Wheaton Warrenville South’s run,
season end; St. Charles North’s continue
Top-seeded North Stars post 9th-straight win with 4-1 decision
By Dave Owen
ST. CHARLES -- Wheaton-Warrenville South’s 11-game unbeaten streak ended Tuesday in the St. Charles East Sectional semifinals.
But a team that had a 3-4-2 record before that streak started had one final response to adversity.
Trailing St. Charles North 2-0 at halftime, the Tigers (13-5-3) came out of the break on the offensive with chances by Ashlyn Adams (20-yard shot on goal with 38:40 left) and Lauren Barnett (wide right off an Adams pass at 32:50).
But the third threat of the half would be the charm.
With 31:47 on the clock, Adams burst up the left side and sent a cross towards Barnett in front. Barnett’s touch pass to her right found four-year varsity senior Mia Taullahu, who powered a low 10-yard shot inside the right post to make the score 2-1.
“We practice this one drill and that was pretty much exactly what the drill entails,” Taullahu said. “I think Lauren saw me behind her, and she just let it (Adams’ cross) go, and I just buried it in the back of the net. It was really nice to see all of our connecting come together like that.”
The standout freshman forward Adams continued her strong finish to 2022 with the key initiation of the chance.
“Out of the half, coach (Guy Callipari) told us we're still in the game at 2-0,” Adams said. “We need to want it.
“We played a decent first half: we have to give St. Charles North credit, they're a great team. We had to come out fiery.
“We had to push up and get one goal, and then we had to work for our next goal. We got one, but we just couldn't finish another one. But we tried.”
With the Tigers now within 2-1, the game settled into a defensive battle in the middle third, with few decent chances over the next 12-plus minutes.
Then with 18:20 left, St. Charles North offensive star of the game Bella Najera provided a huge momentum lift for her team.
After being fouled just outside the top of the box, Najera perfectly lasered a 19-yard free kick into the upper left corner of the net to make the score 3-1.
“Right as I got the foul called at the edge of the box, I was super excited, because it was a perfect placement for me to get a good shot,” Najera said. “The wall was towards the left and the keeper blocked the right side of the goal, so I knew I had to try to curve the ball over the wall and into the left side of the goal.
“The shot was all about placement, because I knew if I placed it to the left there was no way the keeper could get it. Right as I shot it, I had a feeling it was going in, and I was excited to help my team extend our lead and calm us down even more.”
That “calm” was tested in the preceding minutes.
“At halftime we talked about how they (the Tigers) were going to come out with intensity, because they knew their season was on the line,” Najera said, “but after they scored we did feel a little frantic at first because 2-1 is the hardest score to keep.
“After a few minutes we calmed down and got back to our usual playing style of trying to possess the ball and trying to score. I think after the goal it woke us up. We realized that we have to put more goals on the board to put the game away, or else they would keep fighting.”
Wheaton Warrenville South did indeed battle to quickly answer Najera’s goal. An Adams cross and Brooke Ittersagen deflection to the front of the net produced a Kate Hartnett header on goal with 17:30 left.
Adams’ high shot with 14:30 to go struck the football goal post left upright. Then an Ella Byrnes 50/50-ball win 45 seconds later set up an Ellie Farrell 30-yard shot wide right.
After another Wheaton Warrenville South goal didn’t come, St. Charles North’s final score did. Sophie Hein closed the books on the 4-1 final.
After the senior forward’s steal and drive up the middle was denied on a great diving save by Tigers goalkeeper Caroline Spayth with 12:50 left, Hein was back two minutes later with a right-side run and low liner into the net.
“It was a great counterattack play that built from the back,” Stars coach Brian Harks said. “Rian Spaulding attacked with pace, had a nice touch central and then Hein had the composure to finish.”
While the Tigers’ comeback bid was denied, Taullahu was happy with her team’s second half response after trailing 2-0.
“Coming out of the half we were like 'Hey we need to get our heads in the game,’” she said. “’We can't let them play around us. We have to move the ball more and work together.’
“I think we did a good job of that in the second half. We were all kind of like 'Let's put everything out that we can on the field, 'cause there's no tomorrow, nothing to lose.'”
Najera started the scoring for St. Charles North (19-2-0) in the 23rd minute.
“For my first goal I knew it was going to be hard to get any shots from inside the box, because they had a lot of defenders packed in,” Najera said, “So I knew when I had an opening to shoot that I needed to take it.
“It was a 1-v-1 on the outside of the box, and I made a slight fake to my left. And once the defender leaned to the left, I had an open shot and just tried to get a good shot off.”
The shot went in and stood as the game’s lone goal until a wild scramble in front in the 37th minute put the North Stars up 2-0.
Kayla Floyd’s initial straight-on, 20-yard shot was denied on a leaping block near the crossbar by Spayth. The rebound ping-ponged around the crease before Megan McGuire booted it into the net.
“Megan McGuire came in off the bench and immediately made an impact,” Harks said. “We talked about value of crashing the net on any shot. Kayla Floyd had a really nice strike that their keeper made a great save on. Rian Spaulding crashed and got a piece of it and then Megan cleaned it up.
“That's exactly what we've been preaching, and they executed it perfectly.”
In a rematch of St. Charles North’s 1-0 win over the Tigers on April 7, offense played the starring role. The top-seeded and 12th-ranked North Stars held sway over their fifth-seeded and 23rd-ranked foe.
“It was (St. Charles North) just being aggressive (in the first half),” Callipari said. “Having a presence and being physical, not giving us a chance to combine two or three plays.
“We took too long understanding the equation, and consequently they didn't allow us time to filter more ideas. They were disruptive. It was very chaotic for us in our vision of what needed to be done.
“Until the second half, and of course they sat on the two-goal lead a little bit, and we got back into it. We had them on their heels a little bit. But sometimes you take risks, and without risks there will be no reward. You've got to take a chance. It doesn't matter 2-0 or 4-0, the result (a loss) is the same.
“We made a couple mistakes that cost us in the aftermath, but they worked hard getting back in the game against a quality side. They're (the North Stars) not hiding anybody. They have talent all around the park. We looked to minimize their good looks, but they made the most of their chances.”
Before Tuesday’s loss, the Tigers’ unbeaten streak included wins over regional champions Downers Grove North and Batavia, a tie with sectional finalist Glenbard West and two victories over a quality Geneva side.
“I'm very proud of them,” Callipari said. “We had eight freshmen (on varsity) and often that doesn't bode well. I've had seasons like that when we were under .500. And we could have easily had 16 wins this year with any luck.
“As I told them at the end of it, there was probably a gap as large as the Grand Canyon from where the seniors were and the young kids were (in March). They closed that gap. They built a bridge very quickly allowing them to be a major part of this process. They came in and contributed at a very high level.
“And although they may not see the legacy that has been established and what they've left people, I trust we'll take that responsibility going forward and take this to the next level.”
The win was the St. Charles North’s ninth straight. The streak has produced a 31-4 scoring advantage in that span.
“There was definitely a difference in the first time we played them,” Najera said, “They were our first conference game. I think both teams got better. But we didn't really change the way we played against them. I believe we just had more quality today.
“I thought that the key today to win was to have high pressure on every play,” Najera added, “so we could give them no time to make decisions. We took a lot of shots outside the box, because they gave us a lot of time in the final third.
“I think that besides their one goal, our defense played amazing like they have all season. All around the field, everyone did their job. It was nice to see quality goals come out of today, because we continued to fight and work hard to the last whistle.
“During the first game (vs. the Tigers) we had a ton of chances but could only finish one. It was good to see that we finished four goals today to show how our forwards and our team has gotten better.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Caroline Spayth
D Mallory Cadagin
D Ella McClatchey
D Lily Petrie
D Olivia Vassios
M Carrie Harvey
M Kate Grunland
M Elle Farrell
F Lauren Barnett
F Ashlyn Adams
F Mia Taullahu
St. Charles North
GK Kara Claussner
D Lauren Balster
D Abby Vichich
D Sidney Timms
D Martina Nava
M Juliana Park
M Bella Najera
M Sophie Kristen
M Kayla Floyd
F Sophie Hein
F Sophie Sunderland
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match:
Bella Najera, jr. MF, St. Charles North
Scoring summary
First half
SCN: Bella Najera (unassisted), 23’
SCN: Megan McGuire (unassisted), 37’
Second half
WWS: Mia Taullahu (Lauren Barnett), 49’
SCN: Najera (free kick), 62’
SCN: Sophie Hein (Rian Spaulding), 70’
season end; St. Charles North’s continue
Top-seeded North Stars post 9th-straight win with 4-1 decision
By Dave Owen
ST. CHARLES -- Wheaton-Warrenville South’s 11-game unbeaten streak ended Tuesday in the St. Charles East Sectional semifinals.
But a team that had a 3-4-2 record before that streak started had one final response to adversity.
Trailing St. Charles North 2-0 at halftime, the Tigers (13-5-3) came out of the break on the offensive with chances by Ashlyn Adams (20-yard shot on goal with 38:40 left) and Lauren Barnett (wide right off an Adams pass at 32:50).
But the third threat of the half would be the charm.
With 31:47 on the clock, Adams burst up the left side and sent a cross towards Barnett in front. Barnett’s touch pass to her right found four-year varsity senior Mia Taullahu, who powered a low 10-yard shot inside the right post to make the score 2-1.
“We practice this one drill and that was pretty much exactly what the drill entails,” Taullahu said. “I think Lauren saw me behind her, and she just let it (Adams’ cross) go, and I just buried it in the back of the net. It was really nice to see all of our connecting come together like that.”
The standout freshman forward Adams continued her strong finish to 2022 with the key initiation of the chance.
“Out of the half, coach (Guy Callipari) told us we're still in the game at 2-0,” Adams said. “We need to want it.
“We played a decent first half: we have to give St. Charles North credit, they're a great team. We had to come out fiery.
“We had to push up and get one goal, and then we had to work for our next goal. We got one, but we just couldn't finish another one. But we tried.”
With the Tigers now within 2-1, the game settled into a defensive battle in the middle third, with few decent chances over the next 12-plus minutes.
Then with 18:20 left, St. Charles North offensive star of the game Bella Najera provided a huge momentum lift for her team.
After being fouled just outside the top of the box, Najera perfectly lasered a 19-yard free kick into the upper left corner of the net to make the score 3-1.
“Right as I got the foul called at the edge of the box, I was super excited, because it was a perfect placement for me to get a good shot,” Najera said. “The wall was towards the left and the keeper blocked the right side of the goal, so I knew I had to try to curve the ball over the wall and into the left side of the goal.
“The shot was all about placement, because I knew if I placed it to the left there was no way the keeper could get it. Right as I shot it, I had a feeling it was going in, and I was excited to help my team extend our lead and calm us down even more.”
That “calm” was tested in the preceding minutes.
“At halftime we talked about how they (the Tigers) were going to come out with intensity, because they knew their season was on the line,” Najera said, “but after they scored we did feel a little frantic at first because 2-1 is the hardest score to keep.
“After a few minutes we calmed down and got back to our usual playing style of trying to possess the ball and trying to score. I think after the goal it woke us up. We realized that we have to put more goals on the board to put the game away, or else they would keep fighting.”
Wheaton Warrenville South did indeed battle to quickly answer Najera’s goal. An Adams cross and Brooke Ittersagen deflection to the front of the net produced a Kate Hartnett header on goal with 17:30 left.
Adams’ high shot with 14:30 to go struck the football goal post left upright. Then an Ella Byrnes 50/50-ball win 45 seconds later set up an Ellie Farrell 30-yard shot wide right.
After another Wheaton Warrenville South goal didn’t come, St. Charles North’s final score did. Sophie Hein closed the books on the 4-1 final.
After the senior forward’s steal and drive up the middle was denied on a great diving save by Tigers goalkeeper Caroline Spayth with 12:50 left, Hein was back two minutes later with a right-side run and low liner into the net.
“It was a great counterattack play that built from the back,” Stars coach Brian Harks said. “Rian Spaulding attacked with pace, had a nice touch central and then Hein had the composure to finish.”
While the Tigers’ comeback bid was denied, Taullahu was happy with her team’s second half response after trailing 2-0.
“Coming out of the half we were like 'Hey we need to get our heads in the game,’” she said. “’We can't let them play around us. We have to move the ball more and work together.’
“I think we did a good job of that in the second half. We were all kind of like 'Let's put everything out that we can on the field, 'cause there's no tomorrow, nothing to lose.'”
Najera started the scoring for St. Charles North (19-2-0) in the 23rd minute.
“For my first goal I knew it was going to be hard to get any shots from inside the box, because they had a lot of defenders packed in,” Najera said, “So I knew when I had an opening to shoot that I needed to take it.
“It was a 1-v-1 on the outside of the box, and I made a slight fake to my left. And once the defender leaned to the left, I had an open shot and just tried to get a good shot off.”
The shot went in and stood as the game’s lone goal until a wild scramble in front in the 37th minute put the North Stars up 2-0.
Kayla Floyd’s initial straight-on, 20-yard shot was denied on a leaping block near the crossbar by Spayth. The rebound ping-ponged around the crease before Megan McGuire booted it into the net.
“Megan McGuire came in off the bench and immediately made an impact,” Harks said. “We talked about value of crashing the net on any shot. Kayla Floyd had a really nice strike that their keeper made a great save on. Rian Spaulding crashed and got a piece of it and then Megan cleaned it up.
“That's exactly what we've been preaching, and they executed it perfectly.”
In a rematch of St. Charles North’s 1-0 win over the Tigers on April 7, offense played the starring role. The top-seeded and 12th-ranked North Stars held sway over their fifth-seeded and 23rd-ranked foe.
“It was (St. Charles North) just being aggressive (in the first half),” Callipari said. “Having a presence and being physical, not giving us a chance to combine two or three plays.
“We took too long understanding the equation, and consequently they didn't allow us time to filter more ideas. They were disruptive. It was very chaotic for us in our vision of what needed to be done.
“Until the second half, and of course they sat on the two-goal lead a little bit, and we got back into it. We had them on their heels a little bit. But sometimes you take risks, and without risks there will be no reward. You've got to take a chance. It doesn't matter 2-0 or 4-0, the result (a loss) is the same.
“We made a couple mistakes that cost us in the aftermath, but they worked hard getting back in the game against a quality side. They're (the North Stars) not hiding anybody. They have talent all around the park. We looked to minimize their good looks, but they made the most of their chances.”
Before Tuesday’s loss, the Tigers’ unbeaten streak included wins over regional champions Downers Grove North and Batavia, a tie with sectional finalist Glenbard West and two victories over a quality Geneva side.
“I'm very proud of them,” Callipari said. “We had eight freshmen (on varsity) and often that doesn't bode well. I've had seasons like that when we were under .500. And we could have easily had 16 wins this year with any luck.
“As I told them at the end of it, there was probably a gap as large as the Grand Canyon from where the seniors were and the young kids were (in March). They closed that gap. They built a bridge very quickly allowing them to be a major part of this process. They came in and contributed at a very high level.
“And although they may not see the legacy that has been established and what they've left people, I trust we'll take that responsibility going forward and take this to the next level.”
The win was the St. Charles North’s ninth straight. The streak has produced a 31-4 scoring advantage in that span.
“There was definitely a difference in the first time we played them,” Najera said, “They were our first conference game. I think both teams got better. But we didn't really change the way we played against them. I believe we just had more quality today.
“I thought that the key today to win was to have high pressure on every play,” Najera added, “so we could give them no time to make decisions. We took a lot of shots outside the box, because they gave us a lot of time in the final third.
“I think that besides their one goal, our defense played amazing like they have all season. All around the field, everyone did their job. It was nice to see quality goals come out of today, because we continued to fight and work hard to the last whistle.
“During the first game (vs. the Tigers) we had a ton of chances but could only finish one. It was good to see that we finished four goals today to show how our forwards and our team has gotten better.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Caroline Spayth
D Mallory Cadagin
D Ella McClatchey
D Lily Petrie
D Olivia Vassios
M Carrie Harvey
M Kate Grunland
M Elle Farrell
F Lauren Barnett
F Ashlyn Adams
F Mia Taullahu
St. Charles North
GK Kara Claussner
D Lauren Balster
D Abby Vichich
D Sidney Timms
D Martina Nava
M Juliana Park
M Bella Najera
M Sophie Kristen
M Kayla Floyd
F Sophie Hein
F Sophie Sunderland
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match:
Bella Najera, jr. MF, St. Charles North
Scoring summary
First half
SCN: Bella Najera (unassisted), 23’
SCN: Megan McGuire (unassisted), 37’
Second half
WWS: Mia Taullahu (Lauren Barnett), 49’
SCN: Najera (free kick), 62’
SCN: Sophie Hein (Rian Spaulding), 70’