Naperville Central's Norkett dazzles
in win over New Trier
Late brace powers Redhawks into NI semifinals
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – Megan Norkett turned the game from a stalemate into a checkmate.
And she did it quickly.
The Northwestern-bound junior midfielder scored two brilliant goals on back-to-back shots Thursday night to lift host Naperville Central to a 2-0 victory over New Trier at the Naperville Invitational quarterfinals at Memorial Stadium.
The Redhawks (12-0-1), who are ranked second in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, advance to play no. 6 Barrington (13-1-0) in Friday’s first semifinal at 5 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. No. 1 Lyons (13-0-0) takes on no. 3 Naperville North (12-1-2) in the second semifinal at 7 p.m.
Those games are worthy of being state semifinal matches. The goals Norkett scored are worthy of being called among the finest you are likely to see at the high school level.
“And you know what, she’s just coming into her own,” Naperville Central coach Ed Watson said. “She is a player that has played on teams where she has facilitated more than she has taken the game on.
“She would love to lay balls off, but she’s also recognizing that she has the ability to go ahead and create herself.”
Norkett did exactly that against the no. 22 Trevians (8-5-3), who had grittily held the Redhawks to a scoreless draw for the first 60 minutes.
After getting the ball in the midfield, Norkett accelerated up the left wing, weaved through a pair of defenders into the left side of the 18 before blowing a left-footed shot by freshman goalkeeper Caroline Hague with 19:03 remaining in the second half.
Hague lunged to her left but had no shot at the ball, which ended up in the side netting.
The crowd was still buzzing over that play when Norkett did it again less than five minutes later. This time she got the ball on the right side of the midfield and went on another run, again beating multiple defenders before cutting back into the middle of the field before unleashing another rocket on the run from the top of the box.
Hague didn’t have a chance on that shot, either, which gave the Redhawks a 2-0 lead with 14:34 to go.
“That’s something I practice, because I like to dribble. So, it is obviously something I will try to do if it’s something I can do,” Norkett said. “That’s something I look to do, and it works.”
It was something few high school players are capable of doing. While Norkett made it look easy, it was anything but. New Trier did an admirable job of trying to gum up the works in the midfield.
“That was the first couple times that I actually drove at the backline, because they had a strong midfield,” Norkett said. “So, it was hard for me to get through there. But then I saw an opportunity and just took it.”
New Trier coach Jim Burnside, who has coached a few players who can do what Norkett did, was impressed.
“They’re a great team, and she’s a great player,” Burnside said. “She came at us.
“She’s fast and good. When you’re playing a player like that, team defense is key because one person ain’t going to do it.
“We had a couple lapses in our team defense, and that’s what happens when a great player is out there.”
Even so, the fact that the Redhawks needed two great individual efforts from their best player to win speaks to the effort the younger, less-experienced Trevians put forth.
“It’s disappointing to give up the (first goal), but I think after that happened, we still fought hard, and even though they got another one, I think the fight kept going,” New Trier sophomore defender Charlotte Dellin said. “We were a little tired coming into the game considering we had just come off an hour bus ride, but besides that I think that once we got in the flow our energy was up pretty well. I’d say we fought pretty hard.”
Burnside agreed.
“Our girls played with a lot of heart today,” Burnside said. “I was really impressed and happy.
“We’re young, and we’re still working. We’re getting to where we need to be. It’s hard because you look at our schedule and our kids are grinding out some tough, tough games. And that’s good.”
The Trevians didn’t generate much offense.
Naperville Central goalkeeper Abby O’Connor had to make only four saves, none of them particularly difficult. The Redhawks backline didn’t miss a beat even though Watson rested Missouri-bound center back Sophia Skoubis, who is dealing with a leg injury.
North Dakota recruit Sarah McCracken slid back from the midfield to take Skoubis’ spot and teamed with Air Force commit Sam Sharp and junior standout Ella Burke to anchor Naperville Central’s 11th shutout of the season.
“I’m a center back at club, so it’s definitely different coming here and playing midfield,” McCracken said. “At center back I definitely felt comfortable back there, but I also get to work with some of the best defenders out there, especially Burke.
“It’s kind of an honor to be back there. It’s truly amazing and then I have Megan in front of me and that’s a spot of security.”
Norkett likewise thinks the same of the defenders.
“We have an incredible backline with Sarah joining Ella and the outside backs as well,” Norkett said. “It’s obviously an incredible team, so it gives me more freedom to go forward knowing that I have them behind my back.”
That brick wall of a defense means that one goal is usually enough for the Redhawks to win. When they score two, well, that makes it nearly impossible to beat Central.
“I’m really proud of everyone in the backline,” Norkett said. “They have all worked so hard, and it is just a great team environment and everyone has been playing really well.”
The Trevians can attest to that. They used a physical style to try to slow down Central’s attack, repeatedly knocking down Valparaiso-bound striker Molly O’Rear, but had only limited success.
The Trevians got away scot-free when no foul was called in the first half when O’Rear was taken down in the box.
The dodged another bullet in the second half after dumping O’Rear again in the 18. This time the Redhawks were awarded a penalty kick with 22:48 left, but O’Rear hit the right post with her shot and then knocked the rebound over the crossbar.
“She is a very smart forward,” Dellin said of O’Rear. “She would push up against our backline as far as it would go, and I think that definitely got us scrambled some times.
“Then (Norkett) was an amazing attacking player once she got through the midfield. When she got through them, it was trying to stay between (O’Rear) and (Norkett) so they wouldn’t score.”
Though Norkett eventually foiled that strategy, New Trier sophomore midfielder Josie Noble was satisfied with her team’s effort.
“I felt we played pretty good,” Noble said. “We’re all kind of tired but that (Norkett) was kind of unstoppable in the midfield.
“She’s a really good player, and it’s hard to deal with someone like that. I’m glad we got the experience of trying to defend a team with really good attacking players like that.
“The more experience and the more we learn, the more we can prepare for playoffs. We’ll get there.”
This has been a down season by New Trier’s lofty standards – the Trevians have lost five regular season games for the first time since 2007 – but it would be foolish to count them out. Better times are ahead.
“We’ve been told we have a target on our back, for sure,” Noble said. “It’s been interesting to kind of figure out where we are as a team, and it’s been nice to see a lot of growth throughout the season. But from our first game to today, I’d say we’re 10,000 times better.”
Starting lineups
New Trier
GK Caroline Hague
D Sadie-Grace Richardson
D Honor Dold
D Ava Shah
F Charlotte Dellin
M Josie Noble
M Annie Paden
M Clara Deliduka
M Sybil Evans
F Elizabeth Marquardt
F Kendall Sierens
Naperville Central
GK Abby O’Connor
D Sam Sharp
D Taylor Walk
D Sarah McCracken
D Ella Burke
M Grace Granato
M Megan Norkett
M Chloe Mowry
F Molly O’Rear
F Lauren Thorne
F Maddie Boogerd
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match:
Megan Norkett, jr., MF, Naperville Central.
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Naperville Central – Megan Norkett 19:03 remaining
Naperville Central – Norkett 14:34 remaining
in win over New Trier
Late brace powers Redhawks into NI semifinals
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – Megan Norkett turned the game from a stalemate into a checkmate.
And she did it quickly.
The Northwestern-bound junior midfielder scored two brilliant goals on back-to-back shots Thursday night to lift host Naperville Central to a 2-0 victory over New Trier at the Naperville Invitational quarterfinals at Memorial Stadium.
The Redhawks (12-0-1), who are ranked second in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, advance to play no. 6 Barrington (13-1-0) in Friday’s first semifinal at 5 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. No. 1 Lyons (13-0-0) takes on no. 3 Naperville North (12-1-2) in the second semifinal at 7 p.m.
Those games are worthy of being state semifinal matches. The goals Norkett scored are worthy of being called among the finest you are likely to see at the high school level.
“And you know what, she’s just coming into her own,” Naperville Central coach Ed Watson said. “She is a player that has played on teams where she has facilitated more than she has taken the game on.
“She would love to lay balls off, but she’s also recognizing that she has the ability to go ahead and create herself.”
Norkett did exactly that against the no. 22 Trevians (8-5-3), who had grittily held the Redhawks to a scoreless draw for the first 60 minutes.
After getting the ball in the midfield, Norkett accelerated up the left wing, weaved through a pair of defenders into the left side of the 18 before blowing a left-footed shot by freshman goalkeeper Caroline Hague with 19:03 remaining in the second half.
Hague lunged to her left but had no shot at the ball, which ended up in the side netting.
The crowd was still buzzing over that play when Norkett did it again less than five minutes later. This time she got the ball on the right side of the midfield and went on another run, again beating multiple defenders before cutting back into the middle of the field before unleashing another rocket on the run from the top of the box.
Hague didn’t have a chance on that shot, either, which gave the Redhawks a 2-0 lead with 14:34 to go.
“That’s something I practice, because I like to dribble. So, it is obviously something I will try to do if it’s something I can do,” Norkett said. “That’s something I look to do, and it works.”
It was something few high school players are capable of doing. While Norkett made it look easy, it was anything but. New Trier did an admirable job of trying to gum up the works in the midfield.
“That was the first couple times that I actually drove at the backline, because they had a strong midfield,” Norkett said. “So, it was hard for me to get through there. But then I saw an opportunity and just took it.”
New Trier coach Jim Burnside, who has coached a few players who can do what Norkett did, was impressed.
“They’re a great team, and she’s a great player,” Burnside said. “She came at us.
“She’s fast and good. When you’re playing a player like that, team defense is key because one person ain’t going to do it.
“We had a couple lapses in our team defense, and that’s what happens when a great player is out there.”
Even so, the fact that the Redhawks needed two great individual efforts from their best player to win speaks to the effort the younger, less-experienced Trevians put forth.
“It’s disappointing to give up the (first goal), but I think after that happened, we still fought hard, and even though they got another one, I think the fight kept going,” New Trier sophomore defender Charlotte Dellin said. “We were a little tired coming into the game considering we had just come off an hour bus ride, but besides that I think that once we got in the flow our energy was up pretty well. I’d say we fought pretty hard.”
Burnside agreed.
“Our girls played with a lot of heart today,” Burnside said. “I was really impressed and happy.
“We’re young, and we’re still working. We’re getting to where we need to be. It’s hard because you look at our schedule and our kids are grinding out some tough, tough games. And that’s good.”
The Trevians didn’t generate much offense.
Naperville Central goalkeeper Abby O’Connor had to make only four saves, none of them particularly difficult. The Redhawks backline didn’t miss a beat even though Watson rested Missouri-bound center back Sophia Skoubis, who is dealing with a leg injury.
North Dakota recruit Sarah McCracken slid back from the midfield to take Skoubis’ spot and teamed with Air Force commit Sam Sharp and junior standout Ella Burke to anchor Naperville Central’s 11th shutout of the season.
“I’m a center back at club, so it’s definitely different coming here and playing midfield,” McCracken said. “At center back I definitely felt comfortable back there, but I also get to work with some of the best defenders out there, especially Burke.
“It’s kind of an honor to be back there. It’s truly amazing and then I have Megan in front of me and that’s a spot of security.”
Norkett likewise thinks the same of the defenders.
“We have an incredible backline with Sarah joining Ella and the outside backs as well,” Norkett said. “It’s obviously an incredible team, so it gives me more freedom to go forward knowing that I have them behind my back.”
That brick wall of a defense means that one goal is usually enough for the Redhawks to win. When they score two, well, that makes it nearly impossible to beat Central.
“I’m really proud of everyone in the backline,” Norkett said. “They have all worked so hard, and it is just a great team environment and everyone has been playing really well.”
The Trevians can attest to that. They used a physical style to try to slow down Central’s attack, repeatedly knocking down Valparaiso-bound striker Molly O’Rear, but had only limited success.
The Trevians got away scot-free when no foul was called in the first half when O’Rear was taken down in the box.
The dodged another bullet in the second half after dumping O’Rear again in the 18. This time the Redhawks were awarded a penalty kick with 22:48 left, but O’Rear hit the right post with her shot and then knocked the rebound over the crossbar.
“She is a very smart forward,” Dellin said of O’Rear. “She would push up against our backline as far as it would go, and I think that definitely got us scrambled some times.
“Then (Norkett) was an amazing attacking player once she got through the midfield. When she got through them, it was trying to stay between (O’Rear) and (Norkett) so they wouldn’t score.”
Though Norkett eventually foiled that strategy, New Trier sophomore midfielder Josie Noble was satisfied with her team’s effort.
“I felt we played pretty good,” Noble said. “We’re all kind of tired but that (Norkett) was kind of unstoppable in the midfield.
“She’s a really good player, and it’s hard to deal with someone like that. I’m glad we got the experience of trying to defend a team with really good attacking players like that.
“The more experience and the more we learn, the more we can prepare for playoffs. We’ll get there.”
This has been a down season by New Trier’s lofty standards – the Trevians have lost five regular season games for the first time since 2007 – but it would be foolish to count them out. Better times are ahead.
“We’ve been told we have a target on our back, for sure,” Noble said. “It’s been interesting to kind of figure out where we are as a team, and it’s been nice to see a lot of growth throughout the season. But from our first game to today, I’d say we’re 10,000 times better.”
Starting lineups
New Trier
GK Caroline Hague
D Sadie-Grace Richardson
D Honor Dold
D Ava Shah
F Charlotte Dellin
M Josie Noble
M Annie Paden
M Clara Deliduka
M Sybil Evans
F Elizabeth Marquardt
F Kendall Sierens
Naperville Central
GK Abby O’Connor
D Sam Sharp
D Taylor Walk
D Sarah McCracken
D Ella Burke
M Grace Granato
M Megan Norkett
M Chloe Mowry
F Molly O’Rear
F Lauren Thorne
F Maddie Boogerd
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match:
Megan Norkett, jr., MF, Naperville Central.
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Naperville Central – Megan Norkett 19:03 remaining
Naperville Central – Norkett 14:34 remaining