Hook it like Hein! SCN tops Neuqua Valley
Senior forward curls in 2 corners in North Stars 6-0 victory
By Chris Walker
ST. CHARLES -- A corner kick bent into the net is one of the most impressive goals you will ever see on a soccer field.
St. Charles North senior Sophia Hein did it twice during a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon to lead the North Stars (1-0-0) to a 6-0 victory over visiting Neuqua Valley.
“To be honest, after the first one I was just trying to get another good ball in and just got a really good angle,” she said. “When I kicked the ball and saw it curling in, I was like ‘That’s going in.’ I’ve actually done it a few times with my club team before. With the way the wind was going I thought I’ll be able to do it again and kind of went for it again, and it worked out in my favor.”
Hein’s first goal came with 11:26 remaining in the first half and gave the North Stars a 3-0 advantage.
They’d add to their lead a couple minutes later when Sidney Timms scored before Hein delivered again with a little over a minute left before half to make it 5-0.
“I didn’t start taking corner kicks until this season,” Hein said. “I would take a few last season, but we kind of switched through a few people. But this year at practice I’ve been taking a lot of the corner kicks. We have set plays with certain people in the box where I’ve been taking the corner kicks, and we have really good chemistry with that going on.”
Since set pieces such as corner kicks allow a team like the North Stars to take the time to maneuver their players into a better position to score, they are opportunities that can make or break a game. While this wasn’t a game where one set piece proved to be the difference, those games will come. Seeing success early, and putting opponents in such difficult situations, will likely prove rewarding this spring.
“I don’t necessarily know if she was trying to score those,” North Stars coach Brian Harks said. “I’m sure she wasn’t; but the pace she put them on, she put them in a dangerous position.
“On any type of set pieces you put the ball in a good position and hope that something positive happens, and she put it in an excellent spot two times.”
With the box crowded, the wind blowing, the rain falling and both teams just getting their season started, the North Stars created chaos on the two corner kicks that resulted in Olympic goals.
“It’s chaotic,” Harks said. “It’s just both sides doing whatever they can to put the ball in the back of the net or just clear it out of their box and Xs and Os kind of go out the window.”
Hein, who was named Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match, said trying to decipher her kicks from the perspective of her teammates and the Wildcats and their goalkeeper, Zoe Fabian, had to be challenging.
“When the ball is in the air, you don’t know which direction it’s going to go and how it’s going to play off your foot,” she said. “It’s hard to get that perfect contact. When the ball is in the air like that, add in another factor. It makes it hard to read the ball so you have to anticipate it and make sure you have the right run to have good positioning on the ball.”
Neuqua Valley (0-2-0) fell behind early, yielding a pair of goals in the first 10 minutes before Hein got started with her corner kick magic.
“I can’t argue with any of their goals in the first half,” Wildcats coach Joe Moreau said. “Two corners that were great driven corner kicks and three strong shots that our goalkeeper couldn’t have gotten. They’re a strong team, and we weren’t unhappy with how we played, especially in the first half. I thought we worked the ball a little bit into the wind.”
Maya Stone had a corner kick for the Wildcats that challenged the North Stars late in the first half, but they were able to safely clear it out. Similar chances were limited the rest of the afternoon.
“We’re happy with how they’re battling and how they’re pressuring the ball,” Moreau said. “We have to clean some things up defensively and clear the ball a little bit better, but I think we’re doing some good things.”
Ranked no. 24 in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 poll, the Wildcats dropped their opener, 3-1, to no. 10 Barrington on Thursday.
“We’ve played two teams that could easily get downstate, and we’re playing them right away,” Moreau said. “We’re not displeased at all. They played well.”
The no. 17 North Starts wasted little time setting the tone in this one. They got a free kick goal from Michigan State recruit Bella Najera with 32:20 still remaining in the first half. That was followed by a Leah Bellock goal a little more than a minute later.
“Neuqua Valley came out strong so we wanted to prove ourselves. Our mindset before the game was to go hard for everything,” Najera said. “When I got the opportunity to score, I knew I had the shot for it; and I just went for it.
“I think we really got momentum after I scored that goal, and we were already really excited for the game. We saw other teams already playing games so we wanted to just get out there and play and prove ourselves.”
The North Stars scored three times in the final 11:26 of the first half and increased their lead late in the second half when Julianna Park, who had assisted on Timms’ goal, scored. Sophie Sutherland collected her second assist of the game after she distributed the ball to Bellock earlier.
“We had five different goal-scorers which shows we have quality from each player that steps on the field,” Najera said. “It’s really hard for other teams, because we possess the ball really well and do so well together.”
Hein said the North Stars had to fight back at times last season, so jumping on teams early is something they are stressing this spring.
“Last year we kind of had trouble scoring right way,” she said. “There were quite a few games we were down and had to come back. This year we just talked about getting a good start at the beginning of the game. Just coming out and jumping on it right away so we can show the other team what we’re here for, and it’s not going to be an easy game for them.”
So far, so good.
“I know last year we kind of didn’t get off to the start that we wanted to,” Hein said. “But this year the first practice we had everyone out there playing their hardest, and it was super competitive.
“I really think that translated into this game today. Everyone had so much energy, and we were having so much fun, so much adrenalin. Everyone was working for every ball and wanted to go out there and have great start of the season and set the tone for the rest of our games.”
Harks was impressed with how the North Stars moved the ball and connected to feet, and how their efforts in practice were rewarded on the field.
“I thought Bella Najera did a fantastic job with her distribution,” he said. “(Sophie) Sutherland was a really nice anchor player up-top for us.
“The players coming in off the bench were able to provide a spark, and I think that’s what you look for from players coming off the bench.”
The North Stars looked so good that many players deserved to be commended for their performance.
“There were so many nice things that happened,” Harks said. “Our backline really set the tone. I thought (Martina) Nava and (Abby) Vichich did a really nice job as center backs kind of anchoring our outsides. Sidney Timms and (Lauren) Balster mixed time with Chloe Kirsten on the outside. They all did a nice job of communicating as a backline and to see that in game one is really encouraging.
“I think a lot of players really stepped up this year,” he continued. “There’s been a lot of improvement from last year to this year, both physically and just from a confidence level. There are some younger players that are stepping into bigger roles, and they’re ready for it.”
Starting lineups
Neuqua Valley
GK: Zoe Fabian
D: Lauryn Adamski
D: Briana Clasen
D: Kassie Salviola
D: Maya Stone
MF: Bailey Harrboldt
MF: Lauren Milani
MF: Brooke Miller
F: Selma Larbi
F: Megan McCarthy
F: Abby Michalczyk
St. Charles North
GK: Kara Claussner
D: Martina Nava
D: Lauren Balster
D: Sidney Timms
D: Abby Vichich
MF: Kayla Floyd
MF: Sophie Kirsten
MF: Bella Najera
MF: Juliana Park
F: Sophia Hein
F: Sophie Sutherland
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match:
Sophia Hein, sr., F, St. Charles North
Scoring summary
First half
St. Charles North: Bella Najera (unassisted), 9th minute
St. Charles North: Leah Bellock (Sophie Sutherland), 10th minute
St. Charles North: Sophia Hein (unassisted), 30th minute
St. Charles North: Sidney Timms (Julianna Park), 32nd minute
St. Charles North: Hein (unassisted), 39th minute
Second half
St. Charles North: Park (Sutherland)
Senior forward curls in 2 corners in North Stars 6-0 victory
By Chris Walker
ST. CHARLES -- A corner kick bent into the net is one of the most impressive goals you will ever see on a soccer field.
St. Charles North senior Sophia Hein did it twice during a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon to lead the North Stars (1-0-0) to a 6-0 victory over visiting Neuqua Valley.
“To be honest, after the first one I was just trying to get another good ball in and just got a really good angle,” she said. “When I kicked the ball and saw it curling in, I was like ‘That’s going in.’ I’ve actually done it a few times with my club team before. With the way the wind was going I thought I’ll be able to do it again and kind of went for it again, and it worked out in my favor.”
Hein’s first goal came with 11:26 remaining in the first half and gave the North Stars a 3-0 advantage.
They’d add to their lead a couple minutes later when Sidney Timms scored before Hein delivered again with a little over a minute left before half to make it 5-0.
“I didn’t start taking corner kicks until this season,” Hein said. “I would take a few last season, but we kind of switched through a few people. But this year at practice I’ve been taking a lot of the corner kicks. We have set plays with certain people in the box where I’ve been taking the corner kicks, and we have really good chemistry with that going on.”
Since set pieces such as corner kicks allow a team like the North Stars to take the time to maneuver their players into a better position to score, they are opportunities that can make or break a game. While this wasn’t a game where one set piece proved to be the difference, those games will come. Seeing success early, and putting opponents in such difficult situations, will likely prove rewarding this spring.
“I don’t necessarily know if she was trying to score those,” North Stars coach Brian Harks said. “I’m sure she wasn’t; but the pace she put them on, she put them in a dangerous position.
“On any type of set pieces you put the ball in a good position and hope that something positive happens, and she put it in an excellent spot two times.”
With the box crowded, the wind blowing, the rain falling and both teams just getting their season started, the North Stars created chaos on the two corner kicks that resulted in Olympic goals.
“It’s chaotic,” Harks said. “It’s just both sides doing whatever they can to put the ball in the back of the net or just clear it out of their box and Xs and Os kind of go out the window.”
Hein, who was named Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match, said trying to decipher her kicks from the perspective of her teammates and the Wildcats and their goalkeeper, Zoe Fabian, had to be challenging.
“When the ball is in the air, you don’t know which direction it’s going to go and how it’s going to play off your foot,” she said. “It’s hard to get that perfect contact. When the ball is in the air like that, add in another factor. It makes it hard to read the ball so you have to anticipate it and make sure you have the right run to have good positioning on the ball.”
Neuqua Valley (0-2-0) fell behind early, yielding a pair of goals in the first 10 minutes before Hein got started with her corner kick magic.
“I can’t argue with any of their goals in the first half,” Wildcats coach Joe Moreau said. “Two corners that were great driven corner kicks and three strong shots that our goalkeeper couldn’t have gotten. They’re a strong team, and we weren’t unhappy with how we played, especially in the first half. I thought we worked the ball a little bit into the wind.”
Maya Stone had a corner kick for the Wildcats that challenged the North Stars late in the first half, but they were able to safely clear it out. Similar chances were limited the rest of the afternoon.
“We’re happy with how they’re battling and how they’re pressuring the ball,” Moreau said. “We have to clean some things up defensively and clear the ball a little bit better, but I think we’re doing some good things.”
Ranked no. 24 in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 poll, the Wildcats dropped their opener, 3-1, to no. 10 Barrington on Thursday.
“We’ve played two teams that could easily get downstate, and we’re playing them right away,” Moreau said. “We’re not displeased at all. They played well.”
The no. 17 North Starts wasted little time setting the tone in this one. They got a free kick goal from Michigan State recruit Bella Najera with 32:20 still remaining in the first half. That was followed by a Leah Bellock goal a little more than a minute later.
“Neuqua Valley came out strong so we wanted to prove ourselves. Our mindset before the game was to go hard for everything,” Najera said. “When I got the opportunity to score, I knew I had the shot for it; and I just went for it.
“I think we really got momentum after I scored that goal, and we were already really excited for the game. We saw other teams already playing games so we wanted to just get out there and play and prove ourselves.”
The North Stars scored three times in the final 11:26 of the first half and increased their lead late in the second half when Julianna Park, who had assisted on Timms’ goal, scored. Sophie Sutherland collected her second assist of the game after she distributed the ball to Bellock earlier.
“We had five different goal-scorers which shows we have quality from each player that steps on the field,” Najera said. “It’s really hard for other teams, because we possess the ball really well and do so well together.”
Hein said the North Stars had to fight back at times last season, so jumping on teams early is something they are stressing this spring.
“Last year we kind of had trouble scoring right way,” she said. “There were quite a few games we were down and had to come back. This year we just talked about getting a good start at the beginning of the game. Just coming out and jumping on it right away so we can show the other team what we’re here for, and it’s not going to be an easy game for them.”
So far, so good.
“I know last year we kind of didn’t get off to the start that we wanted to,” Hein said. “But this year the first practice we had everyone out there playing their hardest, and it was super competitive.
“I really think that translated into this game today. Everyone had so much energy, and we were having so much fun, so much adrenalin. Everyone was working for every ball and wanted to go out there and have great start of the season and set the tone for the rest of our games.”
Harks was impressed with how the North Stars moved the ball and connected to feet, and how their efforts in practice were rewarded on the field.
“I thought Bella Najera did a fantastic job with her distribution,” he said. “(Sophie) Sutherland was a really nice anchor player up-top for us.
“The players coming in off the bench were able to provide a spark, and I think that’s what you look for from players coming off the bench.”
The North Stars looked so good that many players deserved to be commended for their performance.
“There were so many nice things that happened,” Harks said. “Our backline really set the tone. I thought (Martina) Nava and (Abby) Vichich did a really nice job as center backs kind of anchoring our outsides. Sidney Timms and (Lauren) Balster mixed time with Chloe Kirsten on the outside. They all did a nice job of communicating as a backline and to see that in game one is really encouraging.
“I think a lot of players really stepped up this year,” he continued. “There’s been a lot of improvement from last year to this year, both physically and just from a confidence level. There are some younger players that are stepping into bigger roles, and they’re ready for it.”
Starting lineups
Neuqua Valley
GK: Zoe Fabian
D: Lauryn Adamski
D: Briana Clasen
D: Kassie Salviola
D: Maya Stone
MF: Bailey Harrboldt
MF: Lauren Milani
MF: Brooke Miller
F: Selma Larbi
F: Megan McCarthy
F: Abby Michalczyk
St. Charles North
GK: Kara Claussner
D: Martina Nava
D: Lauren Balster
D: Sidney Timms
D: Abby Vichich
MF: Kayla Floyd
MF: Sophie Kirsten
MF: Bella Najera
MF: Juliana Park
F: Sophia Hein
F: Sophie Sutherland
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match:
Sophia Hein, sr., F, St. Charles North
Scoring summary
First half
St. Charles North: Bella Najera (unassisted), 9th minute
St. Charles North: Leah Bellock (Sophie Sutherland), 10th minute
St. Charles North: Sophia Hein (unassisted), 30th minute
St. Charles North: Sidney Timms (Julianna Park), 32nd minute
St. Charles North: Hein (unassisted), 39th minute
Second half
St. Charles North: Park (Sutherland)