St. Francis doesn’t
miss a beat vs. Ridgewood
Lack of 2 defensive stars no problem in 8-0 win
By Bob Narang
WHEATON -- St. Francis senior forward Katherine Lemke had a pressing engagement that forced her miss Saturday’s game against Ridgewood.
Lemke, a golf standout committed to play at Creighton, is one of the top players on the Spartans’ soccer team. Her leadership, poise and veteran presence has been instrumental for in the young Spartans’ success this spring.
“Katherine has to play certainly qualifying events for her (golf) amateur status,” St. Francis coach Jim Winslow said. “She called me (Friday) at night, telling me she felt so bad that she couldn’t play on Saturday.”
Adding to the Spartans’ missing persons list for Saturday’s Metro Suburban Conference match was Meghan Ward. The senior forward had yet to miss a game this season until Saturday. Ward couldn’t miss work or risk losing her job, Winslow said.
“Meg had to work; it’s just a strange season,” Winslow said. “Meg hasn’t missed anything all year. That’s the goofy part.”
But even without two vital senior defenders, the Spartans, who are ranked 17th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, cruised to an 8-0 win over Ridgewood on a rainy late morning.
The Spartans (8-0-0, 7-0-0) notched their second shutout in the last three games, and received a collective effort on the scoring end. The Rebels (2-7-0, 2-4-0) finished with just two shots on goal.
St. Francis freshman Ellie Bielenda started the parade of goals in the third minute. Three minutes later, Kate Chaparro scored off a rebound to signal the start of a memorable showing from the Spartans.
When the dust had settled, Bielenda and Lauren Bruce led St. Francis with two goals each. Chaparro, Paige Chrustowski, Sophia Roszkowski and Tristan Grosam each scored one goal to join the scoring party.
Bielenda tallied the first goal after a run of nearly 40 yards, then added a goal in the 53rd minute to run her season total to three scores.
Bielenda said she’s adjusting to playing on the varsity and a new position.
“I usually play on the outside, but now I’m playing more in the middle, so it’s a bit more work and less running,” Bielenda said. “This team works well together. Everyone plays a role, so we all work together and work well as a group.”
Chaparro, a senior in her second full year on the varsity, said the Spartans are a revamped team from two years ago. The Spartans’ overall speed is a big difference, Chaparro said.
“We definitely like to run up-top more and play a lot of through-balls,” she said. “On the other teams, we liked to knock it around and build our way up. On this one, we have a lot of speed and are able to get good crosses.
“This game was a good way to reset and stay organized with pressure. It’s a lot different doing it in games than practices. This was a good learning experience, helping us get game-time situations by learning and talking. The biggest thing was making the girls starting in new places to feel comfortable in their roles. We have an amazing group of freshmen, and they’ve joined in well with the team.”
Senior forward Abby Curtis said the Spartans stayed focused and distributed the ball.
“We were missing two key starters, but we adjusted well and communicated,” Curtis said. “I thought we did a really good job moving the ball.
“We’re hoping to make a run toward state, and keep winning games like this. We have to get better as we go. We have a really fantastic group of freshmen that are getting better each game. We’re so lucky.”
Despite facing a jumbled Spartans’ lineup filled with new faces, Ridgewood was unable to knock a shot in the net. The Rebels’ top two attempts came midway in the second half: a St. Francis defender nearly scored a goal for the visitors on a tap back to goalie Hannah Blaha; in the 70th minute, Ridgewood’s best chance occurred on a Jessica Henandez shot from six yards that slowly dribbled just outside the near post.
The Rebels entered the conference game with consecutive shutout losses to IC Catholic Prep and Glenbard South after winning two-straight games.
Ridgewood goalie Nikolija Videnovic had a stressful but somewhat productive showing in the net. She finished with six saves in the first half and 10 in the second.
Ridgewood coach Kenneth Caslin said his inexperienced goalie will benefit from playing against talented teams like St. Francis.
“(Nikolija) never played goalie before,” Caslin said. “This is her probably seventh game ever in goal. She played basketball, so she’s got hands and is athletic. It’s not her ideal position, but she’s taking one for the team. She’s starting to look more like a goalie.”
Ridgewood’s path up the conference ladder was significantly hindered by the coronavirus pandemic, Caslin said. The Rebels have 19 total players in their program compared to 40-plus last year. He added that his program’s biggest highlight this season is beating Elmwood Park 3-0.
“We’ve got some young girls who are learning and improving in terms of their fundamentals, but still their tactics have to get there and the experience has to get there,” Caslin said. “Not having the season last year hurt us.
“We don’t have much depth. We have nine seniors, but our sophomore Stephani Mielnik-Ghosheh has a lot of potential and skill. She just has to learn the ins and outs of the game. She’s got a lot of promise and scored goals for us this year.
“(St. Francis) is a team that has a lot of players who play club and play year-round and focus and put their time into a sport. They’re a good organized team. That’s what we aspire to be.”
Starting lineups
Ridgewood
GK: Nikolija Videnovic
D: Bella Baran
D: Stephani Mielnik-Ghosheh
D: Viktoria Tyszka
D: Cassie Szczęch
M: Angelina Fahey
M: Michelle Rivadeneira
M: Natalia Stachura
M: Wiktoria Wzorek
F: Claire Kelly
F: Emily Kmiotek
St. Francis
GK: Hannah Blaha
D: Ella Schroeder
D: Shannon Brown
D: Abby Curtis
D: Sara Dziengel
M: Sophia Roszkowski
M: Ellie Bielenda
M: Claire Reinke
F: Kate Chaparro
F: Lauren Bruce
F: Paige Chrustowski
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Ellie Bielenda, fr., MF, St. Francis
Scoring summary
First half
SF: Bielenda (UA) 3’
SF: Chaparro (UA) 6’
SF: Bruce (Chrustowski) 23’
SF: Chrustowski (UA) 38’
Second half
SF: Bruce (Chrustowski) 50’
SF: Bielenda (UA) 53’
SF: Wozniak (Chaparro) 71’
SF: Grosam (UA) 78’
miss a beat vs. Ridgewood
Lack of 2 defensive stars no problem in 8-0 win
By Bob Narang
WHEATON -- St. Francis senior forward Katherine Lemke had a pressing engagement that forced her miss Saturday’s game against Ridgewood.
Lemke, a golf standout committed to play at Creighton, is one of the top players on the Spartans’ soccer team. Her leadership, poise and veteran presence has been instrumental for in the young Spartans’ success this spring.
“Katherine has to play certainly qualifying events for her (golf) amateur status,” St. Francis coach Jim Winslow said. “She called me (Friday) at night, telling me she felt so bad that she couldn’t play on Saturday.”
Adding to the Spartans’ missing persons list for Saturday’s Metro Suburban Conference match was Meghan Ward. The senior forward had yet to miss a game this season until Saturday. Ward couldn’t miss work or risk losing her job, Winslow said.
“Meg had to work; it’s just a strange season,” Winslow said. “Meg hasn’t missed anything all year. That’s the goofy part.”
But even without two vital senior defenders, the Spartans, who are ranked 17th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, cruised to an 8-0 win over Ridgewood on a rainy late morning.
The Spartans (8-0-0, 7-0-0) notched their second shutout in the last three games, and received a collective effort on the scoring end. The Rebels (2-7-0, 2-4-0) finished with just two shots on goal.
St. Francis freshman Ellie Bielenda started the parade of goals in the third minute. Three minutes later, Kate Chaparro scored off a rebound to signal the start of a memorable showing from the Spartans.
When the dust had settled, Bielenda and Lauren Bruce led St. Francis with two goals each. Chaparro, Paige Chrustowski, Sophia Roszkowski and Tristan Grosam each scored one goal to join the scoring party.
Bielenda tallied the first goal after a run of nearly 40 yards, then added a goal in the 53rd minute to run her season total to three scores.
Bielenda said she’s adjusting to playing on the varsity and a new position.
“I usually play on the outside, but now I’m playing more in the middle, so it’s a bit more work and less running,” Bielenda said. “This team works well together. Everyone plays a role, so we all work together and work well as a group.”
Chaparro, a senior in her second full year on the varsity, said the Spartans are a revamped team from two years ago. The Spartans’ overall speed is a big difference, Chaparro said.
“We definitely like to run up-top more and play a lot of through-balls,” she said. “On the other teams, we liked to knock it around and build our way up. On this one, we have a lot of speed and are able to get good crosses.
“This game was a good way to reset and stay organized with pressure. It’s a lot different doing it in games than practices. This was a good learning experience, helping us get game-time situations by learning and talking. The biggest thing was making the girls starting in new places to feel comfortable in their roles. We have an amazing group of freshmen, and they’ve joined in well with the team.”
Senior forward Abby Curtis said the Spartans stayed focused and distributed the ball.
“We were missing two key starters, but we adjusted well and communicated,” Curtis said. “I thought we did a really good job moving the ball.
“We’re hoping to make a run toward state, and keep winning games like this. We have to get better as we go. We have a really fantastic group of freshmen that are getting better each game. We’re so lucky.”
Despite facing a jumbled Spartans’ lineup filled with new faces, Ridgewood was unable to knock a shot in the net. The Rebels’ top two attempts came midway in the second half: a St. Francis defender nearly scored a goal for the visitors on a tap back to goalie Hannah Blaha; in the 70th minute, Ridgewood’s best chance occurred on a Jessica Henandez shot from six yards that slowly dribbled just outside the near post.
The Rebels entered the conference game with consecutive shutout losses to IC Catholic Prep and Glenbard South after winning two-straight games.
Ridgewood goalie Nikolija Videnovic had a stressful but somewhat productive showing in the net. She finished with six saves in the first half and 10 in the second.
Ridgewood coach Kenneth Caslin said his inexperienced goalie will benefit from playing against talented teams like St. Francis.
“(Nikolija) never played goalie before,” Caslin said. “This is her probably seventh game ever in goal. She played basketball, so she’s got hands and is athletic. It’s not her ideal position, but she’s taking one for the team. She’s starting to look more like a goalie.”
Ridgewood’s path up the conference ladder was significantly hindered by the coronavirus pandemic, Caslin said. The Rebels have 19 total players in their program compared to 40-plus last year. He added that his program’s biggest highlight this season is beating Elmwood Park 3-0.
“We’ve got some young girls who are learning and improving in terms of their fundamentals, but still their tactics have to get there and the experience has to get there,” Caslin said. “Not having the season last year hurt us.
“We don’t have much depth. We have nine seniors, but our sophomore Stephani Mielnik-Ghosheh has a lot of potential and skill. She just has to learn the ins and outs of the game. She’s got a lot of promise and scored goals for us this year.
“(St. Francis) is a team that has a lot of players who play club and play year-round and focus and put their time into a sport. They’re a good organized team. That’s what we aspire to be.”
Starting lineups
Ridgewood
GK: Nikolija Videnovic
D: Bella Baran
D: Stephani Mielnik-Ghosheh
D: Viktoria Tyszka
D: Cassie Szczęch
M: Angelina Fahey
M: Michelle Rivadeneira
M: Natalia Stachura
M: Wiktoria Wzorek
F: Claire Kelly
F: Emily Kmiotek
St. Francis
GK: Hannah Blaha
D: Ella Schroeder
D: Shannon Brown
D: Abby Curtis
D: Sara Dziengel
M: Sophia Roszkowski
M: Ellie Bielenda
M: Claire Reinke
F: Kate Chaparro
F: Lauren Bruce
F: Paige Chrustowski
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Ellie Bielenda, fr., MF, St. Francis
Scoring summary
First half
SF: Bielenda (UA) 3’
SF: Chaparro (UA) 6’
SF: Bruce (Chrustowski) 23’
SF: Chrustowski (UA) 38’
Second half
SF: Bruce (Chrustowski) 50’
SF: Bielenda (UA) 53’
SF: Wozniak (Chaparro) 71’
SF: Grosam (UA) 78’