Mekky directs Prospect past Palatine
Goal, assist contribute to 3-0 win, Knights end losing streak
By Bill McLean
MOUNT PROSPECT — Two days before Monday night’s Palatine-Prospect match, visiting coach Willie Filian tangled with an uncooperative lawnmower blade at home and didn’t fare too well.
“Didn’t come close to winning that battle,” said the droll Filian, who sported a heavily bandaged finger on his right hand.
Nothing would have soothed him more than to exit George Gattas Memorial Stadium with a Mid-Suburban League victory against Prospect’s Knights. But the hosts refused to help Filian’s healing process and earned a 3-0 win instead, halting the sting they felt during a three-game winless stretch since edging Conant 1-0 on April 24.
“This feels good; we needed a win after the tough week we had,” Prospect junior holding midfielder Hannah Mekky said, alluding to her team’s 3-3 tie against Schaumburg on May 5 and the Knights’ 1-0 loss at Hoffman Estates two days later.
“We’re going to look at this as a turning point to our season.”
Mekky upped Prospect’s lead to 2-0 via a free kick after Knights junior midfielder/forward Abby Knott drew a foul in the 51st minute. The 25-yard blast found the northeast corner of the goal above Pirates freshman goalkeeper Kate Latek. A 6-foot-8 keeper with springs would have struggled to get a fingertip on the shot.
It was that well-struck, that well-placed.
“Beautiful kick,” Knights coach Tom Froats said after his club improved to 2-3-2, 2-2-1 in the MSL. “Hannah’s game is growing each and every game. She’s providing us with stability. We like the defense she gives us, as well as her offensive skills.”
Mekky’s service to sophomore midfielder Lauren Harrell kicked off the sequence that led to the game’s first goal. Harrell controlled the pass and then relayed a 15-yard delivery to senior forward Madison Culli, who found the back of the net from about 10 yards in the 15th minute.
“Everybody’s mood got better at that point,” Culli said.
The scored remained 1-0 for the rest of the half. Palatine sophomore forward Paige Millstone took two shots between the 22nd and 24th minutes (a shot on goal, followed by a shot that scooted wide), and the Pirates scurried frantically to produce a promising chance off a corner kick with 22 seconds left before the break.
Palatine (1-6-2, 1-5-1) had its best chance to score late in the second half, when junior midfielder Allie Henning nailed a point-blank shot at Knights senior keeper Annie Ninness (eight saves) in the 64th minute.
“Annie made more phenomenal saves,” Culli said.
“Annie,” Mekky added, “always saves us. She’s definitely a key player for us.”
Another free kick from Mekky — after another drawn foul by Knott — ignited the action that resulted in Prospect’s final tally on a brisk May night. Mekky’s cannonball shot ricocheted off keeper Latek’s frame and wound up at the feet of Knott, who quickly fired a shot past Latek.
“That’s a quality side, with good players,” Filian said of Prospect, which scored three goals in a game for the third time this spring. “We're trying to make games like this close.”
Sisters Jennifer and Angelina Lopez stood out for Palatine all night. Jennifer is a senior; Angelina is a sophomore. Both play gritty defense.
“They’re competitive, edgy,” Filian said. “Maybe we need the rest of our team — many are too nice — to play angrier soccer and jump on the coattails of Jennifer and Angelina.”
Speaking of threads, Froats was dressed to the nines Monday night. He wore a dark, sharp-looking business suit, with a black-and-cream silk tie featuring an image of Pele. Prospect’s girls nearly one-upped their coach’s appearance by adorning the home scoreboard with that appealing, crooked ‘3.’
“Credit our girls,” Froats said. “They didn’t get down on themselves after our tough losses. Tonight they persevered and put forth the effort we needed. I have to remind myself at times that many of my players — including several juniors and seniors — are playing varsity soccer for the first time in a long time. Our 2020 season never happened.
“The new ones I have are also playing their first varsity games against MSL teams … tough teams, all of them,” he adds. “These same girls last played for our school as JV I members.”
Prospect hosts Hersey on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and visits Elk Grove on Friday at 6:45 p.m.; Palatine entertains Buffalo Grove on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m.
Footnotes:
Prospect assistant coach Mike Andrews, also the Knights’ boys varsity coach, got hired to serve as Froats’ assistant before the start of the scrubbed girls soccer season last spring. An English teacher at the school and a former DePaul University soccer player, Andrews coached the boys to a 4-7-1 record (including a four-game winning streak from March 23-April 6) in a season that got moved from the fall to the spring because of the pandemic. … Palatine senior back Jennifer Lopez, a former left-side defender, on her role as the Pirates’ central defender in 2021: “I’m like a second goalie. And I’ve become more of a leader. I like defense. Years ago, after a coach put me there, I rolled with it and made it my spot.” … Prospect’s Culli and Mekky were each asked to pick a word that best describes the Knights after Monday night’s win. The Wisconsin-Stevens Point-bound Culli: “Powerful.” Mekky: “Underrated.” … Mekky, on Culli’s goal Monday, the Knights’ first since their 3-3 tie with Schaumburg’s Saxons on May 5: “Pivotal. It gave us energy, picked all of us up. We talked, before the game, about winning the 50/50 balls, getting under control and connecting.” … Knott and Prospect sophomore forward Kayley Bouzas each displayed a sense of urgency at the start of each half Monday night. They collaborated for dangerous rushes through Palatine’s defense in the first minute and then again in the 41st. Neither venture resulted in a score. But a positive tone had been set each time. … Knights senior midfielder/forward Grace Martin came off the bench again Monday and gave her crew’s offense a jolt with her speed and crosses late in the first half. Knott moved up-top when Martin entered the game.
Starting lineups
Palatine
GK Kate Latek
D Jennifer Lopez
D Angelina Lopez
D Grace Monroe
M Jennifer Castro
M Allie Henning
M Alyson Kolbus
M Maddie Monroe
M Paige Millstone
M Mia Ramirez
F Tara O’Sullivan
Prospect
GK Annie Ninness
D Isabella Hubrich
D Kaela Salehzadeh
D Jackie Keane
M Jillian Sawadski
M Lauren Harrell
M Maggie Rosenburg
M Hannah Mekky
F Madison Culli
F Kayley Bouzas
F Abby Knott
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Hannah Mekky, jr., MF, Prospect
Scoring summary
First half
Prospect — Culli (Harrell), 15’
Second half
Prospect — Mekky, 51’
Prospect — Knott (Mekky), 61’
Goal, assist contribute to 3-0 win, Knights end losing streak
By Bill McLean
MOUNT PROSPECT — Two days before Monday night’s Palatine-Prospect match, visiting coach Willie Filian tangled with an uncooperative lawnmower blade at home and didn’t fare too well.
“Didn’t come close to winning that battle,” said the droll Filian, who sported a heavily bandaged finger on his right hand.
Nothing would have soothed him more than to exit George Gattas Memorial Stadium with a Mid-Suburban League victory against Prospect’s Knights. But the hosts refused to help Filian’s healing process and earned a 3-0 win instead, halting the sting they felt during a three-game winless stretch since edging Conant 1-0 on April 24.
“This feels good; we needed a win after the tough week we had,” Prospect junior holding midfielder Hannah Mekky said, alluding to her team’s 3-3 tie against Schaumburg on May 5 and the Knights’ 1-0 loss at Hoffman Estates two days later.
“We’re going to look at this as a turning point to our season.”
Mekky upped Prospect’s lead to 2-0 via a free kick after Knights junior midfielder/forward Abby Knott drew a foul in the 51st minute. The 25-yard blast found the northeast corner of the goal above Pirates freshman goalkeeper Kate Latek. A 6-foot-8 keeper with springs would have struggled to get a fingertip on the shot.
It was that well-struck, that well-placed.
“Beautiful kick,” Knights coach Tom Froats said after his club improved to 2-3-2, 2-2-1 in the MSL. “Hannah’s game is growing each and every game. She’s providing us with stability. We like the defense she gives us, as well as her offensive skills.”
Mekky’s service to sophomore midfielder Lauren Harrell kicked off the sequence that led to the game’s first goal. Harrell controlled the pass and then relayed a 15-yard delivery to senior forward Madison Culli, who found the back of the net from about 10 yards in the 15th minute.
“Everybody’s mood got better at that point,” Culli said.
The scored remained 1-0 for the rest of the half. Palatine sophomore forward Paige Millstone took two shots between the 22nd and 24th minutes (a shot on goal, followed by a shot that scooted wide), and the Pirates scurried frantically to produce a promising chance off a corner kick with 22 seconds left before the break.
Palatine (1-6-2, 1-5-1) had its best chance to score late in the second half, when junior midfielder Allie Henning nailed a point-blank shot at Knights senior keeper Annie Ninness (eight saves) in the 64th minute.
“Annie made more phenomenal saves,” Culli said.
“Annie,” Mekky added, “always saves us. She’s definitely a key player for us.”
Another free kick from Mekky — after another drawn foul by Knott — ignited the action that resulted in Prospect’s final tally on a brisk May night. Mekky’s cannonball shot ricocheted off keeper Latek’s frame and wound up at the feet of Knott, who quickly fired a shot past Latek.
“That’s a quality side, with good players,” Filian said of Prospect, which scored three goals in a game for the third time this spring. “We're trying to make games like this close.”
Sisters Jennifer and Angelina Lopez stood out for Palatine all night. Jennifer is a senior; Angelina is a sophomore. Both play gritty defense.
“They’re competitive, edgy,” Filian said. “Maybe we need the rest of our team — many are too nice — to play angrier soccer and jump on the coattails of Jennifer and Angelina.”
Speaking of threads, Froats was dressed to the nines Monday night. He wore a dark, sharp-looking business suit, with a black-and-cream silk tie featuring an image of Pele. Prospect’s girls nearly one-upped their coach’s appearance by adorning the home scoreboard with that appealing, crooked ‘3.’
“Credit our girls,” Froats said. “They didn’t get down on themselves after our tough losses. Tonight they persevered and put forth the effort we needed. I have to remind myself at times that many of my players — including several juniors and seniors — are playing varsity soccer for the first time in a long time. Our 2020 season never happened.
“The new ones I have are also playing their first varsity games against MSL teams … tough teams, all of them,” he adds. “These same girls last played for our school as JV I members.”
Prospect hosts Hersey on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and visits Elk Grove on Friday at 6:45 p.m.; Palatine entertains Buffalo Grove on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m.
Footnotes:
Prospect assistant coach Mike Andrews, also the Knights’ boys varsity coach, got hired to serve as Froats’ assistant before the start of the scrubbed girls soccer season last spring. An English teacher at the school and a former DePaul University soccer player, Andrews coached the boys to a 4-7-1 record (including a four-game winning streak from March 23-April 6) in a season that got moved from the fall to the spring because of the pandemic. … Palatine senior back Jennifer Lopez, a former left-side defender, on her role as the Pirates’ central defender in 2021: “I’m like a second goalie. And I’ve become more of a leader. I like defense. Years ago, after a coach put me there, I rolled with it and made it my spot.” … Prospect’s Culli and Mekky were each asked to pick a word that best describes the Knights after Monday night’s win. The Wisconsin-Stevens Point-bound Culli: “Powerful.” Mekky: “Underrated.” … Mekky, on Culli’s goal Monday, the Knights’ first since their 3-3 tie with Schaumburg’s Saxons on May 5: “Pivotal. It gave us energy, picked all of us up. We talked, before the game, about winning the 50/50 balls, getting under control and connecting.” … Knott and Prospect sophomore forward Kayley Bouzas each displayed a sense of urgency at the start of each half Monday night. They collaborated for dangerous rushes through Palatine’s defense in the first minute and then again in the 41st. Neither venture resulted in a score. But a positive tone had been set each time. … Knights senior midfielder/forward Grace Martin came off the bench again Monday and gave her crew’s offense a jolt with her speed and crosses late in the first half. Knott moved up-top when Martin entered the game.
Starting lineups
Palatine
GK Kate Latek
D Jennifer Lopez
D Angelina Lopez
D Grace Monroe
M Jennifer Castro
M Allie Henning
M Alyson Kolbus
M Maddie Monroe
M Paige Millstone
M Mia Ramirez
F Tara O’Sullivan
Prospect
GK Annie Ninness
D Isabella Hubrich
D Kaela Salehzadeh
D Jackie Keane
M Jillian Sawadski
M Lauren Harrell
M Maggie Rosenburg
M Hannah Mekky
F Madison Culli
F Kayley Bouzas
F Abby Knott
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Hannah Mekky, jr., MF, Prospect
Scoring summary
First half
Prospect — Culli (Harrell), 15’
Second half
Prospect — Mekky, 51’
Prospect — Knott (Mekky), 61’