Libertyville edges New Trier
in ‘super’ double OT
Wildcats advance to 1st Final 4 since winning tourney in 2001
By Bill McLean
NORTHBROOK — Libertyville senior midfielder Faith Roberts briefly interrupted teammate Avery Gleason’s media session near midfield after Tuesday night’s Class 3A supersectional at Glenbrook North.
“Here, this is yours,” said Roberts, handing a game ball to the junior forward.
A smiling Gleason, surrounded by a trio of scribblers, held the award in both hands and immediately pictured it serving as the primary piece of a mobile.
“Maybe I’ll hang it from the ceiling in my bedroom,” she said.
Libertyville gets to hang around for a couple more days in the postseason and vie for a shinier prize after its 1-0, double-overtime win over serial-state-finals qualifier New Trier at Will Lutz Stadium.
Gleason’s electric goal in the 96th minute, off a swell feed from junior midfielder Abby Gordon, advanced the Wildcats to a state semifinal date with O’Fallon’s Panthers (18-2-0) on Friday at Hoffman Estates. Game time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
The earlier 3A state semi pits Barrington (17-1-2) against Lyons (19-0-0) at 4:30 p.m.
Libertyville (17-1-0), ranked no. 3 in the final Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, last appeared in the Final Four in 2001 — the year it went 25-1-0 and captured the program’s second state title when the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) staged only one girls soccer state tournament.
Six-time state champion New Trier, ranked no. 4 in the Top 25, finished with a 20-2-4 record but couldn’t finish any of its numerous chances against Libertyville’s superb defenders and brilliant senior goalkeeper Hannah Vieth (15 saves).
“Our resiliency today impressed me the most,” Libertyville coach Daniel De Paz said. “Hats off to New Trier … that team came at us, hard.
“Hannah hadn’t really been tested all season,” he added. “We certainly found out today what we have in goal. Some of her saves were on shots from distance, so maybe the number is a bit inflated. But Hannah played great for us, made outstanding saves. I’m happy for her and the rest of the team.”
New Trier’s only loss in the regular season came at the feet of Libertyville on May 1, when De Paz’s crew nipped New Trier 2-1 on the Trevians’ home pitch in Northfield.
“Our game plan was to be more aggressive and composed than we were when we first played Libertyville, and I thought we executed it well,” said Trevians senior forward and Boston University-bound Morgan Fagan, who once again dazzled all with her dribbling skills and overall soccer acumen.
“Disappointing ending,” she added.
Gleason ended the seemingly endless stalemate on a pleasant evening by anticipating Gordon’s lengthy pass from midfield, breaking quickly to field it cleanly and then striking a shot from just outside the top of the box that beat New Trier senior keeper Wynne Hague (four saves).
Simple geometry played a vital role seconds before Gleason’s 15th goal of the season.
“I had a better angle this time,” said Gleason, alluding to the other chances she had throughout the matchup of top-seeded sectional teams. “I had a similar goal against Mundelein this season with a similar assist from Abby.”
De Paz lauded Gordon’s pass and later praised Gleason for, well, being Gleason.
“Avery is such a great player,” the coach said after addressing his ecstatic players along a sideline. “The way she broke through there, before scoring that goal, and then finishing the way she did … that’s Avery doing her thing.”
Libertyville’s backs were dandy — emphasis on ‘d’ — in front of Vieth, who first played goal as a 10-year-old. Senior center back Lauren Milz, senior Addie Whisenand and juniors Riley Brennan and Sally Grace Rogers foiled New Trier’s potent attack.
Trevians senior and Wake Forest-bound Kate Dobsch, listed as a defender, played tireless soccer in the midfield and up-top all night. Fagan found a box-planted Alex Wirth a couple of times with dangerous crosses; and seniors Caroline Finnigan and Anna Marshall initiated forays that put the Wildcats on red alert often.
But Libertyville blunted, blocked, stymied, frustrated and stole.
“We wanted to go out there and throw everything at them,” said Trevians coach Jim Burnside, the 57th inductee into the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association (IHSSCA) Hall of Fame. “It didn’t go our way today. Little bounces happen. Other little things happen. That’s the game of soccer.”
His players’ hearts?
Far from little.
“They’re huge, all the way across,” Burnside said.
Footnotes
“One”-derful stuff: Libertyville won its first girls soccer state title in 1991, under coach Andy Bitto. In 2001 Wildcats coach Scott Schinto guided the program to another state championship. Wildcat Nation today has to feel good that the last number in 2021 matches the last number of the year in each of those memorable seasons. … NT goalkeeper Hague made four saves in her final prep game Tuesday night. Classmate Alex Wirth, a forward, made a more meaningful save — in a pool — earlier in the month. A lifeguard at Centennial Family Aquatic Center in Wilmette, Wirth jumped into the water to help a 10-year-old boy who had been struggling to stay afloat. Wirth suffered a broken right arm in a mid-season practice and, after sitting out for a couple of weeks, had to play the rest of the season with a heavy, cumbersome-looking cast. … Fagan usually plays attacking midfielder for her club, Eclipse North. Burnside deployed her on a wing in 2021, and for that, Fagan was grateful. “I had fun all season, getting to do my dribbling things on the outside,” the future BU Terrier said after her final prep game on Tuesday night. … Libertyville junior forward Lauren Rocco finished with exactly 0 goals and 0 assists in Tuesday night’s supersectional at Glenbrook North. But she played magnificently at both ends of the pitch, extending possessions with her foot skills and motoring around as if she’d been stuck in fifth gear. … Quite a run: The last year a New Trier girls soccer team did not make a state finals appearance (other than in 2020, when the season was canceled) was in 2013.
Starting lineups
Libertyville
GK Hannah Vieth
D Riley Brennan
D Lauren Milz
D Sally Grace Rogers
D Addie Whisenand
M Abby Gordon
M Lanie Szatmary
M Payton Nolan
F Avery Gleason
F Lauren Rocco
F Paige Gleason
New Trier
GK Wynne Hogue
D Jenna Birdsell
D Anna Marshall
D Ava Shah
M Mia Sedgwick
M Caroline Finnigan
M Kate Dobsch
M Annie Paden
F Alex Wirth
F Sadie-Grace Richardson
F Morgan Fagan
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match:
Hannah Vieth, sr., GK, Libertyville
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
No scoring
First overtime
No scoring
Second overtime
Libertyville — A. Gleason (Gordon), 96’
in ‘super’ double OT
Wildcats advance to 1st Final 4 since winning tourney in 2001
By Bill McLean
NORTHBROOK — Libertyville senior midfielder Faith Roberts briefly interrupted teammate Avery Gleason’s media session near midfield after Tuesday night’s Class 3A supersectional at Glenbrook North.
“Here, this is yours,” said Roberts, handing a game ball to the junior forward.
A smiling Gleason, surrounded by a trio of scribblers, held the award in both hands and immediately pictured it serving as the primary piece of a mobile.
“Maybe I’ll hang it from the ceiling in my bedroom,” she said.
Libertyville gets to hang around for a couple more days in the postseason and vie for a shinier prize after its 1-0, double-overtime win over serial-state-finals qualifier New Trier at Will Lutz Stadium.
Gleason’s electric goal in the 96th minute, off a swell feed from junior midfielder Abby Gordon, advanced the Wildcats to a state semifinal date with O’Fallon’s Panthers (18-2-0) on Friday at Hoffman Estates. Game time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
The earlier 3A state semi pits Barrington (17-1-2) against Lyons (19-0-0) at 4:30 p.m.
Libertyville (17-1-0), ranked no. 3 in the final Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, last appeared in the Final Four in 2001 — the year it went 25-1-0 and captured the program’s second state title when the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) staged only one girls soccer state tournament.
Six-time state champion New Trier, ranked no. 4 in the Top 25, finished with a 20-2-4 record but couldn’t finish any of its numerous chances against Libertyville’s superb defenders and brilliant senior goalkeeper Hannah Vieth (15 saves).
“Our resiliency today impressed me the most,” Libertyville coach Daniel De Paz said. “Hats off to New Trier … that team came at us, hard.
“Hannah hadn’t really been tested all season,” he added. “We certainly found out today what we have in goal. Some of her saves were on shots from distance, so maybe the number is a bit inflated. But Hannah played great for us, made outstanding saves. I’m happy for her and the rest of the team.”
New Trier’s only loss in the regular season came at the feet of Libertyville on May 1, when De Paz’s crew nipped New Trier 2-1 on the Trevians’ home pitch in Northfield.
“Our game plan was to be more aggressive and composed than we were when we first played Libertyville, and I thought we executed it well,” said Trevians senior forward and Boston University-bound Morgan Fagan, who once again dazzled all with her dribbling skills and overall soccer acumen.
“Disappointing ending,” she added.
Gleason ended the seemingly endless stalemate on a pleasant evening by anticipating Gordon’s lengthy pass from midfield, breaking quickly to field it cleanly and then striking a shot from just outside the top of the box that beat New Trier senior keeper Wynne Hague (four saves).
Simple geometry played a vital role seconds before Gleason’s 15th goal of the season.
“I had a better angle this time,” said Gleason, alluding to the other chances she had throughout the matchup of top-seeded sectional teams. “I had a similar goal against Mundelein this season with a similar assist from Abby.”
De Paz lauded Gordon’s pass and later praised Gleason for, well, being Gleason.
“Avery is such a great player,” the coach said after addressing his ecstatic players along a sideline. “The way she broke through there, before scoring that goal, and then finishing the way she did … that’s Avery doing her thing.”
Libertyville’s backs were dandy — emphasis on ‘d’ — in front of Vieth, who first played goal as a 10-year-old. Senior center back Lauren Milz, senior Addie Whisenand and juniors Riley Brennan and Sally Grace Rogers foiled New Trier’s potent attack.
Trevians senior and Wake Forest-bound Kate Dobsch, listed as a defender, played tireless soccer in the midfield and up-top all night. Fagan found a box-planted Alex Wirth a couple of times with dangerous crosses; and seniors Caroline Finnigan and Anna Marshall initiated forays that put the Wildcats on red alert often.
But Libertyville blunted, blocked, stymied, frustrated and stole.
“We wanted to go out there and throw everything at them,” said Trevians coach Jim Burnside, the 57th inductee into the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association (IHSSCA) Hall of Fame. “It didn’t go our way today. Little bounces happen. Other little things happen. That’s the game of soccer.”
His players’ hearts?
Far from little.
“They’re huge, all the way across,” Burnside said.
Footnotes
“One”-derful stuff: Libertyville won its first girls soccer state title in 1991, under coach Andy Bitto. In 2001 Wildcats coach Scott Schinto guided the program to another state championship. Wildcat Nation today has to feel good that the last number in 2021 matches the last number of the year in each of those memorable seasons. … NT goalkeeper Hague made four saves in her final prep game Tuesday night. Classmate Alex Wirth, a forward, made a more meaningful save — in a pool — earlier in the month. A lifeguard at Centennial Family Aquatic Center in Wilmette, Wirth jumped into the water to help a 10-year-old boy who had been struggling to stay afloat. Wirth suffered a broken right arm in a mid-season practice and, after sitting out for a couple of weeks, had to play the rest of the season with a heavy, cumbersome-looking cast. … Fagan usually plays attacking midfielder for her club, Eclipse North. Burnside deployed her on a wing in 2021, and for that, Fagan was grateful. “I had fun all season, getting to do my dribbling things on the outside,” the future BU Terrier said after her final prep game on Tuesday night. … Libertyville junior forward Lauren Rocco finished with exactly 0 goals and 0 assists in Tuesday night’s supersectional at Glenbrook North. But she played magnificently at both ends of the pitch, extending possessions with her foot skills and motoring around as if she’d been stuck in fifth gear. … Quite a run: The last year a New Trier girls soccer team did not make a state finals appearance (other than in 2020, when the season was canceled) was in 2013.
Starting lineups
Libertyville
GK Hannah Vieth
D Riley Brennan
D Lauren Milz
D Sally Grace Rogers
D Addie Whisenand
M Abby Gordon
M Lanie Szatmary
M Payton Nolan
F Avery Gleason
F Lauren Rocco
F Paige Gleason
New Trier
GK Wynne Hogue
D Jenna Birdsell
D Anna Marshall
D Ava Shah
M Mia Sedgwick
M Caroline Finnigan
M Kate Dobsch
M Annie Paden
F Alex Wirth
F Sadie-Grace Richardson
F Morgan Fagan
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match:
Hannah Vieth, sr., GK, Libertyville
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
No scoring
First overtime
No scoring
Second overtime
Libertyville — A. Gleason (Gordon), 96’