Oswego E. finds touch against Bolingbrook
Strong 2nd half powers 3-1 Plainfield Classic consolation victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
PLAINFIELD -- Managing expectations is not always easy in soccer. Few sports have such a naturally high failure rate. The difficult part is adjusting to the lost opportunities, the shot that pushes just wide or the touch that goes slightly long or off target.
Oswego East had every reason to feel cursed against Bolingbrook. The Wolves dominated the first 20 minutes. Play was lodged almost exclusively in the Raiders’ final third, especially the box.
The Wolves had multiple shots on goal, a free kick from 25 yards that just skipped past a runner, and a breakaway that ended with a dispiriting kick save by Bolingbrook goalkeeper Vixy Enriquez.
“That is the thing we are always trying to work, dominate the game and possess the ball in the middle and create our opportunities,” Oswego East coach Juan Leal said. “We have been struggling with finishing this year, but it does not deter our girls from building up to the play.
“Once we we get our rhythm and finding the back of the net we are going to be where we need to be.”
Accentuating the early disappointment at not being able to convert, Oswego East found itself down in the 23rd minute after Bolingbrook junior midfielder Abigail Dellamorte drilled a free kick inside the fast post for the stunning 1-0 Raiders lead.
“Usually on free kicks we take our time with them and try to get organized and have everybody ready to make a run,” Dellamorte said. “But I saw the far post was open, and I just tried to get it there as best as I could
She scored her team-best ninth goal of the year.
Oswego East did not get mad. They got even and found their lost touch.
Forward Sydney Conway scored a goal and added an assist and star defender Allison Adams helped lock down the Raiders’ offense in the second half as the Wolves glided to the 3-1 victory in consolation play of the Plainfield Classic on Saturday afternoon at Plainfield Central High School.
A Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List member for her breakout sophomore year last year, Adams is the lynchpin of the Wolves attack, a two-way starter whose defensive acumen shapes the manner of the physical backline and a creator through her free kicks and ability to direct the offense from the back.
“Throughout the season we have done a good job of building and creating opportunities, and now it is just a matter of finishing and also learning how to defend in transition,” Adams said. “The goal they scored today was a transition goal, and we have to learn how to counter that or take it away.
“We have to keep up this winning mentality.”
Oswego East (5-5-1) recovered beautifully and never looked back. Less than a minute after the Raiders’ goal, sophomore midfielder Alex McPhee delivered for the Wolves after her early free kicks were just off the mark.
In the 24th minute from the left wing, she smashed a ball that glanced off the arm of Enriquez to sophomore midfielder Brooke Lipscombe, who was perfectly positioned for the putback.
Relaxed at after finally finishing, Oswego East controlled the balance of the game. McPhee and Chloe Noon stabilized the middle. Conway had the run of play at the top of the attack and continued to pay dividents after a requested move from a midfield slot to an attacking role.
Oswego East has been a different team ever since Conway's move forward.
“I have played forward with my club team, so this was not a new move for me,” Conway said. “I understand the position and how to play the different parts, and also I know when to look for the balls from the midfielders, or Allison in the back.”
Conway authored the game-winning sequence at the start of the second half. Driving the ball hard down the right edge, she created contact with a Bolingbrook defender, who drove her into the ground as she made her foray to the goal.
Her resulting penalty kick goal in the 44th minute gave the Wolves a lead they never relinquished.
“At halftime we we talked with them and said not to give up or lose concentration and keep doing what we are doing,” Leal said. “We know what we are doing is right; we just have to finish. Once we had a few more opportunities -- the penalty kick helped -- we made the right progression.”
Wolves’ keeper Reagan Sanders, a four-year starter, made five saves. The most impressive was a point-blank block of Dellamorte in the first half. Bolingbrook (4-8-3) never mounted any truly serious scoring threats in the second half.
“They were moving the ball a lot. They were very physical, and they made it difficult for us,” Dellamorte said. “We are a younger group with only a few seniors, and I think we struggled connecting on our passes.”
Bolingbrook coach Matthew Kocourek said his team played well. An already depleted roster could not counter the quickness and athleticism of the Wolves.
“I think what happened is the girls have been working really hard the whole tournament,” he said. “As it turns out, some of our bench is out, and we were without some players. We were forced to play a lot of minutes, and I think that has been taxing on us.
“Oswego East is a good team, and they really connect well. They probably should have scored a few more, but they gave themselves an opportunity to win and they did.”
Adams earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for her standout play. She bottled up the dangerous Dellamorte in the second half and hHer free kicks ignited the attack.
“I really like to play the ball long,” she said. “I see Sydney up there, and that is what I like to go for. I think that is one of the things that I am really better at.”
Oswego East put the game away in the 50th minute. An Adams’s free kick freed up Conway on the right edge. She drove the flank and whipped the ball across to midfielder Taylor English, who buried a left-footed ball inside the near post from about 14 yards.
Oswego East played well in games against the two best teams in the tournament, eventual champion and no. 20 Waubonsie Valley, and semifinalist West Aurora. This is a team starting to believe in itself.
“We made our statement a couple of games ago against Waubonsie and West Aurora, where we controlled the game but just didn’t win,” Leal said. “We have played some really formidable opponents, and that is getting us ready for the Naperville Invitational this week.
“We are going to use that tournament as a tool to really gauge where we are at. We are heading into a good direction. We want to give some of our younger girls a feeling of what it is like to play at that level.”
Adams said the Wolves are here to be part of the conversation.
“We want to show the other teams that we can compete with them,” she said. “We are also using these tougher games to get ready for the playoff mentality. Once you get further along in the playoffs, you are not going to face these easy games all the time. They are going to be the Naperville Norths and the Lyons Townships.
“The invitational is not only going to help us gain some momentum but also get ready for the state tournament.”
Starting lineups
Bolingbrook
GK: Vixy Enriquez
D: Jessica Randall
D: Cassandra Lopez
D: Graciela Navas
D: Liz Paz
MF: Paula Paz
MF: Abigail Dellamorte
MF: Kelly Julio
MF Paige Smith
F: Stephanie Soler de Paz
F: Jane Villagran
Oswego East
GK: Reagan Sanders
D: Madison Kastel
D: Allison Adams
D: Abbey Scott
D: Katie Olivas
MF: Sammy Anderson
MF: Chloe Noon
MF: Alex McPhee
MF: Taylor English
F: Madison Frazer
F: Sydney Conway
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Allison Adams, jr., D, Oswego East
Scoring summary
First half
Bolingbrook—Abigail Dellamorte (free kick), 23rd minute
Oswego East—Brooke Lipscomb (Alex McPhee), 24th minute
Second half
Oswego East—Sydney Conway (penalty kick), 44th minute
Oswego East—Taylor English (Conway), 50th minute
Strong 2nd half powers 3-1 Plainfield Classic consolation victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
PLAINFIELD -- Managing expectations is not always easy in soccer. Few sports have such a naturally high failure rate. The difficult part is adjusting to the lost opportunities, the shot that pushes just wide or the touch that goes slightly long or off target.
Oswego East had every reason to feel cursed against Bolingbrook. The Wolves dominated the first 20 minutes. Play was lodged almost exclusively in the Raiders’ final third, especially the box.
The Wolves had multiple shots on goal, a free kick from 25 yards that just skipped past a runner, and a breakaway that ended with a dispiriting kick save by Bolingbrook goalkeeper Vixy Enriquez.
“That is the thing we are always trying to work, dominate the game and possess the ball in the middle and create our opportunities,” Oswego East coach Juan Leal said. “We have been struggling with finishing this year, but it does not deter our girls from building up to the play.
“Once we we get our rhythm and finding the back of the net we are going to be where we need to be.”
Accentuating the early disappointment at not being able to convert, Oswego East found itself down in the 23rd minute after Bolingbrook junior midfielder Abigail Dellamorte drilled a free kick inside the fast post for the stunning 1-0 Raiders lead.
“Usually on free kicks we take our time with them and try to get organized and have everybody ready to make a run,” Dellamorte said. “But I saw the far post was open, and I just tried to get it there as best as I could
She scored her team-best ninth goal of the year.
Oswego East did not get mad. They got even and found their lost touch.
Forward Sydney Conway scored a goal and added an assist and star defender Allison Adams helped lock down the Raiders’ offense in the second half as the Wolves glided to the 3-1 victory in consolation play of the Plainfield Classic on Saturday afternoon at Plainfield Central High School.
A Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List member for her breakout sophomore year last year, Adams is the lynchpin of the Wolves attack, a two-way starter whose defensive acumen shapes the manner of the physical backline and a creator through her free kicks and ability to direct the offense from the back.
“Throughout the season we have done a good job of building and creating opportunities, and now it is just a matter of finishing and also learning how to defend in transition,” Adams said. “The goal they scored today was a transition goal, and we have to learn how to counter that or take it away.
“We have to keep up this winning mentality.”
Oswego East (5-5-1) recovered beautifully and never looked back. Less than a minute after the Raiders’ goal, sophomore midfielder Alex McPhee delivered for the Wolves after her early free kicks were just off the mark.
In the 24th minute from the left wing, she smashed a ball that glanced off the arm of Enriquez to sophomore midfielder Brooke Lipscombe, who was perfectly positioned for the putback.
Relaxed at after finally finishing, Oswego East controlled the balance of the game. McPhee and Chloe Noon stabilized the middle. Conway had the run of play at the top of the attack and continued to pay dividents after a requested move from a midfield slot to an attacking role.
Oswego East has been a different team ever since Conway's move forward.
“I have played forward with my club team, so this was not a new move for me,” Conway said. “I understand the position and how to play the different parts, and also I know when to look for the balls from the midfielders, or Allison in the back.”
Conway authored the game-winning sequence at the start of the second half. Driving the ball hard down the right edge, she created contact with a Bolingbrook defender, who drove her into the ground as she made her foray to the goal.
Her resulting penalty kick goal in the 44th minute gave the Wolves a lead they never relinquished.
“At halftime we we talked with them and said not to give up or lose concentration and keep doing what we are doing,” Leal said. “We know what we are doing is right; we just have to finish. Once we had a few more opportunities -- the penalty kick helped -- we made the right progression.”
Wolves’ keeper Reagan Sanders, a four-year starter, made five saves. The most impressive was a point-blank block of Dellamorte in the first half. Bolingbrook (4-8-3) never mounted any truly serious scoring threats in the second half.
“They were moving the ball a lot. They were very physical, and they made it difficult for us,” Dellamorte said. “We are a younger group with only a few seniors, and I think we struggled connecting on our passes.”
Bolingbrook coach Matthew Kocourek said his team played well. An already depleted roster could not counter the quickness and athleticism of the Wolves.
“I think what happened is the girls have been working really hard the whole tournament,” he said. “As it turns out, some of our bench is out, and we were without some players. We were forced to play a lot of minutes, and I think that has been taxing on us.
“Oswego East is a good team, and they really connect well. They probably should have scored a few more, but they gave themselves an opportunity to win and they did.”
Adams earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for her standout play. She bottled up the dangerous Dellamorte in the second half and hHer free kicks ignited the attack.
“I really like to play the ball long,” she said. “I see Sydney up there, and that is what I like to go for. I think that is one of the things that I am really better at.”
Oswego East put the game away in the 50th minute. An Adams’s free kick freed up Conway on the right edge. She drove the flank and whipped the ball across to midfielder Taylor English, who buried a left-footed ball inside the near post from about 14 yards.
Oswego East played well in games against the two best teams in the tournament, eventual champion and no. 20 Waubonsie Valley, and semifinalist West Aurora. This is a team starting to believe in itself.
“We made our statement a couple of games ago against Waubonsie and West Aurora, where we controlled the game but just didn’t win,” Leal said. “We have played some really formidable opponents, and that is getting us ready for the Naperville Invitational this week.
“We are going to use that tournament as a tool to really gauge where we are at. We are heading into a good direction. We want to give some of our younger girls a feeling of what it is like to play at that level.”
Adams said the Wolves are here to be part of the conversation.
“We want to show the other teams that we can compete with them,” she said. “We are also using these tougher games to get ready for the playoff mentality. Once you get further along in the playoffs, you are not going to face these easy games all the time. They are going to be the Naperville Norths and the Lyons Townships.
“The invitational is not only going to help us gain some momentum but also get ready for the state tournament.”
Starting lineups
Bolingbrook
GK: Vixy Enriquez
D: Jessica Randall
D: Cassandra Lopez
D: Graciela Navas
D: Liz Paz
MF: Paula Paz
MF: Abigail Dellamorte
MF: Kelly Julio
MF Paige Smith
F: Stephanie Soler de Paz
F: Jane Villagran
Oswego East
GK: Reagan Sanders
D: Madison Kastel
D: Allison Adams
D: Abbey Scott
D: Katie Olivas
MF: Sammy Anderson
MF: Chloe Noon
MF: Alex McPhee
MF: Taylor English
F: Madison Frazer
F: Sydney Conway
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Allison Adams, jr., D, Oswego East
Scoring summary
First half
Bolingbrook—Abigail Dellamorte (free kick), 23rd minute
Oswego East—Brooke Lipscomb (Alex McPhee), 24th minute
Second half
Oswego East—Sydney Conway (penalty kick), 44th minute
Oswego East—Taylor English (Conway), 50th minute