Hey, hey J.J.! Aalbue leads WWS over MV Senior strikes twice in Tigers' 2-1 win for Showcase bracket title
By Matt Le Cren
LA GRANGE – Speedy Northwestern recruit Paige Miller draws most of the attention of opposing defenses and rightly so.
The senior forward was a Chicagoland Soccer all-stater last season and recently became the seventh player in Wheaton Warrenville South history to surpass 100 career points.
But there’s another four-year varsity performer who shouldn’t be overlooked: J.J. Aalbue.
“She is so fun to watch,” Miller said. “She is one of the best finishers I’ve ever seen because that can be a mental game, seeing the other goalie or the space around her.
“She is so good with her placement and so fun to watch, especially today. I had a front-row view.”
Indeed, Miller was on the field Sunday when Aalbue scored two extraordinary goals against a stout defense and top-line goalkeeper. The brace from the Grace College recruit rallied the Tigers to a 2-1 victory over Metea Valley in a Sunday Showcase bracket title match at the Lyons Soccer Complex.
Wheaton Warrenville South (13-4-0) trailed 1-0 in the 22nd minute when Aalbue ran onto a bouncing ball to the right of the top of the circle and fired a cutback shot from 18 yards that beat Metea Valley goalie Nikki Coryell and settled just inside the left post.
It was Aalbue’s 14th goal of the season. She added her 15th in the 45th minute on an even greater shot.
This time Miller got the assist, crossing into the far right side of the box to Aalbue, who got a step on a defender and scored from a sharp angle. The 15-yard shot barely eluded the fingers of the diving Coryell, caromed off the inside of the left post and into the net.
Metea Valley, which grabbed a 1-0 lead on senior Kayla Hurst’s goal in the fifth minute, mustered two corner kicks but no shots the rest of the way.
“We’ve struggled to score this year, so getting the lead was a good sign,” Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley said. “That J.J. -- that girl can shoot, man. I’ll give her that.
“She got a nice little bounce, unfortunate for us, and she made the most of it. She’s a great player.”
Aalbue played more in the midfield last season but has been a revelation this spring since Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari paired her up-top with Miller. The move has given the Tigers their most potent offense in many years, taking the scoring burden off of Miller while diversifying the attack.
Miller is glad for the help and is surprised not by Aalbue’s performance, but her proficiency.
“Last year she did play more defensive, so offensively she came out so strong and surprised all of us,” Miller said. “But we never expected anything less from her, because she’s an awesome player, and she is amazing at finishing. She really pulled through for us today.”
The power and precision of Aalbue’s two finishes, especially coming as they did against a smart, experienced goalie like the Valparaiso-bound Coryell, were stunning. Aalbue had little room to maneuver and a tiny window to shoot for, but she squeezed both of them in.
“The first goal, I just saw it bounce over their last defender, so I decided to run in behind her, and I just had wide-open space,” Aalbue said. “So I looked far post and managed to get it inside the post.
“(On the second goal Miller) played it across, and I just took a touch past my defender. I kind of crossed it, but it managed to go off the post and go in somehow.”
Whaley, whose team has allowed exactly one goal per game, suffered its sixth one-goal loss of the season. It wouldn’t have happened if not for Aalbue.
“The first shot couldn’t have been placed any better,” Whaley said. “Her second shot was even better.
“For the most part, their goals came from moments in the game where there was nothing really going on. It was kind of a bad bounce in our half, she grabs the ball, makes the most of it.”
Aalbue and the Tigers, who prefer playing on artificial turf in order to capitalize on their speed, made the most of their chances despite playing on a thick grass field.
“The grass slowed things down a little bit,” Callipari said. “We weren’t as fast as we want to be but overall our balance and our shape was really good, and we knew we were going to play against a team that was very well-organized.
“We thought we had the possession, but we still had to figure out how to break them down. Playing people up-high, it kept their backs occupied, so it was just a matter of J.J. reading the central defenders. If she can roll one way while Paige takes the other defenders the other way, she can get the opportunity.”
Callipari made sure Aalbue was prepared for playing on the grass, and Wheaton Warrenville South midfielders Allie Anderson, Evelyn Demsher and Audrey Siebert made sure the ball got to her frequently. Aalbue took eight of the Tigers’ 18 shots.
“We talked about the ball being slightly teed up on the grass and that she would really have to pay attention to getting down on top of the ball so she’s looking down on it (when she shoots),” Callipari said. “We talked about hitting the backside side netting, and she executed both times perfectly.
“She’s able to achieve a little bit of time and space with her movement and her ability to hold off pressure. Consequently, that’s all the time that she needs.”
That’s all the scoring the Tigers would need, although the Mustangs (7-8-2) came within inches of taking an early two-goal lead.
Hurst, the top returning scorer in an offense that was decimated by graduation, put Metea up 1-0 with a one-timer from the 6 off a cross from Lauren Wardell. It was Hurst’s first goal of the season.
Metea earned a corner kick in the 12th minute, and Nicole Dawson put it near the back post. Katy Flanders’ secondary header struck the crossbar.
The Mustangs got only one shot after that, a long snipe from Dawson which Wheaton Warrenville South goalie Abbie Brennan grabbed on one bounce.
“I think (the early goal) showed us that we can compete against really good teams,” Hurst said. “We can combine really well and even though we haven’t been scoring, we’ve been outplaying a lot of teams.
“Now we’re starting to finish more. We beat West Aurora (3-1) on Friday, so I think we’re figuring out how to get the ball into the back of the net.”
That’s a good thing because the Mustangs figure to be a tough out in the playoffs thanks to their stout backline and the play of Coryell, who had six saves Sunday.
But, incredibly, Aalbue has single-handedly outscored the Mustangs, who have only 14 goals.
“We’ve got girls that can put the ball in the net,” Whaley said. “It’s just there’s not going to be a ton of opportunities. You have to capitalize on the ones you have.”
The Tigers, who lost the PepsiCo final to St. Charles North last year, are starting to find their goal-scoring groove, which could make them a sleeper in the playoffs.
“This is a big deal,” Aalbue said after the Tigers drenched each other with soft drinks after receiving the championship trophy. “Coming off of last year when we lost 2-1, it was really heart-breaking, so going into this game we were really fired up.
“I think we have a really strong group, and we’re really close. So I’m hoping we can go as far as we can.”
The Tigers are seeded sixth at the Class 3A Schaumburg Sectional but have lost to three of the teams seeded ahead of them -- St. Charles East, Geneva and Batavia -- each by one goal. They play another potential sectional foe -- top-seeded St. Charles North -- in a DuKane Conference game Tuesday.
“This win means a lot because going into this tournament we were the first seed, and we wanted to prove ourselves,” Miller said. “It definitely gave us confidence and going into playoffs we need to play with confidence if we want to go far.”
Callipari was just thrilled to see his players lift the trophy.
“It was exciting,” Callipari said. “The game was in the balance for the entire time, and that’s what you want for a final.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Abbie Brennan
D Sam Buol
D Maria Dohse
D Becca Hauenstein
D Maddie Monaco
M Allie Anderson
M Evelyn Demsher
M Audrey Siebert
F Melisa Hadzic
F J.J. Aalbue
F Paige Miller
Metea Valley
GK Nikki Coryell
D Nicole Dawson
D Paige Buranosky
D Morgan McCrary
D Kiley McKee
M Katy Flanders
M Ella Johnson
M Lauren Wardell
M Sara Davies
F Sydney Rohm
F Kayla Hurst
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – J.J. Aalbue, sr., F, Wheaton Warrenville South
Scoring summary
First half
MV – Kayla Hurst (Lauren Wardell) 5th minute
WWS – J.J. Aalbue (Molly Fank) 22nd minute
Second half
WWS – Aalbue (Paige Miller) 45th minute
By Matt Le Cren
LA GRANGE – Speedy Northwestern recruit Paige Miller draws most of the attention of opposing defenses and rightly so.
The senior forward was a Chicagoland Soccer all-stater last season and recently became the seventh player in Wheaton Warrenville South history to surpass 100 career points.
But there’s another four-year varsity performer who shouldn’t be overlooked: J.J. Aalbue.
“She is so fun to watch,” Miller said. “She is one of the best finishers I’ve ever seen because that can be a mental game, seeing the other goalie or the space around her.
“She is so good with her placement and so fun to watch, especially today. I had a front-row view.”
Indeed, Miller was on the field Sunday when Aalbue scored two extraordinary goals against a stout defense and top-line goalkeeper. The brace from the Grace College recruit rallied the Tigers to a 2-1 victory over Metea Valley in a Sunday Showcase bracket title match at the Lyons Soccer Complex.
Wheaton Warrenville South (13-4-0) trailed 1-0 in the 22nd minute when Aalbue ran onto a bouncing ball to the right of the top of the circle and fired a cutback shot from 18 yards that beat Metea Valley goalie Nikki Coryell and settled just inside the left post.
It was Aalbue’s 14th goal of the season. She added her 15th in the 45th minute on an even greater shot.
This time Miller got the assist, crossing into the far right side of the box to Aalbue, who got a step on a defender and scored from a sharp angle. The 15-yard shot barely eluded the fingers of the diving Coryell, caromed off the inside of the left post and into the net.
Metea Valley, which grabbed a 1-0 lead on senior Kayla Hurst’s goal in the fifth minute, mustered two corner kicks but no shots the rest of the way.
“We’ve struggled to score this year, so getting the lead was a good sign,” Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley said. “That J.J. -- that girl can shoot, man. I’ll give her that.
“She got a nice little bounce, unfortunate for us, and she made the most of it. She’s a great player.”
Aalbue played more in the midfield last season but has been a revelation this spring since Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari paired her up-top with Miller. The move has given the Tigers their most potent offense in many years, taking the scoring burden off of Miller while diversifying the attack.
Miller is glad for the help and is surprised not by Aalbue’s performance, but her proficiency.
“Last year she did play more defensive, so offensively she came out so strong and surprised all of us,” Miller said. “But we never expected anything less from her, because she’s an awesome player, and she is amazing at finishing. She really pulled through for us today.”
The power and precision of Aalbue’s two finishes, especially coming as they did against a smart, experienced goalie like the Valparaiso-bound Coryell, were stunning. Aalbue had little room to maneuver and a tiny window to shoot for, but she squeezed both of them in.
“The first goal, I just saw it bounce over their last defender, so I decided to run in behind her, and I just had wide-open space,” Aalbue said. “So I looked far post and managed to get it inside the post.
“(On the second goal Miller) played it across, and I just took a touch past my defender. I kind of crossed it, but it managed to go off the post and go in somehow.”
Whaley, whose team has allowed exactly one goal per game, suffered its sixth one-goal loss of the season. It wouldn’t have happened if not for Aalbue.
“The first shot couldn’t have been placed any better,” Whaley said. “Her second shot was even better.
“For the most part, their goals came from moments in the game where there was nothing really going on. It was kind of a bad bounce in our half, she grabs the ball, makes the most of it.”
Aalbue and the Tigers, who prefer playing on artificial turf in order to capitalize on their speed, made the most of their chances despite playing on a thick grass field.
“The grass slowed things down a little bit,” Callipari said. “We weren’t as fast as we want to be but overall our balance and our shape was really good, and we knew we were going to play against a team that was very well-organized.
“We thought we had the possession, but we still had to figure out how to break them down. Playing people up-high, it kept their backs occupied, so it was just a matter of J.J. reading the central defenders. If she can roll one way while Paige takes the other defenders the other way, she can get the opportunity.”
Callipari made sure Aalbue was prepared for playing on the grass, and Wheaton Warrenville South midfielders Allie Anderson, Evelyn Demsher and Audrey Siebert made sure the ball got to her frequently. Aalbue took eight of the Tigers’ 18 shots.
“We talked about the ball being slightly teed up on the grass and that she would really have to pay attention to getting down on top of the ball so she’s looking down on it (when she shoots),” Callipari said. “We talked about hitting the backside side netting, and she executed both times perfectly.
“She’s able to achieve a little bit of time and space with her movement and her ability to hold off pressure. Consequently, that’s all the time that she needs.”
That’s all the scoring the Tigers would need, although the Mustangs (7-8-2) came within inches of taking an early two-goal lead.
Hurst, the top returning scorer in an offense that was decimated by graduation, put Metea up 1-0 with a one-timer from the 6 off a cross from Lauren Wardell. It was Hurst’s first goal of the season.
Metea earned a corner kick in the 12th minute, and Nicole Dawson put it near the back post. Katy Flanders’ secondary header struck the crossbar.
The Mustangs got only one shot after that, a long snipe from Dawson which Wheaton Warrenville South goalie Abbie Brennan grabbed on one bounce.
“I think (the early goal) showed us that we can compete against really good teams,” Hurst said. “We can combine really well and even though we haven’t been scoring, we’ve been outplaying a lot of teams.
“Now we’re starting to finish more. We beat West Aurora (3-1) on Friday, so I think we’re figuring out how to get the ball into the back of the net.”
That’s a good thing because the Mustangs figure to be a tough out in the playoffs thanks to their stout backline and the play of Coryell, who had six saves Sunday.
But, incredibly, Aalbue has single-handedly outscored the Mustangs, who have only 14 goals.
“We’ve got girls that can put the ball in the net,” Whaley said. “It’s just there’s not going to be a ton of opportunities. You have to capitalize on the ones you have.”
The Tigers, who lost the PepsiCo final to St. Charles North last year, are starting to find their goal-scoring groove, which could make them a sleeper in the playoffs.
“This is a big deal,” Aalbue said after the Tigers drenched each other with soft drinks after receiving the championship trophy. “Coming off of last year when we lost 2-1, it was really heart-breaking, so going into this game we were really fired up.
“I think we have a really strong group, and we’re really close. So I’m hoping we can go as far as we can.”
The Tigers are seeded sixth at the Class 3A Schaumburg Sectional but have lost to three of the teams seeded ahead of them -- St. Charles East, Geneva and Batavia -- each by one goal. They play another potential sectional foe -- top-seeded St. Charles North -- in a DuKane Conference game Tuesday.
“This win means a lot because going into this tournament we were the first seed, and we wanted to prove ourselves,” Miller said. “It definitely gave us confidence and going into playoffs we need to play with confidence if we want to go far.”
Callipari was just thrilled to see his players lift the trophy.
“It was exciting,” Callipari said. “The game was in the balance for the entire time, and that’s what you want for a final.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Abbie Brennan
D Sam Buol
D Maria Dohse
D Becca Hauenstein
D Maddie Monaco
M Allie Anderson
M Evelyn Demsher
M Audrey Siebert
F Melisa Hadzic
F J.J. Aalbue
F Paige Miller
Metea Valley
GK Nikki Coryell
D Nicole Dawson
D Paige Buranosky
D Morgan McCrary
D Kiley McKee
M Katy Flanders
M Ella Johnson
M Lauren Wardell
M Sara Davies
F Sydney Rohm
F Kayla Hurst
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – J.J. Aalbue, sr., F, Wheaton Warrenville South
Scoring summary
First half
MV – Kayla Hurst (Lauren Wardell) 5th minute
WWS – J.J. Aalbue (Molly Fank) 22nd minute
Second half
WWS – Aalbue (Paige Miller) 45th minute