Prospect continues roll, blanks Wheaton A.
Knights remain undefeated with 3-0 win
By Mike Garofola
MOUNT PROSPECT -- Prospect wrapped up a busy first two weeks of the season in high style with an impressive 3-0 victory over Wheaton Academy Thursday night at George Gattas Memorial Stadium.
Manager Tom Froats called upon Ashley Welk, one of the top players in the Mid-Suburban League, and new freshman starter Abby Knott to give the Knights offense the inspiration it needed to send the Warriors (3-1-0) to their first defeat of the season.
"We missed Ashley so much last year due to her injury, but you saw tonight just how much she means to our attack and to our team chemistry as well," said Froats.
"This is the first time in a long while that we've been able to get through our entire first two weeks of our schedule because of the weather, and I have to say the girls have come out and played hard, and competed very well against some quality sides."
Welk likes the way her team has competed.
"Since I've been here, we've always been rocked by New Trier early in the year, but our 1-1 draw with them in the first week of the season shows this team is motivated and ready to play this year," said the soft-spoken and humble senior, whose technical brilliance makes her dangerous nearly each time she's with the ball.
The visitors noticed the vibe.
"For the first 10-12 minutes, I thought it was a pretty even game, but as time went on, it was their possession, movement, and ability to use width that gave us trouble, especially in the first half when they had most of the play," said the always classy Jeff Brooke, who guided Wheaton Academy to its 14th regional title a year ago.
"We're really young," continued Brooke. "We have 10 sophomore players on our roster, three of which started tonight. That's why we put Prospect on our schedule -- to be tested by a very good team, and in a back-to-back situation."
One night before, the Warriors defeated IC Catholic Prep 5-2 after thrashing Harlem and Marist by a combined 17-2 advantage to open the season.
"While you're always disappointed with a loss, there's so many positive things we can take from a game like this, and that's our focus going forward," offered Warriors senior Sophia Lindquist, who was magnificent all throughout this contest.
Lindquist, who will play next fall at Wheaton College and major in Christian Elementary Education, impressed Froats with her marauding runs, creative and crafty play with the ball and all-action effort.
"No. 14 (Lindquist) is a terrific player, and one that we had to keep an eye on all night along with no. 9 (A.C. Hardy) who could really strike the ball from a long-way out," said the Prospect manager.
Froats' side was the dominant team after the opening exchanges. An early goal from Talor Kosla and later Welk gave them a deserved 2-0 advantage at the intermission.
The homeside monopolized the possession leading up the Kosla opener. The senior beat Wheaton Academy keeper Julia Liposky after pressure up-top spilled the ball freely to the midfielder.
Once in the lead, the Knights (4-0-2) played with confidence. Welk and Knott made a nuisance of themselves, and Kristin Schneider, who showed plenty of technical soccer, gave the home side bursts of pace on the outside to break down the visitors.
"Our ball movement thus far has been real good, and tonight our pressure up-top combined to give us some opportunities to score and control the ball," said the senior Schneider, who will attend the University of Illinois next fall.
Welk and Knott worked together to earn a half-chance on frame at the quarter hour, Moments later, a nicely played one-two from Tina Suto and Lauryn Schneider earned the home side a corner.
The visitors' Lindquist intercepted a rare square ball mistake in Prospect's own end, and it took both Helen Siavelis and her backline mate Ashley Erickson to end the threat.
The Knights center back duo have been key figures in the five clean-sheets sophomore keeper Annie Ninness has registered. The club's lone goal against came from no. 3 New Trier.
An early long ball from Welk resulted in a corner as the Knights continued to keep Wheaton Academy under pressure. Another followed after work from Kristin and Lauryn Schneider on the left side.
When the Warriors failed to clear Suto's inward-swinging serve out of the box, Knott helped Welk thump her one-timer into the back of the net just before the half hour.
"(Prospect) kept us in our end with a bunch of corners and free kicks and took advantage of a couple of defensive lapses to put their first two in," said Brooke. "Those are the type of mistakes that we can correct, and that's why we play these games at this time of the season."
Both Brooke and Lindquist were pleased with the fight the Warriors turned in for 80 minutes, despite chasing the home side for most of the evening.
Perhaps a sign of better soccer to come, the Warriors enjoyed the run of the play for the final four minutes before the break with several players having a touch. The possession twice ended with Hardy having a go on frame from 30 yards.
With more urgency than before, the Warriors came out of the intermission on their front foot. Lindquist hit the outside side netting with an attempt, and teammates Amy Alexander, Faith Pollino and Hardy became more of an influence in the attack.
Lindquist collected an early ball out of the back and would have burst into the box if not for Erickson tracking back at full speed to tackle the Warriors star.
Alexander surprised the Prospect backline with a ghost run from out of nowhere and nearly collected a ball from Lindquist inside the box in the 57th minute.
"We played so much better and with more purpose in the second half, but we just were not sharp enough in the final third," admitted Brooke.
The Warriors' Liposky made stops on Kosla and then Welk, who tricked her way free with a zig-zag (left-to-right) move in the 65th minute. Moments later Lauryn Schneider put an exclamation point on the night.
That's when the senior redirected a rebound from a terrific save by Liposky off an Abby Knott offering into the box.
During the closing minutes of regulation, Hardy had enough time to tee-up to a pair of long-range blasts: the first went just over; and the second rattled the crossbar at 74 minutes.
"There was no give in our team tonight, and that's what I am most proud of, because I know that type of effort is what will make us better as the season goes on," said Lindquist.
Wheaton Academy will enjoy a long break before hosting Fenton on April 2 in its Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division opener.
"It's our senior group, with players like Sophia and A.C. that will lead the way with their work rate and desire. Others will follow that model for success this season," added Brooke.
On the other side of the park, Froats said the same about both Welk and Kristin Schneider. Afterward he talked about the other factors that would make for a successful and enjoyable season for his club.
"There's a lot of things about this group that make me very proud, beginning with the fact they are so strong in their academics, and that they are friends 24-7," Froats said.
"I've been waiting for a team that would equal the level of my first year here (1994) when I was the boys head coach. We went on to win the MSL East for the first time in a long time.
"That team was so close, and they played that way, were fun to watch and had so many talented players.'
"This team is as close as that '94 team. It's a great bunch of young women to be around, whether in training or on match day."
Starting lineups
Wheaton Academy (4-3-3)
G- Julia Liposky
D- Kelsey Bowling
D- Kat Sezonov
D- Bethany Dunham
D- Anna DeHaan
M- Amy Alexander
M- AC Hardy
M- Emma Goebel
F- Faith Pollino
F- Sophia Lindquist
F- Rebecca Steininger
Prospect (3-5-2)
G- Annie Ninness
D- Ashley Behles
D- Helen Siavelis
D- Ashley Erickson
M- Tina Suto
M- Kendall Tapia
M- Kristin Schneider
M- Abby Knott
M- Lauryn Schneider
F- Ashley Welk
F- Talor Kosla
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Kristen Schneider, sr., MF, Prospect
Ashley Welk, sr., MF/F, Prospect
Referee: Arlind Kociu
Scoring summary
First half
Prospect: Kosla (U/A) 8'
Prospect: Welk (Suto) 26'
Second half
L. Schneider (Knott) 66'
Knights remain undefeated with 3-0 win
By Mike Garofola
MOUNT PROSPECT -- Prospect wrapped up a busy first two weeks of the season in high style with an impressive 3-0 victory over Wheaton Academy Thursday night at George Gattas Memorial Stadium.
Manager Tom Froats called upon Ashley Welk, one of the top players in the Mid-Suburban League, and new freshman starter Abby Knott to give the Knights offense the inspiration it needed to send the Warriors (3-1-0) to their first defeat of the season.
"We missed Ashley so much last year due to her injury, but you saw tonight just how much she means to our attack and to our team chemistry as well," said Froats.
"This is the first time in a long while that we've been able to get through our entire first two weeks of our schedule because of the weather, and I have to say the girls have come out and played hard, and competed very well against some quality sides."
Welk likes the way her team has competed.
"Since I've been here, we've always been rocked by New Trier early in the year, but our 1-1 draw with them in the first week of the season shows this team is motivated and ready to play this year," said the soft-spoken and humble senior, whose technical brilliance makes her dangerous nearly each time she's with the ball.
The visitors noticed the vibe.
"For the first 10-12 minutes, I thought it was a pretty even game, but as time went on, it was their possession, movement, and ability to use width that gave us trouble, especially in the first half when they had most of the play," said the always classy Jeff Brooke, who guided Wheaton Academy to its 14th regional title a year ago.
"We're really young," continued Brooke. "We have 10 sophomore players on our roster, three of which started tonight. That's why we put Prospect on our schedule -- to be tested by a very good team, and in a back-to-back situation."
One night before, the Warriors defeated IC Catholic Prep 5-2 after thrashing Harlem and Marist by a combined 17-2 advantage to open the season.
"While you're always disappointed with a loss, there's so many positive things we can take from a game like this, and that's our focus going forward," offered Warriors senior Sophia Lindquist, who was magnificent all throughout this contest.
Lindquist, who will play next fall at Wheaton College and major in Christian Elementary Education, impressed Froats with her marauding runs, creative and crafty play with the ball and all-action effort.
"No. 14 (Lindquist) is a terrific player, and one that we had to keep an eye on all night along with no. 9 (A.C. Hardy) who could really strike the ball from a long-way out," said the Prospect manager.
Froats' side was the dominant team after the opening exchanges. An early goal from Talor Kosla and later Welk gave them a deserved 2-0 advantage at the intermission.
The homeside monopolized the possession leading up the Kosla opener. The senior beat Wheaton Academy keeper Julia Liposky after pressure up-top spilled the ball freely to the midfielder.
Once in the lead, the Knights (4-0-2) played with confidence. Welk and Knott made a nuisance of themselves, and Kristin Schneider, who showed plenty of technical soccer, gave the home side bursts of pace on the outside to break down the visitors.
"Our ball movement thus far has been real good, and tonight our pressure up-top combined to give us some opportunities to score and control the ball," said the senior Schneider, who will attend the University of Illinois next fall.
Welk and Knott worked together to earn a half-chance on frame at the quarter hour, Moments later, a nicely played one-two from Tina Suto and Lauryn Schneider earned the home side a corner.
The visitors' Lindquist intercepted a rare square ball mistake in Prospect's own end, and it took both Helen Siavelis and her backline mate Ashley Erickson to end the threat.
The Knights center back duo have been key figures in the five clean-sheets sophomore keeper Annie Ninness has registered. The club's lone goal against came from no. 3 New Trier.
An early long ball from Welk resulted in a corner as the Knights continued to keep Wheaton Academy under pressure. Another followed after work from Kristin and Lauryn Schneider on the left side.
When the Warriors failed to clear Suto's inward-swinging serve out of the box, Knott helped Welk thump her one-timer into the back of the net just before the half hour.
"(Prospect) kept us in our end with a bunch of corners and free kicks and took advantage of a couple of defensive lapses to put their first two in," said Brooke. "Those are the type of mistakes that we can correct, and that's why we play these games at this time of the season."
Both Brooke and Lindquist were pleased with the fight the Warriors turned in for 80 minutes, despite chasing the home side for most of the evening.
Perhaps a sign of better soccer to come, the Warriors enjoyed the run of the play for the final four minutes before the break with several players having a touch. The possession twice ended with Hardy having a go on frame from 30 yards.
With more urgency than before, the Warriors came out of the intermission on their front foot. Lindquist hit the outside side netting with an attempt, and teammates Amy Alexander, Faith Pollino and Hardy became more of an influence in the attack.
Lindquist collected an early ball out of the back and would have burst into the box if not for Erickson tracking back at full speed to tackle the Warriors star.
Alexander surprised the Prospect backline with a ghost run from out of nowhere and nearly collected a ball from Lindquist inside the box in the 57th minute.
"We played so much better and with more purpose in the second half, but we just were not sharp enough in the final third," admitted Brooke.
The Warriors' Liposky made stops on Kosla and then Welk, who tricked her way free with a zig-zag (left-to-right) move in the 65th minute. Moments later Lauryn Schneider put an exclamation point on the night.
That's when the senior redirected a rebound from a terrific save by Liposky off an Abby Knott offering into the box.
During the closing minutes of regulation, Hardy had enough time to tee-up to a pair of long-range blasts: the first went just over; and the second rattled the crossbar at 74 minutes.
"There was no give in our team tonight, and that's what I am most proud of, because I know that type of effort is what will make us better as the season goes on," said Lindquist.
Wheaton Academy will enjoy a long break before hosting Fenton on April 2 in its Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division opener.
"It's our senior group, with players like Sophia and A.C. that will lead the way with their work rate and desire. Others will follow that model for success this season," added Brooke.
On the other side of the park, Froats said the same about both Welk and Kristin Schneider. Afterward he talked about the other factors that would make for a successful and enjoyable season for his club.
"There's a lot of things about this group that make me very proud, beginning with the fact they are so strong in their academics, and that they are friends 24-7," Froats said.
"I've been waiting for a team that would equal the level of my first year here (1994) when I was the boys head coach. We went on to win the MSL East for the first time in a long time.
"That team was so close, and they played that way, were fun to watch and had so many talented players.'
"This team is as close as that '94 team. It's a great bunch of young women to be around, whether in training or on match day."
Starting lineups
Wheaton Academy (4-3-3)
G- Julia Liposky
D- Kelsey Bowling
D- Kat Sezonov
D- Bethany Dunham
D- Anna DeHaan
M- Amy Alexander
M- AC Hardy
M- Emma Goebel
F- Faith Pollino
F- Sophia Lindquist
F- Rebecca Steininger
Prospect (3-5-2)
G- Annie Ninness
D- Ashley Behles
D- Helen Siavelis
D- Ashley Erickson
M- Tina Suto
M- Kendall Tapia
M- Kristin Schneider
M- Abby Knott
M- Lauryn Schneider
F- Ashley Welk
F- Talor Kosla
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Kristen Schneider, sr., MF, Prospect
Ashley Welk, sr., MF/F, Prospect
Referee: Arlind Kociu
Scoring summary
First half
Prospect: Kosla (U/A) 8'
Prospect: Welk (Suto) 26'
Second half
L. Schneider (Knott) 66'