2nd half strikes lift SCE over Wheaton N.
No. 6 Saints rallies to take 2-1 DuKane win
By Steve Nemeth
WHEATON -- On the scoreboard, it was the classic tale of two halves.
Host Wheaton North had the only goal of the opening half, but the second half belonged to Chicagoland Soccer’s no. 6-rated St. Charles East crew as did the 2-1 final in Thursday’s DuKane Conference match.
On the field it was the type of tangle that had both coaches optimistic about the remainder of their 2019 campaigns.
For the Saints (16-5-0, 3-1-0), their hopes for staying in the hunt for the inaugural DKC girls title improved without them even knowing it. The Monday Tri-Cities night showdown vs. Batavia jumped exponentially in importance after the Bulldogs -- ranked no. 22 -- upset no. 1 St. Charles North in a meeting of league unbeatens Thursday.
While Batavia improved to 5-0-0, the Bulldogs follow their trip to East with a visit to Wheaton North. That means the Saints have the chance to at least create a tie for the DKC banner if they can beat Batavia and add wins over the loop’s current bottom two teams, Lake Park and Glenbard North.
St. Charles North, which edged East (2-1) in their conference meeting and is now 4-1-0 in the DKC -- could also gain a share by winning its last two DKC games against Geneva and Wheaton Warrenville South.
Thursday night’s first half was a quality-versus-quantity showing. Just over four minutes into the match, Wheaton North (7-9-1, 2-4-0) attacked from the left end line with Saints goalie Grace Griffin making a block literally at the post. The ensuing scramble was halted by a whistle presumably for a Falcons foul.
As for the rest of the half, East kept Wheaton North keeper Hanley Elftmann busy, yet the net remained unruffled. The Saints compiled a 16-4 advantage in overall attempts and a 10-3 edge for shots on goal.
However, one of those final two attempts for Wheaton North accounted for the lone goal of the opening 40 minutes.
Riley Winckler hit a 17-yard mid-air volley that sailed above Griffin’s reach but under the crossbar just 3:13 prior to halftime. It came as the result of an assist from Kayla Shebar.
“We have a group of young ladies that proved two things tonight,” Wheaton North coach Tim McEvilly said. “Number one, we can score on anybody. Number two, we can make anybody’s life a living heck. That’s a good East team, but like other good teams, we make them fight for everything they can earn, and we do that for 80 minutes.”
McEvilly speaks from experience when it comes to battling quality foes. After his young crew struggled to a 1-4-1 start to the season, they got in a rhythm capturing six wins in a seven-match stretch. That included a win streak of four before their fortunes turned in a four-game stretch against teams within the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
The Falcons’ string was initially snapped by current no. 1 St. Charles North (3-0). Wheaton North fought rival and no. 20-rated Wheaton Warrenville South tooth-and-nail before coming up short (1-0), and then lost (3-1) to no. 18 ranked Geneva before facing no. 6 St. Charles East.
But apart from Winckler’s goal, the first half play-by-play was generally all East. Falcons keeper Elftmann snared a Kayla Villa try, caught a blast from Elle McCaslin in her gut, punched away a Villa cross, saved a McCaslin shot, was sure-handed stopping an Ashley Brummel attempt, and breathed a sigh of relief when a Hannah Miller cross sailed through the goalie crease without being re-directed.
While the latest weather system didn’t bring any thunder with its on-off mist and chilly breeze, Winckler’s shot was like a lightning bolt that thoroughly energized the Falcons bench.
East coach Vince DiNuzzo simply preached persistence during the intermission.
“I thought we played really well in the first half in terms of the run of play and creating opportunities. We just couldn’t find the last pass to get a score,” DiNuzzo said. “Obviously we discussed getting an early goal to get our confidence back.”
Consider that message received.
The Saints took the second half restart directly at the Falcons and McCaslin sent a textbook cross from the right side into the middle where Miller promptly scored with just 37 seconds having ticked away.
“Seeing Elle penetrate past their defense on the right, I was confident she’d make a great cross, because she always does,” Miller said. “With the goalie more toward the other side of the middle, the shot was really an easy option. But it definitely gave us confidence. Once we get past the first goal we know we have the strength to get more.”
“It was definitely a game-changer,” DiNuzzo said in affirming Miller’s selection as Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. The play earned McCaslin her 10th assist on the year -- one shy of Miller’s team-best 11 -- and was Miller’s 14th goal.
The sophomore midfielder made several strong runs throughout the evening and often looked to set up teammates as well. Miller placed a crossfield pass to McCaslin, whose touch led to a handball violation by the Falcons.
DiNuzzo called up Alondra Carranza to take the direct kick and the senior proved to be the perfect choice.
Her 19-yard bomb sailed just over the North defensive wall but curved comfortably under the crossbar. Not only was it Carranza’s second goal of the season but a second game-winner coming just after she blasted East to a 1-0 victory over Wheaton Warrenville South two nights before.
“We played much better in midfield. Considering they hit us with a counter earlier, our defense really didn’t allow them to do much,” DiNuzzo said.
Since transferring from Canton, Mich., and Plymouth High School, McCaslin has come to appreciate the value of wins in the DuKane.
“This win felt good not just being a road victory, but also as a conference win. I thought we could’ve played better at the start, but getting that early goal in the second half got us going. Once we get one in, we tend to get more momentum and more goals,” McCaslin noted.
For the entire match, the Saints finished with a 24-4 advantage for overall attempts and a 15-3 edge in shots on frame. The close call at the outset was one of Griffin’s two saves. Elftmann had 13 of the Falcons’ 14 saves which included a defensive stop. The corner kick tally was all East at 8-0.
Thanks to the confidence McEvilly has in his squad, those numbers didn’t faze the Falcons coach.
“For the most part I thought their chances were not so dangerous. I’d rather we would have restricted their corner kick opportunities given their height,” McEvilly said. “I thought Olivia (Moreno) and Kayla forced their defense to make decisions all match long.”
The Falcons have a hectic schedule with a Saturday contest at Plainfield North and then face Plainfield South for a bracket championship in the PepsiCo Showdown on Sunday. A Tuesday home date with Downers Grove North precedes a regular season and DuKane finale with Batavia, where the Falcons can play the role of spoiler.
“The last few games have been against some of the hardest teams and yet we’ve been playing like there’s no tomorrow,” senior defender Kristen Szumski insisted. “Every game is a learning lesson and aspects of the game like possession, have improved significantly. The gains we’ve made can make a huge difference in the postseason.”
Starting lineups
St. Charles East
GK Grace Griffin
D Lindsey Rzeszuko
D Ashley DiOrio
D Jessica Stepien
D Megan Stout
M Margaret Harper
M Kayla Villa
M Alondra Carranza
F Jenna Sitta
F Hannah Miller
F Elle McCaslin
Wheaton North
GK Hanley Elftmann
D Kristen Szumski
D Rachel Brady
D Amanda Tegart
D Heidi Atkinson
M Sara Brcka
M Anna Warfield
M Claudia Kim
F Kayla Shebar
F Riley Winckler
F Olivia Moreno
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Hannah Miller, so. MF, St. Charles East
Officials: Victor Herrera (center), Alex Bargamian, Don Hodgkinson
Game summary
St. Charles East 2, Wheaton North 1
St. Charles East 0 2 -- 2 (16-5-0, 3-1-0)
Wheaton North 1 0 -- 1 (7-9-1, 2-4-0)
Scoring
First half
WN -- Winckler 17-yard mid-air volley under crossbar (Shebar assist), 36:47 gone
Second half
SCE -- Miller 10-yard finish from middle off cross (McCaslin assist), 40:37 gone
SCE -- Carranza 19-yard free kick rocketed under crossbar (unassisted), 50:30 gone
Shots
SCE 16 – 8 -- 24
WN 4 – 1 -- 5
Shots on goal
SCE 10 – 5 -- 15
WN 3 – 0 -- 3
Saves (goalie)
SCE (Griffin) 2 – 0 -- 2
WN (Elftmann, 10; 1 by defender) 11 – 3 -- 14
Corner kicks
SCE 6 – 2 -- 8
WN 0 – 0 -- 0
Offsides
SCE 1 – 0 -- 1
WN 1 – 0 -- 1
No. 6 Saints rallies to take 2-1 DuKane win
By Steve Nemeth
WHEATON -- On the scoreboard, it was the classic tale of two halves.
Host Wheaton North had the only goal of the opening half, but the second half belonged to Chicagoland Soccer’s no. 6-rated St. Charles East crew as did the 2-1 final in Thursday’s DuKane Conference match.
On the field it was the type of tangle that had both coaches optimistic about the remainder of their 2019 campaigns.
For the Saints (16-5-0, 3-1-0), their hopes for staying in the hunt for the inaugural DKC girls title improved without them even knowing it. The Monday Tri-Cities night showdown vs. Batavia jumped exponentially in importance after the Bulldogs -- ranked no. 22 -- upset no. 1 St. Charles North in a meeting of league unbeatens Thursday.
While Batavia improved to 5-0-0, the Bulldogs follow their trip to East with a visit to Wheaton North. That means the Saints have the chance to at least create a tie for the DKC banner if they can beat Batavia and add wins over the loop’s current bottom two teams, Lake Park and Glenbard North.
St. Charles North, which edged East (2-1) in their conference meeting and is now 4-1-0 in the DKC -- could also gain a share by winning its last two DKC games against Geneva and Wheaton Warrenville South.
Thursday night’s first half was a quality-versus-quantity showing. Just over four minutes into the match, Wheaton North (7-9-1, 2-4-0) attacked from the left end line with Saints goalie Grace Griffin making a block literally at the post. The ensuing scramble was halted by a whistle presumably for a Falcons foul.
As for the rest of the half, East kept Wheaton North keeper Hanley Elftmann busy, yet the net remained unruffled. The Saints compiled a 16-4 advantage in overall attempts and a 10-3 edge for shots on goal.
However, one of those final two attempts for Wheaton North accounted for the lone goal of the opening 40 minutes.
Riley Winckler hit a 17-yard mid-air volley that sailed above Griffin’s reach but under the crossbar just 3:13 prior to halftime. It came as the result of an assist from Kayla Shebar.
“We have a group of young ladies that proved two things tonight,” Wheaton North coach Tim McEvilly said. “Number one, we can score on anybody. Number two, we can make anybody’s life a living heck. That’s a good East team, but like other good teams, we make them fight for everything they can earn, and we do that for 80 minutes.”
McEvilly speaks from experience when it comes to battling quality foes. After his young crew struggled to a 1-4-1 start to the season, they got in a rhythm capturing six wins in a seven-match stretch. That included a win streak of four before their fortunes turned in a four-game stretch against teams within the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
The Falcons’ string was initially snapped by current no. 1 St. Charles North (3-0). Wheaton North fought rival and no. 20-rated Wheaton Warrenville South tooth-and-nail before coming up short (1-0), and then lost (3-1) to no. 18 ranked Geneva before facing no. 6 St. Charles East.
But apart from Winckler’s goal, the first half play-by-play was generally all East. Falcons keeper Elftmann snared a Kayla Villa try, caught a blast from Elle McCaslin in her gut, punched away a Villa cross, saved a McCaslin shot, was sure-handed stopping an Ashley Brummel attempt, and breathed a sigh of relief when a Hannah Miller cross sailed through the goalie crease without being re-directed.
While the latest weather system didn’t bring any thunder with its on-off mist and chilly breeze, Winckler’s shot was like a lightning bolt that thoroughly energized the Falcons bench.
East coach Vince DiNuzzo simply preached persistence during the intermission.
“I thought we played really well in the first half in terms of the run of play and creating opportunities. We just couldn’t find the last pass to get a score,” DiNuzzo said. “Obviously we discussed getting an early goal to get our confidence back.”
Consider that message received.
The Saints took the second half restart directly at the Falcons and McCaslin sent a textbook cross from the right side into the middle where Miller promptly scored with just 37 seconds having ticked away.
“Seeing Elle penetrate past their defense on the right, I was confident she’d make a great cross, because she always does,” Miller said. “With the goalie more toward the other side of the middle, the shot was really an easy option. But it definitely gave us confidence. Once we get past the first goal we know we have the strength to get more.”
“It was definitely a game-changer,” DiNuzzo said in affirming Miller’s selection as Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. The play earned McCaslin her 10th assist on the year -- one shy of Miller’s team-best 11 -- and was Miller’s 14th goal.
The sophomore midfielder made several strong runs throughout the evening and often looked to set up teammates as well. Miller placed a crossfield pass to McCaslin, whose touch led to a handball violation by the Falcons.
DiNuzzo called up Alondra Carranza to take the direct kick and the senior proved to be the perfect choice.
Her 19-yard bomb sailed just over the North defensive wall but curved comfortably under the crossbar. Not only was it Carranza’s second goal of the season but a second game-winner coming just after she blasted East to a 1-0 victory over Wheaton Warrenville South two nights before.
“We played much better in midfield. Considering they hit us with a counter earlier, our defense really didn’t allow them to do much,” DiNuzzo said.
Since transferring from Canton, Mich., and Plymouth High School, McCaslin has come to appreciate the value of wins in the DuKane.
“This win felt good not just being a road victory, but also as a conference win. I thought we could’ve played better at the start, but getting that early goal in the second half got us going. Once we get one in, we tend to get more momentum and more goals,” McCaslin noted.
For the entire match, the Saints finished with a 24-4 advantage for overall attempts and a 15-3 edge in shots on frame. The close call at the outset was one of Griffin’s two saves. Elftmann had 13 of the Falcons’ 14 saves which included a defensive stop. The corner kick tally was all East at 8-0.
Thanks to the confidence McEvilly has in his squad, those numbers didn’t faze the Falcons coach.
“For the most part I thought their chances were not so dangerous. I’d rather we would have restricted their corner kick opportunities given their height,” McEvilly said. “I thought Olivia (Moreno) and Kayla forced their defense to make decisions all match long.”
The Falcons have a hectic schedule with a Saturday contest at Plainfield North and then face Plainfield South for a bracket championship in the PepsiCo Showdown on Sunday. A Tuesday home date with Downers Grove North precedes a regular season and DuKane finale with Batavia, where the Falcons can play the role of spoiler.
“The last few games have been against some of the hardest teams and yet we’ve been playing like there’s no tomorrow,” senior defender Kristen Szumski insisted. “Every game is a learning lesson and aspects of the game like possession, have improved significantly. The gains we’ve made can make a huge difference in the postseason.”
Starting lineups
St. Charles East
GK Grace Griffin
D Lindsey Rzeszuko
D Ashley DiOrio
D Jessica Stepien
D Megan Stout
M Margaret Harper
M Kayla Villa
M Alondra Carranza
F Jenna Sitta
F Hannah Miller
F Elle McCaslin
Wheaton North
GK Hanley Elftmann
D Kristen Szumski
D Rachel Brady
D Amanda Tegart
D Heidi Atkinson
M Sara Brcka
M Anna Warfield
M Claudia Kim
F Kayla Shebar
F Riley Winckler
F Olivia Moreno
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Hannah Miller, so. MF, St. Charles East
Officials: Victor Herrera (center), Alex Bargamian, Don Hodgkinson
Game summary
St. Charles East 2, Wheaton North 1
St. Charles East 0 2 -- 2 (16-5-0, 3-1-0)
Wheaton North 1 0 -- 1 (7-9-1, 2-4-0)
Scoring
First half
WN -- Winckler 17-yard mid-air volley under crossbar (Shebar assist), 36:47 gone
Second half
SCE -- Miller 10-yard finish from middle off cross (McCaslin assist), 40:37 gone
SCE -- Carranza 19-yard free kick rocketed under crossbar (unassisted), 50:30 gone
Shots
SCE 16 – 8 -- 24
WN 4 – 1 -- 5
Shots on goal
SCE 10 – 5 -- 15
WN 3 – 0 -- 3
Saves (goalie)
SCE (Griffin) 2 – 0 -- 2
WN (Elftmann, 10; 1 by defender) 11 – 3 -- 14
Corner kicks
SCE 6 – 2 -- 8
WN 0 – 0 -- 0
Offsides
SCE 1 – 0 -- 1
WN 1 – 0 -- 1