Wheaton Warrenville South
too much for weary Saint Viator
Mia Taullahu scores twice in 3-0 bracket title win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
LA GRANGE -- The art of the game touches on science and the geometry of space mixed in with the random and unaccountable.
Fortune favors the bold, as the saying goes, in all endeavors of life.
Part of skill is being in the right place at the right moment.
Wheaton Warrenville South forward Mia Taullahu now knows the feeling.
Through the first 12 games of the season, she waited for her moment. She was always active, involved, and ready to make an impact.
“We have been getting to play with each other more, and we know how each other plays now,” Taullahu said.
“We just know where to be at the right time, and we are just doing well with teamwork and communication.”
Her motion and movement off the ball was rewarded beautifully.
Taullahu scored her first two goals of the season in leading the newly ranked no. 23 Tigers to the 3-0 victory over Saint Viator in a BodyArmor Series bracket championship Sunday at Lyons Soccer Complex.
Wheaton Warrenville South (7-4-2) posted its third-consecutive shutout.
“Last Tuesday, we won the Wheaton Cup in our cross-town match with Wheaton North,” senior forward Meghan Economos said.
“I just feel like we have really good momentum. Everything we have been really practicing in the first couple of games, we didn’t get the goals we wanted. We kept telling ourselves that it’s coming.”
Saint Viator (7-4-3) was playing its fourth game in three days, and made the trip directly from Burlington, Iowa, where they participated in the Adidas Tournament of Champions.
Saturday, in a matchup of two state finalists from last year, the Lions defeated Notre Dame (Quincy) 2-0.
Notre Dame finished third in Class A last year; the Lions captured third in Class AA.
“Today was a tough match, and we didn’t get the result we wanted,” star Gabriella Leto said.
“It was tough to travel like that, and play so many games. You could see our lineup. We had five or six starters out by the end of the game.”
In that regard, the punishing and physical Tigers were the worst possible matchup for Saint Viator. So too was the tournament calendar. The Lions were originally scheduled to play defending Class A state champion Althoff on April 24. But weather washed out the days’ proceedings, which were moved to Sunday.
Wheaton Warrenville South echoes top-ranked Naperville North as a big, physical and relentless team that just wears opponents out with length, athleticism and a punishing style.
“Our size is really good, especially our height, with Meg and I playing up-top,” forward Lauren Barnett said.
“I have always been a physical player, and the physical qualities we bring to the field helps with our momentum. It really helps to have some big, strong players up-top.”
Barnett and Taullahu put the Tigers on the board in the 15th minute, a fitting conclusion to the strong pressure Wheaton Warrenville South generated inside the Lions’ final third.
Off a throw-in from the left edge, Barnett utilized her mastery with a beautiful toss that cleared the last defender and forced Lions’ keeper Kyli Ziebka to lunge.
Taullahu was right in front for the easy put-away into the open net.
“We have been practicing those kinds of throw-ins throughout the year,” she said.
“Lauren likes to play it perfectly a foot off the line.”
The Tigers’ centerbacks Ellie Farrel and Olivia Vassios stabilized the defensive wall that slowed down Leto and Chicagoland Soccer all-state midfielder Emillie Doersching.
Doersching is magic with the ball at her foot, a creative and industrious player who sees the field and has the quickness to exploit the smallest of windows.
In the 25th minute, Doersching found forward Taylor Brackett on the right wing for a quick volley.
Wheaton Warrenville South keeper Caroline Spayth made a brilliant stop, nullifying the Lions’ best scoring threat.
“We scored first, and that motivated us more, but it also reminded us that we have to keep playing -- even though we are winning -- and treat it like a 0-0 mindset,” Taullahu said.
Wheaton Warrenville South maintained the pressure, and continued to assault the Lions’ final third.
Taullahu had another shot hit the post. So did standout freshman forward Ashlyn Adams, who
has been a revelation of late, showing speed and quickness in the open field and getting to her locations where she is able to generate strong chances.
Another freshman, midfielder Brooke Ittersagen, also flashed tremendous promise, as pointed out by Economos.
“I was really impressed with our freshmen today,” Economos said. “Ashlyn and Brook played very well on the sides. They were dynamic, and they were dangerous.
“Even our backs know our strengths, and we have to get the ball to the sides. This is very exciting to see the team coming together.”
Ittersagen set up Taullahu’s second goal at the start of the second half. She created off movement and found the streaking forward at the perfect spot.
Taullahu knows the moment when she sees it.
“I just had to tap it in,” she said.
Economos said the build-up, the combination play and the fluidity is the just result of the hard work and technical training.
“It feels like we finally have that break, and we are getting what we have been practicing,” she said.
Barnett punctuated the strong performance by working down the left edge.
Surveying the field, she looked off a couple of potential quick passes and called her own number with spectacular success.
She blasted a ball from 21 yards that curved beautifully beyond the reach of Ziebka for the final score.
“There were probably some passes, or combinations that could have come out of that, but I just knew that I worked on those over-the-goalie shots,” Barnett said.
“Seeing that go in felt really good.”
The worst blow of all happened to the Lions in the 61st minute when Doersching became the latest player knocked out—a combination of exhaustion and the physical play leading to her twisting her knee.
“At that point, we might have tried to dig a little deeper, but it was too big of a disadvantage,” Leto said.
Time moves differently for coaches and players.
Veteran Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari sees a talented mixture of youth and veterans finding their way forward.
“The kids come from so many different clubs. You have 14-year olds with 17-year-olds, and it takes about a month and a-half to really find out who you are and what your identity is,” Callipari said.
“We’re starting to realize each other’s tendencies and behaviors, and what people tend to do when they're on the ball or off the ball.”
Wheaton Warrenville South is playing its best brand of cohesive and physically aggressive soccer.
“All in all, I thought we did a really good job of creating opportunities,” Callipari said.
“We finished enough of them to play with some comfort at the end.”
Starting lineups
Saint Viator
G: Kyli Ziebka
D: Emma Ziebka
D: Mary Craig
D: Josephine Westerkamp
D: Monica Correa
MF: Allison Konopka
MF: Sydney Grant
MF: Gabriella Letto
MF: Emillie Doersching
F: Taylor Brackett
F: Meghan McLaughlin
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK: Caroline Spayth
D: Mallory Cadagin
D: Ellie Farrel
D: Olivia Vassios
D: Ella McClatchy
MF: Kate Grunland
MF: Lily Petrie
MF: Carrie Harvey
F: Mia Taullahu
F: Meghan Economos
F: Lauren Barnett
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Mia Taullahu, sr., F, Wheaton Warrenville South
Scoring summary
First half
WWS—Mia Taullahu (Lauren Barnett), 15th minute
Second half
WWS—Taullahu (Brooke Ittersagen), 44th minute
WWS—Lauren Barnett (unassisted), 62nd minute
too much for weary Saint Viator
Mia Taullahu scores twice in 3-0 bracket title win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
LA GRANGE -- The art of the game touches on science and the geometry of space mixed in with the random and unaccountable.
Fortune favors the bold, as the saying goes, in all endeavors of life.
Part of skill is being in the right place at the right moment.
Wheaton Warrenville South forward Mia Taullahu now knows the feeling.
Through the first 12 games of the season, she waited for her moment. She was always active, involved, and ready to make an impact.
“We have been getting to play with each other more, and we know how each other plays now,” Taullahu said.
“We just know where to be at the right time, and we are just doing well with teamwork and communication.”
Her motion and movement off the ball was rewarded beautifully.
Taullahu scored her first two goals of the season in leading the newly ranked no. 23 Tigers to the 3-0 victory over Saint Viator in a BodyArmor Series bracket championship Sunday at Lyons Soccer Complex.
Wheaton Warrenville South (7-4-2) posted its third-consecutive shutout.
“Last Tuesday, we won the Wheaton Cup in our cross-town match with Wheaton North,” senior forward Meghan Economos said.
“I just feel like we have really good momentum. Everything we have been really practicing in the first couple of games, we didn’t get the goals we wanted. We kept telling ourselves that it’s coming.”
Saint Viator (7-4-3) was playing its fourth game in three days, and made the trip directly from Burlington, Iowa, where they participated in the Adidas Tournament of Champions.
Saturday, in a matchup of two state finalists from last year, the Lions defeated Notre Dame (Quincy) 2-0.
Notre Dame finished third in Class A last year; the Lions captured third in Class AA.
“Today was a tough match, and we didn’t get the result we wanted,” star Gabriella Leto said.
“It was tough to travel like that, and play so many games. You could see our lineup. We had five or six starters out by the end of the game.”
In that regard, the punishing and physical Tigers were the worst possible matchup for Saint Viator. So too was the tournament calendar. The Lions were originally scheduled to play defending Class A state champion Althoff on April 24. But weather washed out the days’ proceedings, which were moved to Sunday.
Wheaton Warrenville South echoes top-ranked Naperville North as a big, physical and relentless team that just wears opponents out with length, athleticism and a punishing style.
“Our size is really good, especially our height, with Meg and I playing up-top,” forward Lauren Barnett said.
“I have always been a physical player, and the physical qualities we bring to the field helps with our momentum. It really helps to have some big, strong players up-top.”
Barnett and Taullahu put the Tigers on the board in the 15th minute, a fitting conclusion to the strong pressure Wheaton Warrenville South generated inside the Lions’ final third.
Off a throw-in from the left edge, Barnett utilized her mastery with a beautiful toss that cleared the last defender and forced Lions’ keeper Kyli Ziebka to lunge.
Taullahu was right in front for the easy put-away into the open net.
“We have been practicing those kinds of throw-ins throughout the year,” she said.
“Lauren likes to play it perfectly a foot off the line.”
The Tigers’ centerbacks Ellie Farrel and Olivia Vassios stabilized the defensive wall that slowed down Leto and Chicagoland Soccer all-state midfielder Emillie Doersching.
Doersching is magic with the ball at her foot, a creative and industrious player who sees the field and has the quickness to exploit the smallest of windows.
In the 25th minute, Doersching found forward Taylor Brackett on the right wing for a quick volley.
Wheaton Warrenville South keeper Caroline Spayth made a brilliant stop, nullifying the Lions’ best scoring threat.
“We scored first, and that motivated us more, but it also reminded us that we have to keep playing -- even though we are winning -- and treat it like a 0-0 mindset,” Taullahu said.
Wheaton Warrenville South maintained the pressure, and continued to assault the Lions’ final third.
Taullahu had another shot hit the post. So did standout freshman forward Ashlyn Adams, who
has been a revelation of late, showing speed and quickness in the open field and getting to her locations where she is able to generate strong chances.
Another freshman, midfielder Brooke Ittersagen, also flashed tremendous promise, as pointed out by Economos.
“I was really impressed with our freshmen today,” Economos said. “Ashlyn and Brook played very well on the sides. They were dynamic, and they were dangerous.
“Even our backs know our strengths, and we have to get the ball to the sides. This is very exciting to see the team coming together.”
Ittersagen set up Taullahu’s second goal at the start of the second half. She created off movement and found the streaking forward at the perfect spot.
Taullahu knows the moment when she sees it.
“I just had to tap it in,” she said.
Economos said the build-up, the combination play and the fluidity is the just result of the hard work and technical training.
“It feels like we finally have that break, and we are getting what we have been practicing,” she said.
Barnett punctuated the strong performance by working down the left edge.
Surveying the field, she looked off a couple of potential quick passes and called her own number with spectacular success.
She blasted a ball from 21 yards that curved beautifully beyond the reach of Ziebka for the final score.
“There were probably some passes, or combinations that could have come out of that, but I just knew that I worked on those over-the-goalie shots,” Barnett said.
“Seeing that go in felt really good.”
The worst blow of all happened to the Lions in the 61st minute when Doersching became the latest player knocked out—a combination of exhaustion and the physical play leading to her twisting her knee.
“At that point, we might have tried to dig a little deeper, but it was too big of a disadvantage,” Leto said.
Time moves differently for coaches and players.
Veteran Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari sees a talented mixture of youth and veterans finding their way forward.
“The kids come from so many different clubs. You have 14-year olds with 17-year-olds, and it takes about a month and a-half to really find out who you are and what your identity is,” Callipari said.
“We’re starting to realize each other’s tendencies and behaviors, and what people tend to do when they're on the ball or off the ball.”
Wheaton Warrenville South is playing its best brand of cohesive and physically aggressive soccer.
“All in all, I thought we did a really good job of creating opportunities,” Callipari said.
“We finished enough of them to play with some comfort at the end.”
Starting lineups
Saint Viator
G: Kyli Ziebka
D: Emma Ziebka
D: Mary Craig
D: Josephine Westerkamp
D: Monica Correa
MF: Allison Konopka
MF: Sydney Grant
MF: Gabriella Letto
MF: Emillie Doersching
F: Taylor Brackett
F: Meghan McLaughlin
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK: Caroline Spayth
D: Mallory Cadagin
D: Ellie Farrel
D: Olivia Vassios
D: Ella McClatchy
MF: Kate Grunland
MF: Lily Petrie
MF: Carrie Harvey
F: Mia Taullahu
F: Meghan Economos
F: Lauren Barnett
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Mia Taullahu, sr., F, Wheaton Warrenville South
Scoring summary
First half
WWS—Mia Taullahu (Lauren Barnett), 15th minute
Second half
WWS—Taullahu (Brooke Ittersagen), 44th minute
WWS—Lauren Barnett (unassisted), 62nd minute