Young finds a way to edge Jones
Murray’s 2nd half goal is only score in difficult conditions
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- The best soccer players are like dancers who have been thrown a curve.
The routine and the ritual have been honed through elaborate technique and practice, so movement and action feels familiar and second hand.
Then outside factors make a mess of things and force a new and improvised style.
Young senior Daphne Murray had just about every imaginable reason to wonder what she had to do to put a goal away in the Dolphins’ marquee showdown with Jones.
Twice Murray unleashed beautiful shots that seemed destined for the back of the net, only to see one rise inches high and smack off the bar and another curve slightly off and hit the near post.
The game was played in near constant rain and heavy winds. As such the ball often took a life of its own, with little of the typical rhyme and reason.
Little played according to form.
“I was just trying to take all the shots I could,” Murray said. “I think everybody did. It’s slippery out, and anything can happen.
“The ball skipped a lot today, so you couldn’t really play through-balls. It was tough playing over the top. All things considered, I thought we played well.”
Jones had a terrific nullifying counter force in the presence of senior keeper Nicole Leon. She is fast, cool around the box and appeared pretty unflappable.
Young pressured constantly, and most of the day it was to no avail.
“I think we walked onto the field saying we wanted to be the hardest-working team out there,” Leon said. “With the wind and the rain, we just told ourselves we were going to outwork them.
“That’s what we did today, despite all the pressure they were putting on us.”
Eventually the math caught up with Jones, and proved the subtle difference-maker.
Murray played a beautiful ball with a quick-release howitzer that not even Leon could stop for the Dolphins’ 1-0 victory in Chicago Public League Premier Division play in Chinatown on Wednesday.
Young forward Ella Koleno created the assist in the 62nd minute, pushing the ball down the left edge and setting up Murray from 22 yards.
“I know whenever I get the ball to Daphne, something good is likely to happen,” Koleno said.
A first-time high school player, Murray scored her fifth goal of the season. The Butler recruit is getting more acclimated and comfortable with her new team moment to moment.
“I thought we had some great combinations with Alexis Sassower and Ella,” Murray said. “Obviously the weather is not that great today, so we were playing more direct. I thought it was pretty good, all things concerned.
“We had the energy going, we hit the post twice. We knew it was coming. Ella had a few that just went wide, or the goalie got it, so I knew it was coming.”
Murray earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for her outstanding play.
Young (3-2-1, 2-0-0) won its third straight. Jones (2-3-1, 1-1-0) saw its two-game winning streak snapped.
“That was just a beautiful goal,” Jones coach Derek Byslma said. “What are you going to do about it? She just turns, beats two people and fires it up inside the corner.
“There is not a whole lot you can do about that.”
Young keeper Zoe Adelstein preserved the victory with two point-blank saves in the 79th minute.
“One thing I always try to keep in mind is when you are only up by one or two goals, you have to stay focused the entire game,” Adelstein said.
“Honestly, anything can happen. So, I think being vocal and everybody on the team keeping up that intensity helps us all stay focused for the entire 80 minutes.”
Young had the better action in the run of play.
Jones had its moments, and put the Dolphins on their heels with counter actions, and multiple set pieces and corner opportunities during a more sustained and consequential second half.
Just getting through the first half unscathed while Young enjoyed the wind advantage was a triumph.
“We just battled through the first half, and made it through,” Bylsma said. “If we could get through the first half 0-0, and nick a goal somewhere, we’d be in a great position.
“We almost did that. We have the capability to score on pretty much any team, I think. Sometimes it’s going to be on a counter, and sometimes it’s going to be on a build-up.”
Midfielder Morgan Scott was fantastic throughout the day, using her quickness and speed to nullify Young’s advantage in possession time.
She requires little space to break through and find gaps. She worked especially well with forwards Mia McRoberts and Carolina Rondelli to create forward actions.
Off a Scott corner kick in the closing moments, McRoberts and midfielder Maia Lane had solid looks inside the box that Adelstein fortuitously cleared.
“Definitely a little bit of anxiety, but that is when you have to trust your instincts,” Adelstein said. “I just go back to what I know, and I take a breath.
“It felt awesome. As the keeper there is not a better feeling than lying on the ground and having the ball in your hands. It was a sigh of relief.”
Despite being shut out for the fourth time, Byslma liked what he saw from his players.
“I was happy with our performance,” he said. “I want teams to dislike having to play against us. I don’t think Whitney Young was having fun today.
“That’s what our goal is, to continue to make things hard on people through hard work and continuing to play intelligently and wanting to compete and win. I hate to lose as much as anybody, but I am happy with the effort of our players today. That is really all you can ask for.”
Leon echoed her coach, saying the disappointing result was mitigated by the effort and underlying improvement the team has shown with each game.
The Eagles’ three losses have come against no. 2 Lyons, no. 24 Hinsdale Central and now city power Young.
“The team we are now does not even look like the same team during our first game we played,” Leon said.
“We are a different group of people. We play together as a team, and we are so much better than we were. We will keep on the same path, and we are going to be a very good team.”
Young also showed a team bursting with possibilities.
The Koleno sisters, Ella and midfielders Sidney and Moira, helped Young maintain control. After an early-season illness, midfielder Alexis Sassower showed why she brings a new dimension to attack.
Her creativity on the ball opens up the field for Ella Koleno and Murray.
“Playing in conditions like this is always tough,” Ella Koleno said. “It’s raining hard, the wind is crazy. It’s not going to be a pretty game, and sometimes you have to win the ugly game.
“A lot of credit to Jones. They were very strong. They played a really hard game. We just kept going, kept making the runs, and eventually it worked out.”
The Dolphins’ backline also performed admirably, closing space and restricting Jones’s opportunities.
Maisy Connolly, who also plays an attacking role, moved to the back, using her speed and athleticism to deny the Eagles at the point of the attack.
Young coach Ross LaBeaux also praised the play of center back Celeste Garton.
“I thought today we were pretty good,” LaBeaux said. “We created chances, hit a few posts. That’s soccer.
“I am happy for the girls. I thought Celeste was really good in the back. We fought through it and found a way to win. It’s like a playoff game, where everything is tighter, and you just have to dig a little deeper.”
Starting lineups
Young
GK: Zoe Adelstein
D: Maisy Connolly
D: Celeste Garton
D: Francesca Sadovi
D: Ainsley Christensen
MF: Sidney Koleno
MF: Alexis Sassower
MF: Sonia Liew
MF: Daphne Murray
MF: Moira Koleno
F: Ella Koleno
Jones
GK: Nicole Leon
D: Arianna Lopez
D: Patricia Felder
D: Karina Telez
MF: Marisol Hamida
MF: Morgan Scott
MF: Maia Lane
MF: Sanai Wright
MF: Olivia Bahrmasel
F: Carolina Rondelli
F: Mia McRoberts
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Daphne Murray, sr., MF, Young
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Young—Daphne Murray (Ella Koleno), 62nd minute
Murray’s 2nd half goal is only score in difficult conditions
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- The best soccer players are like dancers who have been thrown a curve.
The routine and the ritual have been honed through elaborate technique and practice, so movement and action feels familiar and second hand.
Then outside factors make a mess of things and force a new and improvised style.
Young senior Daphne Murray had just about every imaginable reason to wonder what she had to do to put a goal away in the Dolphins’ marquee showdown with Jones.
Twice Murray unleashed beautiful shots that seemed destined for the back of the net, only to see one rise inches high and smack off the bar and another curve slightly off and hit the near post.
The game was played in near constant rain and heavy winds. As such the ball often took a life of its own, with little of the typical rhyme and reason.
Little played according to form.
“I was just trying to take all the shots I could,” Murray said. “I think everybody did. It’s slippery out, and anything can happen.
“The ball skipped a lot today, so you couldn’t really play through-balls. It was tough playing over the top. All things considered, I thought we played well.”
Jones had a terrific nullifying counter force in the presence of senior keeper Nicole Leon. She is fast, cool around the box and appeared pretty unflappable.
Young pressured constantly, and most of the day it was to no avail.
“I think we walked onto the field saying we wanted to be the hardest-working team out there,” Leon said. “With the wind and the rain, we just told ourselves we were going to outwork them.
“That’s what we did today, despite all the pressure they were putting on us.”
Eventually the math caught up with Jones, and proved the subtle difference-maker.
Murray played a beautiful ball with a quick-release howitzer that not even Leon could stop for the Dolphins’ 1-0 victory in Chicago Public League Premier Division play in Chinatown on Wednesday.
Young forward Ella Koleno created the assist in the 62nd minute, pushing the ball down the left edge and setting up Murray from 22 yards.
“I know whenever I get the ball to Daphne, something good is likely to happen,” Koleno said.
A first-time high school player, Murray scored her fifth goal of the season. The Butler recruit is getting more acclimated and comfortable with her new team moment to moment.
“I thought we had some great combinations with Alexis Sassower and Ella,” Murray said. “Obviously the weather is not that great today, so we were playing more direct. I thought it was pretty good, all things concerned.
“We had the energy going, we hit the post twice. We knew it was coming. Ella had a few that just went wide, or the goalie got it, so I knew it was coming.”
Murray earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for her outstanding play.
Young (3-2-1, 2-0-0) won its third straight. Jones (2-3-1, 1-1-0) saw its two-game winning streak snapped.
“That was just a beautiful goal,” Jones coach Derek Byslma said. “What are you going to do about it? She just turns, beats two people and fires it up inside the corner.
“There is not a whole lot you can do about that.”
Young keeper Zoe Adelstein preserved the victory with two point-blank saves in the 79th minute.
“One thing I always try to keep in mind is when you are only up by one or two goals, you have to stay focused the entire game,” Adelstein said.
“Honestly, anything can happen. So, I think being vocal and everybody on the team keeping up that intensity helps us all stay focused for the entire 80 minutes.”
Young had the better action in the run of play.
Jones had its moments, and put the Dolphins on their heels with counter actions, and multiple set pieces and corner opportunities during a more sustained and consequential second half.
Just getting through the first half unscathed while Young enjoyed the wind advantage was a triumph.
“We just battled through the first half, and made it through,” Bylsma said. “If we could get through the first half 0-0, and nick a goal somewhere, we’d be in a great position.
“We almost did that. We have the capability to score on pretty much any team, I think. Sometimes it’s going to be on a counter, and sometimes it’s going to be on a build-up.”
Midfielder Morgan Scott was fantastic throughout the day, using her quickness and speed to nullify Young’s advantage in possession time.
She requires little space to break through and find gaps. She worked especially well with forwards Mia McRoberts and Carolina Rondelli to create forward actions.
Off a Scott corner kick in the closing moments, McRoberts and midfielder Maia Lane had solid looks inside the box that Adelstein fortuitously cleared.
“Definitely a little bit of anxiety, but that is when you have to trust your instincts,” Adelstein said. “I just go back to what I know, and I take a breath.
“It felt awesome. As the keeper there is not a better feeling than lying on the ground and having the ball in your hands. It was a sigh of relief.”
Despite being shut out for the fourth time, Byslma liked what he saw from his players.
“I was happy with our performance,” he said. “I want teams to dislike having to play against us. I don’t think Whitney Young was having fun today.
“That’s what our goal is, to continue to make things hard on people through hard work and continuing to play intelligently and wanting to compete and win. I hate to lose as much as anybody, but I am happy with the effort of our players today. That is really all you can ask for.”
Leon echoed her coach, saying the disappointing result was mitigated by the effort and underlying improvement the team has shown with each game.
The Eagles’ three losses have come against no. 2 Lyons, no. 24 Hinsdale Central and now city power Young.
“The team we are now does not even look like the same team during our first game we played,” Leon said.
“We are a different group of people. We play together as a team, and we are so much better than we were. We will keep on the same path, and we are going to be a very good team.”
Young also showed a team bursting with possibilities.
The Koleno sisters, Ella and midfielders Sidney and Moira, helped Young maintain control. After an early-season illness, midfielder Alexis Sassower showed why she brings a new dimension to attack.
Her creativity on the ball opens up the field for Ella Koleno and Murray.
“Playing in conditions like this is always tough,” Ella Koleno said. “It’s raining hard, the wind is crazy. It’s not going to be a pretty game, and sometimes you have to win the ugly game.
“A lot of credit to Jones. They were very strong. They played a really hard game. We just kept going, kept making the runs, and eventually it worked out.”
The Dolphins’ backline also performed admirably, closing space and restricting Jones’s opportunities.
Maisy Connolly, who also plays an attacking role, moved to the back, using her speed and athleticism to deny the Eagles at the point of the attack.
Young coach Ross LaBeaux also praised the play of center back Celeste Garton.
“I thought today we were pretty good,” LaBeaux said. “We created chances, hit a few posts. That’s soccer.
“I am happy for the girls. I thought Celeste was really good in the back. We fought through it and found a way to win. It’s like a playoff game, where everything is tighter, and you just have to dig a little deeper.”
Starting lineups
Young
GK: Zoe Adelstein
D: Maisy Connolly
D: Celeste Garton
D: Francesca Sadovi
D: Ainsley Christensen
MF: Sidney Koleno
MF: Alexis Sassower
MF: Sonia Liew
MF: Daphne Murray
MF: Moira Koleno
F: Ella Koleno
Jones
GK: Nicole Leon
D: Arianna Lopez
D: Patricia Felder
D: Karina Telez
MF: Marisol Hamida
MF: Morgan Scott
MF: Maia Lane
MF: Sanai Wright
MF: Olivia Bahrmasel
F: Carolina Rondelli
F: Mia McRoberts
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Daphne Murray, sr., MF, Young
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Young—Daphne Murray (Ella Koleno), 62nd minute