McDonnell sends Saint Viator back to final
1-0 win vs. Normal W. gets Lions shot to end 12-year title dry spell
By Mike Garofola
NAPERVILLE -- Mike Taylor will hold firm to the adage that defense wins championships after Saint Viator registered its seventeenth clean-sheet of the season to gain entrance into the Class AA state championship game Saturday afternoon on the North Central College campus.
After 25 games and nearly 13 weeks of soccer, the Lions (18-5-2) are in position to lift the trophy after waiting since 2005 to do so. But strong St. Francis (17-4-3), which was ranked eleventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, will stand in their way at 1 pm. at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
"People may get tired of hearing it, but defense will win you a championship, and we feel we have the best keeper in the state, and a backline that works and works," began Taylor, who will look to collect his first girls title in the 10 years he’s been in charge of the program. Previously he won state championships with the boys in 2003 and 2009.
Overall, a title win would give the girls side its fourth state championship.
Junior Payton McDonnell was the scoring heroine for the third-consecutive match, driving her 29-yard free kick missile just under the woodwork in the 10th minute to give the Lions a lead they would defend with all their might for the next 70 minutes to advance.
"Payton has been great for us in the last few playoff games. She really helped us settle in after scoring that great first goal for us," said teammate Sam DeJulio, who is part of that terrific defensive unit Taylor is so proud of.
"We needed that goal, because we were all a little nervous at the state tournament, and it showed in the way we played. But now we're going to play for a state title, and that's what we've been after."
Normal West (20-6-1) arrived on a 10-game win streak, which included several upside-down victories along the way that helped post a 45-4 scoring advantage during the stretch.
Prior to that however, the Wildcats went 0-1-2 at the same adidas Tournament of Champions in Burlington, Ia., that Saint Viator and St. Francis participated in as well.
"We had scouting reports that Normal was a lot like our last three playoff opponents, Deerfield, Wauconda, Burlington Central, strong up the middle. So we felt like we could compete today," began Taylor.
"But as that first half went on, even with us not playing as well as we did against those three previous teams, we knew we were the better team, and it would take a very big effort on their part to beat us."
Taylor watched Normal West do its best to play through its top player and leading scorer Audrey Marsaglia (22 goals) whose double against Waterloo sent her club into the last four this weekend.
"I'm very proud of the effort and heart of our players today. It's just too bad that a call from the referee cost us that first goal and very likely the game," said Wildcats manager Val Walker.
His decision to stay on this subject during the intermission led referee Rodney Schaefer to book him.
Besides McDonnell's world-class strike that ultimately decide the game, the Lions dominated the early exchanges leading up the game-winner. They included three deep throws and a corner, in which Brinley McVeigh headed wide.
McVeigh, who has been the Lions non-stop, go-to goal scorer since Taylor moved her from the midfield up-top alongside Michaela Mueller, had too much strength and power for the Wildcats backline.
The duo had the best of it during the first half hour as the Wildcats attack tried to find its way.
When Normal West found its footing, it was the work from the aforementioned Marsaglia, and her mates Olivia Peters, Anna Hollins and Olivia Teplitz-Crawford who were at the heart of the fightback.
One such quality build-up from the quartet ended with Teplitz-Crawford going wide with her attempt in the 27th minute. Two others came from Marsaglia when the Wildcats were at their best near the end of the half.
Her sharp turn and left-footed strike rattled the football crossbar in the 34th minute.
Prior to that, the Lions forced Normal West keeper, Bekah Nielsen into action as they looked to double their advantage before the intermission.
A lovely outside-inside run and carry from Emily Rascher allowed the freshman to latch onto a McVeigh pass and attempt on frame.
Claire Bottcher raced up the left side, then played a nice ball to the back post for Meghan Martin, who fired over the bar.
"Today we received some good work off the bench from Claire (Bottcher), Meghan Martin and Gabriella Brown, young players who will be with us for the next two-three years and who helped us get some of our regulars some rest from the heat and pace of the game," said Taylor.
Normal West pushed center defender Jess Hieb up-top after the break, and it was evident from the start the Wildcats would target the 5-foot-10 junior as they sent several balls over in the hope of springing their second-leading goal scorer with 17 tallies for the equalizer.
McDonnell went the sideline with an injury in the 56th minute and returned a little worse for wear seven minutes later. Her strong performance on both sides of the ball earned Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors.
"Just a little thing on my ankle," said McDonnell when asked about her injury, which required her to walk out of the stadium with an ice-wrap.
Normal West remain in a conservative defensive posture well after the hour. That was witnessed by an early ball to Saint Viator’s Ava Fitzmaurice that put the sophomore involved into a 1-v.-4 situation that quickly erased any chance to score. Yet Normal West could build nothing on a counter with the Lions putting nine players behind the ball.
"I thought they would throw more numbers forward on us later (to) allow us to get Brinley free to get in (another goal). They didn't," said Taylor.
The Wildcats would pressed on offense five minutes from time when Hieb was joined by Lexia Aranda and Marsaglia.
However, all the Wildcats could muster was a looping ball into the six-yard box in which keeper Anna Johnston easily pulled from the air to insure victory.
"Sam, Amelia Bottcher, Christian Petrillo and Maive (Shumacher) have really come together as a defensive unit in our past 10 games or so, and combined with Anna in goal, we're a tough team to score on," said Taylor.
"With that said, we'll have to be at our best against St. Francis. (They) have more weapons to attack with than most any other team we've played this year, so we will need to be ready from the start in the final."
Starting lineups
Saint Viator (4-4-2)
GK- Anna Johnston
D- Maeve Schumacher
D- Sam DeJulio
D- Amelia Bottcher
D- Christina Petrillo
M- Meagan Vicens
M- Payton McDonnell
M- Katherine Schade
M- Caitlin Kenney
F- Brinley McVeigh
F- Michaela Mueller
Normal West (3-1-5-1)
GK- Bekah Nielsen
D- Sarah Hodgen
D- Jess Hieb
D- Hanna Simmons
DM- Julia Marsaglia
M- Rylee Billington
M- Oliva Teplitz-Crawford
M- Olivia Peters
M- Madison Bergeron
M- Anna Hollins
F- Audrey Marsaglia
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Payton McDonnell, jr., M, Saint Viator
Officials: referee, Rodney Schaefer; assistants, David Holbrook, Hannah Shehaiber; fourth, Doug Huey
Scoring Summary
First half
SV: Payton McDonnell (FK), 10'
1-0 win vs. Normal W. gets Lions shot to end 12-year title dry spell
By Mike Garofola
NAPERVILLE -- Mike Taylor will hold firm to the adage that defense wins championships after Saint Viator registered its seventeenth clean-sheet of the season to gain entrance into the Class AA state championship game Saturday afternoon on the North Central College campus.
After 25 games and nearly 13 weeks of soccer, the Lions (18-5-2) are in position to lift the trophy after waiting since 2005 to do so. But strong St. Francis (17-4-3), which was ranked eleventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, will stand in their way at 1 pm. at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
"People may get tired of hearing it, but defense will win you a championship, and we feel we have the best keeper in the state, and a backline that works and works," began Taylor, who will look to collect his first girls title in the 10 years he’s been in charge of the program. Previously he won state championships with the boys in 2003 and 2009.
Overall, a title win would give the girls side its fourth state championship.
Junior Payton McDonnell was the scoring heroine for the third-consecutive match, driving her 29-yard free kick missile just under the woodwork in the 10th minute to give the Lions a lead they would defend with all their might for the next 70 minutes to advance.
"Payton has been great for us in the last few playoff games. She really helped us settle in after scoring that great first goal for us," said teammate Sam DeJulio, who is part of that terrific defensive unit Taylor is so proud of.
"We needed that goal, because we were all a little nervous at the state tournament, and it showed in the way we played. But now we're going to play for a state title, and that's what we've been after."
Normal West (20-6-1) arrived on a 10-game win streak, which included several upside-down victories along the way that helped post a 45-4 scoring advantage during the stretch.
Prior to that however, the Wildcats went 0-1-2 at the same adidas Tournament of Champions in Burlington, Ia., that Saint Viator and St. Francis participated in as well.
"We had scouting reports that Normal was a lot like our last three playoff opponents, Deerfield, Wauconda, Burlington Central, strong up the middle. So we felt like we could compete today," began Taylor.
"But as that first half went on, even with us not playing as well as we did against those three previous teams, we knew we were the better team, and it would take a very big effort on their part to beat us."
Taylor watched Normal West do its best to play through its top player and leading scorer Audrey Marsaglia (22 goals) whose double against Waterloo sent her club into the last four this weekend.
"I'm very proud of the effort and heart of our players today. It's just too bad that a call from the referee cost us that first goal and very likely the game," said Wildcats manager Val Walker.
His decision to stay on this subject during the intermission led referee Rodney Schaefer to book him.
Besides McDonnell's world-class strike that ultimately decide the game, the Lions dominated the early exchanges leading up the game-winner. They included three deep throws and a corner, in which Brinley McVeigh headed wide.
McVeigh, who has been the Lions non-stop, go-to goal scorer since Taylor moved her from the midfield up-top alongside Michaela Mueller, had too much strength and power for the Wildcats backline.
The duo had the best of it during the first half hour as the Wildcats attack tried to find its way.
When Normal West found its footing, it was the work from the aforementioned Marsaglia, and her mates Olivia Peters, Anna Hollins and Olivia Teplitz-Crawford who were at the heart of the fightback.
One such quality build-up from the quartet ended with Teplitz-Crawford going wide with her attempt in the 27th minute. Two others came from Marsaglia when the Wildcats were at their best near the end of the half.
Her sharp turn and left-footed strike rattled the football crossbar in the 34th minute.
Prior to that, the Lions forced Normal West keeper, Bekah Nielsen into action as they looked to double their advantage before the intermission.
A lovely outside-inside run and carry from Emily Rascher allowed the freshman to latch onto a McVeigh pass and attempt on frame.
Claire Bottcher raced up the left side, then played a nice ball to the back post for Meghan Martin, who fired over the bar.
"Today we received some good work off the bench from Claire (Bottcher), Meghan Martin and Gabriella Brown, young players who will be with us for the next two-three years and who helped us get some of our regulars some rest from the heat and pace of the game," said Taylor.
Normal West pushed center defender Jess Hieb up-top after the break, and it was evident from the start the Wildcats would target the 5-foot-10 junior as they sent several balls over in the hope of springing their second-leading goal scorer with 17 tallies for the equalizer.
McDonnell went the sideline with an injury in the 56th minute and returned a little worse for wear seven minutes later. Her strong performance on both sides of the ball earned Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors.
"Just a little thing on my ankle," said McDonnell when asked about her injury, which required her to walk out of the stadium with an ice-wrap.
Normal West remain in a conservative defensive posture well after the hour. That was witnessed by an early ball to Saint Viator’s Ava Fitzmaurice that put the sophomore involved into a 1-v.-4 situation that quickly erased any chance to score. Yet Normal West could build nothing on a counter with the Lions putting nine players behind the ball.
"I thought they would throw more numbers forward on us later (to) allow us to get Brinley free to get in (another goal). They didn't," said Taylor.
The Wildcats would pressed on offense five minutes from time when Hieb was joined by Lexia Aranda and Marsaglia.
However, all the Wildcats could muster was a looping ball into the six-yard box in which keeper Anna Johnston easily pulled from the air to insure victory.
"Sam, Amelia Bottcher, Christian Petrillo and Maive (Shumacher) have really come together as a defensive unit in our past 10 games or so, and combined with Anna in goal, we're a tough team to score on," said Taylor.
"With that said, we'll have to be at our best against St. Francis. (They) have more weapons to attack with than most any other team we've played this year, so we will need to be ready from the start in the final."
Starting lineups
Saint Viator (4-4-2)
GK- Anna Johnston
D- Maeve Schumacher
D- Sam DeJulio
D- Amelia Bottcher
D- Christina Petrillo
M- Meagan Vicens
M- Payton McDonnell
M- Katherine Schade
M- Caitlin Kenney
F- Brinley McVeigh
F- Michaela Mueller
Normal West (3-1-5-1)
GK- Bekah Nielsen
D- Sarah Hodgen
D- Jess Hieb
D- Hanna Simmons
DM- Julia Marsaglia
M- Rylee Billington
M- Oliva Teplitz-Crawford
M- Olivia Peters
M- Madison Bergeron
M- Anna Hollins
F- Audrey Marsaglia
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Payton McDonnell, jr., M, Saint Viator
Officials: referee, Rodney Schaefer; assistants, David Holbrook, Hannah Shehaiber; fourth, Doug Huey
Scoring Summary
First half
SV: Payton McDonnell (FK), 10'