Naperville C. finds offense, tops St. Francis
Bradley-Leon's goal, assist keys 3-1 victory
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – St. Francis star Kendra Pasquale had the shot of the game, but Naperville Central got the result it wanted.
The host Redhawks snapped a three-game losing streak – and three-game scoring drought – as Maddie Mills and Maddie Redeker answered Pasquale’s game-tying goal with strikes of their own in a 3-1 victory over 14th-ranked St. Francis on Wednesday at Memorial Stadium.
For the Redhawks (2-3-0), it was the day their offense woke from a slumber. For the Spartans (2-1-0) it was merely an early season wake-up call after they scored 21 goals in their first two matches against weaker opponents.
“They had a phenomenal game,” Pasquale said. “It’s always a good competition (against Naperville Central).
“I think it’s early in our season so this is the first kind of real competition that we’ve had. We’re still trying to figure out how the season is going to go.”
So are the Redhawks, who like the Spartans are trying to fit some new players into new positions.
But one thing that hasn’t changed for St. Francis is Pasquale’s ability to dent the net. The Illinois recruit unleashed a 22-yard rocket past Naperville Central goalkeeper Sophie Epelbaum that tied the game at 1-1 with 19:49 to go in the second half.
Pasquale’s goal came just two minutes after St. Francis defender Christine Fasana blocked a shot from Jessica Sonner off the line. But that combination of plays didn’t swing the momentum the Spartans’ way.
Instead, Naperville Central, which was ranked 15th in the Chicagoland Soccer preseason poll, retaliated and went back in front just 2:32 later. Sophomore Hannah Bradley-Leon, who had put the hosts ahead 1-0 in the first half, saved a ball during a dribble along the right end line and lofted a short yet high ball in front of the St. Francis net.
The ball came down right where Mills was waiting and the ensuing six-yard header went under the crossbar. It was the first goal of the season and first career game-winning tally for Mills, a junior midfielder.
“I just saw a lot of space on the back side, so I stayed back a little bit,” Mills said. “A lot of people were pushing toward the corner, and Hannah got up a nice ball, and it just went right to my head. I put it in the back of the net.”
The play began with a throw-in from the right side and stayed alive because of Bradley-Leon’s persistence.
“I had more space on the sideline so Liz (Barker) laid it back to me,” Bradley-Leon said. “Then I one-touched it, and I saw that the goalie was out farther on the line, so I put it where Maddie was in the six.”
Naperville Central coach Ed Watson was thrilled to see the quick response to Pasquale’s goal.
“That was a nice goal that (Pasquale) scored, and unfortunately I had a really good view of it,” Watson said. “I could see that, yep, that’s going in.
“The fact that our girls made adjustments was good. The goal that Maddie Mills scored, it was a great ball by Hannah and (Hannah) didn’t give up on it. I think a lot of girls would have settled for a corner there, but she kept playing, and Maddie Mills was there to finish.”
Pasquale, who had three other shots saved, was impressed by the Redhawks’ play.
“It’s a great way to respond so props to them,” Pasquale said. “They had some good goals, unlucky for us. But I think this will motivate us and put a fire in us to come back and react better next week.”
Naperville Central's three-game losing streak, which came against three solid opponents, seemed to light a fire under the Redhawks, who kept pressing after Mills’ goal. Wisconsin-Whitewater recruit Redeker bagged a big insurance goal with 4:41 left when she got on the end of freshman Emma Irle’s 45-yard free kick and finished from within a crowd just outside the six.
That put the finishing touches on a victory that came even though the Spartans held a 7-2 edge in corner kicks and created more overall chances -- several strong crosses went untouched through the crease in the final 20 minutes.
“I don’t know that they really had a good opportunity,” St. Francis coach Jim Winslow said. “For us, how many serves went across the face of the goal?
“For the most part I think possession was in our favor. If you look at where the game was played, it was in our favor. But at the end of the day we have to put away our opportunities.
“They did on set pieces. That’s the ugly part of soccer. You can dominate a large part of it and still lose the game.
“But it was good because it’s an eye-opening experience. Naperville Central is athletic, they work hard, they defend, and they play hard. They’ve always done that, so how are you going to handle it?”
The Spartans didn’t handle it as well as they wanted to but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn from it. Games against strong Class 3A opponents will make life easier in the AA playoffs.
“Especially last year when we played teams like Naperville North, New Trier, Barrington, it really helped us farther along the line,” Pasquale said. “So I look forward to playing these games. They’re very competitive, and it motivates me.”
Bradley-Leon was motivated to play well and not just for the reward of being named Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match, which she earned after recording a goal and an assist.
She just wanted the Redhawks to end their scoring drought. They hadn’t scored since a season-opening 2-0 win over West Aurora.
Bradley-Leon broke the drought at the 23:57 mark of the first half when she knocked home a long ball from senior defender Emma Philips. There was a stiff breeze blowing from the north afterward, but it also could have been a collective sigh of relief from the Redhawks.
“It did feel like a weight was kind of lifted off of our shoulders because we’ve been in a drought,” Bradley-Leon said. “I think after this game it’s going to change.”
Naperville Central’s fortunes changed when Philips started moving forward up the wing more than she had in the past. She took a pass from Redeker and sent a long ball over the top of the defense to the streaking Bradley-Leon, who beat St. Francis goalie Courtney Kozak to it and knocked it inside the left post.
“She floated it in over the top, and it got past one of the defenders,” Bradley-Leon said. “I was making a diagonal run and the goalkeeper was coming out, so I hit it in before she could stop it.”
Philips was happy to be able to help out.
“Maddie Redeker actually left it off for me, and I was really glad that she saw me at that point,” Philips said. “Then I kind of saw there was a slot right in between some defenders, so I was hoping somebody could run on if I were to lift it up and over.”
Philips and senior Sarah Avery, who has been playing multiple positions, have anchored the typically solid defense for the Redhawks. But she’s trying to forge a role for herself pushing forward.
“I actually had a pregame talk with my dad about that today,” Philips said. “I want to be more offensive-minded because I noticed that our defense has been lacking bringing (the ball) up.
“So I really wanted us to be more of a team unit, to push up and push back at the same time.”
Every team goes through ups and downs but the Redhawks, who don’t play again until April 3, could be at the start of an upward trend. If so, they can point to Bradley-Leon’s goal as the catalyst.
“I honestly think Hannah’s goal got us all in the mindset that we could score again,” Mills said. “We were kind of in a rut, so that helped.”
As Watson pointed out, the Redhawks played five quality opponents to start the season, but there was always a danger the three-game losing streak could snowball. Philips is optimistic that won’t be the case.
“I just hope that our team can look at this as a chance and an opportunity for us to strive toward our goal of doing better than we did last year,” Philips said.
“Because we would always put ourselves down after every loss, and we just need to keep a level head and keep striving.”
Starting lineups
St. Francis
GK Courtney Kozak
D Ava Hensley
D Jill DiTusa
D Christine Fasana
D Emma Armbrust
M Claire Hensley
M Alex Preusser
M Kendra Pasquale
F Erin Peck
F Caroline Zimmer
F Hannah Rittenhouse
Naperville Central
GK Erin McHugh
D Emma Irle
D Grace Anderson
D Emma Phillips
D Abbey Hillman
M Sarah Avery
M Jessica Sonner
M Maddie Redeker
M Maddie Mills
F Hannah Bradley-Leon
F Caroline Reedy
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Hannah Bradley-Leon, so., M, Naperville Central
Scoring summary
1st Half
Naperville Central – Hannah Bradley-Leon (Emma Philips) 23:57
2nd Half
St. Francis – Kendra Pasquale 19:49
Naperville Central – Maddie Mills (Bradley-Leon) 17:17
Naperville Central – Maddie Redeker (Emma Irle) 4:41
Bradley-Leon's goal, assist keys 3-1 victory
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – St. Francis star Kendra Pasquale had the shot of the game, but Naperville Central got the result it wanted.
The host Redhawks snapped a three-game losing streak – and three-game scoring drought – as Maddie Mills and Maddie Redeker answered Pasquale’s game-tying goal with strikes of their own in a 3-1 victory over 14th-ranked St. Francis on Wednesday at Memorial Stadium.
For the Redhawks (2-3-0), it was the day their offense woke from a slumber. For the Spartans (2-1-0) it was merely an early season wake-up call after they scored 21 goals in their first two matches against weaker opponents.
“They had a phenomenal game,” Pasquale said. “It’s always a good competition (against Naperville Central).
“I think it’s early in our season so this is the first kind of real competition that we’ve had. We’re still trying to figure out how the season is going to go.”
So are the Redhawks, who like the Spartans are trying to fit some new players into new positions.
But one thing that hasn’t changed for St. Francis is Pasquale’s ability to dent the net. The Illinois recruit unleashed a 22-yard rocket past Naperville Central goalkeeper Sophie Epelbaum that tied the game at 1-1 with 19:49 to go in the second half.
Pasquale’s goal came just two minutes after St. Francis defender Christine Fasana blocked a shot from Jessica Sonner off the line. But that combination of plays didn’t swing the momentum the Spartans’ way.
Instead, Naperville Central, which was ranked 15th in the Chicagoland Soccer preseason poll, retaliated and went back in front just 2:32 later. Sophomore Hannah Bradley-Leon, who had put the hosts ahead 1-0 in the first half, saved a ball during a dribble along the right end line and lofted a short yet high ball in front of the St. Francis net.
The ball came down right where Mills was waiting and the ensuing six-yard header went under the crossbar. It was the first goal of the season and first career game-winning tally for Mills, a junior midfielder.
“I just saw a lot of space on the back side, so I stayed back a little bit,” Mills said. “A lot of people were pushing toward the corner, and Hannah got up a nice ball, and it just went right to my head. I put it in the back of the net.”
The play began with a throw-in from the right side and stayed alive because of Bradley-Leon’s persistence.
“I had more space on the sideline so Liz (Barker) laid it back to me,” Bradley-Leon said. “Then I one-touched it, and I saw that the goalie was out farther on the line, so I put it where Maddie was in the six.”
Naperville Central coach Ed Watson was thrilled to see the quick response to Pasquale’s goal.
“That was a nice goal that (Pasquale) scored, and unfortunately I had a really good view of it,” Watson said. “I could see that, yep, that’s going in.
“The fact that our girls made adjustments was good. The goal that Maddie Mills scored, it was a great ball by Hannah and (Hannah) didn’t give up on it. I think a lot of girls would have settled for a corner there, but she kept playing, and Maddie Mills was there to finish.”
Pasquale, who had three other shots saved, was impressed by the Redhawks’ play.
“It’s a great way to respond so props to them,” Pasquale said. “They had some good goals, unlucky for us. But I think this will motivate us and put a fire in us to come back and react better next week.”
Naperville Central's three-game losing streak, which came against three solid opponents, seemed to light a fire under the Redhawks, who kept pressing after Mills’ goal. Wisconsin-Whitewater recruit Redeker bagged a big insurance goal with 4:41 left when she got on the end of freshman Emma Irle’s 45-yard free kick and finished from within a crowd just outside the six.
That put the finishing touches on a victory that came even though the Spartans held a 7-2 edge in corner kicks and created more overall chances -- several strong crosses went untouched through the crease in the final 20 minutes.
“I don’t know that they really had a good opportunity,” St. Francis coach Jim Winslow said. “For us, how many serves went across the face of the goal?
“For the most part I think possession was in our favor. If you look at where the game was played, it was in our favor. But at the end of the day we have to put away our opportunities.
“They did on set pieces. That’s the ugly part of soccer. You can dominate a large part of it and still lose the game.
“But it was good because it’s an eye-opening experience. Naperville Central is athletic, they work hard, they defend, and they play hard. They’ve always done that, so how are you going to handle it?”
The Spartans didn’t handle it as well as they wanted to but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn from it. Games against strong Class 3A opponents will make life easier in the AA playoffs.
“Especially last year when we played teams like Naperville North, New Trier, Barrington, it really helped us farther along the line,” Pasquale said. “So I look forward to playing these games. They’re very competitive, and it motivates me.”
Bradley-Leon was motivated to play well and not just for the reward of being named Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match, which she earned after recording a goal and an assist.
She just wanted the Redhawks to end their scoring drought. They hadn’t scored since a season-opening 2-0 win over West Aurora.
Bradley-Leon broke the drought at the 23:57 mark of the first half when she knocked home a long ball from senior defender Emma Philips. There was a stiff breeze blowing from the north afterward, but it also could have been a collective sigh of relief from the Redhawks.
“It did feel like a weight was kind of lifted off of our shoulders because we’ve been in a drought,” Bradley-Leon said. “I think after this game it’s going to change.”
Naperville Central’s fortunes changed when Philips started moving forward up the wing more than she had in the past. She took a pass from Redeker and sent a long ball over the top of the defense to the streaking Bradley-Leon, who beat St. Francis goalie Courtney Kozak to it and knocked it inside the left post.
“She floated it in over the top, and it got past one of the defenders,” Bradley-Leon said. “I was making a diagonal run and the goalkeeper was coming out, so I hit it in before she could stop it.”
Philips was happy to be able to help out.
“Maddie Redeker actually left it off for me, and I was really glad that she saw me at that point,” Philips said. “Then I kind of saw there was a slot right in between some defenders, so I was hoping somebody could run on if I were to lift it up and over.”
Philips and senior Sarah Avery, who has been playing multiple positions, have anchored the typically solid defense for the Redhawks. But she’s trying to forge a role for herself pushing forward.
“I actually had a pregame talk with my dad about that today,” Philips said. “I want to be more offensive-minded because I noticed that our defense has been lacking bringing (the ball) up.
“So I really wanted us to be more of a team unit, to push up and push back at the same time.”
Every team goes through ups and downs but the Redhawks, who don’t play again until April 3, could be at the start of an upward trend. If so, they can point to Bradley-Leon’s goal as the catalyst.
“I honestly think Hannah’s goal got us all in the mindset that we could score again,” Mills said. “We were kind of in a rut, so that helped.”
As Watson pointed out, the Redhawks played five quality opponents to start the season, but there was always a danger the three-game losing streak could snowball. Philips is optimistic that won’t be the case.
“I just hope that our team can look at this as a chance and an opportunity for us to strive toward our goal of doing better than we did last year,” Philips said.
“Because we would always put ourselves down after every loss, and we just need to keep a level head and keep striving.”
Starting lineups
St. Francis
GK Courtney Kozak
D Ava Hensley
D Jill DiTusa
D Christine Fasana
D Emma Armbrust
M Claire Hensley
M Alex Preusser
M Kendra Pasquale
F Erin Peck
F Caroline Zimmer
F Hannah Rittenhouse
Naperville Central
GK Erin McHugh
D Emma Irle
D Grace Anderson
D Emma Phillips
D Abbey Hillman
M Sarah Avery
M Jessica Sonner
M Maddie Redeker
M Maddie Mills
F Hannah Bradley-Leon
F Caroline Reedy
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Hannah Bradley-Leon, so., M, Naperville Central
Scoring summary
1st Half
Naperville Central – Hannah Bradley-Leon (Emma Philips) 23:57
2nd Half
St. Francis – Kendra Pasquale 19:49
Naperville Central – Maddie Mills (Bradley-Leon) 17:17
Naperville Central – Maddie Redeker (Emma Irle) 4:41