Miller sends WW South past Wheaton North
Tigers win 3rd-straight Wheaton Cup with 1-0 final vs. Falcons
By Gary Larsen
WHEATON -- Evelyn Demsher earned the corner kick, J.J. Aalbue sent that kick to the far post, and Paige Miller finished on it.
The 30 seconds of soccer that produced that play was ultimately all it took for Wheaton Warrenville South to win its third-consecutive Wheaton Cup in the annual battle between the Tigers and Wheaton North.
Aalbue tipped her hat to the bookend plays that Demsher and Miller provided on the game-winning play at Wheaton North.
“Evelyn can really take people on 1-v.-1. I know if we get it out wide she’s going to try to create something and either serve it into the box or create dangerous chances for us,” Aalbue said. “And I know if I play the ball that (Miller) will find it somehow and get a body on it.”
Tuesday’s DuKane Conference game featured two teams battling the injury bug in Wheaton Warrenville South (7-3-0, 1-2-0) and Wheaton North (7-7-1, 2-2-0).
But even with key contributors missing for both sides, the adrenaline of the annual rivalry game carried them through.
“This is all they’ve been talking about for some time so I’m sure they were nervous,” South coach Guy Callipari said.
“But it gives other kids opportunities. If you looked at us at the beginning of the year, we were 10 seniors starting, and now you’ll see two sophomores, two juniors, and that’s just the way our lineup has morphed given the injuries we have. It’s no different for (North coach Tim McEvilly), who also has some starters out of the mix.”
Wheaton North flirted with a goal early. Kayla Shebar sent a good chance wide at two minutes and then sent a ball to the near post from deep on the right side at seven minutes with Olivia Moreno running on.
South keeper Abbie Brennan beat Moreno to the serve, and one minute later Brennan cut off a low serve at the near post sent in from the left corner by Moreno.
Riley Winckler whipped a corner kick across the Tigers’ goalmouth that went untouched at 10 minutes to cap the Falcons’ early attacking spell. The early adrenaline of a rivalry game may have had the Falcons rushing things a bit.
“That’s one of the difficult things sometimes early in a game like this,” McEvilly said. “When you get those early chances your touch is a little bit off because you’re so fired up and a half a step ahead of yourself in what you’re trying to do.”
South’s Ellery Fahey broke into the box in pursuit of a through-ball at nine minutes that North keeper Hanley Elftmann raced off her line and won. Then the Tigers' Melisa Hadzic fired from distance and Elftmann deflected it to a corner kick at 13 minutes.
Demsher’s pressure, Aalbue’s corner kick, and Miller’s header goal at the far post came next at 15 minutes, giving the Tigers all the scoring they’d ultimately need. That South’s best two players on the field on Tuesday played a role in it was no surprise for McEvilly.
“Miller up-top, and J.J. at midfield -- she can play with anybody. And if you’re a little hesitant to step to the ball…they were able to get some momentum and that led to a few corner kicks,” McEvilly said.
Fahey, Demsher, Aalbue, and Hadzic all found shots to the 23rd minute, and Miller sent in a bending try from 18 yards that Elftmann snared up high near the post.
When South is on top of its game, the Tigers play the quick, one- and two-touch soccer that veteran coach Callipari has always preached.
Of course, even when they’re playing fast and unselfish, Callipari has to fight a minor battle with himself on the sideline.
“Through my lens, I’d like them a little bit faster,” Callipari said, “but then I have the luxury of not having (a defender) coming down on me, blindsided on my shoulder.”
Elftmann was steady in net throughout the contest, behind the solid play of a North backline featuring Rachel Brady, Amanda Tegart, Kristen Zumski, and Heidi Atkinson.
“They were really only dangerous to us on the corner kicks in the first half,” McEvilly said. “If they’re shooting from 35 yards, we’ll take that because none of those shots ended up being dangerous.
"Hanley handled those, and she wasn’t really called on to make extraordinarily dangerous saves. So we did a great job keeping things in front of us, and I thought the second half was a very competitive soccer game.”
Wheaton North's Shebar cut across the top of the box and fired a one-hopper from 20 yards that Brennan fielded easily at 32 minutes, and Elftmann held steady when she left her line and beat Miller to a ball sent into the box at 34 minutes.
North’s Camile Cote sent a free kick from distance into the box at 36 minutes that defender Dohse blocked to a clear.
Finding a goal against Brennan and her backline of Maddie Monaco, Dohse, Sam Buol, and Becca Hauenstein proved to be a bridge too far for Wheaton North.
With Augustana-bound defender Molly Fank missing from South’s lineup for at least another two weeks due to injury, Monaco was happy to see her side get its fourth shutout of the season.
“Sam Buol had a lot of tackles, and she did really well, and everyone was just really ready today,” Monaco said.
The shutout also launched Brennan into the program's top five keepers all-time for career shutouts, with 26.5. Brennan passed former Tiger and Wheaton College standout Kelsey Graham, who had 25.5 career shutouts at South.
Central defenders Monaco and Dohse made life difficult for Wheaton North’s attack throughout.
“Maria is like my best friend outside of soccer, so it’s easy in the back to communicate,” Monaco said. “We’re always going to help each other so she’s always behind me, ready to get the ball if I miss and vice versa. We also don’t even have to say anything. We just know.”
Despite trailing by a goal, Wheaton North felt good heading into halftime.
“I felt like the first 10 minutes were really even and then we kind of let off a little bit in the middle of the game,” North midfielder Sarah Brcka said. “But the last 10 minutes of the first half, it felt we had the ball for most of it. We had opportunities. We just couldn’t finish.”
Brcka, Shebar, Claudia Kim, and Olivia Moreno all fought the good fight in the attack for Wheaton North in the second half, while Miller, Aalbue, Siebert and company did the same for the Tigers.
“Sarah Brcka played at midfield and then up-top for us, and she brought the energy for 80 minutes,” McEvilly said. “The kids kind of picked up on that and were able to handle it.”
Brcka likes the way her Falcons have evolved since the start of the year.
“We play well as a team, and we’ve grown a lot,” Brcka said. “We started the season something like 0-4-0 and then went on a streak (a four-game unbeaten and four-game win streak split by a shootout loss to Glenbard South), so we definitely improved a lot. We’re a fast team, we’re aggressive, and we have a lot of athletic girls so I think that helps.”
The big, athletic, and skilled Aalbue made a few long runs with a ball at her feet and various defenders on her hip throughout the second half.
“She came into the preseason just a beast,” Callipari said of Aalbue. “She was at a different level. She came in and was just above everybody.
“Our first six or seven games, she played every minute and then you could see her starting to fade just a little bit, because those 40-yard runs were exhausting. I even like her up-top because you can play into her feet, and she rolls people really easily. She’s strong, and she’s really got the nose for goal now.”
Miller also showed the ability to take people on all night and her persistently dangerous presence and game-winning goal earned her Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match honor.
Miller's fifth goal of the season gave her 38 for her Tigers career and her 95th career point, putting her five points shy of becoming the 7th player in 37 years to post 100 career points at South.
Still, the competitor in Miller wasn’t necessarily pleased with her performance on Tuesday.
“She was a little frustrated tonight, because she didn’t get past the last defender,” Callipari said. “I told her ‘You did. It was just the second and third defender you got into.’
“I was going to play her out wide just to find the 1-v.-1s, but she was doing so well in keeping (defenders) occupied, which meant somebody else was open. So she felt like she didn’t do enough, even though she got the game-winner.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Abbie Brennan
D Maddie Monaco
D Maria Dohse
D Sam Buol
D Becca Hauenstein
M J.J. Aalbue
M Audrey Siebert
M Evelyn Demsher
M Ellery Fahey
M Melisa Hadzic
F Paige Miller
Wheaton North
GK Hanley Elftmann
D Kristen Zumski
D Heidi Atkinson
D Rachel Brady
D Amanda Tegart
M Claudia Kim
M Sarah Brcka
M Anna Warfield
M Kayla Shebar
F Olivia Moreno
F Riley Winckler
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Paige Miller, sr., F, Wheaton Warrenville South
Scoring summary
First half
WW South — Miller (Aalbue) 15th minute
Second half
No scoring
Tigers win 3rd-straight Wheaton Cup with 1-0 final vs. Falcons
By Gary Larsen
WHEATON -- Evelyn Demsher earned the corner kick, J.J. Aalbue sent that kick to the far post, and Paige Miller finished on it.
The 30 seconds of soccer that produced that play was ultimately all it took for Wheaton Warrenville South to win its third-consecutive Wheaton Cup in the annual battle between the Tigers and Wheaton North.
Aalbue tipped her hat to the bookend plays that Demsher and Miller provided on the game-winning play at Wheaton North.
“Evelyn can really take people on 1-v.-1. I know if we get it out wide she’s going to try to create something and either serve it into the box or create dangerous chances for us,” Aalbue said. “And I know if I play the ball that (Miller) will find it somehow and get a body on it.”
Tuesday’s DuKane Conference game featured two teams battling the injury bug in Wheaton Warrenville South (7-3-0, 1-2-0) and Wheaton North (7-7-1, 2-2-0).
But even with key contributors missing for both sides, the adrenaline of the annual rivalry game carried them through.
“This is all they’ve been talking about for some time so I’m sure they were nervous,” South coach Guy Callipari said.
“But it gives other kids opportunities. If you looked at us at the beginning of the year, we were 10 seniors starting, and now you’ll see two sophomores, two juniors, and that’s just the way our lineup has morphed given the injuries we have. It’s no different for (North coach Tim McEvilly), who also has some starters out of the mix.”
Wheaton North flirted with a goal early. Kayla Shebar sent a good chance wide at two minutes and then sent a ball to the near post from deep on the right side at seven minutes with Olivia Moreno running on.
South keeper Abbie Brennan beat Moreno to the serve, and one minute later Brennan cut off a low serve at the near post sent in from the left corner by Moreno.
Riley Winckler whipped a corner kick across the Tigers’ goalmouth that went untouched at 10 minutes to cap the Falcons’ early attacking spell. The early adrenaline of a rivalry game may have had the Falcons rushing things a bit.
“That’s one of the difficult things sometimes early in a game like this,” McEvilly said. “When you get those early chances your touch is a little bit off because you’re so fired up and a half a step ahead of yourself in what you’re trying to do.”
South’s Ellery Fahey broke into the box in pursuit of a through-ball at nine minutes that North keeper Hanley Elftmann raced off her line and won. Then the Tigers' Melisa Hadzic fired from distance and Elftmann deflected it to a corner kick at 13 minutes.
Demsher’s pressure, Aalbue’s corner kick, and Miller’s header goal at the far post came next at 15 minutes, giving the Tigers all the scoring they’d ultimately need. That South’s best two players on the field on Tuesday played a role in it was no surprise for McEvilly.
“Miller up-top, and J.J. at midfield -- she can play with anybody. And if you’re a little hesitant to step to the ball…they were able to get some momentum and that led to a few corner kicks,” McEvilly said.
Fahey, Demsher, Aalbue, and Hadzic all found shots to the 23rd minute, and Miller sent in a bending try from 18 yards that Elftmann snared up high near the post.
When South is on top of its game, the Tigers play the quick, one- and two-touch soccer that veteran coach Callipari has always preached.
Of course, even when they’re playing fast and unselfish, Callipari has to fight a minor battle with himself on the sideline.
“Through my lens, I’d like them a little bit faster,” Callipari said, “but then I have the luxury of not having (a defender) coming down on me, blindsided on my shoulder.”
Elftmann was steady in net throughout the contest, behind the solid play of a North backline featuring Rachel Brady, Amanda Tegart, Kristen Zumski, and Heidi Atkinson.
“They were really only dangerous to us on the corner kicks in the first half,” McEvilly said. “If they’re shooting from 35 yards, we’ll take that because none of those shots ended up being dangerous.
"Hanley handled those, and she wasn’t really called on to make extraordinarily dangerous saves. So we did a great job keeping things in front of us, and I thought the second half was a very competitive soccer game.”
Wheaton North's Shebar cut across the top of the box and fired a one-hopper from 20 yards that Brennan fielded easily at 32 minutes, and Elftmann held steady when she left her line and beat Miller to a ball sent into the box at 34 minutes.
North’s Camile Cote sent a free kick from distance into the box at 36 minutes that defender Dohse blocked to a clear.
Finding a goal against Brennan and her backline of Maddie Monaco, Dohse, Sam Buol, and Becca Hauenstein proved to be a bridge too far for Wheaton North.
With Augustana-bound defender Molly Fank missing from South’s lineup for at least another two weeks due to injury, Monaco was happy to see her side get its fourth shutout of the season.
“Sam Buol had a lot of tackles, and she did really well, and everyone was just really ready today,” Monaco said.
The shutout also launched Brennan into the program's top five keepers all-time for career shutouts, with 26.5. Brennan passed former Tiger and Wheaton College standout Kelsey Graham, who had 25.5 career shutouts at South.
Central defenders Monaco and Dohse made life difficult for Wheaton North’s attack throughout.
“Maria is like my best friend outside of soccer, so it’s easy in the back to communicate,” Monaco said. “We’re always going to help each other so she’s always behind me, ready to get the ball if I miss and vice versa. We also don’t even have to say anything. We just know.”
Despite trailing by a goal, Wheaton North felt good heading into halftime.
“I felt like the first 10 minutes were really even and then we kind of let off a little bit in the middle of the game,” North midfielder Sarah Brcka said. “But the last 10 minutes of the first half, it felt we had the ball for most of it. We had opportunities. We just couldn’t finish.”
Brcka, Shebar, Claudia Kim, and Olivia Moreno all fought the good fight in the attack for Wheaton North in the second half, while Miller, Aalbue, Siebert and company did the same for the Tigers.
“Sarah Brcka played at midfield and then up-top for us, and she brought the energy for 80 minutes,” McEvilly said. “The kids kind of picked up on that and were able to handle it.”
Brcka likes the way her Falcons have evolved since the start of the year.
“We play well as a team, and we’ve grown a lot,” Brcka said. “We started the season something like 0-4-0 and then went on a streak (a four-game unbeaten and four-game win streak split by a shootout loss to Glenbard South), so we definitely improved a lot. We’re a fast team, we’re aggressive, and we have a lot of athletic girls so I think that helps.”
The big, athletic, and skilled Aalbue made a few long runs with a ball at her feet and various defenders on her hip throughout the second half.
“She came into the preseason just a beast,” Callipari said of Aalbue. “She was at a different level. She came in and was just above everybody.
“Our first six or seven games, she played every minute and then you could see her starting to fade just a little bit, because those 40-yard runs were exhausting. I even like her up-top because you can play into her feet, and she rolls people really easily. She’s strong, and she’s really got the nose for goal now.”
Miller also showed the ability to take people on all night and her persistently dangerous presence and game-winning goal earned her Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match honor.
Miller's fifth goal of the season gave her 38 for her Tigers career and her 95th career point, putting her five points shy of becoming the 7th player in 37 years to post 100 career points at South.
Still, the competitor in Miller wasn’t necessarily pleased with her performance on Tuesday.
“She was a little frustrated tonight, because she didn’t get past the last defender,” Callipari said. “I told her ‘You did. It was just the second and third defender you got into.’
“I was going to play her out wide just to find the 1-v.-1s, but she was doing so well in keeping (defenders) occupied, which meant somebody else was open. So she felt like she didn’t do enough, even though she got the game-winner.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Abbie Brennan
D Maddie Monaco
D Maria Dohse
D Sam Buol
D Becca Hauenstein
M J.J. Aalbue
M Audrey Siebert
M Evelyn Demsher
M Ellery Fahey
M Melisa Hadzic
F Paige Miller
Wheaton North
GK Hanley Elftmann
D Kristen Zumski
D Heidi Atkinson
D Rachel Brady
D Amanda Tegart
M Claudia Kim
M Sarah Brcka
M Anna Warfield
M Kayla Shebar
F Olivia Moreno
F Riley Winckler
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Paige Miller, sr., F, Wheaton Warrenville South
Scoring summary
First half
WW South — Miller (Aalbue) 15th minute
Second half
No scoring