Glenbard East's Wesling steps up,
takes down West Aurora
Scores game-winner, adds final assist in Rams’ 3-1 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
LOMBARD -- The game was everything expected from the two best teams in the Upstate Eight. Glenbard East struck the first blow and West Aurora countered, a dazzling and memorable sequence that showed off the highest qualities of both teams.
The second time, West Aurora had no answer.
Glenbard East forward Elaine Wesling underscored her promise as a bright young prospect by scoring the game-winner and assisting on an insurance goal as the host Rams, ranked 19th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, secured the crucial 3-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
Sixteen seconds separated the first two goals, a turnover and short volley by Rams’ midfielder Amy Chiero in the 14th minute followed moments later by a gorgeous blast from the left wing from 19 yards by West Aurora midfielder Kiara McPherson.
The teams played to draws the last three years. There was little give-and-take from either side. It was punch and then counterpunch, as the early back-and-forth showed. That bang-bang sequence suggested more of the same.
“That’s the game,” Glenbard East coach Kent Overbey said. “It goes up and down. They are very dangerous. You saw that with their goal. [Kiara McPherson] dropped a bomb, and there was nothing to be done there. She hit the perfect shot.”
Wesling collaborated with Chiero for the game-winner in the 60th minute. Chiero broke down the left edge and slotted a ball that Wesling made a quick touch to get the ball past Blackhawks’ keeper Madison Russell, who came off the line to cut off the angle.
“It was just kind of luck that I was there,” Wesling said. “It was a great pass from Amy, and I happened to be there.”
The loss was just the second in its last 10 games for West Aurora (8-4-0, 3-1-0). The Blackhawks were missing two of their best defenders including freshman sweeper Krystal Diaz, who coach Laura Wagley has called the lynchpin of the back. The Blackhawks appeared out of sorts in the back.
“We just could not adjust without having Krystal and Lizzie [Kuhn] back there,” Wagley said. “The girls were playing in different positions. We rebounded well after the first goal, but we did not really possess tonight or play our game.”
The Blackhawks’ best player, junior forward Audrey Stephens, was kept under wraps though she delivered the through-ball that Kiara McPherson hammered home. Her 12 goals and seven assists lead the team. She rarely was able to break free and do damage with the ball.
Forward Gracie Prather had some intriguing free kicks. Olivia McPherson nearly created a breakaway off a long ball as she broke down the defense, only to have the ball hit off her leg on the bounce that Rams’ keeper Lisa Stranski was able to clear.
Glenbard East's Summer Garcia, a talented defender and free kick specialist in her own right, shut down the lanes and denied Stephens the ability to move in space. Her play was central to the Rams’ victory.
“Our defense really had to work together the whole time,” Garcia said. “We communicated really well. The first goal kind of shook us up, but after that we just stepped up and made sure everybody was talking.
“From there we did a great job of pushing out to the midfielders.”
Stranski played the second half and had four saves. Freshman Zoe Romano started and had two saves in the first half. The collective effort was necessary to slow the Blackhawks down.
“They are very dangerous between Stephens, the two twins and no. 14 [Sarai Munoz] plays with a ton of pace,” Overbey said. “We knew we had to take care of the ball in the back, and then we had the opportunities to get ball out and numbers would be up.”
The clash featured the two strongest offenses in the league. With its four forward attack, Glenbard East (10-3-1, 2-0-1) features a distinctive and fleet formation that generates tremendous pressure.
Forward Lindsey Novak applied early pressure that created the template for the team success. Her goal Monday was the difference in the Rams’ 1-0 victory over Bartlett. The senior had never lost to the Blackhawks, but also had never won either with the three previous draws.
The game meant something.
“We focused a lot on our communication and covering for each other,” Novak said. “We have so many new players, and they really stepped up tonight. Our keepers terminated every shot, except for one and that was a great shot. West Aurora really gave us their best shot, but we were prepared.”
The defining sequence played out in the 69th minute. After a Glenbard East illegal touch near midfield, Prather alertly played the restart ahead as Stephens and Kiara McPherson raced toward the ball. Stranski took a calculated gamble and jumped off her line.
Stephens was the first player to the ball and got a touch from about 20 yards out. The ball appeared headed into the net before pushing just wide, missing the frame by mere inches.
“I almost had a heart attack,” Novak said.
Seconds later, Glenbard East put the game away. Wesling drove the ball down the left edge and slotted a ball that Novak finished from about 16 yards.
“That was an amazing play by them, but I think that gave us a little edge,” Novak said. “We realized at that moment they were going to keep giving us their best shot until the final buzzer, and we had to make our way back up after that play.”
For the game-winning goal and closing assist, Elaine Wesling earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
West Aurora played some relentless soccer until the very end, pressuring the Rams’ back with decent chances by Olivia McPherson and Prather. The Rams proved up to the challenge.
“We did not play great,” Wagley said. “Had we been able to finish on that one, it was possibly a different game tonight. I think offensively we were fine. Defensively they put a lot of pressure on us, and [Novak] is a very good player for them.
“This is always a fun game. They play hard, and it is always good competition. Now, we just have to finish out the rest of conference and see how it happens.”
West Aurora has played one addition conference game and has a point lead, but Glenbard East has a clear path to the title by virtue of the win.
“We left West Chicago off the hook [a 2-2 draw], and we knew there was no more room,” Overbey said. “We knew we had to win every game, and the girls have really responded with great wins over two very good teams in Bartlett and West Aurora.
“Now we just have to cap the week off Saturday with South Elgin.”
Starting lineups
West Aurora
GK: Madison Russell
D: Isela Chavez
D: Elva Hernandez
D: Laeticia Mbende
D: Mackenzie Thompson
MF: Yuvia Ontiveros
MF: Kiara McPherson
MF: Sarai Munoz
MF: Olivia McPherson
F: Audrey Stephens
F: Gracie Prather
Glenbard East
GK: Zoe Romano
D: Molly Galvin
D: Summer Garcia
D: Sam Johnson
D: Kendall Crackel
MF: Amy Chiero
MF: Natalie Borcean
F: Sarah Liljestrand
F: Elaine Wesling
F: Lindsey Novak
F: Maddie Weltin
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Elaine Wesling, jr., F, Glenbard East
Scoring summary
First half
Glenbard East—Amy Chiero (unassisted), 14th minute
West Aurora—Kiara McPherson (Audrey Stephens), 15th minute
Second half
Glenbard East—Elaine Wesling (Chiero), 60th minute
Glenbard East—Lindsey Novak (Wesling), 69th minute
takes down West Aurora
Scores game-winner, adds final assist in Rams’ 3-1 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
LOMBARD -- The game was everything expected from the two best teams in the Upstate Eight. Glenbard East struck the first blow and West Aurora countered, a dazzling and memorable sequence that showed off the highest qualities of both teams.
The second time, West Aurora had no answer.
Glenbard East forward Elaine Wesling underscored her promise as a bright young prospect by scoring the game-winner and assisting on an insurance goal as the host Rams, ranked 19th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, secured the crucial 3-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
Sixteen seconds separated the first two goals, a turnover and short volley by Rams’ midfielder Amy Chiero in the 14th minute followed moments later by a gorgeous blast from the left wing from 19 yards by West Aurora midfielder Kiara McPherson.
The teams played to draws the last three years. There was little give-and-take from either side. It was punch and then counterpunch, as the early back-and-forth showed. That bang-bang sequence suggested more of the same.
“That’s the game,” Glenbard East coach Kent Overbey said. “It goes up and down. They are very dangerous. You saw that with their goal. [Kiara McPherson] dropped a bomb, and there was nothing to be done there. She hit the perfect shot.”
Wesling collaborated with Chiero for the game-winner in the 60th minute. Chiero broke down the left edge and slotted a ball that Wesling made a quick touch to get the ball past Blackhawks’ keeper Madison Russell, who came off the line to cut off the angle.
“It was just kind of luck that I was there,” Wesling said. “It was a great pass from Amy, and I happened to be there.”
The loss was just the second in its last 10 games for West Aurora (8-4-0, 3-1-0). The Blackhawks were missing two of their best defenders including freshman sweeper Krystal Diaz, who coach Laura Wagley has called the lynchpin of the back. The Blackhawks appeared out of sorts in the back.
“We just could not adjust without having Krystal and Lizzie [Kuhn] back there,” Wagley said. “The girls were playing in different positions. We rebounded well after the first goal, but we did not really possess tonight or play our game.”
The Blackhawks’ best player, junior forward Audrey Stephens, was kept under wraps though she delivered the through-ball that Kiara McPherson hammered home. Her 12 goals and seven assists lead the team. She rarely was able to break free and do damage with the ball.
Forward Gracie Prather had some intriguing free kicks. Olivia McPherson nearly created a breakaway off a long ball as she broke down the defense, only to have the ball hit off her leg on the bounce that Rams’ keeper Lisa Stranski was able to clear.
Glenbard East's Summer Garcia, a talented defender and free kick specialist in her own right, shut down the lanes and denied Stephens the ability to move in space. Her play was central to the Rams’ victory.
“Our defense really had to work together the whole time,” Garcia said. “We communicated really well. The first goal kind of shook us up, but after that we just stepped up and made sure everybody was talking.
“From there we did a great job of pushing out to the midfielders.”
Stranski played the second half and had four saves. Freshman Zoe Romano started and had two saves in the first half. The collective effort was necessary to slow the Blackhawks down.
“They are very dangerous between Stephens, the two twins and no. 14 [Sarai Munoz] plays with a ton of pace,” Overbey said. “We knew we had to take care of the ball in the back, and then we had the opportunities to get ball out and numbers would be up.”
The clash featured the two strongest offenses in the league. With its four forward attack, Glenbard East (10-3-1, 2-0-1) features a distinctive and fleet formation that generates tremendous pressure.
Forward Lindsey Novak applied early pressure that created the template for the team success. Her goal Monday was the difference in the Rams’ 1-0 victory over Bartlett. The senior had never lost to the Blackhawks, but also had never won either with the three previous draws.
The game meant something.
“We focused a lot on our communication and covering for each other,” Novak said. “We have so many new players, and they really stepped up tonight. Our keepers terminated every shot, except for one and that was a great shot. West Aurora really gave us their best shot, but we were prepared.”
The defining sequence played out in the 69th minute. After a Glenbard East illegal touch near midfield, Prather alertly played the restart ahead as Stephens and Kiara McPherson raced toward the ball. Stranski took a calculated gamble and jumped off her line.
Stephens was the first player to the ball and got a touch from about 20 yards out. The ball appeared headed into the net before pushing just wide, missing the frame by mere inches.
“I almost had a heart attack,” Novak said.
Seconds later, Glenbard East put the game away. Wesling drove the ball down the left edge and slotted a ball that Novak finished from about 16 yards.
“That was an amazing play by them, but I think that gave us a little edge,” Novak said. “We realized at that moment they were going to keep giving us their best shot until the final buzzer, and we had to make our way back up after that play.”
For the game-winning goal and closing assist, Elaine Wesling earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
West Aurora played some relentless soccer until the very end, pressuring the Rams’ back with decent chances by Olivia McPherson and Prather. The Rams proved up to the challenge.
“We did not play great,” Wagley said. “Had we been able to finish on that one, it was possibly a different game tonight. I think offensively we were fine. Defensively they put a lot of pressure on us, and [Novak] is a very good player for them.
“This is always a fun game. They play hard, and it is always good competition. Now, we just have to finish out the rest of conference and see how it happens.”
West Aurora has played one addition conference game and has a point lead, but Glenbard East has a clear path to the title by virtue of the win.
“We left West Chicago off the hook [a 2-2 draw], and we knew there was no more room,” Overbey said. “We knew we had to win every game, and the girls have really responded with great wins over two very good teams in Bartlett and West Aurora.
“Now we just have to cap the week off Saturday with South Elgin.”
Starting lineups
West Aurora
GK: Madison Russell
D: Isela Chavez
D: Elva Hernandez
D: Laeticia Mbende
D: Mackenzie Thompson
MF: Yuvia Ontiveros
MF: Kiara McPherson
MF: Sarai Munoz
MF: Olivia McPherson
F: Audrey Stephens
F: Gracie Prather
Glenbard East
GK: Zoe Romano
D: Molly Galvin
D: Summer Garcia
D: Sam Johnson
D: Kendall Crackel
MF: Amy Chiero
MF: Natalie Borcean
F: Sarah Liljestrand
F: Elaine Wesling
F: Lindsey Novak
F: Maddie Weltin
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Elaine Wesling, jr., F, Glenbard East
Scoring summary
First half
Glenbard East—Amy Chiero (unassisted), 14th minute
West Aurora—Kiara McPherson (Audrey Stephens), 15th minute
Second half
Glenbard East—Elaine Wesling (Chiero), 60th minute
Glenbard East—Lindsey Novak (Wesling), 69th minute