”
Along with Riojas and Trenholm, Plainfield South had its own exceptional performers.
“Ciara (Coneset) always does a nice job,” Lopez said. “She’s all over the place for us. We have her push up and fall back. She’s a workhorse for us and does a really nice job.
“Dodaro when she gets the ball on her feet is dangerous, so usually defenses know about her and do all they can to slow her down. But she’s a nice player.”
Lopez also had praise his opponent, who provided a daunting test.
“Their goalie (Pearse) was a heck of a goalie too,” he said. “She can play -- she made a couple of huge saves. She’s a nice player, and they’re a nice team, very well coached.
“I think we played OK today,” Lopez added. “We weren’t as aggressive as we usually are. Nicole had a huge save for us coming down last five minutes or so. But defensively we could have done a little better. A few of them (our players) were off today, but they did enough. We went to PKs and were able to pull through.”
Lincoln-Way West’s push late in regulation culminated with 2:20 left. Pinkerton’s shot off an Anna Kirk corner kick was deflected wide. Then on the ensuing second corner kick, Plainfield South's Trenholm leaped into the crowd in front of her to grab the high ball and set up the PK dramatics.
“One of the things we’ve stressed is that fitness has to improve,” Theiss said. “So to see us press those last five or 10 minutes shows the legs are getting there.”
Said Pearse: “We started off the game really jittery, but as the game went on we calmed down. I think that’s going to carry with us in our next practices and games. We need to slow down, we don’t always need to be rushing.”
For the first 70 minutes, the Cougars defensive unit nicely limited any high-quality chances.
“I feel we just had to press to the ball as quick as we could,” Riojas said. “We couldn’t leave them a lot of space because then they were able to get up. We were doing good at stepping in quick.”
In the PK session, Riojas and her teammates emerged with the slightest edge in the tense battle.
“PKs are really stressful,” Trenholm said. “You just have to block out everything, keep a clear mind, and just focus on it.”
Pearse had the lone save of the PK session, and dove to get a hand on another shot that snuck just inside the left post.
“Every practice we work on PKs, so I was telling myself ‘Just like in practice,’” Pearse said. “You have to stay calm and not freak out.”
“It doesn’t always work but you can look at their hips,” Pearse added about PK shooters. “Sometimes they lean one way or the other, and you can take a guess. It’s not always accurate, but it definitely helps.”
Even in defeat, Lincoln-Way West sees a historical precedent in Tuesday’s PK experience helping them down the road.
“There were spurts where we did some of our best things we’ve seen,” Theiss said. “Really nothing but positives out of today.
“It’s obviously a tough way to go down, but at the same time I’d rather get this experience for the girls now. We had the same situation last year. We lost in PKs in the PepsiCo, then we wound up winning a PK shootout in the sectional. So to gain this experience is huge for us.
“I’m excited about this group,” Theiss added. “That’s a very talented Plainfield South team. They generated chances, we generated chances. It’s one of those games that could have gone either way, but it’s a game that will definitely make us a better team.”
Filip echoed that optimism.
“I think as a team we’re still OK, and it’s something to move on from,” she said. “Last year in the sectional game we had to go to PKs, and I think getting ready for that is going to be good for us. It’s just something to learn from and get better.”
The victorious Cougars (also 4-0-0 in Suburban Prairie Conference play) stay red hot with the win, and have sights set on bigger challenges ahead.
“We have the powerhouses in the conference coming up, and we’re trying to use these games to get ready for those guys,” Lopez said. “When you have Plainfield North, Minooka and Oswego waiting, you have to get ready for them.”
As for the rest of the PepsiCo Showdown, Tuesday’s dramatic win adds plenty of fizz to the Cougars’ confidence.
“I feel good,” Trenholm said. “I think we’ll try our best to do everything we can to make it further (in the tournament), and hopefully we can. I have confidence in the team to go far.”
Said Riojas: “We’re going to hopefully keep going in the PepsiCo, and try to win it.”
Starting lineups
Lincoln-Way West
GK Grace Pearse
D Meghan Schick
D Sam Sarna
D Katie Honan
D Kylee Brandau
M Jane Pinkerton
M Anna Kirk
M Savina Filip
M Sara Loichinger
F Amanda Yaeger
F Sarah Wintercorn
Plainfield South
GK Nicole Trenholm
D Emily Sauder
D Adanelly Escamilla
D Cameron Graham
D Amaya Silvar
M Ciara Coneset
M Isabel Cerda
M Emily Devivo
M Nina Riojas
F Gianna Dodaro
F Alyssa Grigg
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Nicole Trenholm, sr. GK, Plainfield South
Grace Pearse, so. GK, Lincoln-Way West