SCE puts up big number in 2-0 win vs. SCN
No. 1 Fighting Saints post 600th program win, clinch DKC title
By Jared Birchfield
ST. CHARLES – St. Charles East accomplished far more than just retaining town bragging rights with its 2-0 win over St. Charles North on Thursday night at Norris Field.
The host Fighting Saints clinched the DuKane Conference title and hit an impressive milestone with the program’s 600th win.
East, which sits atop the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, commemorated the milestone with a post-game team picture prominently featuring the large-cut number 600.
“I think the 600 wins is attributed to people that came before us, and I think it says a lot about our community,” said St. Charles East coach Vince DiNuzzo.
“I was looking at the standings before the game for JV2, JV1 and varsity. In every single one of those conference races, it was an East-North race. It says a lot about the community we live in and the people that came before us. They've set the standard, and we just hope to live up to some of the things they have done in the past.”
Thursday night’s clash may not be the last time the two teams face each other this season. East is the first seed in the Bartlett Class 3A Sectional and Chicagoland Soccer 11th-ranked team is the second seed.
The St. Charles squads first squared off this season on May 1, a 3-0 Saints win.
Senior Jenna Sitta scored both of the Saints’ goals Thursday night.
The forward’s first goal came in the 18th minute on a 20- yard shot just right of the goal.
Sitta connected again with 31:06 left in the match. Hanna Miller dribbled the ball up the near sideline and passed it into Sitta, who was just outside the penalty box. Her shot from the box corner found the back of the net for the brace.
“Jenna was outstanding today (though) her first touch wasn’t what it typically is,” DiNuzzo said. “She struggled, but she found other ways to be more effective - making runs behind the backline and shooting whenever she had the opportunity. She was dangerous, and she provided an outlet for us. She was good tonight.”
Sitta, who leads the Saints (16-0-0, 12-0-0) with 18 goals, was named the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match.
With the East scoring an average of 5.25 goals a match, Saints fans expect high-scoring contests but that is not DiNuzzo’s objective.
“I feel like the whole perception that we have to win 8-0 every time we step on the field is not our goal. Anyway you shake it out, the goal is to get three points. It is to win and play good soccer. I think we did that today.” DiNuzzo said. “I think teams are better prepared. North made some significant changes from the first time we played them. I think today for us, we weren't as sharp as we have been in the final third, but we were still able to win.”
The improved play of St. Charles North (10-4-2, 8-3-1) limited the Saints’ scoring opportunities.
“I feel like we're a different team from the first time we've played them,” North coach Brian Harks said. “We've got a lot of different players in different areas. I think we've started to click as a team and really come together.
“But at the end of the day, East had the run of play and they are good team top to bottom. They'll capitalize on small mistakes and make you pay for those little mistakes.”
North Stars senior Grace Barresi agreed the devil was in the details.
“I think we've definitely gotten better since our last time (playing East). We did change our lineup a little bit. Makenna Collins and I play in the middle now instead of center back and now we've solidified our line up a bit more” she said. “They are a great team. We just didn't do the little things like first touch and connecting on passes.”
East’s McKenna Gahagan felt the Saints had the upper hand in the midfield.
“We're playing our rival so they're definitely going to be pushing harder. I think in the midfield we definitely needed to create more space and get open and also fight for the 50/50 balls,” the junior said. “It was definitely challenging, but I think overall we pulled it off. I think we were the better team, and we were able to go forward on the attacks.”
East’s backline and the dynamic goalkeeper duo of Sofia Iori (first half) and Grace Stehman (second half) notched the team’s 11th shutout .
Before the match, DiNuzzo reminded his squad the importance of team defense.
“Our message before the game was: our strength is obviously our relentless attack. But with that has come our sustained pressure and the way we defend. That starts in the back,” the East coach said. “I think the defenders were locked in; the whole team defended well so it wasn't just the back four that was committed to it.
“St. Charles North played well, but I think the girls put in a good shift here and got a result we needed. It was a quality win against a quality opponent.”
Harks complimented East’s defense.
“They're pretty structured top to bottom, and they are well coached. Their backline handles things as a unit,” the North coach said. “So, we'll just have to go back to the drawing board and figure out a way solve it, should we ever meet them again in the future.”
St. Charles East defender Anna Champine agrees the backline has hit its stride.
“I think we're really strong, defensively minded. I think we're smart off the ball, and we communicate really well in the back,” the junior said. “I think we play well together. I mean we know every game what we have to do, and we have pride in doing it.”
DiNuzzo’s attention is now on East’s next match, a nonconference clash at number 12 Naperville North.
“We're trying to pursue this as one game at a time mentality, so we've got Naperville North on Saturday and that's our focus,” said the East coach. “The postseason is coming, but we want to make sure we're playing our best soccer first =- that we're healthy and we're hitting our stride when the postseason starts.”
Harks also downplayed looking toward the state tournament. The North Stars return to the pitch Tuesday, when they host conference foe Glenbard North.
“It's too soon to look at anything down the line,” he said. “Obviously, everybody going in the postseason has same aspiration and the goals.”
Starting lineups
St. Charles North
GK: Kara Claussner
D: Martina Nava
D: Sophia Sutherland
D: Abigail Vichich
D: Bridget Wolf
M: Grace Barresi
M: Makenna Collins
M: Talia Pellegrini
F: Rian Spaulding
F: Madison Rossi
F: Bella Najera
St. Charles East
G: Sofia Iori
D: Lindsey Rzeszutko
D: Anna Champine
D: Jessica Stepien
D: Megan Stout
M: McKenna Gahagan
M: Ashley Stellon
M: Yasmin Martinez
F: Hannah Miller
F: Megan Sreniawski
F: Jenna Sitta
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Jenna Sitta, sr., F, St. Charles East
Scoring summary
First half
SCE: Sitta (Gahagan) 22 minutes
Second half
SCE: Sitta (Miller) 49 minutes
No. 1 Fighting Saints post 600th program win, clinch DKC title
By Jared Birchfield
ST. CHARLES – St. Charles East accomplished far more than just retaining town bragging rights with its 2-0 win over St. Charles North on Thursday night at Norris Field.
The host Fighting Saints clinched the DuKane Conference title and hit an impressive milestone with the program’s 600th win.
East, which sits atop the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, commemorated the milestone with a post-game team picture prominently featuring the large-cut number 600.
“I think the 600 wins is attributed to people that came before us, and I think it says a lot about our community,” said St. Charles East coach Vince DiNuzzo.
“I was looking at the standings before the game for JV2, JV1 and varsity. In every single one of those conference races, it was an East-North race. It says a lot about the community we live in and the people that came before us. They've set the standard, and we just hope to live up to some of the things they have done in the past.”
Thursday night’s clash may not be the last time the two teams face each other this season. East is the first seed in the Bartlett Class 3A Sectional and Chicagoland Soccer 11th-ranked team is the second seed.
The St. Charles squads first squared off this season on May 1, a 3-0 Saints win.
Senior Jenna Sitta scored both of the Saints’ goals Thursday night.
The forward’s first goal came in the 18th minute on a 20- yard shot just right of the goal.
Sitta connected again with 31:06 left in the match. Hanna Miller dribbled the ball up the near sideline and passed it into Sitta, who was just outside the penalty box. Her shot from the box corner found the back of the net for the brace.
“Jenna was outstanding today (though) her first touch wasn’t what it typically is,” DiNuzzo said. “She struggled, but she found other ways to be more effective - making runs behind the backline and shooting whenever she had the opportunity. She was dangerous, and she provided an outlet for us. She was good tonight.”
Sitta, who leads the Saints (16-0-0, 12-0-0) with 18 goals, was named the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match.
With the East scoring an average of 5.25 goals a match, Saints fans expect high-scoring contests but that is not DiNuzzo’s objective.
“I feel like the whole perception that we have to win 8-0 every time we step on the field is not our goal. Anyway you shake it out, the goal is to get three points. It is to win and play good soccer. I think we did that today.” DiNuzzo said. “I think teams are better prepared. North made some significant changes from the first time we played them. I think today for us, we weren't as sharp as we have been in the final third, but we were still able to win.”
The improved play of St. Charles North (10-4-2, 8-3-1) limited the Saints’ scoring opportunities.
“I feel like we're a different team from the first time we've played them,” North coach Brian Harks said. “We've got a lot of different players in different areas. I think we've started to click as a team and really come together.
“But at the end of the day, East had the run of play and they are good team top to bottom. They'll capitalize on small mistakes and make you pay for those little mistakes.”
North Stars senior Grace Barresi agreed the devil was in the details.
“I think we've definitely gotten better since our last time (playing East). We did change our lineup a little bit. Makenna Collins and I play in the middle now instead of center back and now we've solidified our line up a bit more” she said. “They are a great team. We just didn't do the little things like first touch and connecting on passes.”
East’s McKenna Gahagan felt the Saints had the upper hand in the midfield.
“We're playing our rival so they're definitely going to be pushing harder. I think in the midfield we definitely needed to create more space and get open and also fight for the 50/50 balls,” the junior said. “It was definitely challenging, but I think overall we pulled it off. I think we were the better team, and we were able to go forward on the attacks.”
East’s backline and the dynamic goalkeeper duo of Sofia Iori (first half) and Grace Stehman (second half) notched the team’s 11th shutout .
Before the match, DiNuzzo reminded his squad the importance of team defense.
“Our message before the game was: our strength is obviously our relentless attack. But with that has come our sustained pressure and the way we defend. That starts in the back,” the East coach said. “I think the defenders were locked in; the whole team defended well so it wasn't just the back four that was committed to it.
“St. Charles North played well, but I think the girls put in a good shift here and got a result we needed. It was a quality win against a quality opponent.”
Harks complimented East’s defense.
“They're pretty structured top to bottom, and they are well coached. Their backline handles things as a unit,” the North coach said. “So, we'll just have to go back to the drawing board and figure out a way solve it, should we ever meet them again in the future.”
St. Charles East defender Anna Champine agrees the backline has hit its stride.
“I think we're really strong, defensively minded. I think we're smart off the ball, and we communicate really well in the back,” the junior said. “I think we play well together. I mean we know every game what we have to do, and we have pride in doing it.”
DiNuzzo’s attention is now on East’s next match, a nonconference clash at number 12 Naperville North.
“We're trying to pursue this as one game at a time mentality, so we've got Naperville North on Saturday and that's our focus,” said the East coach. “The postseason is coming, but we want to make sure we're playing our best soccer first =- that we're healthy and we're hitting our stride when the postseason starts.”
Harks also downplayed looking toward the state tournament. The North Stars return to the pitch Tuesday, when they host conference foe Glenbard North.
“It's too soon to look at anything down the line,” he said. “Obviously, everybody going in the postseason has same aspiration and the goals.”
Starting lineups
St. Charles North
GK: Kara Claussner
D: Martina Nava
D: Sophia Sutherland
D: Abigail Vichich
D: Bridget Wolf
M: Grace Barresi
M: Makenna Collins
M: Talia Pellegrini
F: Rian Spaulding
F: Madison Rossi
F: Bella Najera
St. Charles East
G: Sofia Iori
D: Lindsey Rzeszutko
D: Anna Champine
D: Jessica Stepien
D: Megan Stout
M: McKenna Gahagan
M: Ashley Stellon
M: Yasmin Martinez
F: Hannah Miller
F: Megan Sreniawski
F: Jenna Sitta
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Jenna Sitta, sr., F, St. Charles East
Scoring summary
First half
SCE: Sitta (Gahagan) 22 minutes
Second half
SCE: Sitta (Miller) 49 minutes