Metea Valley forwards King, Burk overwhelm Maine South
Duo has role in every goal in Mustangs' 4-2 win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
LA GRANGE -- Metea Valley sophomore Lucy Burk has a ready-made answer when asked about her connection with Tyra King.
“Best friends,” Burk said of the high-scoring Mustangs’ forward.
“We’ve got everything, and I always have a sense of where she is.”
As the attacking pieces at Metea Valley, the two have dovetailing and overlapping playing styles that beautifully mesh.
Burk was both orchestrator and dazzling shot-creator, and King was the dynamic finisher.
King scored a hat-trick, and Burk added two assists and scored the game-winner in the no. 11 Mustangs’ 4-2 victory over Maine South in a BodyArmor Series bracket championship Sunday at the Lyons Soccer Complex.
Fittingly, the pair shared the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match distinction for their fantastic play.
King pushed her a spring total to 12 on the season.
She had a beautiful week of soccer, scoring both goals against district rival Neuqua Valley in a 2-1 DuPage Valley Conference win Monday and achieving the perfect bookend Sunday with her second-career hat-trick.
“The feeling of getting a goal makes you feel good, and you just want to have that feeling again,” King said.
“Your main goal is just getting another one at that point.”
Metea Valley (12-2-1) remained undefeated against Illinois schools.
The Mustangs prevailed despite the limited availability of standout midfielder Jordan Lange, who took a hit in the first half.
Lange is such a deft creator and dynamic talent, she still found a way to push through and initiate King’s opener, the only score of the first half.
In the 34th minute, Lange got the ball on the right wing and pushed a beautiful through-ball down the line that Burk gathered in stride.
“I realized I had to stay up,” Burk said. “We were playing perfect through-balls, but I was so far back that I could not get up to them.
“I stayed up, and Jordan me a perfect through-ball. I took it a touch and slotted it to Tyra.”
King made the sharp run and hard finish for the one-touch from about nine yards inside the near post.
“I saw how much that gave our own team a boost,” King said.
Metea Valley rode that momentum to the beginning of the second half with another sensational collaboration of the two forwards.
In the 42nd minute, the dynamic and elusive Burk again worked the right edge and crossed a beautiful ball that King finished with the header.
The thrilling sequence illustrated not only technical mastery but underscored the palpable connection of the two.
“It’s always great to get those goals, because it just gets everybody hyped up and excited,” Burk said.
Metea Valley showed great balance and activity through the first 60 minutes. The final piece of the Mustangs triple forward threat, Jocelyn Grabow, provided another strong outlet.
Senior midfielder Leanne Barrett was a strong target in the middle, as was another precocious freshman talent Olivia Hernandez.
Everything was going great. Until suddenly, it wasn’t.
For all the brilliance and high-level play of King and Burk, the team found itself in a precarious situation by a stunning four-minute second half sequence that saw an apparently safe lead melt away.
Maine South (11-5-1) started to gain some traction in the Mustangs’ final third.
The Hawks feature a signature weapon of their own in all-state forward Molly Pistorius.
Her size and speed are next-level, and the Mustangs discovered in the wrong manner that she is exceptionally dangerous in space.
Pistorius changed the tenor of the game with one play.
Streaking down the left edge toward, Pistorius got into a foot race with Mustangs’ keeper Julia Straub.
Straub ran hard off her line to intercept the ball. Pistorius got there first. Her first shot deflected off Straub.
Pistorius made the first recovery to the ball for the goal in the 63rd minute.
“Even when it was 2-0, we always felt hopeful, and that we could push forward,” Pistorius said.
Maine South was energized and ready for more. The Hawks have come of age, according to Pistorius, a Northern Michigan recruit.
“We’ve had a great bond this year,” she said. “Last season was tough, but this year we are really close. Everyone’s friends, and we all get along on and off the field. It’s a great friendship.
“Unfortunately they got the third goal, and then the fourth.”
Maine South completed its stunning comeback moments later. A Pistorius ball was deflected by an illegal touch from a Mustang defender.
On the free kick from 34 yards on the left edge, defender Ryen Desmedt hit a beautiful shot that eluded Straub’s reach for the stunning equalizer in the 66th minute.
“It was like two plays, and all of a sudden, we’re like, ‘What happened?’” Mustangs coach Chris Whaley said.
Before Metea Valley could panic, Burk had an answer.
Just seconds after the berserk momentum switch, Burk pushed down her familiar spot on the right edge to create a corner kick.
She had her sights set on a delivery to King, but this time she didn’t need her. The corner bent beautifully into the net on its own for the stunning go-ahead goal in the 67th minute.
“I am not going to lie,” she said. “I meant to hit Tyra coming in with the header, and it just went in.”
Metea Valley breathed a sigh of relief.
The Mustangs did not passively try to play out the balance of the game.
Olivia Hernandez, a ninth-grader who plays with remarkable poise and savvy, made sure of that.
Terrific throughout the game in controlling the middle, she helped put the closing touches on King’s beautiful day and the Mustangs’ moment.
In the 74th minute, Hernandez first controlled, then played the ball wide to the streaking King, who
blasted home her third goal from about 14 yards.
“I try to dribble more and take responsibility,” Hernandez said.
“Tyra was with me. She made a great run, and I found her in the back. It was a great goal.”
Now the Mustangs prepare for their most difficult stretch of the season with top-ranked Naperville North on Tuesday and No. 25 Waubonsie Valley on Friday. They conclude league play against no. 4 Naperville Central on May 10. The road to a DuPage Valley Conference, though rocky, lies before them.
The Mustangs lost a combined five one-goal games against Naperville North and Naperville Central last year.
Naperville Central won three games of the matches, including a sectional semifinal.
“They’re great teams, but we still have a chance to fight and win those games,” Tyra King said.
“We’re definitely a strong team, and those teams are also really strong. As long as we stay consistent and keep working as hard as we are, we can definitely beat them.”
Starting lineups
Maine South
GK: Joanna Aslanides
D: Ryen Desmedt
D: Grace Beckman
D: Ella Zimmerman
D: Mia Assenato
MF: Marissa Polan
MF: Pola Doliwa
MF: Maria Dobrilovic
MF: Olivia Ronan
F: Molly Pistorius
F: Kailey Tripoli
Metea Valley
GK: Julia Straub
D: Addison Wargo
D: Justyce King
D: Alyssa Parrilli
D: Kaylee Bannack
MF: Olivia Hernandez
MF: Riley Strcic
MF: Jordan Lange
F: Jocelyn Grabow
F: Tyra King
F: Lucy Burk
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Tyra King, jr., F, Metea Valley;
Lucy Burk, soph., F, Metea Valley
Scoring summary
First half
MV: Tyra King (Lucy Burk), 34th minute
Second half
MV: Tyra King (Burk), 42nd minute
MS: Molly Pistorius (unassisted), 63rd minute
MS: Ryan Desmedt (free kick), 66th minute
MV: Burk (corner kick), 67th minute
MV: Tyra King (Olivia Hernandez), 74th minute
Duo has role in every goal in Mustangs' 4-2 win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
LA GRANGE -- Metea Valley sophomore Lucy Burk has a ready-made answer when asked about her connection with Tyra King.
“Best friends,” Burk said of the high-scoring Mustangs’ forward.
“We’ve got everything, and I always have a sense of where she is.”
As the attacking pieces at Metea Valley, the two have dovetailing and overlapping playing styles that beautifully mesh.
Burk was both orchestrator and dazzling shot-creator, and King was the dynamic finisher.
King scored a hat-trick, and Burk added two assists and scored the game-winner in the no. 11 Mustangs’ 4-2 victory over Maine South in a BodyArmor Series bracket championship Sunday at the Lyons Soccer Complex.
Fittingly, the pair shared the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match distinction for their fantastic play.
King pushed her a spring total to 12 on the season.
She had a beautiful week of soccer, scoring both goals against district rival Neuqua Valley in a 2-1 DuPage Valley Conference win Monday and achieving the perfect bookend Sunday with her second-career hat-trick.
“The feeling of getting a goal makes you feel good, and you just want to have that feeling again,” King said.
“Your main goal is just getting another one at that point.”
Metea Valley (12-2-1) remained undefeated against Illinois schools.
The Mustangs prevailed despite the limited availability of standout midfielder Jordan Lange, who took a hit in the first half.
Lange is such a deft creator and dynamic talent, she still found a way to push through and initiate King’s opener, the only score of the first half.
In the 34th minute, Lange got the ball on the right wing and pushed a beautiful through-ball down the line that Burk gathered in stride.
“I realized I had to stay up,” Burk said. “We were playing perfect through-balls, but I was so far back that I could not get up to them.
“I stayed up, and Jordan me a perfect through-ball. I took it a touch and slotted it to Tyra.”
King made the sharp run and hard finish for the one-touch from about nine yards inside the near post.
“I saw how much that gave our own team a boost,” King said.
Metea Valley rode that momentum to the beginning of the second half with another sensational collaboration of the two forwards.
In the 42nd minute, the dynamic and elusive Burk again worked the right edge and crossed a beautiful ball that King finished with the header.
The thrilling sequence illustrated not only technical mastery but underscored the palpable connection of the two.
“It’s always great to get those goals, because it just gets everybody hyped up and excited,” Burk said.
Metea Valley showed great balance and activity through the first 60 minutes. The final piece of the Mustangs triple forward threat, Jocelyn Grabow, provided another strong outlet.
Senior midfielder Leanne Barrett was a strong target in the middle, as was another precocious freshman talent Olivia Hernandez.
Everything was going great. Until suddenly, it wasn’t.
For all the brilliance and high-level play of King and Burk, the team found itself in a precarious situation by a stunning four-minute second half sequence that saw an apparently safe lead melt away.
Maine South (11-5-1) started to gain some traction in the Mustangs’ final third.
The Hawks feature a signature weapon of their own in all-state forward Molly Pistorius.
Her size and speed are next-level, and the Mustangs discovered in the wrong manner that she is exceptionally dangerous in space.
Pistorius changed the tenor of the game with one play.
Streaking down the left edge toward, Pistorius got into a foot race with Mustangs’ keeper Julia Straub.
Straub ran hard off her line to intercept the ball. Pistorius got there first. Her first shot deflected off Straub.
Pistorius made the first recovery to the ball for the goal in the 63rd minute.
“Even when it was 2-0, we always felt hopeful, and that we could push forward,” Pistorius said.
Maine South was energized and ready for more. The Hawks have come of age, according to Pistorius, a Northern Michigan recruit.
“We’ve had a great bond this year,” she said. “Last season was tough, but this year we are really close. Everyone’s friends, and we all get along on and off the field. It’s a great friendship.
“Unfortunately they got the third goal, and then the fourth.”
Maine South completed its stunning comeback moments later. A Pistorius ball was deflected by an illegal touch from a Mustang defender.
On the free kick from 34 yards on the left edge, defender Ryen Desmedt hit a beautiful shot that eluded Straub’s reach for the stunning equalizer in the 66th minute.
“It was like two plays, and all of a sudden, we’re like, ‘What happened?’” Mustangs coach Chris Whaley said.
Before Metea Valley could panic, Burk had an answer.
Just seconds after the berserk momentum switch, Burk pushed down her familiar spot on the right edge to create a corner kick.
She had her sights set on a delivery to King, but this time she didn’t need her. The corner bent beautifully into the net on its own for the stunning go-ahead goal in the 67th minute.
“I am not going to lie,” she said. “I meant to hit Tyra coming in with the header, and it just went in.”
Metea Valley breathed a sigh of relief.
The Mustangs did not passively try to play out the balance of the game.
Olivia Hernandez, a ninth-grader who plays with remarkable poise and savvy, made sure of that.
Terrific throughout the game in controlling the middle, she helped put the closing touches on King’s beautiful day and the Mustangs’ moment.
In the 74th minute, Hernandez first controlled, then played the ball wide to the streaking King, who
blasted home her third goal from about 14 yards.
“I try to dribble more and take responsibility,” Hernandez said.
“Tyra was with me. She made a great run, and I found her in the back. It was a great goal.”
Now the Mustangs prepare for their most difficult stretch of the season with top-ranked Naperville North on Tuesday and No. 25 Waubonsie Valley on Friday. They conclude league play against no. 4 Naperville Central on May 10. The road to a DuPage Valley Conference, though rocky, lies before them.
The Mustangs lost a combined five one-goal games against Naperville North and Naperville Central last year.
Naperville Central won three games of the matches, including a sectional semifinal.
“They’re great teams, but we still have a chance to fight and win those games,” Tyra King said.
“We’re definitely a strong team, and those teams are also really strong. As long as we stay consistent and keep working as hard as we are, we can definitely beat them.”
Starting lineups
Maine South
GK: Joanna Aslanides
D: Ryen Desmedt
D: Grace Beckman
D: Ella Zimmerman
D: Mia Assenato
MF: Marissa Polan
MF: Pola Doliwa
MF: Maria Dobrilovic
MF: Olivia Ronan
F: Molly Pistorius
F: Kailey Tripoli
Metea Valley
GK: Julia Straub
D: Addison Wargo
D: Justyce King
D: Alyssa Parrilli
D: Kaylee Bannack
MF: Olivia Hernandez
MF: Riley Strcic
MF: Jordan Lange
F: Jocelyn Grabow
F: Tyra King
F: Lucy Burk
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Tyra King, jr., F, Metea Valley;
Lucy Burk, soph., F, Metea Valley
Scoring summary
First half
MV: Tyra King (Lucy Burk), 34th minute
Second half
MV: Tyra King (Burk), 42nd minute
MS: Molly Pistorius (unassisted), 63rd minute
MS: Ryan Desmedt (free kick), 66th minute
MV: Burk (corner kick), 67th minute
MV: Tyra King (Olivia Hernandez), 74th minute