South holds off North
to retain Wheaton Cup
WWS beats Wheaton North in back-and-forth 4-3 thriller
By Matt Le Cren
WHEATON – Melisa Hadzic and her Wheaton Warrenville South teammates were drained from playing a frenetic 80 minutes of soccer in 80-degree heat Thursday night.
It didn’t stop them from running to the sideline to hoist the Wheaton Cup. The Tigers captured the trophy for the third-consecutive season following a thrilling 4-3 DuKane Conference victory over Wheaton North at Red Grange Field.
It was South’s second victory over North this season. Both were by one goal.
“I think the adrenaline took over on that one, because I know everyone was super out of breath,” Hadzic said of the trophy hoisting. “Everyone was tired, but I think the rivalry is really what kept us going.
“We all knew that we only had a little bit of time left to keep that trophy home, and we had to work as hard as possible.”
Both teams did that, and it didn’t take long for either one of them to be rewarded. Both teams scored on their first shots of the game. Just like that it was 1-1 90 seconds in.
They repeated that feat in the second half.
Hadzic tallied the first goal in each half for the Tigers. She gave the hosts the lead just 20 seconds into the game. Kate Hartnett made a run down the right wing and centered to a wide-open Hadzic, whose volley from just inside the 6 brought the South fans to their feet only seconds after they sat down.
But the Falcons (8-5-1, 6-5-1) struck back 50 seconds later when the Tigers (9-5, 8-4) were called for a hand ball in the box. Star senior Julia Simon converted the ensuing penalty kick for a 1-1 tie.
That set the tone for a delightful evening in which the fans were entertained with seven goals, 27 shots and over a dozen other quality chances.
“It’s always a high-energy level between the two teams,” Wheaton North coach Tim McEvilly said. “Sometimes as the result of that energy level I don’t know if either team really plays at their full potential throughout the entirety of the 80 minutes.
“You’re so ramped up and so focused. Many younger players have difficulty finding the moment and just relaxing and recognizing that, ‘I’ve played hundreds and hundreds of these games, this is just another game, just do what I’m supposed to do in this situation.’”
The Falcons missed a few quality chances in the first half, which ended with the Tigers clinging to a 2-1 lead. Mia Taullahu put South back in front at the 8:39 mark with a brilliant effort following a 50-yard free kick from defender Elise Farrell.
The booming serve from far out on the left wing bounced into the box and Taullahu chased it down while running away from the goal in the right side of the box. She then turned and fired a cutback shot from 10 yards that rolled inside the left post.
“We talked about it at halftime,” McEvilly said. “There is no circumstance where we believe we couldn’t score four or five goals against this team in a single half.
“In the first have we had eight shots on goal, and we probably should have put four balls in the back of the net with very clear options, and we just didn’t do it. We’ve been a little bit snakebit over the last couple weeks in that way, but we’ve just got to keep creating the opportunities and hope goals will come.”
They did in the second half, but not before Hadzic struck again. This time 44 seconds had elapsed after intermission when the Falcons committed a foul in the box, and Hadzic buried the penalty kick for her ninth goal of the season and a 3-1 lead.
Bagging a brace against the Falcons made Hadzic’s day.
“It’s a great game to play,” Hadzic said. “I know a lot of the girls on the North team. It’s really exciting to play them, and the atmosphere is always great.”
North’s Olivia Moreno feels the same way, though she prefers the air, if not the atmosphere, to be cooler. The junior forward is committed to Northern Michigan, where the climate is cold, just how she likes it.
“I hate playing in the heat,” Moreno said. “When I got up this morning and it was really hot, I was like, ‘Oh, no.’”
Those thoughts turned into an “Oh, yes,” for the Falcons when Moreno equaled Hadzic’s season goal total with a spectacular play on North’s first shot of the second half.
Simon tried to head a ball over a pair of defenders, one of whom headed the ball back out of the box.
Moreno intercepted the ball, settled it at the top of the circle and fired a 22-yard shot into the upper right corner of the net to pull the Falcons within 3-2 with 34:59 to go.
North nearly equalized with 27:45 left when she made a crisscross run with Macy Hutchinson, taking the ball into the left side of the box and then crossing back to the oncoming Hutchinson, whose one-timer went over the crossbar.
The end-to-end action continued. Wheaton Warrenville South's Becca Hauenstein weaved through four defenders on an amazing 40-yard run into the box. The senior striker got free about 15 yards from the goal but North goalie Zoey Bohmer was in perfect position to make one of her nine saves at the 23:40 mark.
However, Hauenstein would not be denied on her next chance, which was set up by another swing of Farrell’s powerful right leg. This time Farrell launched a 50-yard free kick from the right side of the midfield.
The rocket sailed over the defense and dipped down in the middle of the box, where Hauenstein, timing her run perfectly, put her head down and nodded it home from 10 yards and a 4-2 South lead with 19:57 remaining.
“She might be one of the few that is going to go after that ball with her head and redirect it,” Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari said. “That ball came in fairly hot, and she timed it perfectly and just redirected it.
“It had a little bit of a dip on it at the end. I wasn’t sure if it was going to have staying power, but it did. She’s just a courageous kid and just plays with so much intensity and fire. That wasn;t surprising when I saw her number on the end of it.”
Nor was it a surprise to see Farrell pick up her second assist of the match.
“She has a strong leg,” Callipari said. “She doesn’t need it to be wind-aided, either.
“We’ve got some tools in the dead-ball environment. We’ve got some long throws; we’ve got some long serves, and we can always be dangerous.”
Farrell said the Tigers work a lot on set pieces and are confident on such plays.
“Usually me and Emma (Showman) will switch up taking the free kicks,” Farrell said. “We practice those a lot, because we know that that’s how we can break down the defenders if we all work together and run in on those free kicks.”
The Tigers were especially focused on that while preparing for the Falcons.
“We worked on that in practice this week because we know the teams that we’re going to be playing are physical, so we might get some of those fouls,” Farrell said. “We used that to our advantage and everybody did a really good job, especially Becca, of reading the ball in the air.
“She can usually get it on her head. She’s been doing a really good job of that this season.”
The Tigers had a golden opportunity to put the game out of reach with 13:05 to go when Caroline Kratz took the ball to the right endline and crossed to Hartnett, who missed wide right from six yards.
That got some people wondering if the miss would come back to haunt the Tigers. Sure enough, the visitors struck again less than four minutes later when Kayla Shebar buried a 19-yard free kick to make it 4-3 with 9:25 left.
“I actually play on the same club team as Kayla Shebar,” Hadzic said. “She’s one of my closest friends, and she’s an amazing player. She had an amazing goal. All props to her.”
The Falcons had one chance to tie it 55 seconds later, but a 20-yard shot sailed just high.
“They’re not going to go away,” Callipari said. “They just have too much talent; they have too much firepower.
“We made some dramatic changes just to play against them knowing that we could go in transition. We felt with Melisa out wide and Becca out wide and Kate pressing, we’re always going to find opportunities and create dead-ball environments. Then we can get other people forward.
“But we had to deal with their pace, both inside and outside, so we changed our whole dynamic. I’m really proud of the girls that they were able to contain them and not give up much.”
Neither team gave up and both enjoyed being able to play their rivals for a second time this season.
“It was hot,” Moreno said. “Under the conditions we were in, I feel like we played really well.
“We lost some key players (earlier in the season). We lost both of our starting defensive center mids, Claudia Kim and Addie Falco.
“We finally started getting back in the groove of being able to play together, because they were such a vital role in the back. We’ve been adapting really well and trying new things, different formations.
“So considering the circumstances I felt like we played really well. It’s really frustrating losing to your crosstown rivals but it’s always a fun game, and we all know each other, so it’s never like, ‘Grrr.’”
All five of North’s losses have been one-goal decisions, so the Falcons won’t be an easy out. They are the no. 5 seed at the Class 3A Bartlett Sectional, two spots below the rival Tigers.
“It’s been a really fun season,” Moreno said. “We’re really thankful that we even get a season.
“We’re more focused on the state tournament at this point. We want to meet them again in the sectional final. That’s the goal.”
Both teams will have to pull at least one upset to get that far, but anything can happen in the playoffs, especially this season. If the rematch doesn’t happen, Hadzic is excited the Tigers have retained their bragging rights.
“It’s’ a great feeling, especially for the seniors because this is the last rivalry game they are going to play in conference unless we see them again in playoffs,” Hadzic said. “So having this momentum going into playoffs is obviously a really good advantage, because we’re coming off two wins from a solid team.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton North
GK Zoey Bohmer
D Abby Gosling
D Anna Roe
D Ella Kocher
D Addison Henninger
D Sara Chojnacki
M Julia Simon
F Maria Haworth
F Olivia Moreno
F Kayla Shebar
F Macy Hutchinson
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Caroline Spayth
D Mallory Cadagin
D Elise Farrell
D Olivia Vassios
D Ella McClatchy
M Melisa Hadzic
M Caroline Kratz
M Emma Showman
M Mia McCoyd
F Becca Hauenstein
F Kate Hartnett
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Melisa Hadzic, sr., MF, Wheaton Warrenville South.
Scoring summary
First half
WWS – Melisa Hadzic (Kate Hartnett) 39:40
WN – Julia Simon (PK) 38:30
WWS – Mia Taullahu (Elise Farrell) 8:39
2nd Half
WWS – Hadzic (PK) 39:16
WN – Olivia Moreno 34:59
WWS – Becca Hauenstein (Farrell) 19:57
WN – Kayla Shebar 9:25
to retain Wheaton Cup
WWS beats Wheaton North in back-and-forth 4-3 thriller
By Matt Le Cren
WHEATON – Melisa Hadzic and her Wheaton Warrenville South teammates were drained from playing a frenetic 80 minutes of soccer in 80-degree heat Thursday night.
It didn’t stop them from running to the sideline to hoist the Wheaton Cup. The Tigers captured the trophy for the third-consecutive season following a thrilling 4-3 DuKane Conference victory over Wheaton North at Red Grange Field.
It was South’s second victory over North this season. Both were by one goal.
“I think the adrenaline took over on that one, because I know everyone was super out of breath,” Hadzic said of the trophy hoisting. “Everyone was tired, but I think the rivalry is really what kept us going.
“We all knew that we only had a little bit of time left to keep that trophy home, and we had to work as hard as possible.”
Both teams did that, and it didn’t take long for either one of them to be rewarded. Both teams scored on their first shots of the game. Just like that it was 1-1 90 seconds in.
They repeated that feat in the second half.
Hadzic tallied the first goal in each half for the Tigers. She gave the hosts the lead just 20 seconds into the game. Kate Hartnett made a run down the right wing and centered to a wide-open Hadzic, whose volley from just inside the 6 brought the South fans to their feet only seconds after they sat down.
But the Falcons (8-5-1, 6-5-1) struck back 50 seconds later when the Tigers (9-5, 8-4) were called for a hand ball in the box. Star senior Julia Simon converted the ensuing penalty kick for a 1-1 tie.
That set the tone for a delightful evening in which the fans were entertained with seven goals, 27 shots and over a dozen other quality chances.
“It’s always a high-energy level between the two teams,” Wheaton North coach Tim McEvilly said. “Sometimes as the result of that energy level I don’t know if either team really plays at their full potential throughout the entirety of the 80 minutes.
“You’re so ramped up and so focused. Many younger players have difficulty finding the moment and just relaxing and recognizing that, ‘I’ve played hundreds and hundreds of these games, this is just another game, just do what I’m supposed to do in this situation.’”
The Falcons missed a few quality chances in the first half, which ended with the Tigers clinging to a 2-1 lead. Mia Taullahu put South back in front at the 8:39 mark with a brilliant effort following a 50-yard free kick from defender Elise Farrell.
The booming serve from far out on the left wing bounced into the box and Taullahu chased it down while running away from the goal in the right side of the box. She then turned and fired a cutback shot from 10 yards that rolled inside the left post.
“We talked about it at halftime,” McEvilly said. “There is no circumstance where we believe we couldn’t score four or five goals against this team in a single half.
“In the first have we had eight shots on goal, and we probably should have put four balls in the back of the net with very clear options, and we just didn’t do it. We’ve been a little bit snakebit over the last couple weeks in that way, but we’ve just got to keep creating the opportunities and hope goals will come.”
They did in the second half, but not before Hadzic struck again. This time 44 seconds had elapsed after intermission when the Falcons committed a foul in the box, and Hadzic buried the penalty kick for her ninth goal of the season and a 3-1 lead.
Bagging a brace against the Falcons made Hadzic’s day.
“It’s a great game to play,” Hadzic said. “I know a lot of the girls on the North team. It’s really exciting to play them, and the atmosphere is always great.”
North’s Olivia Moreno feels the same way, though she prefers the air, if not the atmosphere, to be cooler. The junior forward is committed to Northern Michigan, where the climate is cold, just how she likes it.
“I hate playing in the heat,” Moreno said. “When I got up this morning and it was really hot, I was like, ‘Oh, no.’”
Those thoughts turned into an “Oh, yes,” for the Falcons when Moreno equaled Hadzic’s season goal total with a spectacular play on North’s first shot of the second half.
Simon tried to head a ball over a pair of defenders, one of whom headed the ball back out of the box.
Moreno intercepted the ball, settled it at the top of the circle and fired a 22-yard shot into the upper right corner of the net to pull the Falcons within 3-2 with 34:59 to go.
North nearly equalized with 27:45 left when she made a crisscross run with Macy Hutchinson, taking the ball into the left side of the box and then crossing back to the oncoming Hutchinson, whose one-timer went over the crossbar.
The end-to-end action continued. Wheaton Warrenville South's Becca Hauenstein weaved through four defenders on an amazing 40-yard run into the box. The senior striker got free about 15 yards from the goal but North goalie Zoey Bohmer was in perfect position to make one of her nine saves at the 23:40 mark.
However, Hauenstein would not be denied on her next chance, which was set up by another swing of Farrell’s powerful right leg. This time Farrell launched a 50-yard free kick from the right side of the midfield.
The rocket sailed over the defense and dipped down in the middle of the box, where Hauenstein, timing her run perfectly, put her head down and nodded it home from 10 yards and a 4-2 South lead with 19:57 remaining.
“She might be one of the few that is going to go after that ball with her head and redirect it,” Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari said. “That ball came in fairly hot, and she timed it perfectly and just redirected it.
“It had a little bit of a dip on it at the end. I wasn’t sure if it was going to have staying power, but it did. She’s just a courageous kid and just plays with so much intensity and fire. That wasn;t surprising when I saw her number on the end of it.”
Nor was it a surprise to see Farrell pick up her second assist of the match.
“She has a strong leg,” Callipari said. “She doesn’t need it to be wind-aided, either.
“We’ve got some tools in the dead-ball environment. We’ve got some long throws; we’ve got some long serves, and we can always be dangerous.”
Farrell said the Tigers work a lot on set pieces and are confident on such plays.
“Usually me and Emma (Showman) will switch up taking the free kicks,” Farrell said. “We practice those a lot, because we know that that’s how we can break down the defenders if we all work together and run in on those free kicks.”
The Tigers were especially focused on that while preparing for the Falcons.
“We worked on that in practice this week because we know the teams that we’re going to be playing are physical, so we might get some of those fouls,” Farrell said. “We used that to our advantage and everybody did a really good job, especially Becca, of reading the ball in the air.
“She can usually get it on her head. She’s been doing a really good job of that this season.”
The Tigers had a golden opportunity to put the game out of reach with 13:05 to go when Caroline Kratz took the ball to the right endline and crossed to Hartnett, who missed wide right from six yards.
That got some people wondering if the miss would come back to haunt the Tigers. Sure enough, the visitors struck again less than four minutes later when Kayla Shebar buried a 19-yard free kick to make it 4-3 with 9:25 left.
“I actually play on the same club team as Kayla Shebar,” Hadzic said. “She’s one of my closest friends, and she’s an amazing player. She had an amazing goal. All props to her.”
The Falcons had one chance to tie it 55 seconds later, but a 20-yard shot sailed just high.
“They’re not going to go away,” Callipari said. “They just have too much talent; they have too much firepower.
“We made some dramatic changes just to play against them knowing that we could go in transition. We felt with Melisa out wide and Becca out wide and Kate pressing, we’re always going to find opportunities and create dead-ball environments. Then we can get other people forward.
“But we had to deal with their pace, both inside and outside, so we changed our whole dynamic. I’m really proud of the girls that they were able to contain them and not give up much.”
Neither team gave up and both enjoyed being able to play their rivals for a second time this season.
“It was hot,” Moreno said. “Under the conditions we were in, I feel like we played really well.
“We lost some key players (earlier in the season). We lost both of our starting defensive center mids, Claudia Kim and Addie Falco.
“We finally started getting back in the groove of being able to play together, because they were such a vital role in the back. We’ve been adapting really well and trying new things, different formations.
“So considering the circumstances I felt like we played really well. It’s really frustrating losing to your crosstown rivals but it’s always a fun game, and we all know each other, so it’s never like, ‘Grrr.’”
All five of North’s losses have been one-goal decisions, so the Falcons won’t be an easy out. They are the no. 5 seed at the Class 3A Bartlett Sectional, two spots below the rival Tigers.
“It’s been a really fun season,” Moreno said. “We’re really thankful that we even get a season.
“We’re more focused on the state tournament at this point. We want to meet them again in the sectional final. That’s the goal.”
Both teams will have to pull at least one upset to get that far, but anything can happen in the playoffs, especially this season. If the rematch doesn’t happen, Hadzic is excited the Tigers have retained their bragging rights.
“It’s’ a great feeling, especially for the seniors because this is the last rivalry game they are going to play in conference unless we see them again in playoffs,” Hadzic said. “So having this momentum going into playoffs is obviously a really good advantage, because we’re coming off two wins from a solid team.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton North
GK Zoey Bohmer
D Abby Gosling
D Anna Roe
D Ella Kocher
D Addison Henninger
D Sara Chojnacki
M Julia Simon
F Maria Haworth
F Olivia Moreno
F Kayla Shebar
F Macy Hutchinson
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Caroline Spayth
D Mallory Cadagin
D Elise Farrell
D Olivia Vassios
D Ella McClatchy
M Melisa Hadzic
M Caroline Kratz
M Emma Showman
M Mia McCoyd
F Becca Hauenstein
F Kate Hartnett
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Melisa Hadzic, sr., MF, Wheaton Warrenville South.
Scoring summary
First half
WWS – Melisa Hadzic (Kate Hartnett) 39:40
WN – Julia Simon (PK) 38:30
WWS – Mia Taullahu (Elise Farrell) 8:39
2nd Half
WWS – Hadzic (PK) 39:16
WN – Olivia Moreno 34:59
WWS – Becca Hauenstein (Farrell) 19:57
WN – Kayla Shebar 9:25