WWS claws out a draw vs. SCN
Tigers deny no. 2 North Stars share of DKC title
By Steve Nemeth
ST. CHARLES --- St. Charles North and Wheaton Warrenville South engaged in a back-and-forth battle befitting a conference showdown.
After the match, it would have been easy to leave off the initial number two in Wheaton Warrenville South’s no. 23 ranking in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, because the visiting Tigers played more like a third-ranked team while fulfilling their spoiler’s role.
For host St. Charles North, Thursday night’s 0-0 deadlock was a doubly unwelcome result on Senior Night, because it kept the North Stars from sharing in the inaugural DuKane Conference soccer title.
With St. Charles East shutting out Lake Park (3-0) at home and Batavia blanking Wheaton North (1-0) on the road, the Saints and Bulldogs both finished atop the DKC with 18 points from 6-1-0 records. St. Charles North, which had shared the top spot, landed in third place with 16 points from a 5-1-1 loop record.
Regular-season finales are viewed as the last prep for the IHSA postseason and such a well-played, hard-fought match gave both coaches reason for optimism.
“We came into an arena where they’re celebrating seniors, have a tradition of success and a lot of prestige, so (a draw) is a good result,” veteran Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari said. “We can feel good about facing a quality opponent, and the way we withstood their pressure.”
“It may sound cliché to say it’s not always about winning or losing, but how you play the game,” North coach Brian Harks said. “We played nice, quality soccer.”
As a plus, St. Charles North (15-1-2) extended its home field unbeaten streak to 33 matches. The last loss was a 2-1 decision against Hinsdale Central back on March 16, 2015, as part of the PepsiCo Showdown.
“I’m proud of how the whole team fought so hard in a really good game,” Harks added. “We knew going into the (new) DuKane that every time out would be a battle. We did an excellent job of continuing to be able to create chances.”
Emotions are always a component for every player involved in Senior Night activities, and it clearly hit home with goalie Sara Maleski, who chalked up her sixth solo shutout in addition to sharing one clean sheet.
“Of all the shutouts this one will be a special memory, because it was my last game on this turf,” Maleski noted. “Perhaps we felt a little pressure in the first half, because we hadn’t played them much, and they’re different from some others we face. Once we settled back into our style we were much stronger in the second half.”
Having opted to start with the wind at their back, Wheaton Warrenville South got the first attempt from defender Sam Buol which was an indication that the Tigers' entire lineup was ready to be aggressive. That was a necessary approach because the North Stars boast a potent one-two-three attack in seniors CeCe Wahlberg and Claudia Najera, plus junior Sami Rydberg. The trio have accounted for 68% (30/44) of the goals for a team that averages 2.59 per match.
“As strong as they are, I thought our backline (Maria Dohse, Maddie Monaco, Becca Hauenstein, and Buol) matched up really well with them tonight,” said Wheaton Warrenville South goalie Abbie Brennan following the Tigers’ 10th shutout for the season. “After last year and seeing them ranked all season, this definitely does feel like a win.”
Brennan referred to a 2-1 St. Charles North triumph over her squad in a bracket championship from the 2018 PepsiCo, and the fact the North Stars have been ranked second in eight of nine weeks. The lone exception came when St. Charles North topped the Chicagoland Soccer list going into the eighth week.
There was 16:43 left in the opening half when South’s J.J. Aalbue used an Audrey Siebert pass for a try from the right that caromed off the near right post. Three minutes later, St. Charles North’s Najera sent a cross that just eluded teammate Kellie Callaghan’s foot. Then came a North Stars corner kick from Rydberg to Anna Weyman whose point-blank shot became a highlight-reel worthy save for Brennan.
With 10:45 still to play, Wheaton Warrenville South’s Paige Miller slotted a forward pass that Aalbue rocketed from 26 yards. It dipped only after it missed the crossbar. Three minutes later, Miller chipped a pass into a crowd in front of the North goal that pinballed back for another Aalbue attempt that also flew too high.
It was one of many chances for the Wheaton South South senior who will be a welcome addition to Grace College’s strong NAIA program.
“Knowing I wouldn’t get very many opportunities with space, I wanted to look for a goal whenever I got a chance,” Aalbue said. “We definitely thought it could be a match decided by a single goal.”
That thought wasn’t lost on the North Stars either as Wahlberg started the second half hoping the wind would help on a 48-yard free kick that Brennan caught in the gut. Ten minutes in, Aalbue had a laser shot from the left side that Maleski confidently snagged.
The back-and-forth then had a Najera attempt that had to be saved followed by an absolute cracker from Aalbue that Maleski had to punch away. With the North Stars ramping up their offense, the second half numbers tipped the statistics slightly in favor of the hosts. North finished with a 17-12 advantage for overall attempts but the shots on goal were even at seven apiece. As far as dangerous balls inside the box that required a defensive clear by a keeper or defender, that favored South 5-3.
Aalbue took shots from virtually everywhere in the North half of the field that it was impossible not to notice her, and the same could be said on defense for teammate Dohse. That’s why the South duo shared the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
“Our initial defense and secondary defense’s awareness was excellent,” Callipari said. “We did not give them a lot of good looks, and Maria is the one that holds it all together for us. For North, when number 11 (Wahlberg) is out there, it’s like her teammates rise to another level in their confidence. Maria does the exact same for us in back.”
As for Aalbue’s relentless play, the South senior admitted to having adrenaline combined with basic motivation as an explanation for her play.
“It being such a big game, I just wanted to do whatever I could,” Aalbue said. “Whether that meant pushing the offense or getting back to help on defense. It’s the way we’ve been playing.”
“We’ve progressed so much as a team and have been doing really well,” Brennan sad. “We’ve got a lot of momentum and are playoff ready.”
Technically South (13-4-1) has lost once in its last nine matches (7-1-1) and that includes having defeated Mete a Valley recently in what was a defacto bracket championship in this year’s PepsiCo, although it was renamed as a Sunday Showcase match due to the length of the event.
Without question one reason for the highly competitive match was the experience on both sides. While North honored five seniors -- Wahlberg, Najera, Maleski, Ali Wessel and Kelly Smith -- South’s roster listed 10 seniors.
“I thought in the second half we were really firing on offense, we just didn’t get the finish,” said North’s Bridget Wolf, a sophomore starter who also had an impressive outing. “It’s a little disappointing not to finish on top, especially for our seniors. They’ve been exceptional role models for me, so my aim is always to try to meet the expectations they set.”
In that regard, Maleski sees an ironic advantage for North. During the previous two seasons, the North Stars boasted unbeaten records going into the postseason only to fall short in supersectional matches.
“We’ve been so close the last few years, and since we didn’t go undefeated this year, perhaps some teams may believe we’re vulnerable,” Maleski said. “But I’d say what’s happened this year makes us stronger. I guarantee this team doesn’t quit. We’ve worked all season on playing a full 80 minutes and opponents will find out we’re ready to play.”
Both teams will compete in the 17-school Schaumburg Sectional group, so a theoretical rematch could occur should both reach the championship. St. Charles North is the top seed for the section and begins play Tuesday in the St. Francis-hosted regional against the winner of a prelim between 16-seed Glenbard North and 17-seed Addison Trial. An initial victory advances them to the regional finale against either 8-seed Bartlett or the ninth-seeded hosts
South is the no. 6 seed in the sectional and is assigned to the Hoffman Estates Regional. The Tigers face 11-seed West Chicago on Wednesday for a chance to play for that regional plaque against either 3-seed St. Charles East or 14-seed Hoffman Estates.
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Abbie Brennan
D Becca Hauenstein
D Maddie Monaco
D Maria Dohse
D Sam Buol
M Evelyn Demsher
M Molly Fank
M Aubrey Siebert
M Allie Anderson
M Ellery Fahey
F J.J. Aalbue
St. Charles North
GK Sara Maleski
D Makenna Collins
D Grace Barresi
D Kelly Smith
D Bridget Wolf
M Ali Wessel
M CeCe Wahlberg
M Sami Rydberg
M Anna Weyman
F Claudia Najera
F Sara Andrey
Chicagoland Soccer co-MVPs of the Match
J.J. Aalbue, sr., F, Wheaton Warrenville South
Maria Dohse, sr. D, Wheaton Warrenville South
Referees: Dylan Kramer (center), Brett Richter, Jose Gonzalez
Game summary
Wheaton Warrenville South 0, St. Charles North 0
WWS 0 0 -- 0 (13-4-1, 3-3-1)
SCN 0 0 -- 0 (15-1-2, 5-1-1)
Shots
WWS 5 – 7 -- 12
SCN 6 – 11 -- 17
Shots on goal
WWS 3 – 4 -- 7
SCN 2 – 5 -- 7
Saves (goalie)
WWS (Brennan) 2 – 5 -- 7
SCN (Maleski) 3 – 4 -- 7
Corner kicks
WWS 1 – 1 -- 2
SCN 2 – 0 -- 2
Offsides
WWS 0 – 0 -- 0
SCN 0 – 0 -- 0
Tigers deny no. 2 North Stars share of DKC title
By Steve Nemeth
ST. CHARLES --- St. Charles North and Wheaton Warrenville South engaged in a back-and-forth battle befitting a conference showdown.
After the match, it would have been easy to leave off the initial number two in Wheaton Warrenville South’s no. 23 ranking in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, because the visiting Tigers played more like a third-ranked team while fulfilling their spoiler’s role.
For host St. Charles North, Thursday night’s 0-0 deadlock was a doubly unwelcome result on Senior Night, because it kept the North Stars from sharing in the inaugural DuKane Conference soccer title.
With St. Charles East shutting out Lake Park (3-0) at home and Batavia blanking Wheaton North (1-0) on the road, the Saints and Bulldogs both finished atop the DKC with 18 points from 6-1-0 records. St. Charles North, which had shared the top spot, landed in third place with 16 points from a 5-1-1 loop record.
Regular-season finales are viewed as the last prep for the IHSA postseason and such a well-played, hard-fought match gave both coaches reason for optimism.
“We came into an arena where they’re celebrating seniors, have a tradition of success and a lot of prestige, so (a draw) is a good result,” veteran Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari said. “We can feel good about facing a quality opponent, and the way we withstood their pressure.”
“It may sound cliché to say it’s not always about winning or losing, but how you play the game,” North coach Brian Harks said. “We played nice, quality soccer.”
As a plus, St. Charles North (15-1-2) extended its home field unbeaten streak to 33 matches. The last loss was a 2-1 decision against Hinsdale Central back on March 16, 2015, as part of the PepsiCo Showdown.
“I’m proud of how the whole team fought so hard in a really good game,” Harks added. “We knew going into the (new) DuKane that every time out would be a battle. We did an excellent job of continuing to be able to create chances.”
Emotions are always a component for every player involved in Senior Night activities, and it clearly hit home with goalie Sara Maleski, who chalked up her sixth solo shutout in addition to sharing one clean sheet.
“Of all the shutouts this one will be a special memory, because it was my last game on this turf,” Maleski noted. “Perhaps we felt a little pressure in the first half, because we hadn’t played them much, and they’re different from some others we face. Once we settled back into our style we were much stronger in the second half.”
Having opted to start with the wind at their back, Wheaton Warrenville South got the first attempt from defender Sam Buol which was an indication that the Tigers' entire lineup was ready to be aggressive. That was a necessary approach because the North Stars boast a potent one-two-three attack in seniors CeCe Wahlberg and Claudia Najera, plus junior Sami Rydberg. The trio have accounted for 68% (30/44) of the goals for a team that averages 2.59 per match.
“As strong as they are, I thought our backline (Maria Dohse, Maddie Monaco, Becca Hauenstein, and Buol) matched up really well with them tonight,” said Wheaton Warrenville South goalie Abbie Brennan following the Tigers’ 10th shutout for the season. “After last year and seeing them ranked all season, this definitely does feel like a win.”
Brennan referred to a 2-1 St. Charles North triumph over her squad in a bracket championship from the 2018 PepsiCo, and the fact the North Stars have been ranked second in eight of nine weeks. The lone exception came when St. Charles North topped the Chicagoland Soccer list going into the eighth week.
There was 16:43 left in the opening half when South’s J.J. Aalbue used an Audrey Siebert pass for a try from the right that caromed off the near right post. Three minutes later, St. Charles North’s Najera sent a cross that just eluded teammate Kellie Callaghan’s foot. Then came a North Stars corner kick from Rydberg to Anna Weyman whose point-blank shot became a highlight-reel worthy save for Brennan.
With 10:45 still to play, Wheaton Warrenville South’s Paige Miller slotted a forward pass that Aalbue rocketed from 26 yards. It dipped only after it missed the crossbar. Three minutes later, Miller chipped a pass into a crowd in front of the North goal that pinballed back for another Aalbue attempt that also flew too high.
It was one of many chances for the Wheaton South South senior who will be a welcome addition to Grace College’s strong NAIA program.
“Knowing I wouldn’t get very many opportunities with space, I wanted to look for a goal whenever I got a chance,” Aalbue said. “We definitely thought it could be a match decided by a single goal.”
That thought wasn’t lost on the North Stars either as Wahlberg started the second half hoping the wind would help on a 48-yard free kick that Brennan caught in the gut. Ten minutes in, Aalbue had a laser shot from the left side that Maleski confidently snagged.
The back-and-forth then had a Najera attempt that had to be saved followed by an absolute cracker from Aalbue that Maleski had to punch away. With the North Stars ramping up their offense, the second half numbers tipped the statistics slightly in favor of the hosts. North finished with a 17-12 advantage for overall attempts but the shots on goal were even at seven apiece. As far as dangerous balls inside the box that required a defensive clear by a keeper or defender, that favored South 5-3.
Aalbue took shots from virtually everywhere in the North half of the field that it was impossible not to notice her, and the same could be said on defense for teammate Dohse. That’s why the South duo shared the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor.
“Our initial defense and secondary defense’s awareness was excellent,” Callipari said. “We did not give them a lot of good looks, and Maria is the one that holds it all together for us. For North, when number 11 (Wahlberg) is out there, it’s like her teammates rise to another level in their confidence. Maria does the exact same for us in back.”
As for Aalbue’s relentless play, the South senior admitted to having adrenaline combined with basic motivation as an explanation for her play.
“It being such a big game, I just wanted to do whatever I could,” Aalbue said. “Whether that meant pushing the offense or getting back to help on defense. It’s the way we’ve been playing.”
“We’ve progressed so much as a team and have been doing really well,” Brennan sad. “We’ve got a lot of momentum and are playoff ready.”
Technically South (13-4-1) has lost once in its last nine matches (7-1-1) and that includes having defeated Mete a Valley recently in what was a defacto bracket championship in this year’s PepsiCo, although it was renamed as a Sunday Showcase match due to the length of the event.
Without question one reason for the highly competitive match was the experience on both sides. While North honored five seniors -- Wahlberg, Najera, Maleski, Ali Wessel and Kelly Smith -- South’s roster listed 10 seniors.
“I thought in the second half we were really firing on offense, we just didn’t get the finish,” said North’s Bridget Wolf, a sophomore starter who also had an impressive outing. “It’s a little disappointing not to finish on top, especially for our seniors. They’ve been exceptional role models for me, so my aim is always to try to meet the expectations they set.”
In that regard, Maleski sees an ironic advantage for North. During the previous two seasons, the North Stars boasted unbeaten records going into the postseason only to fall short in supersectional matches.
“We’ve been so close the last few years, and since we didn’t go undefeated this year, perhaps some teams may believe we’re vulnerable,” Maleski said. “But I’d say what’s happened this year makes us stronger. I guarantee this team doesn’t quit. We’ve worked all season on playing a full 80 minutes and opponents will find out we’re ready to play.”
Both teams will compete in the 17-school Schaumburg Sectional group, so a theoretical rematch could occur should both reach the championship. St. Charles North is the top seed for the section and begins play Tuesday in the St. Francis-hosted regional against the winner of a prelim between 16-seed Glenbard North and 17-seed Addison Trial. An initial victory advances them to the regional finale against either 8-seed Bartlett or the ninth-seeded hosts
South is the no. 6 seed in the sectional and is assigned to the Hoffman Estates Regional. The Tigers face 11-seed West Chicago on Wednesday for a chance to play for that regional plaque against either 3-seed St. Charles East or 14-seed Hoffman Estates.
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Abbie Brennan
D Becca Hauenstein
D Maddie Monaco
D Maria Dohse
D Sam Buol
M Evelyn Demsher
M Molly Fank
M Aubrey Siebert
M Allie Anderson
M Ellery Fahey
F J.J. Aalbue
St. Charles North
GK Sara Maleski
D Makenna Collins
D Grace Barresi
D Kelly Smith
D Bridget Wolf
M Ali Wessel
M CeCe Wahlberg
M Sami Rydberg
M Anna Weyman
F Claudia Najera
F Sara Andrey
Chicagoland Soccer co-MVPs of the Match
J.J. Aalbue, sr., F, Wheaton Warrenville South
Maria Dohse, sr. D, Wheaton Warrenville South
Referees: Dylan Kramer (center), Brett Richter, Jose Gonzalez
Game summary
Wheaton Warrenville South 0, St. Charles North 0
WWS 0 0 -- 0 (13-4-1, 3-3-1)
SCN 0 0 -- 0 (15-1-2, 5-1-1)
Shots
WWS 5 – 7 -- 12
SCN 6 – 11 -- 17
Shots on goal
WWS 3 – 4 -- 7
SCN 2 – 5 -- 7
Saves (goalie)
WWS (Brennan) 2 – 5 -- 7
SCN (Maleski) 3 – 4 -- 7
Corner kicks
WWS 1 – 1 -- 2
SCN 2 – 0 -- 2
Offsides
WWS 0 – 0 -- 0
SCN 0 – 0 -- 0