Bartlett cuts to the chase, bests W. Chicago
Hawks press forward in impressive, important 4-0 U8 Valley win
By Gary Larsen
STREAMWOOD -- The chase was on when Bartlett’s Jenna Dombrowski broke away from midfield with a ball on her foot and a pair of West Chicago defenders in hot pursuit.
Thirty-five yards later, Dombrowski looked up and saw the Wildcats’ keeper coming out. She deftly took a touch to her right and let fly with a shot from 16 yards that kissed the right post and rolled to the back netting.
Dombrowski’s dash was emblematic of the way Bartlett ran and West Chicago chased throughout the Hawks’ 4-0 win in Tuesday’s Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division game at Millennium Park.
“I liked the way we moved the ball today. We worked as a unit and used the space on the field,” Dombrowski said. “After tying with South Elgin (1-1 on April 24) in a conference game, we really wanted to come out in this game and prove that we’re worthy of winning conference this year and come out hard. And I think we did that.”
From Mikayla Brown’s one-timer in the box, to a free kick bomb taken from 40 yards by Maddie Donnelly, to Dombrowski’s romp and then finally to a late-game volley from the 18 by Brown, Bartlett (9-5-2, 2-0-2) was rewarded handsomely on the scoreboard.
That payoff doesn’t always come in soccer, even when a team consistently finds shots the way Bartlett did Tuesday. But the Hawks had everything working in the win.
“We come to play every game but sometimes things work and sometimes they don’t,” Bartlett coach Victor Marquez said. “Today the passing game was there, the patience with the ball was there, and the finishing was there. What else can you ask for?”
West Chicago (11-9-2, 2-2-0) made no excuses after a loss and struggled to match Bartlett’s energy, even though the Wildcats were playing their second game in two days with a short bench.
“It’s tough playing back-to-back and not playing with a full roster, but that’s part of life,” West Chicago forward Barbie Castellanos said. “You have to step up in those situations. Honestly, I think it was not being focused. I think probably half of our team wasn’t mentally or physically focused,”
In Monday’s 2-1 win over East Aurora, West Chicago got goals from Castellanos and Giselle Navejas. Tuesday’s loss never saw the Wildcats find a rhythm against Bartlett.
“Bartlett came prepared, and we were not,” West Chicago coach Cesar Gomez said. “We played a game last night, but no excuses. You’ve got to play. (Bartlett) played well. They went through every ball, and we played kind of timid.”
Bartlett's Salvato gave an indication of what kind of day West Chicago would have when she busted in on the left side and fired a shot that Wildcats keeper Haley Rich deflected wide past the far post. Bartlett’s Jocelyn Carlos sent a good chance just wide on a through-ball at 11 minutes, and two minutes later Salvato centered a ball from the left side, and Brown buried it inside the near post from 14 yards.
Dombrowski got on the end of a Bednarke free kick sent to the far post from 37 yards and headed a shot off the far post at 18 minutes. Bartlett’s Maddie Donnelly rolled a shot just wide of the post at 24 minutes from inside the box.
Two minutes later, Donnelly took advantage of the stiff wind at Bartlett’s back, when her freekick from 40 yards sailed with pace off of Rich’s upstretched hands and stayed under the crossbar.
The first 40 minutes saw Bartlett adeptly handle a fast-rolling ball on an artificial surface on a windy day. “The wind was a plus for us, but you can’t just (credit) the weather,” Brown said. “We stayed calm and found each other today.”
Castellanos agreed.
“(Bartlett) possessed the ball very well, kept the ball on their feet, and looked for each other a lot,” Castellanos said. “That’s what we try to do and that’s what killed us, because we’re not used to doing the ball-chasing. They possessed the ball and moved it around us today.”
Dombrowski sent a nice pass ahead from the middle to the left side at 41 minutes that Brown sent off the crossbar. West Chicago flirted with dangerous space but both times, Bartlett defender Paige Bednarke stepped up.
Bednarke intercepted a West Chicago through-ball at the 18 with Castellanos ready to spring, and then ran Navejas off a ball near the endline.
“Paige is strong,” Marquez said. “She understands possession and the importance of gaining possession on the play.”
Bartlett’s continued possession game and a backline led by captains Alyssa Modugno and Miranda Hedeen helped keep keeper Teagan Noesen safe whenever West Chicago managed to threaten with the wind at its back in the second half.
“The whole backline really works well together, and they save me a lot of the time, so I don’t have to do a lot of the work,” Noesen said. “They’re good back there.
“(The wind) can be dangerous, so we really just have to focus on our communication in the back and make sure that everything gets out and up. We don’t want to make any mistakes that allow the other team to score on us.”
Noesen fielded a one-hopper sent in from 30 yards by Navejas at 47 minutes, and Castellanos collided with Noesen near the goalmouth in pursuit of a through-ball at 51 minutes. West Chicago’s Maribel Gonzalez sent an ensuing corner kick to the far post but teammate Emily Ayala couldn’t quite reach it.
When Noesen cleanly fielded a one-hop free kick sent in by Navejas from 32 yards at 53 minutes, West Chicago’s second-half flurry was over.
Bartlett renewed its attack. Dombrowski centered a pass from the left side that gave Salvato a good look on net from just inside the top of the box, but Rich charged off her line and stuffed it.
Dombrowski’s romp from midfield came next at 60 minutes to give Bartlett a 3-0 lead, and Brown scored the game’s final goal with her volley at 72 minutes on a serve from the left side from Amber Fiedler.
Brown’s volleyed chip bounced once over a charging Rich before landing over the goal line.
Dombrowski flashed her creative setup abilities throughout and was named Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match for her efforts. Bartlett shared last year’s Valley Division title with Glenbard East, and the Hawks will be guaranteed at least a share of this year’s crown if they can beat West Aurora on Saturday.
Click here for updated Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division standings
“We’ll come out against West Aurora and try to win conference,” Dombrowski said. “We always have good games against them. It’s always competitive.
“With our momentum right now and our passion and drive, I think we’ll be able to come out with a win. We had a little bit of a rocky start and some rough games this year, and obviously we still don’t always have perfect games, but we’re definitely getting better each game.”
West Chicago, meanwhile, has three games remaining before playing in a Class 3A regional opener against none other than Bartlett.
“They say even a broken clock is right twice a day, and it’s about time we beat Bartlett in the next one,” Gomez said. “We haven’t beaten them in a long time so this game has to be motivation for us.”
Although disappointed with Tuesday’s loss, Castellanos walked away pleased with the year her girls are having.
“We’ve had a good season. It’s been a lot of teamwork,” Castellanos said. “We’ve been building each other up and helping each other a lot. There are things we need to work on, like pushing out and stuff. I don’t know if we were scared today or what, but (Bartlett) did everything they needed to do.”
Starting lineups
Bartlett
GK Teagan Noesen
D Alyssa Modugno
D Paige Bednarke
D Miranda Hedeen
D Kaley Kowal
M Jocelyn Carlos
M Maddie Donnelly
M Morgan Myers
M Jenna Dombrowski
F Serena Salvato
F Mikayla Brown
West Chicago
GK Haley Rich
D Alex Alcantar
D Luciana Balzer
D Patty Fernandez
D Vanessa Montenegro
M Vivis Martinez
M Genesis Garcia
M Emily Ayala
M Kayla Schwarz
F Barbie Castellanos
F Giselle Navejas
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Jenna Dombrowski, sr., M, Bartlett
Scoring summary
First half
Bartlett — Brown (Salvato) 13th minute
Bartlett — Donnelly (FK) 26th minute
Second half
Bartlett — Dombrowski (UA) 60th minute
Bartlett — Brown (Fiedler) 72nd minute
Hawks press forward in impressive, important 4-0 U8 Valley win
By Gary Larsen
STREAMWOOD -- The chase was on when Bartlett’s Jenna Dombrowski broke away from midfield with a ball on her foot and a pair of West Chicago defenders in hot pursuit.
Thirty-five yards later, Dombrowski looked up and saw the Wildcats’ keeper coming out. She deftly took a touch to her right and let fly with a shot from 16 yards that kissed the right post and rolled to the back netting.
Dombrowski’s dash was emblematic of the way Bartlett ran and West Chicago chased throughout the Hawks’ 4-0 win in Tuesday’s Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division game at Millennium Park.
“I liked the way we moved the ball today. We worked as a unit and used the space on the field,” Dombrowski said. “After tying with South Elgin (1-1 on April 24) in a conference game, we really wanted to come out in this game and prove that we’re worthy of winning conference this year and come out hard. And I think we did that.”
From Mikayla Brown’s one-timer in the box, to a free kick bomb taken from 40 yards by Maddie Donnelly, to Dombrowski’s romp and then finally to a late-game volley from the 18 by Brown, Bartlett (9-5-2, 2-0-2) was rewarded handsomely on the scoreboard.
That payoff doesn’t always come in soccer, even when a team consistently finds shots the way Bartlett did Tuesday. But the Hawks had everything working in the win.
“We come to play every game but sometimes things work and sometimes they don’t,” Bartlett coach Victor Marquez said. “Today the passing game was there, the patience with the ball was there, and the finishing was there. What else can you ask for?”
West Chicago (11-9-2, 2-2-0) made no excuses after a loss and struggled to match Bartlett’s energy, even though the Wildcats were playing their second game in two days with a short bench.
“It’s tough playing back-to-back and not playing with a full roster, but that’s part of life,” West Chicago forward Barbie Castellanos said. “You have to step up in those situations. Honestly, I think it was not being focused. I think probably half of our team wasn’t mentally or physically focused,”
In Monday’s 2-1 win over East Aurora, West Chicago got goals from Castellanos and Giselle Navejas. Tuesday’s loss never saw the Wildcats find a rhythm against Bartlett.
“Bartlett came prepared, and we were not,” West Chicago coach Cesar Gomez said. “We played a game last night, but no excuses. You’ve got to play. (Bartlett) played well. They went through every ball, and we played kind of timid.”
Bartlett's Salvato gave an indication of what kind of day West Chicago would have when she busted in on the left side and fired a shot that Wildcats keeper Haley Rich deflected wide past the far post. Bartlett’s Jocelyn Carlos sent a good chance just wide on a through-ball at 11 minutes, and two minutes later Salvato centered a ball from the left side, and Brown buried it inside the near post from 14 yards.
Dombrowski got on the end of a Bednarke free kick sent to the far post from 37 yards and headed a shot off the far post at 18 minutes. Bartlett’s Maddie Donnelly rolled a shot just wide of the post at 24 minutes from inside the box.
Two minutes later, Donnelly took advantage of the stiff wind at Bartlett’s back, when her freekick from 40 yards sailed with pace off of Rich’s upstretched hands and stayed under the crossbar.
The first 40 minutes saw Bartlett adeptly handle a fast-rolling ball on an artificial surface on a windy day. “The wind was a plus for us, but you can’t just (credit) the weather,” Brown said. “We stayed calm and found each other today.”
Castellanos agreed.
“(Bartlett) possessed the ball very well, kept the ball on their feet, and looked for each other a lot,” Castellanos said. “That’s what we try to do and that’s what killed us, because we’re not used to doing the ball-chasing. They possessed the ball and moved it around us today.”
Dombrowski sent a nice pass ahead from the middle to the left side at 41 minutes that Brown sent off the crossbar. West Chicago flirted with dangerous space but both times, Bartlett defender Paige Bednarke stepped up.
Bednarke intercepted a West Chicago through-ball at the 18 with Castellanos ready to spring, and then ran Navejas off a ball near the endline.
“Paige is strong,” Marquez said. “She understands possession and the importance of gaining possession on the play.”
Bartlett’s continued possession game and a backline led by captains Alyssa Modugno and Miranda Hedeen helped keep keeper Teagan Noesen safe whenever West Chicago managed to threaten with the wind at its back in the second half.
“The whole backline really works well together, and they save me a lot of the time, so I don’t have to do a lot of the work,” Noesen said. “They’re good back there.
“(The wind) can be dangerous, so we really just have to focus on our communication in the back and make sure that everything gets out and up. We don’t want to make any mistakes that allow the other team to score on us.”
Noesen fielded a one-hopper sent in from 30 yards by Navejas at 47 minutes, and Castellanos collided with Noesen near the goalmouth in pursuit of a through-ball at 51 minutes. West Chicago’s Maribel Gonzalez sent an ensuing corner kick to the far post but teammate Emily Ayala couldn’t quite reach it.
When Noesen cleanly fielded a one-hop free kick sent in by Navejas from 32 yards at 53 minutes, West Chicago’s second-half flurry was over.
Bartlett renewed its attack. Dombrowski centered a pass from the left side that gave Salvato a good look on net from just inside the top of the box, but Rich charged off her line and stuffed it.
Dombrowski’s romp from midfield came next at 60 minutes to give Bartlett a 3-0 lead, and Brown scored the game’s final goal with her volley at 72 minutes on a serve from the left side from Amber Fiedler.
Brown’s volleyed chip bounced once over a charging Rich before landing over the goal line.
Dombrowski flashed her creative setup abilities throughout and was named Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match for her efforts. Bartlett shared last year’s Valley Division title with Glenbard East, and the Hawks will be guaranteed at least a share of this year’s crown if they can beat West Aurora on Saturday.
Click here for updated Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division standings
“We’ll come out against West Aurora and try to win conference,” Dombrowski said. “We always have good games against them. It’s always competitive.
“With our momentum right now and our passion and drive, I think we’ll be able to come out with a win. We had a little bit of a rocky start and some rough games this year, and obviously we still don’t always have perfect games, but we’re definitely getting better each game.”
West Chicago, meanwhile, has three games remaining before playing in a Class 3A regional opener against none other than Bartlett.
“They say even a broken clock is right twice a day, and it’s about time we beat Bartlett in the next one,” Gomez said. “We haven’t beaten them in a long time so this game has to be motivation for us.”
Although disappointed with Tuesday’s loss, Castellanos walked away pleased with the year her girls are having.
“We’ve had a good season. It’s been a lot of teamwork,” Castellanos said. “We’ve been building each other up and helping each other a lot. There are things we need to work on, like pushing out and stuff. I don’t know if we were scared today or what, but (Bartlett) did everything they needed to do.”
Starting lineups
Bartlett
GK Teagan Noesen
D Alyssa Modugno
D Paige Bednarke
D Miranda Hedeen
D Kaley Kowal
M Jocelyn Carlos
M Maddie Donnelly
M Morgan Myers
M Jenna Dombrowski
F Serena Salvato
F Mikayla Brown
West Chicago
GK Haley Rich
D Alex Alcantar
D Luciana Balzer
D Patty Fernandez
D Vanessa Montenegro
M Vivis Martinez
M Genesis Garcia
M Emily Ayala
M Kayla Schwarz
F Barbie Castellanos
F Giselle Navejas
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Jenna Dombrowski, sr., M, Bartlett
Scoring summary
First half
Bartlett — Brown (Salvato) 13th minute
Bartlett — Donnelly (FK) 26th minute
Second half
Bartlett — Dombrowski (UA) 60th minute
Bartlett — Brown (Fiedler) 72nd minute