Lane tops Payton for Premier control
Varga goal all Indians need to improve league mark to 4-0-0
By Mike Garofola
CHICAGO -- With previous victories over conference rivals and title contenders Young and Jones in hand, reigning league champion Lane saw its grasp on a repeat Chicago Public League Premier Division title tighten after a hard-fought 1-0 home victory over Payton on Wednesday.
Sydney Varga's sensational 65th-minute strike was the difference and pushed the Indians to 4-0-0 in the division after a sweep of their three biggest rivals in the last six days.
"(This) game, and our other two with Young and Jones are always tough games," said Lane manager Michelle Vale, whose club is now 5-0-0 overall. "So to play well in order to come away with a victory is very important to us."
"I thought we started a little nervous today, in fact that's kind of been the way we've been this season for the most part," said senior Alana Coffman, who along with teammate Carlye Makuch shared the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
"I do think some of that nervousness comes from the expectations we all put on ourselves, plus being the team that everyone wants to beat in the CPL. But I know once we settled, we played very good soccer to beat one of our best rivals in the city."
Makuch, usually deployed as one of Vale's central or outside midfielders, was stationed alongside Coffman in the middle of the Indians backline. Along with outside defenders Lisa Rios and Zehra Halilic, they were key figures in the first quarter hour of play when the home side was on its back foot.
"I agree with Alana (we) didn't start very well, (too) cautious and a little tentative in our play," chimed in Makuch. "And to what Alana said about putting high expectations on ourselves, I agree with that also."
The first 15 minutes of play was more like a chess match. The visiting Grizzlies (4-1-1, 1-1-0) used a strong wind at their back to test the ability of the homeside to defend long balls over the top and ward off the energy the visitors brought from the opening whistle.
"I thought we came out and played very well, matching whatever Lane threw at us, going hard into every 50-50 ball and tackle, and showing that we can play with one of the best around," said Payton manager Paul Escobar.
Pilar Kelly, who enjoyed a wonderful day between the sticks for the Grizzlies, was called upon early to save a 16-yard attempt from Grace Dunaway. She then watched a sharp tackle from her defender Brigitte Joyce end an enterprising run into the box from Dunaway, who was sent through by Sophie Salem.
Lane seemed committed to using Dunaway as the target player up-top, and the senior shined during the first half hour with clever runs and distribution, and a handful of attempts on frame.
"Our initial slow start was due in part to us trying to figure out the tactics of Payton," said Vale. "Once we did, you saw us playing with more confidence, especially in the last 20 minutes of the half when I thought we had most of, if not all of, the play
Before the Indians were able to get on their front foot, there were a few anxious moments for the Lane faithful to endure.
The first of three quality chances from the visitors came off the right foot of Hayley Owens in the 21st minute. She fought through a double-team to collect a deep throw and fire a one-timer at Brianna Love, who made the save.
Just before the intermission, Owens unloaded a near unstoppable 24-yard free kick that Love tipped up and over the bar. She then came to the rescue one last time by saving a one-timer from the junior.
"The first 20-25 minutes we played them even," Owen said. "But as the half went on, they slowly took things over. We still played hard for the rest of the game, never giving up (which) is something we can be proud off, even in defeat."
An attempt from Emilia Wilke, produced by some good combination work from teammates Olivia Moore and Nadine Denahan, ended with an easy save from Love on the 30-yard strike.
This exchange and the Owens free kick blast ended the Grizzlies attack for this half and served as a wake-up call for the homeside to get its offense up and running.
Lane began to play some neat soccer in the midfield with its outside backs, particularly Halilic, now involved more than ever.
Halilic, an ultra-hybrid back whose technical skill would allow the junior to play anywhere in the park, was one of Lane attackers who helped put the Grizzlies under pressure right up until the end of the first period. That did not go unnoticed in the eyes of Escobar.
"(Michelle) has a lot of talent on her roster," Escobar said. "When she/they began to push no. 6 (Halilic) up, it gave us a lot of trouble.
"We didn't adjust to her getting forward and joining the attack until the break when we talked about a few things we could do in the second half."
Lane cycled the ball from touchline to touchline with some lovely possession. It ended with with a trio of attempts at Kelly, the best coming on the tail-end of a brilliant run by Scout Murray in the 34th minute.
Murray tricked her way free into the box but appeared to shoot too soon, which allowed Kelly to make the close-range save.
With the visitors defending with all their might during the last five minutes of the half, Kelly helped the Grizzlies cause when a Vargas smash stung the tips of her fingers before it grazed off the bar.
"We did what we could with the wind," said Escobar. "And as I said, I thought we played Lane very well in the first half, but we had to make a couple of tactical moves in order to deal with the wind in their favor."
The Payton manager had his club sit in with numbers back and looked to surprise with a counter for the final 40 minutes.
Lane stepped up the pace at the start of the second half. Kayla Dutton nearly ran onto a low cross from Dunaway at the spot, and Makuch combined with Dunaway to create an Indians corner.
On the subsequent corner, Dunaway drove her effort to the back post to an unmarked Makuch, whose wicked strike was taken off the line valiantly by Joyce.
"Just an incredible play from Brigitte to keep that ball out of our net," said Escobar.
The near-goal provided even more motivation for an attack now running at full speed and taking full advantage of a Payton defensive stance which encouraged more possession and quick changes using width and space.
Alexis Dempsey had enough time to tee-up an attempt from near the edge. Moments later, Melissa Garcia did the same to test Kelly from 30 yards.
A mesmerizing, devilish run-and-carry allowed Dunaway a try, but her magnificent effort went wide in the 59th minute.
Lane was finally rewarded for its 20 minutes of quality when the aforementioned Vargas drove home the game-winner with a cool, composed finish at the back post.
"We've come to expect big things from Sydney at big moments," said Vale.
"She did the same thing last year right at the end of regulation to force a 1-1 draw with Young (and) her goal today was another instance when we needed that type of effort from her."
The 2018 draw helped Lane share the Premier Division crown with Young with identical 6-0-1 records. Lane lifted the outright championship trophies in 2016 and 2017.
To take the lead in this campaign, Camaron Niforos set up Garcia for a strike on frame which Kelly turned away wonderfully. However, the rebound spilled to a free Vargas, who did not miss out on her opportunity.
The Grizzlies chased the lead for the next quarter hour, but it was clear the Vargas goal and continued pressure from the homeside, that amounted to about 85% of the possession, was too much for the visitors to overcome.
"This was an important game for us against one of, if not our biggest rivals," began Owens, whose club lost to Lane a year ago by this same 1-0 result.
"I can tell you our focus was on this game and nothing else. Coming over here it was completely quiet on our bus, which is really unusual for this group of girls," said Owens with a slight smile.
"The loss obviously stings, but we can take a lot of positive things from this game, and I know we all will do that."
Payton has four-consecutive upcoming games against league rivals beginning with two at home against Taft and then Northside next week.
"We played well but not well enough," said Escobar. "But players like our freshman up-top, Nadine Denahan, gave us a lot of energy from that position, as did Nancy (Krug) alongside Nadine.
"Brigitte was big all day along the back, and the overall effort said a lot about this group of players."
"We just finished up a difficult stretch in our schedule," said Makuch. "I know we can all use a day or two off. For me, I am really looking forward to going to Loyola on Saturday, and to have the chance to avenge our loss to them last year."
The Ramblers dashed the postseason hopes of Lane in its regional final with a heart-breaking 1-0 overtime loss.
Starting lineups
Payton (4-4-2)
G- Pilar Kelly
D- Brigitte Joyce
D- Ellen Hengesbach
D- Mimi Hamada
D- Madeline Clerkin
M- Olivia Moore
M- Hayley Owens
M- Emilia Wilke
M- Sophie Salem
F- Nadine Denahan
F- Nancy Krug
Lane (4-4-2)
G- Brianna Love
D- Lisa Rios
D- Alana Coffman
D- Carlye Makuch
D- Zehra Halilic
M- Johanna Bozic
M- Camaron Niforos
M- Melissa Garcia
M- Sydney Varga
F- Grace Dunaway
F- Kayla Dutton
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Alana Coffman, sr., D, Lane
Carlye Makuch, sr., D/MF, Lane
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Lane: Varga (Garcia) 65'
Varga goal all Indians need to improve league mark to 4-0-0
By Mike Garofola
CHICAGO -- With previous victories over conference rivals and title contenders Young and Jones in hand, reigning league champion Lane saw its grasp on a repeat Chicago Public League Premier Division title tighten after a hard-fought 1-0 home victory over Payton on Wednesday.
Sydney Varga's sensational 65th-minute strike was the difference and pushed the Indians to 4-0-0 in the division after a sweep of their three biggest rivals in the last six days.
"(This) game, and our other two with Young and Jones are always tough games," said Lane manager Michelle Vale, whose club is now 5-0-0 overall. "So to play well in order to come away with a victory is very important to us."
"I thought we started a little nervous today, in fact that's kind of been the way we've been this season for the most part," said senior Alana Coffman, who along with teammate Carlye Makuch shared the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
"I do think some of that nervousness comes from the expectations we all put on ourselves, plus being the team that everyone wants to beat in the CPL. But I know once we settled, we played very good soccer to beat one of our best rivals in the city."
Makuch, usually deployed as one of Vale's central or outside midfielders, was stationed alongside Coffman in the middle of the Indians backline. Along with outside defenders Lisa Rios and Zehra Halilic, they were key figures in the first quarter hour of play when the home side was on its back foot.
"I agree with Alana (we) didn't start very well, (too) cautious and a little tentative in our play," chimed in Makuch. "And to what Alana said about putting high expectations on ourselves, I agree with that also."
The first 15 minutes of play was more like a chess match. The visiting Grizzlies (4-1-1, 1-1-0) used a strong wind at their back to test the ability of the homeside to defend long balls over the top and ward off the energy the visitors brought from the opening whistle.
"I thought we came out and played very well, matching whatever Lane threw at us, going hard into every 50-50 ball and tackle, and showing that we can play with one of the best around," said Payton manager Paul Escobar.
Pilar Kelly, who enjoyed a wonderful day between the sticks for the Grizzlies, was called upon early to save a 16-yard attempt from Grace Dunaway. She then watched a sharp tackle from her defender Brigitte Joyce end an enterprising run into the box from Dunaway, who was sent through by Sophie Salem.
Lane seemed committed to using Dunaway as the target player up-top, and the senior shined during the first half hour with clever runs and distribution, and a handful of attempts on frame.
"Our initial slow start was due in part to us trying to figure out the tactics of Payton," said Vale. "Once we did, you saw us playing with more confidence, especially in the last 20 minutes of the half when I thought we had most of, if not all of, the play
Before the Indians were able to get on their front foot, there were a few anxious moments for the Lane faithful to endure.
The first of three quality chances from the visitors came off the right foot of Hayley Owens in the 21st minute. She fought through a double-team to collect a deep throw and fire a one-timer at Brianna Love, who made the save.
Just before the intermission, Owens unloaded a near unstoppable 24-yard free kick that Love tipped up and over the bar. She then came to the rescue one last time by saving a one-timer from the junior.
"The first 20-25 minutes we played them even," Owen said. "But as the half went on, they slowly took things over. We still played hard for the rest of the game, never giving up (which) is something we can be proud off, even in defeat."
An attempt from Emilia Wilke, produced by some good combination work from teammates Olivia Moore and Nadine Denahan, ended with an easy save from Love on the 30-yard strike.
This exchange and the Owens free kick blast ended the Grizzlies attack for this half and served as a wake-up call for the homeside to get its offense up and running.
Lane began to play some neat soccer in the midfield with its outside backs, particularly Halilic, now involved more than ever.
Halilic, an ultra-hybrid back whose technical skill would allow the junior to play anywhere in the park, was one of Lane attackers who helped put the Grizzlies under pressure right up until the end of the first period. That did not go unnoticed in the eyes of Escobar.
"(Michelle) has a lot of talent on her roster," Escobar said. "When she/they began to push no. 6 (Halilic) up, it gave us a lot of trouble.
"We didn't adjust to her getting forward and joining the attack until the break when we talked about a few things we could do in the second half."
Lane cycled the ball from touchline to touchline with some lovely possession. It ended with with a trio of attempts at Kelly, the best coming on the tail-end of a brilliant run by Scout Murray in the 34th minute.
Murray tricked her way free into the box but appeared to shoot too soon, which allowed Kelly to make the close-range save.
With the visitors defending with all their might during the last five minutes of the half, Kelly helped the Grizzlies cause when a Vargas smash stung the tips of her fingers before it grazed off the bar.
"We did what we could with the wind," said Escobar. "And as I said, I thought we played Lane very well in the first half, but we had to make a couple of tactical moves in order to deal with the wind in their favor."
The Payton manager had his club sit in with numbers back and looked to surprise with a counter for the final 40 minutes.
Lane stepped up the pace at the start of the second half. Kayla Dutton nearly ran onto a low cross from Dunaway at the spot, and Makuch combined with Dunaway to create an Indians corner.
On the subsequent corner, Dunaway drove her effort to the back post to an unmarked Makuch, whose wicked strike was taken off the line valiantly by Joyce.
"Just an incredible play from Brigitte to keep that ball out of our net," said Escobar.
The near-goal provided even more motivation for an attack now running at full speed and taking full advantage of a Payton defensive stance which encouraged more possession and quick changes using width and space.
Alexis Dempsey had enough time to tee-up an attempt from near the edge. Moments later, Melissa Garcia did the same to test Kelly from 30 yards.
A mesmerizing, devilish run-and-carry allowed Dunaway a try, but her magnificent effort went wide in the 59th minute.
Lane was finally rewarded for its 20 minutes of quality when the aforementioned Vargas drove home the game-winner with a cool, composed finish at the back post.
"We've come to expect big things from Sydney at big moments," said Vale.
"She did the same thing last year right at the end of regulation to force a 1-1 draw with Young (and) her goal today was another instance when we needed that type of effort from her."
The 2018 draw helped Lane share the Premier Division crown with Young with identical 6-0-1 records. Lane lifted the outright championship trophies in 2016 and 2017.
To take the lead in this campaign, Camaron Niforos set up Garcia for a strike on frame which Kelly turned away wonderfully. However, the rebound spilled to a free Vargas, who did not miss out on her opportunity.
The Grizzlies chased the lead for the next quarter hour, but it was clear the Vargas goal and continued pressure from the homeside, that amounted to about 85% of the possession, was too much for the visitors to overcome.
"This was an important game for us against one of, if not our biggest rivals," began Owens, whose club lost to Lane a year ago by this same 1-0 result.
"I can tell you our focus was on this game and nothing else. Coming over here it was completely quiet on our bus, which is really unusual for this group of girls," said Owens with a slight smile.
"The loss obviously stings, but we can take a lot of positive things from this game, and I know we all will do that."
Payton has four-consecutive upcoming games against league rivals beginning with two at home against Taft and then Northside next week.
"We played well but not well enough," said Escobar. "But players like our freshman up-top, Nadine Denahan, gave us a lot of energy from that position, as did Nancy (Krug) alongside Nadine.
"Brigitte was big all day along the back, and the overall effort said a lot about this group of players."
"We just finished up a difficult stretch in our schedule," said Makuch. "I know we can all use a day or two off. For me, I am really looking forward to going to Loyola on Saturday, and to have the chance to avenge our loss to them last year."
The Ramblers dashed the postseason hopes of Lane in its regional final with a heart-breaking 1-0 overtime loss.
Starting lineups
Payton (4-4-2)
G- Pilar Kelly
D- Brigitte Joyce
D- Ellen Hengesbach
D- Mimi Hamada
D- Madeline Clerkin
M- Olivia Moore
M- Hayley Owens
M- Emilia Wilke
M- Sophie Salem
F- Nadine Denahan
F- Nancy Krug
Lane (4-4-2)
G- Brianna Love
D- Lisa Rios
D- Alana Coffman
D- Carlye Makuch
D- Zehra Halilic
M- Johanna Bozic
M- Camaron Niforos
M- Melissa Garcia
M- Sydney Varga
F- Grace Dunaway
F- Kayla Dutton
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Alana Coffman, sr., D, Lane
Carlye Makuch, sr., D/MF, Lane
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Lane: Varga (Garcia) 65'