WWS goal tsunami swamps Schaumburg
Tigers goal burst leads to 4-1 win, Lake Park Regional crown
By Ken Keenan
ROSELLE -- Crashing the Schaumburg net in waves, Wheaton Warrenville South exploded for three goals in the opening 40 minutes en route to a 4-1 victory in the championship game of the Class 3A Lake Park Regional on Friday night.
The Tigers, ranked 20th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 Poll, improved to 15-7-0 and advanced to meet Conant in the semifinals of the Geneva Sectional at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
"Any hardware is nice," said Wheaton Warrenville South head coach Guy Callipari. "Last year, we were under .500, so we want to venture into areas we haven't been for a while."
After an early period where the teams tested the waters, Callipari's crew ventured into the attack zone with regularity against the Saxons. Controlling the ball with strong east-west possession in the midfield, the Tigers used speed on the flanks to create a slew of opportunities, especially after breaking the 0-0 deadlock.
"The pressure was on to get that first goal," Callipari said. "Schaumburg did a nice job in the first 10 minutes nullifying our central attack. We had better opportunities on the flank ... finding runners on the outside."
Junior midfielder Molly Fank got the scoring party started when she headed in a perfectly placed corner kick by fellow junior mid Allie Anderson with 29:15 remaining in the first half. Anderson, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match, sent the ball head-high to Fank, who quickly directed it past Schaumburg junior goalkeeper Livvy Masi for a 1-0 lead.
"It was a perfect pass ... just perfect," Fank said.
Anderson said, "The first goal was really important. It pumped everyone up."
It also triggered an extremely busy stretch for Masi. Less than two minutes after scoring, Anderson fed senior defender Claire Kiple for a wide-angle try from the right side that Masi stopped. Mere seconds passed before dynamic Tigers junior forward Paige Miller cut in from the left side and crossed a ball in front that rolled right along the goal line before being cleared by Schaumburg's defense.
In the 14th minute, Wheaton Warrenville South junior defender Maria Dohse headed another solid corner by Anderson wide-left. Anderson then intercepted the ensuing goal kick and sent a 40-yard boomer wide-right.
With 23:50 to go before the break, Miller wheeled to the middle and fired a shot on net from 10 yards. Ten seconds later, Masi also had the answer for a try by Anderson.
Masi's best save came when Anderson unleashed a bending 45-yard rocket on a free kick from the left side in the 21st minute. But the Saxons keeper couldn't solve Anderson's next strike, a sizzling 35-yard bender that tucked high inside the right post with 11:02 left in the opening session.
The Tigers upped the lead to 3-0 on a goal by senior forward Morgan Schwerin in the 36th minute. Junior mid Evelyn Demsher started the play, charging in for a hard shot that Masi stopped. But the rebound came right to Shwerin, who punched it in from the right side to conclude the first half onslaught.
"Once (the Tigers) scored, they took over offensively and were very hard to defend," said Schaumburg skipper Greg Charvat, whose team finished the 2018 campaign at 8-9-1 overall. "They're very athletic with a lot of speed. It's hard to control such a potent offense."
The Saxons' best chances in the first half came on a pair of free kicks by solid junior defender Savannah Morini, whose first try nipped the crossbar at the left post in the 5th minute. Morini also missed high to the right on a free kick from the top of the box in the 27th minute.
Continuing to push the pace in the second half, Wheaton Warrenville South made it 4-0 when Demsher dashed through at least three defenders on a 40-yard run and charged ahead before colliding with Masi in close as the ball trickled off of Demsher's foot and across the goal line.
The relentless Miller was involved in a trio of dangerous chances prior to Demsher's tally, including a 25-yard bullet that Masi handled in the 45th minute and a short blast that missed wide-right with 32:15 left in the second half.
"We just turned it on," Fank said. "Our backline was strong, and our center mids had a lot of confidence coming through the middle. We were really on it tonight."
Callipari said, "We do have pace, and we were pretty efficient and effective with that. But we can attack from different perspectives. We can switch the field to allow our runs to develop, and we can take people 1-v.-1. Balance, that's important. You don't want to be predictable."
Added Anderson: "Seeing our offense like that, getting multiple goals, that gives our forwards a lot of confidence."
Despite the huge deficit, scrappy Schaumburg didn't fold the tent, breaking the shutout with 13:46 to go when senior forward Emma Aguilar finished in front after settling a deep throw-in from junior midfielder Michelle Candotti.
"We battled hard in the second half. Our girls don't give up," Morini said. "But Wheaton Warrenville South, they have weapons all over the field."
"They're aggressive, and they definitely found our weaknesses," echoed Aguilar. "In the second half, we put it all out there and fought back. But (the Tigers) were very technical, very fast."
And very dangerous. Anderson nearly notched her second goal of the match when she sent a 40-yard missile just over the crossbar in the 70th minute, and she was stopped by Masi on a wide-angle attempt from 20 yards on the left side with 8:45 remaining.
"In the playoffs, anything can happen, so you have to work the whole time," said steady Tigers' junior defender Maria Dohse. "You never give up."
Added Fank: "No matter the score, we try to fight as hard as we can. It's one game at a time, and this (regional title) is one step in our climb up the state ladder."
Starting lineups
Schaumburg
G: Livvy Masi
D: Kaitlyn Uhlman
D: Maddie Schneider
D: Savannah Morini
D: Victoria Treni
M: Michelle Candotti
M: Bri Dietz
M: Al Schaar
M: Katie Smith
F: Emma Aguilar
F: Melissa Schneider
Wheaton Warrenville South
G: Abbie Brennan
D: Claire Kiple
D: Maria Dohse
D: Sam Buol
M: Allie Anderson
M: Evelyn Demsher
M: Audrey Siebert
M: Molly Fank
M: Jennifer Aalbue
F: Morgan Schwerin
F: Paige Miller
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Allie Anderson, jr., M, Wheaton Warrenville South
Officials: John Jakobsze, Jen Mayfield, Chris Rudolph
Scoring summary
First half
Wheaton Warrenville South: Molly Fank (assisted by Allie Anderson) in 11th minute
Wheaton Warrenville South: Anderson (unassisted) in 29th minute
Wheaton Warrenville South: Morgan Schwerin (assisted by Evelyn Demsher) in 36th minute
Second half
Wheaton Warrenville South: Demsher (unassisted) in 53rd minute
Schaumburg: Emma Aguilar (assisted by Michelle Candotti) in 67th minute
Tigers goal burst leads to 4-1 win, Lake Park Regional crown
By Ken Keenan
ROSELLE -- Crashing the Schaumburg net in waves, Wheaton Warrenville South exploded for three goals in the opening 40 minutes en route to a 4-1 victory in the championship game of the Class 3A Lake Park Regional on Friday night.
The Tigers, ranked 20th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 Poll, improved to 15-7-0 and advanced to meet Conant in the semifinals of the Geneva Sectional at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
"Any hardware is nice," said Wheaton Warrenville South head coach Guy Callipari. "Last year, we were under .500, so we want to venture into areas we haven't been for a while."
After an early period where the teams tested the waters, Callipari's crew ventured into the attack zone with regularity against the Saxons. Controlling the ball with strong east-west possession in the midfield, the Tigers used speed on the flanks to create a slew of opportunities, especially after breaking the 0-0 deadlock.
"The pressure was on to get that first goal," Callipari said. "Schaumburg did a nice job in the first 10 minutes nullifying our central attack. We had better opportunities on the flank ... finding runners on the outside."
Junior midfielder Molly Fank got the scoring party started when she headed in a perfectly placed corner kick by fellow junior mid Allie Anderson with 29:15 remaining in the first half. Anderson, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match, sent the ball head-high to Fank, who quickly directed it past Schaumburg junior goalkeeper Livvy Masi for a 1-0 lead.
"It was a perfect pass ... just perfect," Fank said.
Anderson said, "The first goal was really important. It pumped everyone up."
It also triggered an extremely busy stretch for Masi. Less than two minutes after scoring, Anderson fed senior defender Claire Kiple for a wide-angle try from the right side that Masi stopped. Mere seconds passed before dynamic Tigers junior forward Paige Miller cut in from the left side and crossed a ball in front that rolled right along the goal line before being cleared by Schaumburg's defense.
In the 14th minute, Wheaton Warrenville South junior defender Maria Dohse headed another solid corner by Anderson wide-left. Anderson then intercepted the ensuing goal kick and sent a 40-yard boomer wide-right.
With 23:50 to go before the break, Miller wheeled to the middle and fired a shot on net from 10 yards. Ten seconds later, Masi also had the answer for a try by Anderson.
Masi's best save came when Anderson unleashed a bending 45-yard rocket on a free kick from the left side in the 21st minute. But the Saxons keeper couldn't solve Anderson's next strike, a sizzling 35-yard bender that tucked high inside the right post with 11:02 left in the opening session.
The Tigers upped the lead to 3-0 on a goal by senior forward Morgan Schwerin in the 36th minute. Junior mid Evelyn Demsher started the play, charging in for a hard shot that Masi stopped. But the rebound came right to Shwerin, who punched it in from the right side to conclude the first half onslaught.
"Once (the Tigers) scored, they took over offensively and were very hard to defend," said Schaumburg skipper Greg Charvat, whose team finished the 2018 campaign at 8-9-1 overall. "They're very athletic with a lot of speed. It's hard to control such a potent offense."
The Saxons' best chances in the first half came on a pair of free kicks by solid junior defender Savannah Morini, whose first try nipped the crossbar at the left post in the 5th minute. Morini also missed high to the right on a free kick from the top of the box in the 27th minute.
Continuing to push the pace in the second half, Wheaton Warrenville South made it 4-0 when Demsher dashed through at least three defenders on a 40-yard run and charged ahead before colliding with Masi in close as the ball trickled off of Demsher's foot and across the goal line.
The relentless Miller was involved in a trio of dangerous chances prior to Demsher's tally, including a 25-yard bullet that Masi handled in the 45th minute and a short blast that missed wide-right with 32:15 left in the second half.
"We just turned it on," Fank said. "Our backline was strong, and our center mids had a lot of confidence coming through the middle. We were really on it tonight."
Callipari said, "We do have pace, and we were pretty efficient and effective with that. But we can attack from different perspectives. We can switch the field to allow our runs to develop, and we can take people 1-v.-1. Balance, that's important. You don't want to be predictable."
Added Anderson: "Seeing our offense like that, getting multiple goals, that gives our forwards a lot of confidence."
Despite the huge deficit, scrappy Schaumburg didn't fold the tent, breaking the shutout with 13:46 to go when senior forward Emma Aguilar finished in front after settling a deep throw-in from junior midfielder Michelle Candotti.
"We battled hard in the second half. Our girls don't give up," Morini said. "But Wheaton Warrenville South, they have weapons all over the field."
"They're aggressive, and they definitely found our weaknesses," echoed Aguilar. "In the second half, we put it all out there and fought back. But (the Tigers) were very technical, very fast."
And very dangerous. Anderson nearly notched her second goal of the match when she sent a 40-yard missile just over the crossbar in the 70th minute, and she was stopped by Masi on a wide-angle attempt from 20 yards on the left side with 8:45 remaining.
"In the playoffs, anything can happen, so you have to work the whole time," said steady Tigers' junior defender Maria Dohse. "You never give up."
Added Fank: "No matter the score, we try to fight as hard as we can. It's one game at a time, and this (regional title) is one step in our climb up the state ladder."
Starting lineups
Schaumburg
G: Livvy Masi
D: Kaitlyn Uhlman
D: Maddie Schneider
D: Savannah Morini
D: Victoria Treni
M: Michelle Candotti
M: Bri Dietz
M: Al Schaar
M: Katie Smith
F: Emma Aguilar
F: Melissa Schneider
Wheaton Warrenville South
G: Abbie Brennan
D: Claire Kiple
D: Maria Dohse
D: Sam Buol
M: Allie Anderson
M: Evelyn Demsher
M: Audrey Siebert
M: Molly Fank
M: Jennifer Aalbue
F: Morgan Schwerin
F: Paige Miller
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Allie Anderson, jr., M, Wheaton Warrenville South
Officials: John Jakobsze, Jen Mayfield, Chris Rudolph
Scoring summary
First half
Wheaton Warrenville South: Molly Fank (assisted by Allie Anderson) in 11th minute
Wheaton Warrenville South: Anderson (unassisted) in 29th minute
Wheaton Warrenville South: Morgan Schwerin (assisted by Evelyn Demsher) in 36th minute
Second half
Wheaton Warrenville South: Demsher (unassisted) in 53rd minute
Schaumburg: Emma Aguilar (assisted by Michelle Candotti) in 67th minute