Torrid start rockets Lemont to Elite Eight
1st half goals produce 3-1 sectional title win over Providence
By Dave Owen
LEMONT -– What may look like an 80-minute marathon on a 110-yard field to some is more like all-out sprint for Lemont.
Coming out of the gate at full force in Friday’s Class AA Lemont Sectional final against Providence, the host Indians (23-1-0, and ranked 10th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25) grabbed the lead just 5:22 in.
That set the tone for a pedal to the metal first half. Lemont sprinted to a 3-0 halftime lead, then withstood an inspired final push by the Celtics (13-10-2) to win 3-1 and continue a four-year unbeaten streak on their home field.
“We came out with some good energy in the first 20 minutes and just really got after it,” Lemont coach Rick Prangen said. “And once you get up 1-nil, it’s a little bit better.
“But the good thing was, we didn’t let down. We kept pressing the game. And the third goal comes after us hitting the crossbar two times before that, so it’s well earned.”
The blitz began with two chances in the first three minutes – a Mairead Ruane shot nicely blocked by Providence defender Jillian Janoyvak, then a Jacqueline Aleman 18-yard shot that skimmed off the crossbar and over the net.
The third threat would pay off, It started with the first of many extra-effort plays by Lemont’s Katie Knutte.
The junior’s shot on a left side attack deflected off a Providence defender for the game’s first corner kick.
A perfect set piece followed – Ruane’s corner send to the back post was headed in by senior defender Sarah Knoepfle, and Lemont erupted in a celebration that would barely abate for the next 35 minutes.
“I thought Katie was absolutely brilliant in the first 30 minutes of the game today,” Prangen said. “She wins the corner for us, which Sarah is able to bury.
“In games like this, set pieces become very important. Our first set piece, we buried. That’s just a great thing for us.”
Knoepfle’s third goal of 2018 was practice made perfect, and a payoff for their set-the-tone-quickly approach.
“At practice we’ve been working a lot on set pieces,” Knoepfle said. “We knew we might only get a couple chances, and the chances we get, we need to put away right away.”
The chance that produced a 2-0 Lemont lead came from improbable origins.
Providence’s Sierra Vidican
burst in on the left side and drove a low 15-yard shot that Lemont goalkeeper Michelle Jerantowski denied on a great diving swat to her left.
Not satisfied with preserving their 1-0 lead on the play, the Indians doubled it. A quick counterattack sprung Ruane upfield, whose nice angle send across the field hit senior Niamh Hehir free on the right side.
Hehir did the rest, chipping an 8-yard shot into the net to put Lemont up 2-0.
For Hehir, the goal was a mix of history repeating itself – and an improbable result.
“It was honestly déjà vu,” she said, “because freshman year the same thing happened where Michelle had a save and then we countered the exact same way, and Aleks Mihailovic ended up scoring. It’s déjà vu, and it felt so good.
“It all came from us coming back from them countering on us. Our biggest weakness is getting the counterattack, but we handled it really well. That was completely a team goal. There were so many people involved in it.”
In the fast-paced first half, the goal was the pivotal moment of them all.
“That’s a two-goal shift,” Prangen said. “It goes from 1-1 (if Providence had scored) to 2-nil, and that’s a deflating one where she comes out and makes a nice save on it. Jacks (Aleman) tracked on it and got the loose ball, and then we transition and go forward right away.
“It was a very quick transition, and I thought in the first half she (Niamh) was very dangerous in the box. She put a great head ball on a cross from Lily Hinkle (in the 23rd minute) that just missed. She had a good work rate in the first half that really put them under pressure.
“It was a great break going the other way for us (for the 2-0 lead),” Prangen added. “And the third goal at the end of the half -- 2-nil is manageable, but 3-nil is hard to come back from mentally.”
On that finish 3:47 before halftime, great efforts by Chicagoland Soccer co-MVPs of the Match Hehir and Knutte again were huge factors.
After Danielle Irwin’s initial pass upfield, Erin Crispo’s cross from the right side resulted in a Hehir 6-yard header off the crossbar. But Knutte hustled to track down the rebound in the box, and powered a 12-yard liner into the net for Lemont biggest lead.
“It kind of got us out of reach,” Knutte said of the goal. “Once we had the third goal I think we kind of felt we had the momentum going. I think everybody felt more energized afterwards, to keep pushing forward.”
Knutte’s energized effort on the first and third epitomized the all-out first half by her and every Indian.
“We had our forwards getting up on both sides and were switching the field,” Knutte said. “And they (Providence) played a higher line, so it was easier to play those balls wide.”
The goal for the 3-0 lead was a late payoff after two other near-misses – Hehir’s header just wide off a Lily Hinkle cross in the 23rd minute, then an Irwin 15-yard drive off the crossbar in the 28th minute.
But even if Lemont had command on the scoreboard with a 3-0 lead, Providence wasn’t going to go quietly.
With top scorer Karli Boyd sidelined by a torn ACL suffered in the regional finals, Providence shifted standout defender Regan Sauer to forward and generated increased pressure in the last 40 minutes.
Still Lemont had another great chance. With 35:10 left, nice passes by Knutte and Hehir created an apparent open net chance for Crispo – until Providence defender Claire Barrett raced in from the side to nicely deflect Crsipo’s try over the end line.
Three Lemont corner kicks in succession followed, the first two deflected over the end line before Barrett cleared the third send upfield.
Providence endured that flurry and additional second half Lemont threats with 11:40 left (goalkeeper Kayla Ambrose’s save on a Knutte 12-yard shot off an Olivia Nitchoff pass) and 8:10 to play (Ambrose racing to cover a loose ball at the post off a nice cross by Irwin).
At the other end, Providence turned up the heat.
Jerantowski made a nice reaching save on Sauer’s high 20-yard shot with 7:30 left and followed one minute later with the catch on a Sauer 15-yard try off a Lindsay Graham shot.
Then with 5:01 left, Chase McCool’s upfield pass sprung Cameron Korhorn for a dribble attack and 18-yard drive under the crossbar to draw Providence within 3-1.
“We made some good adjustments in the second half,” Providence coach Dan Potempa said. “I said ‘All we have to do is win the second half,’ and we did.
“We were in a hole 3-0, but I’m really proud of my girls, the way they fought and didn’t give up. Five minutes left we’re still going and pressuring late.”
Said Prangen: “The second half I think we kind of took our foot off the gas a little bit, and our movement got a little complacent. But it’s 3-0, and the goal comes off a mistake. It’s an early shot by us, and they got numbers off it.”
But Lemont closed the door from there. Knoepfle’s steal on a Sierra Vidican push into the offensive zone with 1:55 left derailed the last Providence attack.
“Our coaches prepare us and tell us who we need to watch out for,” Knoepfle said of Lemont’s defensive approach. “We know if we work together and stop who we need to stop, we’ll be OK.”
Lemont defender Katrina Retzke left with an injury 16:21 before halftime and never returned. The loss required position adjustments and renewed focus by the Indians’ backline.
“Sarah defended really well, and she gets the first goal of the game,” Prangen said. “That’s a big deal. Then Mairead (Ruane) has to go back and play center back (after the injury). That’s not her natural spot by any stretch of the imagination, but we played with that a little bit earlier this year and at least were prepared for it.
“And we played a lot of girls today in this heat,” Prangen added. “Our depth helped us a little bit, keeping fresh legs out there.”
Lemont’s 2018 success has been a matter of sacrificing for the common good.
“For this group I think (the key) is that everybody plays for each other,” Knutte said. “We’re all out there getting into tackles and putting in the hard work. That’s what has made us successful.”
Lemont advances to face Notre Dame (Peoria) in their foe's supersectional Tuesday. Besides their opponent, the Indians will look to vanquish what only an elite program could consider a curse. The team's five previous state semifinal appearances have only come in odd numbered years: 2009 (a runnerup finish); 2011 (third); and fourth place finishes in 2013, 2015 and last spring).
“It (winning sectionals) means so much,” Hehir said, “because we haven’t lost at home since 2014. Keeping up that tradition is an amazing feeling. And we want the break the curse. To be the class to do it would be amazing.
“Everybody on the team is into that. We all want to break that so badly. It would be phenomenal to do it. It’s a big motivation for us.”
That even year hex is just one part of the challenge ahead on Tuesday.
“We were one game away in 2014 and didn’t make it,” Prangen said. “I’m glad their cognizant of it. It’s one of their goals to break that.
“It’s going to be a tough task going down to Peoria Notre Dame and playing them on their home field again. Hopefully we’re mature enough and experienced enough to go down there and handle it.”
Prangen hopes one 2018 factor will play in his team’s favor.
“I think the Iowa trip (for a tournament this season) prepared us a little bit for traveling, getting on the bus and playing a big game,” he said. “So hopefully that’ll work out for us.
“I’m glad we have the opportunity. There are eight teams left in the state in AA, and we’re one of those eight. It’s a great opportunity. Take your chances.”
Starting lineups
Providence
GK Kayla Ambrose
D Catherine Slade
D Chase McCool
D Regan Sauer
D Jillian Janoyvak
M Brianna Geary
M Lindsay Graham
M Maria Spesia
M Claire Barrett
F Cameron Korhorn
F Sierra Vidican
Lemont
GK Michelle Jerantowski
D Katrina Retzke
D Leti Salazar
D Sarah Knoepfle
M Danielle Irwin
M Jacqueline Aleman
M Michaela Egan
M Mairead Ruane
M Katie Knutte
F Erin Crispo
F Adriana Patino
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Katie Knutte, jr. M, Lemont
Niamh Hehir, sr. F, Lemont
Scoring summary
First half
Lemont – Sarah Knoepfle (Mairead Ruane), 5:22
Lemont – Niamh Hehir (Ruane), 18:07
Lemont – Katie Knutte (Hehir), 36:13
Second half
Providence – Cameron Korhorn (Chase McCool), 74:59
1st half goals produce 3-1 sectional title win over Providence
By Dave Owen
LEMONT -– What may look like an 80-minute marathon on a 110-yard field to some is more like all-out sprint for Lemont.
Coming out of the gate at full force in Friday’s Class AA Lemont Sectional final against Providence, the host Indians (23-1-0, and ranked 10th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25) grabbed the lead just 5:22 in.
That set the tone for a pedal to the metal first half. Lemont sprinted to a 3-0 halftime lead, then withstood an inspired final push by the Celtics (13-10-2) to win 3-1 and continue a four-year unbeaten streak on their home field.
“We came out with some good energy in the first 20 minutes and just really got after it,” Lemont coach Rick Prangen said. “And once you get up 1-nil, it’s a little bit better.
“But the good thing was, we didn’t let down. We kept pressing the game. And the third goal comes after us hitting the crossbar two times before that, so it’s well earned.”
The blitz began with two chances in the first three minutes – a Mairead Ruane shot nicely blocked by Providence defender Jillian Janoyvak, then a Jacqueline Aleman 18-yard shot that skimmed off the crossbar and over the net.
The third threat would pay off, It started with the first of many extra-effort plays by Lemont’s Katie Knutte.
The junior’s shot on a left side attack deflected off a Providence defender for the game’s first corner kick.
A perfect set piece followed – Ruane’s corner send to the back post was headed in by senior defender Sarah Knoepfle, and Lemont erupted in a celebration that would barely abate for the next 35 minutes.
“I thought Katie was absolutely brilliant in the first 30 minutes of the game today,” Prangen said. “She wins the corner for us, which Sarah is able to bury.
“In games like this, set pieces become very important. Our first set piece, we buried. That’s just a great thing for us.”
Knoepfle’s third goal of 2018 was practice made perfect, and a payoff for their set-the-tone-quickly approach.
“At practice we’ve been working a lot on set pieces,” Knoepfle said. “We knew we might only get a couple chances, and the chances we get, we need to put away right away.”
The chance that produced a 2-0 Lemont lead came from improbable origins.
Providence’s Sierra Vidican
burst in on the left side and drove a low 15-yard shot that Lemont goalkeeper Michelle Jerantowski denied on a great diving swat to her left.
Not satisfied with preserving their 1-0 lead on the play, the Indians doubled it. A quick counterattack sprung Ruane upfield, whose nice angle send across the field hit senior Niamh Hehir free on the right side.
Hehir did the rest, chipping an 8-yard shot into the net to put Lemont up 2-0.
For Hehir, the goal was a mix of history repeating itself – and an improbable result.
“It was honestly déjà vu,” she said, “because freshman year the same thing happened where Michelle had a save and then we countered the exact same way, and Aleks Mihailovic ended up scoring. It’s déjà vu, and it felt so good.
“It all came from us coming back from them countering on us. Our biggest weakness is getting the counterattack, but we handled it really well. That was completely a team goal. There were so many people involved in it.”
In the fast-paced first half, the goal was the pivotal moment of them all.
“That’s a two-goal shift,” Prangen said. “It goes from 1-1 (if Providence had scored) to 2-nil, and that’s a deflating one where she comes out and makes a nice save on it. Jacks (Aleman) tracked on it and got the loose ball, and then we transition and go forward right away.
“It was a very quick transition, and I thought in the first half she (Niamh) was very dangerous in the box. She put a great head ball on a cross from Lily Hinkle (in the 23rd minute) that just missed. She had a good work rate in the first half that really put them under pressure.
“It was a great break going the other way for us (for the 2-0 lead),” Prangen added. “And the third goal at the end of the half -- 2-nil is manageable, but 3-nil is hard to come back from mentally.”
On that finish 3:47 before halftime, great efforts by Chicagoland Soccer co-MVPs of the Match Hehir and Knutte again were huge factors.
After Danielle Irwin’s initial pass upfield, Erin Crispo’s cross from the right side resulted in a Hehir 6-yard header off the crossbar. But Knutte hustled to track down the rebound in the box, and powered a 12-yard liner into the net for Lemont biggest lead.
“It kind of got us out of reach,” Knutte said of the goal. “Once we had the third goal I think we kind of felt we had the momentum going. I think everybody felt more energized afterwards, to keep pushing forward.”
Knutte’s energized effort on the first and third epitomized the all-out first half by her and every Indian.
“We had our forwards getting up on both sides and were switching the field,” Knutte said. “And they (Providence) played a higher line, so it was easier to play those balls wide.”
The goal for the 3-0 lead was a late payoff after two other near-misses – Hehir’s header just wide off a Lily Hinkle cross in the 23rd minute, then an Irwin 15-yard drive off the crossbar in the 28th minute.
But even if Lemont had command on the scoreboard with a 3-0 lead, Providence wasn’t going to go quietly.
With top scorer Karli Boyd sidelined by a torn ACL suffered in the regional finals, Providence shifted standout defender Regan Sauer to forward and generated increased pressure in the last 40 minutes.
Still Lemont had another great chance. With 35:10 left, nice passes by Knutte and Hehir created an apparent open net chance for Crispo – until Providence defender Claire Barrett raced in from the side to nicely deflect Crsipo’s try over the end line.
Three Lemont corner kicks in succession followed, the first two deflected over the end line before Barrett cleared the third send upfield.
Providence endured that flurry and additional second half Lemont threats with 11:40 left (goalkeeper Kayla Ambrose’s save on a Knutte 12-yard shot off an Olivia Nitchoff pass) and 8:10 to play (Ambrose racing to cover a loose ball at the post off a nice cross by Irwin).
At the other end, Providence turned up the heat.
Jerantowski made a nice reaching save on Sauer’s high 20-yard shot with 7:30 left and followed one minute later with the catch on a Sauer 15-yard try off a Lindsay Graham shot.
Then with 5:01 left, Chase McCool’s upfield pass sprung Cameron Korhorn for a dribble attack and 18-yard drive under the crossbar to draw Providence within 3-1.
“We made some good adjustments in the second half,” Providence coach Dan Potempa said. “I said ‘All we have to do is win the second half,’ and we did.
“We were in a hole 3-0, but I’m really proud of my girls, the way they fought and didn’t give up. Five minutes left we’re still going and pressuring late.”
Said Prangen: “The second half I think we kind of took our foot off the gas a little bit, and our movement got a little complacent. But it’s 3-0, and the goal comes off a mistake. It’s an early shot by us, and they got numbers off it.”
But Lemont closed the door from there. Knoepfle’s steal on a Sierra Vidican push into the offensive zone with 1:55 left derailed the last Providence attack.
“Our coaches prepare us and tell us who we need to watch out for,” Knoepfle said of Lemont’s defensive approach. “We know if we work together and stop who we need to stop, we’ll be OK.”
Lemont defender Katrina Retzke left with an injury 16:21 before halftime and never returned. The loss required position adjustments and renewed focus by the Indians’ backline.
“Sarah defended really well, and she gets the first goal of the game,” Prangen said. “That’s a big deal. Then Mairead (Ruane) has to go back and play center back (after the injury). That’s not her natural spot by any stretch of the imagination, but we played with that a little bit earlier this year and at least were prepared for it.
“And we played a lot of girls today in this heat,” Prangen added. “Our depth helped us a little bit, keeping fresh legs out there.”
Lemont’s 2018 success has been a matter of sacrificing for the common good.
“For this group I think (the key) is that everybody plays for each other,” Knutte said. “We’re all out there getting into tackles and putting in the hard work. That’s what has made us successful.”
Lemont advances to face Notre Dame (Peoria) in their foe's supersectional Tuesday. Besides their opponent, the Indians will look to vanquish what only an elite program could consider a curse. The team's five previous state semifinal appearances have only come in odd numbered years: 2009 (a runnerup finish); 2011 (third); and fourth place finishes in 2013, 2015 and last spring).
“It (winning sectionals) means so much,” Hehir said, “because we haven’t lost at home since 2014. Keeping up that tradition is an amazing feeling. And we want the break the curse. To be the class to do it would be amazing.
“Everybody on the team is into that. We all want to break that so badly. It would be phenomenal to do it. It’s a big motivation for us.”
That even year hex is just one part of the challenge ahead on Tuesday.
“We were one game away in 2014 and didn’t make it,” Prangen said. “I’m glad their cognizant of it. It’s one of their goals to break that.
“It’s going to be a tough task going down to Peoria Notre Dame and playing them on their home field again. Hopefully we’re mature enough and experienced enough to go down there and handle it.”
Prangen hopes one 2018 factor will play in his team’s favor.
“I think the Iowa trip (for a tournament this season) prepared us a little bit for traveling, getting on the bus and playing a big game,” he said. “So hopefully that’ll work out for us.
“I’m glad we have the opportunity. There are eight teams left in the state in AA, and we’re one of those eight. It’s a great opportunity. Take your chances.”
Starting lineups
Providence
GK Kayla Ambrose
D Catherine Slade
D Chase McCool
D Regan Sauer
D Jillian Janoyvak
M Brianna Geary
M Lindsay Graham
M Maria Spesia
M Claire Barrett
F Cameron Korhorn
F Sierra Vidican
Lemont
GK Michelle Jerantowski
D Katrina Retzke
D Leti Salazar
D Sarah Knoepfle
M Danielle Irwin
M Jacqueline Aleman
M Michaela Egan
M Mairead Ruane
M Katie Knutte
F Erin Crispo
F Adriana Patino
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Katie Knutte, jr. M, Lemont
Niamh Hehir, sr. F, Lemont
Scoring summary
First half
Lemont – Sarah Knoepfle (Mairead Ruane), 5:22
Lemont – Niamh Hehir (Ruane), 18:07
Lemont – Katie Knutte (Hehir), 36:13
Second half
Providence – Cameron Korhorn (Chase McCool), 74:59