Jacobs ends Wheaton North's roll
Falcons fall 1-0 on Medina's first-half goal
By Gary Larsen
ALGONQUIN -- Wheaton North’s string of thrilling finishes finished Thursday.
The Falcons won shootouts over Young and Glenbard South in their first two PepsiCo Showdown games, both on clinching kicks by senior Stacie Galo. The Tuesday quarterfinal win was set up by a late, tying goal from Kristen Szumski.
But with a bid for a title berth in the Marine Corps Bracket on the line, the Falcons couldn’t take flight. Wheaton North trailed host Jacobs 1-0 after a goal scored in the 20th minute and spent the next 60 minutes seeking another heroic comeback.
But big finishes, especially three in a row, are hard to come by. And when Falcons senior Jaden Trometer sent a final quality free kick chance on net and Jacobs keeper Emily Pasetes gathered it at the far post as time expired, Wheaton North’s run of white-knuckle wins was over.
But the good feelings from the victories and a good performance Thursday remain. After starting the season 0-6-0, Wheaton North took two of its last three games.
“We’re definitely gaining confidence in ourselves,” junior midfielder Anna Warfield said. “We had a rough beginning to the season but with those two wins, it puts a good start to the rest of our season.”
The Falcons (2-7-0) struggled early to stay organized against a Jacobs team that connected passes well. The Golden Eagles started the season 0-2-2 but have now won five-straight games thanks to something that not every team has at its disposal.
“We haven’t played a lot of teams this year that have high-quality players at every level (of the field),” Falcons coach Tim McEvilly said. “There wasn’t a level of play where there was an easy way to force turnovers, and they found a way to stay connected.
“So if we weren’t organized, they were going to get that first pass and you had to be worried about that second one. And that’s what we didn’t do well in the first half.”
From forward Dominique Anderson, to midfielder Kelsey Medina, to central defender Caitlin Strong, Jacobs had difference-makers who possessed possess and found feet.
“Our midfielders played well coming back, our defenders played well staying composed back there. Our forwards worked their butts off,” Jacobs coach Stephanie Schuck said. “And our goalie is just fearless.”
Pasetes earned her shutout by staying in great position all day, leaving her line aggressively to intercept through-balls, cutting off crosses, and making every save chance.
It was Medina who took the scoring spotlight. She was 22-yards straight out from net when a ball squirted over to her in the 20th minute. With space around her, Medina took a measured touch to her left and lofted a perfect ball that came down under the crossbar.
Wheaton North has only given up a single goal in three of their last five games. Center backs Trometer and Hannah Swider and outside backs Zumski, Micaela Van Meter, and Kailee Sowers have fought the good fight in front of keeper Ava Lynch.
“You’ve got to tip it off to our backline,” Warfield said. “They really put their full effort out there today, and I think that’s why we were able to keep it at one (goal). Jacobs was a great team to play against.
Sowers and Van Meter played outside backs Thursday with Zumski at outside mid “so I could have all three of them on the field at the same time,” McEvilly said.
“My outside backs have been my best group collectively throughout the year. They can all defend and attack at speed with technical ability.”
McEvilly noticed quality defense on the other side of the field in Jacobs’ Strong.
“(Strong) is the best defender I’ve seen all year,” he said. “They were able to play with three in back, and she didn’t get beaten once in a one-on-one situation.”
There’s one fact that makes Strong’s season even more interesting.
“I’m a center midfielder,” Strong said. “Last year we had all seniors on our backline, and they all graduated. So at the beginning of the season (Schuck) said ‘Hey, we need you to step up and be a leader in the back’. I was nervous, but I knew I had to do something for my team. I played outside back once in a while for club but never central defender.”
After hafltime, Wheaton North chased its one-goal deficit with more urgency, while holding Jacobs’ continued attack at bay.
The Falcons’ Kate Kortenhoeven busted in on the right side at 43 minutes and Pasetes saved her low shot from 16 yards. Jacobs’ Madison Belo fired high from distance three minutes later, then Kortenhoeven sent a shot wide at 50 minutes.
Jacobs’ Hannah Mohan went wide from point-blank range at 52 minutes, and Szumski and Leila Parente took turns pressuring Pasetes to the 65th minute. Falcons forward Kate McKee — who put North’s hardest-hit shot on Pasetes early in the game — chased after a through-ball that Pasetes won a foot race for at 70 minutes.
The Falcons continued pressing to the final buzzer, while Sowers and company stemmed the tide of an equally dangerous Jacobs attack.
“I was really happy with them,” Schuck said of her Golden Eagles. “They still brought a lot of pressure going forward, and we had a lot of control on their defensive half.We didn’t stop, and we were still looking for that next goal.”
No. 5 seed Jacobs moves on to play 16-seed Eisenhower in the Marine Corps Bracket title game April 22. Second -seeded Wheaton North would have played its final tournament game Saturday, but the final full day of the event was canceled Friday morning in advance of predicted poor weather Saturday.
The Falcons hope their strong play in Thursday’s second half will continue as they continue their campaign in a DuPage Valley Contest at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Wheaton Warrenville South.
“The difficulty in the first half was playing as a team and trying to string together a few passes but coming off of that second half I thought we found some confidence in our step,” Warfield said. “We had a little more fire.”
McEvilly liked the way his side adjusted in the second half.
“There was more focus and patience in what we were doing,” McEvilly said. “Warfield does a good job for us at midfield. If she can get kids organized in their responsibilities earlier, she’s able to win balls in the air and distribute for us, and that makes our lives a lot easier.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton North
GK Ava Lynch
D Jaden Trometer
D Hannah Swider
D Micaela Van Meter
D Kailee Sowers
M Anna Warfield
M Abby Atkinson
M Kristen Szumski
M Kate Kortenhoeven
F Leila Parente
F Kate McKee
Jacobs
GK Emily Pasetes
D Caitlin Strong
D Tori Adams
D Courtney Durben
M Kelsey Medina
M Madison Belo
M Cassie Kowalski
M Cecilia Pankau
M Hannah Mohan
F Baylee Vincent
F Dominique Anderson
Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match: Caitlin Strong, sr., D, Jacobs
Scoring
First half
Jacobs — Medina (UA) 20th minute
Falcons fall 1-0 on Medina's first-half goal
By Gary Larsen
ALGONQUIN -- Wheaton North’s string of thrilling finishes finished Thursday.
The Falcons won shootouts over Young and Glenbard South in their first two PepsiCo Showdown games, both on clinching kicks by senior Stacie Galo. The Tuesday quarterfinal win was set up by a late, tying goal from Kristen Szumski.
But with a bid for a title berth in the Marine Corps Bracket on the line, the Falcons couldn’t take flight. Wheaton North trailed host Jacobs 1-0 after a goal scored in the 20th minute and spent the next 60 minutes seeking another heroic comeback.
But big finishes, especially three in a row, are hard to come by. And when Falcons senior Jaden Trometer sent a final quality free kick chance on net and Jacobs keeper Emily Pasetes gathered it at the far post as time expired, Wheaton North’s run of white-knuckle wins was over.
But the good feelings from the victories and a good performance Thursday remain. After starting the season 0-6-0, Wheaton North took two of its last three games.
“We’re definitely gaining confidence in ourselves,” junior midfielder Anna Warfield said. “We had a rough beginning to the season but with those two wins, it puts a good start to the rest of our season.”
The Falcons (2-7-0) struggled early to stay organized against a Jacobs team that connected passes well. The Golden Eagles started the season 0-2-2 but have now won five-straight games thanks to something that not every team has at its disposal.
“We haven’t played a lot of teams this year that have high-quality players at every level (of the field),” Falcons coach Tim McEvilly said. “There wasn’t a level of play where there was an easy way to force turnovers, and they found a way to stay connected.
“So if we weren’t organized, they were going to get that first pass and you had to be worried about that second one. And that’s what we didn’t do well in the first half.”
From forward Dominique Anderson, to midfielder Kelsey Medina, to central defender Caitlin Strong, Jacobs had difference-makers who possessed possess and found feet.
“Our midfielders played well coming back, our defenders played well staying composed back there. Our forwards worked their butts off,” Jacobs coach Stephanie Schuck said. “And our goalie is just fearless.”
Pasetes earned her shutout by staying in great position all day, leaving her line aggressively to intercept through-balls, cutting off crosses, and making every save chance.
It was Medina who took the scoring spotlight. She was 22-yards straight out from net when a ball squirted over to her in the 20th minute. With space around her, Medina took a measured touch to her left and lofted a perfect ball that came down under the crossbar.
Wheaton North has only given up a single goal in three of their last five games. Center backs Trometer and Hannah Swider and outside backs Zumski, Micaela Van Meter, and Kailee Sowers have fought the good fight in front of keeper Ava Lynch.
“You’ve got to tip it off to our backline,” Warfield said. “They really put their full effort out there today, and I think that’s why we were able to keep it at one (goal). Jacobs was a great team to play against.
Sowers and Van Meter played outside backs Thursday with Zumski at outside mid “so I could have all three of them on the field at the same time,” McEvilly said.
“My outside backs have been my best group collectively throughout the year. They can all defend and attack at speed with technical ability.”
McEvilly noticed quality defense on the other side of the field in Jacobs’ Strong.
“(Strong) is the best defender I’ve seen all year,” he said. “They were able to play with three in back, and she didn’t get beaten once in a one-on-one situation.”
There’s one fact that makes Strong’s season even more interesting.
“I’m a center midfielder,” Strong said. “Last year we had all seniors on our backline, and they all graduated. So at the beginning of the season (Schuck) said ‘Hey, we need you to step up and be a leader in the back’. I was nervous, but I knew I had to do something for my team. I played outside back once in a while for club but never central defender.”
After hafltime, Wheaton North chased its one-goal deficit with more urgency, while holding Jacobs’ continued attack at bay.
The Falcons’ Kate Kortenhoeven busted in on the right side at 43 minutes and Pasetes saved her low shot from 16 yards. Jacobs’ Madison Belo fired high from distance three minutes later, then Kortenhoeven sent a shot wide at 50 minutes.
Jacobs’ Hannah Mohan went wide from point-blank range at 52 minutes, and Szumski and Leila Parente took turns pressuring Pasetes to the 65th minute. Falcons forward Kate McKee — who put North’s hardest-hit shot on Pasetes early in the game — chased after a through-ball that Pasetes won a foot race for at 70 minutes.
The Falcons continued pressing to the final buzzer, while Sowers and company stemmed the tide of an equally dangerous Jacobs attack.
“I was really happy with them,” Schuck said of her Golden Eagles. “They still brought a lot of pressure going forward, and we had a lot of control on their defensive half.We didn’t stop, and we were still looking for that next goal.”
No. 5 seed Jacobs moves on to play 16-seed Eisenhower in the Marine Corps Bracket title game April 22. Second -seeded Wheaton North would have played its final tournament game Saturday, but the final full day of the event was canceled Friday morning in advance of predicted poor weather Saturday.
The Falcons hope their strong play in Thursday’s second half will continue as they continue their campaign in a DuPage Valley Contest at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Wheaton Warrenville South.
“The difficulty in the first half was playing as a team and trying to string together a few passes but coming off of that second half I thought we found some confidence in our step,” Warfield said. “We had a little more fire.”
McEvilly liked the way his side adjusted in the second half.
“There was more focus and patience in what we were doing,” McEvilly said. “Warfield does a good job for us at midfield. If she can get kids organized in their responsibilities earlier, she’s able to win balls in the air and distribute for us, and that makes our lives a lot easier.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton North
GK Ava Lynch
D Jaden Trometer
D Hannah Swider
D Micaela Van Meter
D Kailee Sowers
M Anna Warfield
M Abby Atkinson
M Kristen Szumski
M Kate Kortenhoeven
F Leila Parente
F Kate McKee
Jacobs
GK Emily Pasetes
D Caitlin Strong
D Tori Adams
D Courtney Durben
M Kelsey Medina
M Madison Belo
M Cassie Kowalski
M Cecilia Pankau
M Hannah Mohan
F Baylee Vincent
F Dominique Anderson
Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match: Caitlin Strong, sr., D, Jacobs
Scoring
First half
Jacobs — Medina (UA) 20th minute