New Trier denies Maine West,
extends regional streak
3 Trevians score, Maine West GK does part with 22 saves
By Michael Wojtychiw
NORTHFIELD - The hope is to peak at the right time to make a deep run into the postseason.
Teams peak at different times. Some peak early in the season, some in the middle of the season and others toward the end.
Put Jim Burnside's New Trier Trevians in that latter category after his squad defeated Maine West 3-0 to win its 19th-consecutive regional title.
"I thought we put in a great effort," he said. "We attacked the goal, their goalie made some great saves. She's an athlete, and I thought we played the kind of soccer I know we can.
"Moving the ball, combining everything, I thought it was a step in the right direction. But I still don't think this team has hit its peak. We've got some kids coming into different spots, and we're trying some different things. That (Maine West) keeper really impressed me, but I think this team is ready to just keep going."
Since its 2-2 tie with Evanston on May 19, New Trier has yet to give up a goal and racked up six-consecutive shutouts. The manager has seen his squad grow with every game played.
"I think they're also realizing the sense of urgency, that the season is winding down," Burnside said. "It's an astounding team; they are so close. Look at them, even now. I don't know if I've ever seen some of them together before, but they seem to jell, and it continues on the field.
"They're capitalizing on it."
Burnside knows though that if his program is to make it to the Final Four for a seventh-consecutive time, it's going to take a complete team effort.
The Trevians (18-1-4), the top seed in the Maine South Sectional, got that in Friday's win. Every healthy player on the team got game action. It allowed all the players to get key playoff experience. For many, it was their first time playing in the playoffs.
"The postseason has really been what I expected," New Trier's Kate Dobsch said. "It's great competition, you're playing some good teams out here. We really wanted to come out with good intensity, and it showed that we worked our butts off, finished our chances. We're hoping to continue doing that."
"Oh, I was pretty nervous," New Trier's Josie Noble said. "Coming into the playoffs, the (returning) girls really tried to motivate everyone who didn't get to play last season. … If we try as hard as we can, so we can help them win."
"It's big for a lot of the players, especially the younger ones," Burnside said. "They get in and you get a next game, and a next game, and somebody might cramp up or twist an ankle.
"Having a little bit of experience with the starters, with different groups is so key."
Dobsch got the Trevians on the right path when she took a pass from Anna Marshall and snuck a ball past Maine West keeper Leslee Ordonez in the 23rd minute for the first goal of the game.
Prior to the Wake Forest recruit's goal, the Warriors keeper made four saves to keep the Trevians off the scoreboard.
"We came in with a game plan of trying to force them to shoot from outside, and I thought we did a pretty good job of that," Maine West manager Jeff Bishop said. "But they scored two really good goals that probably would have gone in on anybody. You can't really do anything about that."
"Their goalie was so good, major credit to her. She was amazing," Dobsch said. "I'm usually a long-distance shooter, so it's something I'm more comfortable with anyway. But I knew if I did that, she's going to save pretty much every shot.
"So, how I scored was I got a ball, got behind the defender and just touched it in. I knew that was the only way I was going to score, if you're close enough, because she's unbelievable."
Ordonez's play would be key for the Warriors (9-9-2). The junior keeper finished with an astounding 22 saves. Multiple stops came instances where she sprawled in different directions to make the save.
This was not a surprise for Bishop and his squad.
"She really kept us in the game." he said. "She's been strong for us all year, and she's only a junior. We're fortunate to get her back next year.
"That's what she does. She gives us a fighting chance no matter who we play. We came out here and played New Trier, one of the top teams in the state, and we put up a fight."
Lauren Caldwell added to the Trevians' tally with 49 seconds remaining in the half.
By the time Noble closed out the scoring with just over 10 minutes elapsed in the second half, Ordonez had saved another two shots.
"I had tried a couple times earlier in the game, but our [assistant coach Molly Lombardi] said 'Don't be afraid to shoot,'" Noble said. "After that, I was like, alright. I put it in the upper left and luckily it went in."
Maine West came into the game having won five of their last six. That was thanks to a strong defensive effort. The Warriors defensive back returns next season.
In fact, Maine West only loses two starters this spring., For a team that started six sophomores, the 2021 season, as crazy as it has been, was a worthwhile one for Bishop's inexperienced squad.
"I think we really started to understand how to play with our strengths," Bishop said. "Once we started letting our forwards combine with our mids, actually playing to feet, it helped us open things up a bit. That's what we started doing really well toward the end of the season.
"Three of our starting defenders are sophomores. We get all our defense back next year, which is good. Our keeper comes back next year, so hopefully that means the defense will be just as good. Our defense has been our strength all year.
"We learned we can compete with anybody. They're a tough group of girls, and they don't give up."
With the win and the regional title, the Trevians move on to face conference rival Glenbrook North in Tuesday's sectional semifinal. The Spartans took down Chicago Public League Tournament champion Lane in the regional championship. That created a third meeting between the Spartans and Trevians this season.
The two teams tied in their first matchup April 29, but New Trier pulled out a 2-1 win May 17. The Maine South Sectional went as seeded. New Trier, Glenbrook North, Evanston and Loyola, the second- and third-seeded teams, won regional titles Friday.
"We just have to take things day-by-day, take it all one day at a time," Dobsch said. "Practice well, get our training in and concentrate on our next game. That's the plan when you get to the playoffs."
Starting lineups
Maine West
GK: Leslee Ordonez
D: Victoria Delgadillo
D: Shannon Walsh
D: Tais Vivar
MF: Ximena Acuna
MF: Anna Montanile
MF: Jane Rothweiler
MF: Kaitlin Pittro
MF: Greta Martin
F: Emma Mueller
F: Claudia Kadzielawa
New Trier
GK: Wynne Hague
D: Jenna Birdsell
D: Anna Marshall
D: Ava Shah
MF: Kate Dobsch
MF: Caroline Finnigan
MF: Mia Sedgwick
MF: Annie Paden
F: Alex Wirth
F: Charlotte Dellin
F: Morgan Fagan
Chicagoland Soccer Co-MVPs of the Match:
Josie Noble, fr., F, New Trier;
Leslee Ordonez, junior GK, Maine West
Scoring summary
First half
New Trier - Kate Dobsch (Anna Marshall), 23rd minute
New Trier - Lauren Caldwell (Elizabeth Marquardt), 40th minute
Second half
New Trier - Josie Noble (unassisted), 51st minute
extends regional streak
3 Trevians score, Maine West GK does part with 22 saves
By Michael Wojtychiw
NORTHFIELD - The hope is to peak at the right time to make a deep run into the postseason.
Teams peak at different times. Some peak early in the season, some in the middle of the season and others toward the end.
Put Jim Burnside's New Trier Trevians in that latter category after his squad defeated Maine West 3-0 to win its 19th-consecutive regional title.
"I thought we put in a great effort," he said. "We attacked the goal, their goalie made some great saves. She's an athlete, and I thought we played the kind of soccer I know we can.
"Moving the ball, combining everything, I thought it was a step in the right direction. But I still don't think this team has hit its peak. We've got some kids coming into different spots, and we're trying some different things. That (Maine West) keeper really impressed me, but I think this team is ready to just keep going."
Since its 2-2 tie with Evanston on May 19, New Trier has yet to give up a goal and racked up six-consecutive shutouts. The manager has seen his squad grow with every game played.
"I think they're also realizing the sense of urgency, that the season is winding down," Burnside said. "It's an astounding team; they are so close. Look at them, even now. I don't know if I've ever seen some of them together before, but they seem to jell, and it continues on the field.
"They're capitalizing on it."
Burnside knows though that if his program is to make it to the Final Four for a seventh-consecutive time, it's going to take a complete team effort.
The Trevians (18-1-4), the top seed in the Maine South Sectional, got that in Friday's win. Every healthy player on the team got game action. It allowed all the players to get key playoff experience. For many, it was their first time playing in the playoffs.
"The postseason has really been what I expected," New Trier's Kate Dobsch said. "It's great competition, you're playing some good teams out here. We really wanted to come out with good intensity, and it showed that we worked our butts off, finished our chances. We're hoping to continue doing that."
"Oh, I was pretty nervous," New Trier's Josie Noble said. "Coming into the playoffs, the (returning) girls really tried to motivate everyone who didn't get to play last season. … If we try as hard as we can, so we can help them win."
"It's big for a lot of the players, especially the younger ones," Burnside said. "They get in and you get a next game, and a next game, and somebody might cramp up or twist an ankle.
"Having a little bit of experience with the starters, with different groups is so key."
Dobsch got the Trevians on the right path when she took a pass from Anna Marshall and snuck a ball past Maine West keeper Leslee Ordonez in the 23rd minute for the first goal of the game.
Prior to the Wake Forest recruit's goal, the Warriors keeper made four saves to keep the Trevians off the scoreboard.
"We came in with a game plan of trying to force them to shoot from outside, and I thought we did a pretty good job of that," Maine West manager Jeff Bishop said. "But they scored two really good goals that probably would have gone in on anybody. You can't really do anything about that."
"Their goalie was so good, major credit to her. She was amazing," Dobsch said. "I'm usually a long-distance shooter, so it's something I'm more comfortable with anyway. But I knew if I did that, she's going to save pretty much every shot.
"So, how I scored was I got a ball, got behind the defender and just touched it in. I knew that was the only way I was going to score, if you're close enough, because she's unbelievable."
Ordonez's play would be key for the Warriors (9-9-2). The junior keeper finished with an astounding 22 saves. Multiple stops came instances where she sprawled in different directions to make the save.
This was not a surprise for Bishop and his squad.
"She really kept us in the game." he said. "She's been strong for us all year, and she's only a junior. We're fortunate to get her back next year.
"That's what she does. She gives us a fighting chance no matter who we play. We came out here and played New Trier, one of the top teams in the state, and we put up a fight."
Lauren Caldwell added to the Trevians' tally with 49 seconds remaining in the half.
By the time Noble closed out the scoring with just over 10 minutes elapsed in the second half, Ordonez had saved another two shots.
"I had tried a couple times earlier in the game, but our [assistant coach Molly Lombardi] said 'Don't be afraid to shoot,'" Noble said. "After that, I was like, alright. I put it in the upper left and luckily it went in."
Maine West came into the game having won five of their last six. That was thanks to a strong defensive effort. The Warriors defensive back returns next season.
In fact, Maine West only loses two starters this spring., For a team that started six sophomores, the 2021 season, as crazy as it has been, was a worthwhile one for Bishop's inexperienced squad.
"I think we really started to understand how to play with our strengths," Bishop said. "Once we started letting our forwards combine with our mids, actually playing to feet, it helped us open things up a bit. That's what we started doing really well toward the end of the season.
"Three of our starting defenders are sophomores. We get all our defense back next year, which is good. Our keeper comes back next year, so hopefully that means the defense will be just as good. Our defense has been our strength all year.
"We learned we can compete with anybody. They're a tough group of girls, and they don't give up."
With the win and the regional title, the Trevians move on to face conference rival Glenbrook North in Tuesday's sectional semifinal. The Spartans took down Chicago Public League Tournament champion Lane in the regional championship. That created a third meeting between the Spartans and Trevians this season.
The two teams tied in their first matchup April 29, but New Trier pulled out a 2-1 win May 17. The Maine South Sectional went as seeded. New Trier, Glenbrook North, Evanston and Loyola, the second- and third-seeded teams, won regional titles Friday.
"We just have to take things day-by-day, take it all one day at a time," Dobsch said. "Practice well, get our training in and concentrate on our next game. That's the plan when you get to the playoffs."
Starting lineups
Maine West
GK: Leslee Ordonez
D: Victoria Delgadillo
D: Shannon Walsh
D: Tais Vivar
MF: Ximena Acuna
MF: Anna Montanile
MF: Jane Rothweiler
MF: Kaitlin Pittro
MF: Greta Martin
F: Emma Mueller
F: Claudia Kadzielawa
New Trier
GK: Wynne Hague
D: Jenna Birdsell
D: Anna Marshall
D: Ava Shah
MF: Kate Dobsch
MF: Caroline Finnigan
MF: Mia Sedgwick
MF: Annie Paden
F: Alex Wirth
F: Charlotte Dellin
F: Morgan Fagan
Chicagoland Soccer Co-MVPs of the Match:
Josie Noble, fr., F, New Trier;
Leslee Ordonez, junior GK, Maine West
Scoring summary
First half
New Trier - Kate Dobsch (Anna Marshall), 23rd minute
New Trier - Lauren Caldwell (Elizabeth Marquardt), 40th minute
Second half
New Trier - Josie Noble (unassisted), 51st minute