Payton's O’Brien makes Jones pay penalty 78th-minute goal gives Payton 1-0 victory in CPL 3rd place game
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BRIDGEVIEW — Fiona O’Brien is the brainy, savvy player who is shrewd and open to always consider how the past impinges on the present. Recent history had not been very kind.
The Payton senior midfielder was also keen to remove any ambiguity against rival Jones.
“We went to [penalty kick] shootouts a couple of times the last couple of years against Jones, and we lost both times, and I kept thinking to myself we cannot let this game go to that.
“We have to get a goal, because I am not going to go to penalty kicks.”
O’Brien got her wish by crashing the net and knocking in a short ball off a corner kick from Hayley Owens in the 78th minute for the Grizzlies’ 1-0 victory over the Eagles in the third place game of the Chicago Public League city tournament Thursday at Toyota Park.
A very skilled sophomore, Owens played a perfect ball over the outstretched reach of star Eagles’ keeper Devin Barry that O’Brien timed brilliantly. The moment was bang-bang, and O’Brien had the monumental first touch.
“There was the one girl, Avery [Kaplan], she was really marking me and dogging me in the middle,” O’Brien said. “I just got away from her. And the ball somehow got over Devin’s hands, and I was right there, and I got it off my chest.”
O’Brien is set to matriculate at Yale University next year, where she hopes to play club or intramural soccer. She scored her fifth goal of the year and earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor. “It’s a great way to end the city season, especially since I am a senior,” she said. “We either lost to Jones or tied Jones the last couple of years I have been playing.
“It was very exciting to finally beat them.”
A corner specialist, Owens played the ball perfectly.
“We wanted to win,” she said. “We have a lot of friends on that team. Fiona never stops going hard, and she just kept running even though it looked like Devin was going to get it. I remember looking up at the clock, and there were about six minutes left, and I just told myself I felt like we were going to get one.”
Payton (13-4-2) finally solved the spectacular and athletic play of Barry, Jones’s fantastic junior keeper who made several highlight reel saves in the second half. Barry quickly jumped against her body to make a diving stop off a shot by Payton junior midfielder Nancy Krug. She also made a lipping tip off a ball from freshman Olivia Moore.
Payton senior keeper Hannah Lynn also made five saves, the most impressive a denial off a free kick by sophomore Nancy Loos just outside by the box. Goals are always hard to come by with these two programs that previously played to a scoreless draw.
“The goalies played great today,” Payton coach Paul Escobar said. “There were a couple [of shots] I thought for sure were going in. They made some great saves. That is why they are two of the top three keepers in the city. When we talked at half, it was about urgency and the will to push through and play the whole 40 minutes. We have had times and stretches where we shut off and that shows on the field.
“I just continue to tell the girls, if we play 40 minutes of good soccer, opportunities are going to arise, and we have to capitalize on them.”
Jones (12-7-3) also demonstrated passion and pride. The Eagles knocked Payton out out of the city tournament in the semifinal round last year. Junior forward Avery Kaplan proved especially dangerous working the perimeter. Sophomore speedster Sophia Jennerjahn also returned from an injury and brought a burst of energy and excitement to the Eagles’ attack.
“I was really proud of how hard we worked,” Jones coach Derek Bylsma said. “I thought we deserved to win the game or go to a shootout, not to take away anything from Payton. I thought we played really well. We passed the ball, we got back on defense, and we were organized. You always want to win. I’m almost happier losing a game where we play hard and work well then winning a game where we were lazy and did not get back.
“It’s disappointing to lose this game, but I am happy with how we played and with the girls.”
Barry’s athleticism, quick-pulse reaction and anticipation skills are off the charts.
“The atmosphere was great, and to play in a professional stadium was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said. “We did not have a long warm-up and making those first few saves just got my confidence up. I let in a goal against Lane on Tuesday that was similar to one of the saves I had, a ball over my head, so that was probably the one I am most proud of today.”
Barry’s skill is the primary reason Payton wanted to end the game as quickly as possible and why Bylsma was happily awaiting a shootout.
“It’s one of those things when we play them it is always going to come down to one thing, or a close play,” Bylsma said. “We’ve won twice in shootouts. I wanted to go to a shootout because of Devin, not to take away anything from Hannah [Lynn] She’s a good keeper, but Devin is especially good at penalty kicks. We got tired near the end and ran out of gas. It’s a wide field, and we have played a lot of games in a short amount of time.”
Payton just made one more play.
“I think once we got accustomed to the size of the field, we were finally able to get the ball to the middle and getting the balls through the back really helped us,” O’Brien said.
The Grizzlies were also sharper and more fluid in the second half.
“We have this thing we say: it’s not a 50/50 ball, it’s a 99/1 ball, and I think we did win more of those balls in the second half and it was us getting there first, and I think that helped us,” Owens said. With just three senior starters, the future is very bright for the Grizzlies.
Gifted young talent like Owens, Moore, Krug and Sophia Salem points to a high ceiling.
“I feel like we have come a long way since last year,” Owens said. “We were more like accessories last year, and we have a bigger role on the team.”
Jones is also a program on the rise. The Eagles finish out their regular season with a special Senior Night game against division rival Curie on Friday.
“What happens when you play a good team and you’re a good team, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose,” Bylsma said. “I am happy with how we played. I don’t like losing ever, but if we are going to lose I want it to be in a game where we worked really hard and had a good attitude.”
Starting lineups
Jones
GK: Devin Barry
D: Gabriela Baxtrom
D: Izzy Kamba
D: Catherine Lorden
M: Natalie Loos
M: Audrey Bruce
M: Martina Bianchi
M: Sophia Jennerjahn
M: Laura Rios
F: Avery Kaplan
F: Lauren Nichols
Payton
GK: Hannah Lynn
D: Brigitte Joyce
D: Mimi Hamada
D: Maddie Clerkin
M: Yuriko Himeno
M: Fiona O’Brien
M: Emelia Wilke
M: Hayley Owens
M: Olivia Moore
F: Lindsay Holzman
F: Sophie Salem
Chicagoland MVP of the match: Fiona O’Brien, sr., M, Payton
Scoring summary
Second half
Payton—Fiona O’Brien (Hayley Owens), 78th minute
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BRIDGEVIEW — Fiona O’Brien is the brainy, savvy player who is shrewd and open to always consider how the past impinges on the present. Recent history had not been very kind.
The Payton senior midfielder was also keen to remove any ambiguity against rival Jones.
“We went to [penalty kick] shootouts a couple of times the last couple of years against Jones, and we lost both times, and I kept thinking to myself we cannot let this game go to that.
“We have to get a goal, because I am not going to go to penalty kicks.”
O’Brien got her wish by crashing the net and knocking in a short ball off a corner kick from Hayley Owens in the 78th minute for the Grizzlies’ 1-0 victory over the Eagles in the third place game of the Chicago Public League city tournament Thursday at Toyota Park.
A very skilled sophomore, Owens played a perfect ball over the outstretched reach of star Eagles’ keeper Devin Barry that O’Brien timed brilliantly. The moment was bang-bang, and O’Brien had the monumental first touch.
“There was the one girl, Avery [Kaplan], she was really marking me and dogging me in the middle,” O’Brien said. “I just got away from her. And the ball somehow got over Devin’s hands, and I was right there, and I got it off my chest.”
O’Brien is set to matriculate at Yale University next year, where she hopes to play club or intramural soccer. She scored her fifth goal of the year and earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor. “It’s a great way to end the city season, especially since I am a senior,” she said. “We either lost to Jones or tied Jones the last couple of years I have been playing.
“It was very exciting to finally beat them.”
A corner specialist, Owens played the ball perfectly.
“We wanted to win,” she said. “We have a lot of friends on that team. Fiona never stops going hard, and she just kept running even though it looked like Devin was going to get it. I remember looking up at the clock, and there were about six minutes left, and I just told myself I felt like we were going to get one.”
Payton (13-4-2) finally solved the spectacular and athletic play of Barry, Jones’s fantastic junior keeper who made several highlight reel saves in the second half. Barry quickly jumped against her body to make a diving stop off a shot by Payton junior midfielder Nancy Krug. She also made a lipping tip off a ball from freshman Olivia Moore.
Payton senior keeper Hannah Lynn also made five saves, the most impressive a denial off a free kick by sophomore Nancy Loos just outside by the box. Goals are always hard to come by with these two programs that previously played to a scoreless draw.
“The goalies played great today,” Payton coach Paul Escobar said. “There were a couple [of shots] I thought for sure were going in. They made some great saves. That is why they are two of the top three keepers in the city. When we talked at half, it was about urgency and the will to push through and play the whole 40 minutes. We have had times and stretches where we shut off and that shows on the field.
“I just continue to tell the girls, if we play 40 minutes of good soccer, opportunities are going to arise, and we have to capitalize on them.”
Jones (12-7-3) also demonstrated passion and pride. The Eagles knocked Payton out out of the city tournament in the semifinal round last year. Junior forward Avery Kaplan proved especially dangerous working the perimeter. Sophomore speedster Sophia Jennerjahn also returned from an injury and brought a burst of energy and excitement to the Eagles’ attack.
“I was really proud of how hard we worked,” Jones coach Derek Bylsma said. “I thought we deserved to win the game or go to a shootout, not to take away anything from Payton. I thought we played really well. We passed the ball, we got back on defense, and we were organized. You always want to win. I’m almost happier losing a game where we play hard and work well then winning a game where we were lazy and did not get back.
“It’s disappointing to lose this game, but I am happy with how we played and with the girls.”
Barry’s athleticism, quick-pulse reaction and anticipation skills are off the charts.
“The atmosphere was great, and to play in a professional stadium was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said. “We did not have a long warm-up and making those first few saves just got my confidence up. I let in a goal against Lane on Tuesday that was similar to one of the saves I had, a ball over my head, so that was probably the one I am most proud of today.”
Barry’s skill is the primary reason Payton wanted to end the game as quickly as possible and why Bylsma was happily awaiting a shootout.
“It’s one of those things when we play them it is always going to come down to one thing, or a close play,” Bylsma said. “We’ve won twice in shootouts. I wanted to go to a shootout because of Devin, not to take away anything from Hannah [Lynn] She’s a good keeper, but Devin is especially good at penalty kicks. We got tired near the end and ran out of gas. It’s a wide field, and we have played a lot of games in a short amount of time.”
Payton just made one more play.
“I think once we got accustomed to the size of the field, we were finally able to get the ball to the middle and getting the balls through the back really helped us,” O’Brien said.
The Grizzlies were also sharper and more fluid in the second half.
“We have this thing we say: it’s not a 50/50 ball, it’s a 99/1 ball, and I think we did win more of those balls in the second half and it was us getting there first, and I think that helped us,” Owens said. With just three senior starters, the future is very bright for the Grizzlies.
Gifted young talent like Owens, Moore, Krug and Sophia Salem points to a high ceiling.
“I feel like we have come a long way since last year,” Owens said. “We were more like accessories last year, and we have a bigger role on the team.”
Jones is also a program on the rise. The Eagles finish out their regular season with a special Senior Night game against division rival Curie on Friday.
“What happens when you play a good team and you’re a good team, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose,” Bylsma said. “I am happy with how we played. I don’t like losing ever, but if we are going to lose I want it to be in a game where we worked really hard and had a good attitude.”
Starting lineups
Jones
GK: Devin Barry
D: Gabriela Baxtrom
D: Izzy Kamba
D: Catherine Lorden
M: Natalie Loos
M: Audrey Bruce
M: Martina Bianchi
M: Sophia Jennerjahn
M: Laura Rios
F: Avery Kaplan
F: Lauren Nichols
Payton
GK: Hannah Lynn
D: Brigitte Joyce
D: Mimi Hamada
D: Maddie Clerkin
M: Yuriko Himeno
M: Fiona O’Brien
M: Emelia Wilke
M: Hayley Owens
M: Olivia Moore
F: Lindsay Holzman
F: Sophie Salem
Chicagoland MVP of the match: Fiona O’Brien, sr., M, Payton
Scoring summary
Second half
Payton—Fiona O’Brien (Hayley Owens), 78th minute