Naperville Central runs
to victory over Metea Valley
O'Rear scores quick brace to put Redhawks in control in 3-0 win
By Matt Le Cren
AURORA – Molly O’Rear flashed her furtiveness.
Then she showcased her speed.
O’Rear scored twice in a span of 2 minutes 15 seconds during the second half of Thursday’s DuPage Valley Conference match with Metea Valley, leading Naperville Central to a 3-0 victory.
The junior forward broke open a close game with her twin strikes in the 48th and 50th minutes, but while the finishes were fantastic, the starts of each play were just as sterling.
With the Redhawks clinging to a 1-0 lead, O’Rear found herself surrounded by three Metea Valley players who were trying the advance the ball up the right side of the midfield.
But their path was cut off by Naperville Central forward Emma Irle, who forced a back pass along the sideline. When that defender went to pass it to a teammate, O’Rear stole the ball and stayed on her feet following a collision with the intended recipient.
Then she raced 30 yards up on the left wing on a breakaway before slotting the ball underneath charging Metea goalkeeper Julia Straub for her sixth goal of the season at the 32:22 mark.
“I saw Emma Irle drop back and read that pass really well, so credit to her,” O’Rear said. “She really set up that play, and I just could see the ball coming backwards and I decided to take a shot at it.
“I knew my midfielders would back me up if I didn’t get that ball because Megan Norkett and everybody in the midfield has always got my back. Credit to my teammates for that one.”
Naperville Central coach Ed Watson credited O’Rear with a fantastic finish that included a change of pace at the last second.
“She read it right,” Watson said. “Great read and then made a great finish.
“It’s funny, she actually slowed down to make sure. She knew she was in but she slowed down to make sure she had the opportunity to get the keeper in between and then make sure it went in.”
O’Rear did that despite a textbook effort by Straub, who played the angles well and made five saves to keep the Mustangs (4-4-1, 2-2-0) in the game.
“I knew if I was on my feet I would have a better chance of having a breakaway goal than having a free kick,” O’Rear said. “So I tried to slow down and read the goalie.
“She cut off both posts very well. That was very good by her, so I decided to slot it under her. It was a good ball, and it happened to go in.”
As did O’Rear’s next shot, which resulted in her seventh goal – and a 3-0 Redhawks lead – with 30:07 remaining.
This time it was defender Sam Sharp running onto a lead pass up the right wing from midfielder Katie Dalton which broke down Metea’s young defense.
Sharp fired from about 25 yards. The shot caromed off the intersection of the crossbar and right post and bounced out to O’Rear, who buried the rebound.
“That was exciting,” O’Rear said. “That was a great ball by Sammy Sharp. She set that play up for sure and all I had to do was tap it in.”
Watson was excited about Dalton’s role in the goal.
“What gets lost on the third goal is the play that Katie Dalton made,” Watson noted. “She’s the one that got it outside.
“But so often you get the ball in this open space and you tend to touch, touch, touch. Instead, she drove at their backs, which caused their outside forward to go inside.
“She was tracking the outside back, but she had to go inside because all of their backs kept dropping. Then, because our outside back didn’t give up a run, Sam Sharpe got the ball.
“It’s all about having momentum and Sam ripped that ball in, almost scored herself. … It came down to Molly, and Molly finished it.”
That play finished the scoring, though the Mustangs were far from finished. They didn’t wilt in the face of the faster, more experienced Redhawks and stepped up their attack over the final 25 minutes.
Naperville Central goalkeeper Abby O’Connor made four saves and Tyra King, Addison Wargo and Lauren Wardell combined to come close with seven shots over the crossbar or just wide of the woodwork.
“They’re a strong team, and we played some good soccer at times,” Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley said. “I think they’re surprised, and we’re surprised that we weren’t able to put one in the back of the net.”
The loss was the third-straight for the young Mustangs, who have six players back from their 2019 team, though senior defender Katy Flanders, now a co-captain who plays more in the midfield, is the only one with significant varsity playing time.
Metea Valley is ranked no. 17 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25. Its losses have come against: no 3 Benet (3-1); in overtime to no. 6 Naperville North (2-1); eighth-ranked Napcerville Central (5-1-2, 3-0-1); and no. 25 St. Charles North.
“We’ve played against … St. Charles North, Benet, Naperville North and Naperville Central – where it’s just a fight out there on the field,” Whaley said. “We’ve got some young girls, and they’re just now learning about how to deal with that.”
Fortunately, the Mustangs have a solid leader in Flanders, who will be the key if this team is to win the program’s seventh-consecutive regional title next month.
“She’s the hardest-working kid you could ask for,” Whaley said. “She’s more in the mid now but she’s just a great kid who works hard and wants nothing more than to see the team succeed. Those are the people you need in your program.”
The Redhawks are loaded with such players, including Division I commits in the Loyola-bound Irle and Purdue Fort Wayne recruit Malia Velker.
But Naperville Central has plenty of varsity rookies who already are making an impact. One of them is sophomore defender Ella Burke, who is proving to be an effective two-way player.
In addition to helping Velker, Sharp and Sophia Skoubis lock down the Redhawks’ fourth shutout of the season, she also bagged her third goal when she headed in Norkett’s corner kick at the 21:01 mark of the first half.
It turned out to be Burke’s first career game-winning goal, but it came in a familiar way. All three of her scores have come on headers off corner kicks.
“She’s brave and that’s what it takes to go win that ball,” Watson said. “There aren’t as many around these days that are willing to go up and really attack the ball.
“We’re very fortunate to have her because she’s only a sophomore. She’s having a really good rookie season, like a lot of them are doing right now.”
Burke is just happy to help out, even if it means doing the tough tasks that others shun.
“I know there has to be someone to do it, and I know my team is very strong. They’re all very brave, don’t get me wrong,” Burke said. “I just feel like I have to take the initiative sometime.
“We all have our places on the team, and I think that’s one my strongest suits is heading it. It’s my job.”
Count O’Rear among the teammates who are impressed with the job Burke is doing.
“It’s amazing. That kid is solid,” O’Rear said. “She plays on my club, and she’s always been such a solid player to play against and just the fact that she can run up the field and get goals and also stop them on the other end is insane.
“She’s a very versatile player, and I love playing with her.”
The Redhawks have a lot of versatile players and they are meshing well, which gives them a shot at making a deep postseason run.
“It’s definitely going to be very special,” Burke said. “We have a very special group of girls.
“They’re all very talented. They all have their parts on the team, and they all know their roles. We performed really well tonight. I was really proud of us.”
Starting lineups
Naperville Central
GK Trinity Strang
D Malia Velker
D Sophia Skoubis
D Emma Burke
D Samantha Sharp
M Katie Dalton
M Megan Norkett
M Sullivan Schubel
F Emma Irle
F Molly O’Rear
F Lauren Thorne
Metea Valley
GK Julia Straub
D Addison Wargo
D Alyssa Parrilli
D Zoe Kirkman
D Daylee Bannack
M Leanne Barrett
M Riley Strcic
M Maya Ordaz
F Tyra King
F Jordan Lange
F Lucy Burk
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Molly O’Rear, jr., F, Naperville Central.
Scoring summary
First half
Naperville Central – Emma Burke (Megan Norkett) 21:01 remaining
Second half
Naperville Central – Molly O’Rear 32:22 remaining
Naperville Central – O’Rear 30:07 remaining
to victory over Metea Valley
O'Rear scores quick brace to put Redhawks in control in 3-0 win
By Matt Le Cren
AURORA – Molly O’Rear flashed her furtiveness.
Then she showcased her speed.
O’Rear scored twice in a span of 2 minutes 15 seconds during the second half of Thursday’s DuPage Valley Conference match with Metea Valley, leading Naperville Central to a 3-0 victory.
The junior forward broke open a close game with her twin strikes in the 48th and 50th minutes, but while the finishes were fantastic, the starts of each play were just as sterling.
With the Redhawks clinging to a 1-0 lead, O’Rear found herself surrounded by three Metea Valley players who were trying the advance the ball up the right side of the midfield.
But their path was cut off by Naperville Central forward Emma Irle, who forced a back pass along the sideline. When that defender went to pass it to a teammate, O’Rear stole the ball and stayed on her feet following a collision with the intended recipient.
Then she raced 30 yards up on the left wing on a breakaway before slotting the ball underneath charging Metea goalkeeper Julia Straub for her sixth goal of the season at the 32:22 mark.
“I saw Emma Irle drop back and read that pass really well, so credit to her,” O’Rear said. “She really set up that play, and I just could see the ball coming backwards and I decided to take a shot at it.
“I knew my midfielders would back me up if I didn’t get that ball because Megan Norkett and everybody in the midfield has always got my back. Credit to my teammates for that one.”
Naperville Central coach Ed Watson credited O’Rear with a fantastic finish that included a change of pace at the last second.
“She read it right,” Watson said. “Great read and then made a great finish.
“It’s funny, she actually slowed down to make sure. She knew she was in but she slowed down to make sure she had the opportunity to get the keeper in between and then make sure it went in.”
O’Rear did that despite a textbook effort by Straub, who played the angles well and made five saves to keep the Mustangs (4-4-1, 2-2-0) in the game.
“I knew if I was on my feet I would have a better chance of having a breakaway goal than having a free kick,” O’Rear said. “So I tried to slow down and read the goalie.
“She cut off both posts very well. That was very good by her, so I decided to slot it under her. It was a good ball, and it happened to go in.”
As did O’Rear’s next shot, which resulted in her seventh goal – and a 3-0 Redhawks lead – with 30:07 remaining.
This time it was defender Sam Sharp running onto a lead pass up the right wing from midfielder Katie Dalton which broke down Metea’s young defense.
Sharp fired from about 25 yards. The shot caromed off the intersection of the crossbar and right post and bounced out to O’Rear, who buried the rebound.
“That was exciting,” O’Rear said. “That was a great ball by Sammy Sharp. She set that play up for sure and all I had to do was tap it in.”
Watson was excited about Dalton’s role in the goal.
“What gets lost on the third goal is the play that Katie Dalton made,” Watson noted. “She’s the one that got it outside.
“But so often you get the ball in this open space and you tend to touch, touch, touch. Instead, she drove at their backs, which caused their outside forward to go inside.
“She was tracking the outside back, but she had to go inside because all of their backs kept dropping. Then, because our outside back didn’t give up a run, Sam Sharpe got the ball.
“It’s all about having momentum and Sam ripped that ball in, almost scored herself. … It came down to Molly, and Molly finished it.”
That play finished the scoring, though the Mustangs were far from finished. They didn’t wilt in the face of the faster, more experienced Redhawks and stepped up their attack over the final 25 minutes.
Naperville Central goalkeeper Abby O’Connor made four saves and Tyra King, Addison Wargo and Lauren Wardell combined to come close with seven shots over the crossbar or just wide of the woodwork.
“They’re a strong team, and we played some good soccer at times,” Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley said. “I think they’re surprised, and we’re surprised that we weren’t able to put one in the back of the net.”
The loss was the third-straight for the young Mustangs, who have six players back from their 2019 team, though senior defender Katy Flanders, now a co-captain who plays more in the midfield, is the only one with significant varsity playing time.
Metea Valley is ranked no. 17 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25. Its losses have come against: no 3 Benet (3-1); in overtime to no. 6 Naperville North (2-1); eighth-ranked Napcerville Central (5-1-2, 3-0-1); and no. 25 St. Charles North.
“We’ve played against … St. Charles North, Benet, Naperville North and Naperville Central – where it’s just a fight out there on the field,” Whaley said. “We’ve got some young girls, and they’re just now learning about how to deal with that.”
Fortunately, the Mustangs have a solid leader in Flanders, who will be the key if this team is to win the program’s seventh-consecutive regional title next month.
“She’s the hardest-working kid you could ask for,” Whaley said. “She’s more in the mid now but she’s just a great kid who works hard and wants nothing more than to see the team succeed. Those are the people you need in your program.”
The Redhawks are loaded with such players, including Division I commits in the Loyola-bound Irle and Purdue Fort Wayne recruit Malia Velker.
But Naperville Central has plenty of varsity rookies who already are making an impact. One of them is sophomore defender Ella Burke, who is proving to be an effective two-way player.
In addition to helping Velker, Sharp and Sophia Skoubis lock down the Redhawks’ fourth shutout of the season, she also bagged her third goal when she headed in Norkett’s corner kick at the 21:01 mark of the first half.
It turned out to be Burke’s first career game-winning goal, but it came in a familiar way. All three of her scores have come on headers off corner kicks.
“She’s brave and that’s what it takes to go win that ball,” Watson said. “There aren’t as many around these days that are willing to go up and really attack the ball.
“We’re very fortunate to have her because she’s only a sophomore. She’s having a really good rookie season, like a lot of them are doing right now.”
Burke is just happy to help out, even if it means doing the tough tasks that others shun.
“I know there has to be someone to do it, and I know my team is very strong. They’re all very brave, don’t get me wrong,” Burke said. “I just feel like I have to take the initiative sometime.
“We all have our places on the team, and I think that’s one my strongest suits is heading it. It’s my job.”
Count O’Rear among the teammates who are impressed with the job Burke is doing.
“It’s amazing. That kid is solid,” O’Rear said. “She plays on my club, and she’s always been such a solid player to play against and just the fact that she can run up the field and get goals and also stop them on the other end is insane.
“She’s a very versatile player, and I love playing with her.”
The Redhawks have a lot of versatile players and they are meshing well, which gives them a shot at making a deep postseason run.
“It’s definitely going to be very special,” Burke said. “We have a very special group of girls.
“They’re all very talented. They all have their parts on the team, and they all know their roles. We performed really well tonight. I was really proud of us.”
Starting lineups
Naperville Central
GK Trinity Strang
D Malia Velker
D Sophia Skoubis
D Emma Burke
D Samantha Sharp
M Katie Dalton
M Megan Norkett
M Sullivan Schubel
F Emma Irle
F Molly O’Rear
F Lauren Thorne
Metea Valley
GK Julia Straub
D Addison Wargo
D Alyssa Parrilli
D Zoe Kirkman
D Daylee Bannack
M Leanne Barrett
M Riley Strcic
M Maya Ordaz
F Tyra King
F Jordan Lange
F Lucy Burk
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Molly O’Rear, jr., F, Naperville Central.
Scoring summary
First half
Naperville Central – Emma Burke (Megan Norkett) 21:01 remaining
Second half
Naperville Central – Molly O’Rear 32:22 remaining
Naperville Central – O’Rear 30:07 remaining