Lola Feurer's winning touch
pushes Payton past Jones
Late goal delivers 2-1 win for co-Premier Division leader
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Lola Feurer has a serene confidence playing soccer.
The junior defender at Payton has a deeply familiar and constant presence playing right beside her -- her twin sister Kate.
That kind of emotional reassurance affords her a natural poise under duress. Things have a way of working out.
In the crucial moments of the Grizzlies’ showdown with Jones, Lola Feurer maintained a classic equilibrium, staying composed in the moment and alert to every possibility.
“I think we all really wanted to win,” Feurer said. “We’ve lost to Jones a couple of times.
“Being able to come back and win one was great.”
Feurer found the necessary crease and blasted home a short volley inside the box in the 73rd minute for the Grizzlies’ 2-1 victory in Chicago Public League Premier Division play Wednesday afternoon in Chinatown.
Payton (7-3-1, 5-0-1) ran its unbeaten streak to eight games.
The Grizzlies also have a chance to finish first in the conference by defeating six-time city champion Lane on Monday in a rematch of last year’s city championship. If both Payton and Young win their remaining league games, they will tie for the title.
Payton began the year with tough losses against elite competition in current no. 8 Loyola, no. 6 Glenbrook North and no. 4 Evanston.
That brutal stretch fortified the team. The results are plainly visible in the key league win.
“We both played really hard. We both had chances, and I am glad we were able to finish two of them,” Lola Feurer said.
She connected on her seventh goal of the year. The game-winner had many different authors.
Sophomore midfielder Cate Cupps delivered a beautiful corner service inside the box. Sophomore star Felicity Cole got the necessary first touch that Feurer finished with authority and explosive quickness.
“It deflected off one of Jones’s players, and Felicity headed it, and I was just standing there,” she said.
“I kicked it.”
Lola Feurer earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for her excellent play.
The showdown between the elite magnet schools, Payton and Jones, is one of the defining rivalries of the Public League.
Many of the players grew up together, circulate in the same social circles and play together on the same youth programs and travel teams.
“I think that makes us even more competitive, because we want to have bragging rights, and all of that,” senior midfielder Isabella Chitarro said.
The only somber note was a late ankle injury suffered by Cole, a Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List player who led the Grizzlies in scoring during her precocious freshman season.
“Payton is really talented, a tough team with a lot of speed up-top and a lot of girls who can really hit the ball,” Jones coach Derek Bylsma said.
Raw emotion is the connective thread of Payton. A 63rd-minute equalizer by Jones midfielder Caroline Rondelli pushed the Grizzlies to the emotional brink.
“It’s an emotional game for both teams,” Payton coach Paul Escobar said. “It’s one of the things we always talk about, of how are we going to keep our emotions in check and translate that into playing out there.
“They showed their character. When a team scores on you late in the game, it’s easy to put your head down and get nervous and scared. Those emotions take over.”
Payton’s athleticism at the top of the formation created repeated problems for the Eagles’ back. Cole was magnificent, joined initially by Shea Vandermeid.
Their creative pressure, especially in tandem with midfielder Tess Scrivner, established a strong and decisive early pattern sustained throughout the game.
Scrivner had the best early opportunity with a beautiful ball that Jones’ standout keeper Nicole Leon elevated and knocked over the bar.
Her throws from the left edge were also very effective at creating the necessary early momentum.
“I always try to focus on creating space and taking opportunities when they come,” Scrivner said. “We have really been working on getting forward and going wide throughout the field, and executing what we have been practicing.
“We’ve gotten better every single game, and I think we have done a really good job of getting to know each other and feeling bonded.”
Leon’s net mastery kept Payton at bay. The first half ended scoreless.
Soccer is the most intertwined of games. Often early actions are predictors of future results.
Chitarro, a creative and dynamic player in the middle, illustrated the point beautifully in the 50th minute. With Payton having the wind during the second half, she seized her opportunity.
“It is such a mental game, and you have to keep pressuring them and keep putting shots up, even if they don’t go in,” she said.
“We had constant pressure, and I thought that helped today.”
She weaved through the Jones middle and blasted a ball from 26 yards that glanced off the far post and in for her first goal of the season.
“Our energy at that point was pretty high,” Chitarro said. “The game was 0-0, and I knew that something needed to be done. Esco(bar) was yelling out that somebody needed to take charge and be greedy and go for the goal.
“Somebody had to take that shot, and that was on my mind. I let it flow.”
Jones (4-7-1, 2-4-0) is a quality side, and much better than its record suggests. The Eagles have been coping with injuries and inexperience.
The Eagles have the scoring differential of a different profile. A dominant shut out of Class A power Wheaton Academy showed their promise.
Rondelli, an All-State Watch List player, is one of the best players in the city. After a series of strong actions that tested Payton keeper Chloe Guzik, Rondelli created the equalizer in the 63rd minute off a beautiful pass from forward McRoberts.
Moments later Payton was fortunate to avoid a penalty kick on a collision involving Eagles’ midfielder Maia Lane.
Guzik finished with seven saves.
“We had several chances we didn’t finish,” Bylsma said. “Payton is a very good and physical team, and they figured out a way to break us down in the back to score that final goal.
“I was really pleased with our effort. I thought we fought really hard. We are coming into our own at the right time, and we have also gotten a couple of girls back. We are a much better team than we were three weeks ago.”
Vandermeid personified Payton's versatility and strength. She started up-top as an attacking player, and then shifted to the backline to slow down Rondelli and McRoberts.
“I think one thing our defense is really working on is communicating,” she said. “When we know and recognize those dangerous players and make sure that somebody is always on them, we are not chasing the ball.
“We’re marking dangerous playmakers. That was a big thing before the game started. I think, for the most part, with the exception of that one slip up, I thought our defense did pretty well. I was happy about that.”
Payton’s soccer programs, both coached by Escobar, reached a watershed during the 2021 calendar year. The girls’ team reached the city final and qualified for the second supersectional in program history.
The boys had the greatest season in school history last fall, winning the city championship and qualifying for the supersectional.
Cupps, the skilled and dynamic shot creator who had the corner kick on the game-winner, is the younger sister of forward Bobby Cupps, the Chicagoland Soccer all-stater who led the Grizzlies boys in scoring.
“I think it’s a combination of knowing the boys did really well and knowing we had a good season last year, and we are just trying to keep up that energy and go further and further,” Chitarro said.
“Last year was great. We were happy to get second in the city tournament. This year we want first. We want to keep pushing ourselves, and really elevate all of Payton’s sports.”
Starting lineups
Payton
GK: Chloe Guzik
D: Kate Feurer
D: Lola Feurer
D: Madeleine Spark
D: Norah Denehan
MF: Tess Scrivner
MF: Isabella Chitarro
MF: Norah Duritsa
MF: Kate Cupps
F: Felicity Cole
F: Shea Vandermeid
Jones
GK: Nicole Leon
D: Arianna Lopez
D: Patricia Felder
D: Karina Telez
D: Morgan Scott
MF: Marisol Hamida
MF: Eli Ceraso
MF: Olivia Bahrmasel
MF: Carolina Rondelli
F: Maia Lane
F: Mia McRoberts
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Lola Feurer, jr., D, Payton
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Payton—Isabella Chitarro (unassisted), 50th minute
Jones—Caroline Rondelli (Mia McRoberts), 63rd minute
Payton—Lola Feurer (Felicity Cole), 73rd minute
pushes Payton past Jones
Late goal delivers 2-1 win for co-Premier Division leader
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Lola Feurer has a serene confidence playing soccer.
The junior defender at Payton has a deeply familiar and constant presence playing right beside her -- her twin sister Kate.
That kind of emotional reassurance affords her a natural poise under duress. Things have a way of working out.
In the crucial moments of the Grizzlies’ showdown with Jones, Lola Feurer maintained a classic equilibrium, staying composed in the moment and alert to every possibility.
“I think we all really wanted to win,” Feurer said. “We’ve lost to Jones a couple of times.
“Being able to come back and win one was great.”
Feurer found the necessary crease and blasted home a short volley inside the box in the 73rd minute for the Grizzlies’ 2-1 victory in Chicago Public League Premier Division play Wednesday afternoon in Chinatown.
Payton (7-3-1, 5-0-1) ran its unbeaten streak to eight games.
The Grizzlies also have a chance to finish first in the conference by defeating six-time city champion Lane on Monday in a rematch of last year’s city championship. If both Payton and Young win their remaining league games, they will tie for the title.
Payton began the year with tough losses against elite competition in current no. 8 Loyola, no. 6 Glenbrook North and no. 4 Evanston.
That brutal stretch fortified the team. The results are plainly visible in the key league win.
“We both played really hard. We both had chances, and I am glad we were able to finish two of them,” Lola Feurer said.
She connected on her seventh goal of the year. The game-winner had many different authors.
Sophomore midfielder Cate Cupps delivered a beautiful corner service inside the box. Sophomore star Felicity Cole got the necessary first touch that Feurer finished with authority and explosive quickness.
“It deflected off one of Jones’s players, and Felicity headed it, and I was just standing there,” she said.
“I kicked it.”
Lola Feurer earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for her excellent play.
The showdown between the elite magnet schools, Payton and Jones, is one of the defining rivalries of the Public League.
Many of the players grew up together, circulate in the same social circles and play together on the same youth programs and travel teams.
“I think that makes us even more competitive, because we want to have bragging rights, and all of that,” senior midfielder Isabella Chitarro said.
The only somber note was a late ankle injury suffered by Cole, a Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List player who led the Grizzlies in scoring during her precocious freshman season.
“Payton is really talented, a tough team with a lot of speed up-top and a lot of girls who can really hit the ball,” Jones coach Derek Bylsma said.
Raw emotion is the connective thread of Payton. A 63rd-minute equalizer by Jones midfielder Caroline Rondelli pushed the Grizzlies to the emotional brink.
“It’s an emotional game for both teams,” Payton coach Paul Escobar said. “It’s one of the things we always talk about, of how are we going to keep our emotions in check and translate that into playing out there.
“They showed their character. When a team scores on you late in the game, it’s easy to put your head down and get nervous and scared. Those emotions take over.”
Payton’s athleticism at the top of the formation created repeated problems for the Eagles’ back. Cole was magnificent, joined initially by Shea Vandermeid.
Their creative pressure, especially in tandem with midfielder Tess Scrivner, established a strong and decisive early pattern sustained throughout the game.
Scrivner had the best early opportunity with a beautiful ball that Jones’ standout keeper Nicole Leon elevated and knocked over the bar.
Her throws from the left edge were also very effective at creating the necessary early momentum.
“I always try to focus on creating space and taking opportunities when they come,” Scrivner said. “We have really been working on getting forward and going wide throughout the field, and executing what we have been practicing.
“We’ve gotten better every single game, and I think we have done a really good job of getting to know each other and feeling bonded.”
Leon’s net mastery kept Payton at bay. The first half ended scoreless.
Soccer is the most intertwined of games. Often early actions are predictors of future results.
Chitarro, a creative and dynamic player in the middle, illustrated the point beautifully in the 50th minute. With Payton having the wind during the second half, she seized her opportunity.
“It is such a mental game, and you have to keep pressuring them and keep putting shots up, even if they don’t go in,” she said.
“We had constant pressure, and I thought that helped today.”
She weaved through the Jones middle and blasted a ball from 26 yards that glanced off the far post and in for her first goal of the season.
“Our energy at that point was pretty high,” Chitarro said. “The game was 0-0, and I knew that something needed to be done. Esco(bar) was yelling out that somebody needed to take charge and be greedy and go for the goal.
“Somebody had to take that shot, and that was on my mind. I let it flow.”
Jones (4-7-1, 2-4-0) is a quality side, and much better than its record suggests. The Eagles have been coping with injuries and inexperience.
The Eagles have the scoring differential of a different profile. A dominant shut out of Class A power Wheaton Academy showed their promise.
Rondelli, an All-State Watch List player, is one of the best players in the city. After a series of strong actions that tested Payton keeper Chloe Guzik, Rondelli created the equalizer in the 63rd minute off a beautiful pass from forward McRoberts.
Moments later Payton was fortunate to avoid a penalty kick on a collision involving Eagles’ midfielder Maia Lane.
Guzik finished with seven saves.
“We had several chances we didn’t finish,” Bylsma said. “Payton is a very good and physical team, and they figured out a way to break us down in the back to score that final goal.
“I was really pleased with our effort. I thought we fought really hard. We are coming into our own at the right time, and we have also gotten a couple of girls back. We are a much better team than we were three weeks ago.”
Vandermeid personified Payton's versatility and strength. She started up-top as an attacking player, and then shifted to the backline to slow down Rondelli and McRoberts.
“I think one thing our defense is really working on is communicating,” she said. “When we know and recognize those dangerous players and make sure that somebody is always on them, we are not chasing the ball.
“We’re marking dangerous playmakers. That was a big thing before the game started. I think, for the most part, with the exception of that one slip up, I thought our defense did pretty well. I was happy about that.”
Payton’s soccer programs, both coached by Escobar, reached a watershed during the 2021 calendar year. The girls’ team reached the city final and qualified for the second supersectional in program history.
The boys had the greatest season in school history last fall, winning the city championship and qualifying for the supersectional.
Cupps, the skilled and dynamic shot creator who had the corner kick on the game-winner, is the younger sister of forward Bobby Cupps, the Chicagoland Soccer all-stater who led the Grizzlies boys in scoring.
“I think it’s a combination of knowing the boys did really well and knowing we had a good season last year, and we are just trying to keep up that energy and go further and further,” Chitarro said.
“Last year was great. We were happy to get second in the city tournament. This year we want first. We want to keep pushing ourselves, and really elevate all of Payton’s sports.”
Starting lineups
Payton
GK: Chloe Guzik
D: Kate Feurer
D: Lola Feurer
D: Madeleine Spark
D: Norah Denehan
MF: Tess Scrivner
MF: Isabella Chitarro
MF: Norah Duritsa
MF: Kate Cupps
F: Felicity Cole
F: Shea Vandermeid
Jones
GK: Nicole Leon
D: Arianna Lopez
D: Patricia Felder
D: Karina Telez
D: Morgan Scott
MF: Marisol Hamida
MF: Eli Ceraso
MF: Olivia Bahrmasel
MF: Carolina Rondelli
F: Maia Lane
F: Mia McRoberts
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Lola Feurer, jr., D, Payton
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Payton—Isabella Chitarro (unassisted), 50th minute
Jones—Caroline Rondelli (Mia McRoberts), 63rd minute
Payton—Lola Feurer (Felicity Cole), 73rd minute