Howaniec helps Young top NSCD
Senior's return contributes to Dolphins' hot streak
By Patrick Z. McGavin
WINNETKA -- Audrey Howaniec angled deftly between two North Shore Country Day defenders and raced down the left flank in pursuit of the ball. She was free and uninhibited.
Young was just happy to have an experienced face back.
Her jet speed has always separated her from the pack and provided a jolt of energy to the Dolphins’ attack. She is a four-year varsity player. The last two years she has had to deal with the repercussions of concussions.
“I had one last year, and now I have missed some games this year with one too,” Howaniec said. “This one feels different. It was a subconcussive hit more than a real concussion.”
New Dolphins coach Ross Labeux is still learning about some of his players. He saw immediately the benefits of Howaniec's athleticism and talent and what she brings to the mix.
“She is very fast, experienced, and she understands the role she plays on our team,” Labeux said. “We needed her today, and she played very well.”
The return of Howaniec took another major step forward as her dynamic play proved crucial as the Dolphins captured the 2-1 victory over the Raiders in the PepsiCo Showdown on Thursday at Skokie Playgrounds.
Audrey Howaniec earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match for her strong play.
Young (7-2-1) captured its third victory in as many days. The Dolphins outscored their opponents by a combined 9-2 in those games.
“I think we mare making strides,” Labeux said. “It is the decision making that remains the big issue, as well as scoring goals. We are still figuring out when to play and how to play off each other, but for the most part we did a good job of that. We just have to stay in the game for 80 minutes.
“Today we were in control for 75 minutes.”
The speed of Howaniec puts tremendous pressure off the opposition’s defensive interior. Her ability combine with junior Mia Lisanti formed a superb one-two combination. Their experience has enabled the supporting players a chance to grow and develop.
“I have definitely noticed improvement over the last couple of weeks,” Lisanti said. “I think there has been really good chemistry, what we are working on together in practice. We are playing fast but not forcing things and just getting as many touches as possible.”
Lisanti generated the best first half scoring thread by breaking free down the left edge and taking on Raiders’ keeper Abby Renaud. She got a fingertip on the ball and Raiders’ defender Rachel Olatunji cleared it.
The game also reflected the rise of the Raiders’ program. This small Class A program was taking on a school more nearly 10 times its enrollment of 246 students.
North Shore Country Day (4-2-0) was also without several key personnel. Talented midfielder Paige Forrester, who had two goals in the previous win over Trinity, was taking a college visit. Top defender, Caroline Segal, was limited by injury to about 15 minutes of play.
Having Edith Edwards-Mizel keeps the Raiders in pretty much any game. The dynamic forward was typically active and dangerous. The key sequence was a succession of corner kicks from the right wing in that first half. Edwards-Mizel nearly bent one in and had two other beautiful services inside the box that just eluded a final touch by a North Shore player.
“I don’t think this was our best game of the year,” Edwards-Mizel said. “I really felt like we held our own, and our performance was very respectful. We were down a couple of players. Caroline could not really play much. Last year, she had five or six goals off of corners. She has a real eye for that, and maybe if she had been in there during those corners she’d have found a way to score.”
As it happened, the Dolphins’ broke through at the start of the second half through their own variation of the corner. Lisanti played a ball into the box. After it deflected off a defender, Howaniec and Addie Schlensker both got a touch on the ball and put it into the goal.
Labeux awarded the score to Schlensker.
“Audrey mentioned that we are having trouble scoring, and it can still get better, but we have managed to score when we needed the last few games,” Lisanti said. “I think the way we have gotten comfortable with each other has made things easier.”
Howaniac’s athleticism and speed impacted the game in multiple ways. The Dolphins spread the Raiders out, and Lisanti and talented young players like freshman midfielder Ella Koleno utilized the open spaces.
Young built on the first goal and extended its advantage with two very promising young talents, Ella Koleno and her fraternal twin sister Sydney. Ella has flashed tremendous scoring potential.
In the 57th minute, Sydney slotted the ball to Ella, who worked inside the box and hammered a shot inside the near post from about 18 yards for the Dolphins’ 2-0 advantage. It was her seventh goal of the year.
“I just felt like I had to take that shot,” Ella Koleno said. “You realize that sometimes it isn't always going to be perfect, so you just take the opportunities when you can.”
If Lisanti and Howaniec mark one generation, the twins and fellow freshman Alexis Sassower represent the next as fresh and exciting new faces who are ready and capable to make an impact.
“I can’t imagine being part of a more welcoming team, where you really feel like you are part of the team and not treated as just another freshman,” Ella Koleno said.
North Shore was not going to go quietly into the night. Even with a depleted roster, the Raiders put up an aggressive fight. The Dolphins struggled at times to restrict Edwards-Mizel in space. She had two free kicks that proved dangerous.
In the 75th minute, off a free kick from about 20 yards on the left wing, Edwards-Mizel cut the Dolphins’ lead in half by drilling a perfect and unreachable ball over the arm of Young keeper Mia Engelmann.
“I think our energy picked up at the end even before we scored,” Edwards-Mizel said. “There was that little extra push where we said there were 20 minutes to play, and we still felt we could do it.”
On their own terms, North Shore Country Day succeeded.
“We entered this tournament for the sole reason of trying to play solid teams, and that was a great team,” North Shore Country Day coach Lizzy Giffen said. “Hats off to them, because they really played well. But I was also proud for how we played.”
Pushed to the edge, North Shore Country Day never submitted. They were an active and vital presence until the end.
“Caroline [Segal] said 'I love going to a small school, until we run out of subs,'” Giffen said. “We played our entire roster, and that is good stuff for us. We have always been a team, because we are such a small school you have to be able to play almost every position.”
North Shore Country Day hosted Wheaton North in a semifinal of the main bracket for a chance to advance to the championship game.
Young squares off against Woodstock at 9:15 a.m. Saturday in Schaumburg.
“Our goal is four for four because that is how many games we have this week,” Howaniec said. “This is our winning streak, and we are going to keep going.”
Starters
Young
GK: Mia Engelman
D: Ashley Sidney
D: Addie Schlensker
D: Carson Herman
MF: Meaghan Jungels
MF: Ayana Loyd
MF: Stella Ljung
MF: Annelise Kelner
MF: Carina Barillas
F: Audrey Howaniec
F: Mia Lisanti
North Shore Country Day
GK: Abby Renaud
D: Emily Smirl
D: Jane Scullion
D: Rachel Olatunji
D: Caroline Segal
MF: Allie Charnas
MF: Eun Hae Lillig
MF: Julia Fortier
MF: Natalie Duquette
MF: Emily Weil
F: Edith Edwards-Mizel
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Audrey Howaniec, sr., F, Young
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Young—Addie Schlensker (unassisted), 42nd minute
Young—Ella Koleno (Sydney Koleno), 57th minute
North Shore Country Day—Edith Edwards-Mizel (free kick), 75th minute
Senior's return contributes to Dolphins' hot streak
By Patrick Z. McGavin
WINNETKA -- Audrey Howaniec angled deftly between two North Shore Country Day defenders and raced down the left flank in pursuit of the ball. She was free and uninhibited.
Young was just happy to have an experienced face back.
Her jet speed has always separated her from the pack and provided a jolt of energy to the Dolphins’ attack. She is a four-year varsity player. The last two years she has had to deal with the repercussions of concussions.
“I had one last year, and now I have missed some games this year with one too,” Howaniec said. “This one feels different. It was a subconcussive hit more than a real concussion.”
New Dolphins coach Ross Labeux is still learning about some of his players. He saw immediately the benefits of Howaniec's athleticism and talent and what she brings to the mix.
“She is very fast, experienced, and she understands the role she plays on our team,” Labeux said. “We needed her today, and she played very well.”
The return of Howaniec took another major step forward as her dynamic play proved crucial as the Dolphins captured the 2-1 victory over the Raiders in the PepsiCo Showdown on Thursday at Skokie Playgrounds.
Audrey Howaniec earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match for her strong play.
Young (7-2-1) captured its third victory in as many days. The Dolphins outscored their opponents by a combined 9-2 in those games.
“I think we mare making strides,” Labeux said. “It is the decision making that remains the big issue, as well as scoring goals. We are still figuring out when to play and how to play off each other, but for the most part we did a good job of that. We just have to stay in the game for 80 minutes.
“Today we were in control for 75 minutes.”
The speed of Howaniec puts tremendous pressure off the opposition’s defensive interior. Her ability combine with junior Mia Lisanti formed a superb one-two combination. Their experience has enabled the supporting players a chance to grow and develop.
“I have definitely noticed improvement over the last couple of weeks,” Lisanti said. “I think there has been really good chemistry, what we are working on together in practice. We are playing fast but not forcing things and just getting as many touches as possible.”
Lisanti generated the best first half scoring thread by breaking free down the left edge and taking on Raiders’ keeper Abby Renaud. She got a fingertip on the ball and Raiders’ defender Rachel Olatunji cleared it.
The game also reflected the rise of the Raiders’ program. This small Class A program was taking on a school more nearly 10 times its enrollment of 246 students.
North Shore Country Day (4-2-0) was also without several key personnel. Talented midfielder Paige Forrester, who had two goals in the previous win over Trinity, was taking a college visit. Top defender, Caroline Segal, was limited by injury to about 15 minutes of play.
Having Edith Edwards-Mizel keeps the Raiders in pretty much any game. The dynamic forward was typically active and dangerous. The key sequence was a succession of corner kicks from the right wing in that first half. Edwards-Mizel nearly bent one in and had two other beautiful services inside the box that just eluded a final touch by a North Shore player.
“I don’t think this was our best game of the year,” Edwards-Mizel said. “I really felt like we held our own, and our performance was very respectful. We were down a couple of players. Caroline could not really play much. Last year, she had five or six goals off of corners. She has a real eye for that, and maybe if she had been in there during those corners she’d have found a way to score.”
As it happened, the Dolphins’ broke through at the start of the second half through their own variation of the corner. Lisanti played a ball into the box. After it deflected off a defender, Howaniec and Addie Schlensker both got a touch on the ball and put it into the goal.
Labeux awarded the score to Schlensker.
“Audrey mentioned that we are having trouble scoring, and it can still get better, but we have managed to score when we needed the last few games,” Lisanti said. “I think the way we have gotten comfortable with each other has made things easier.”
Howaniac’s athleticism and speed impacted the game in multiple ways. The Dolphins spread the Raiders out, and Lisanti and talented young players like freshman midfielder Ella Koleno utilized the open spaces.
Young built on the first goal and extended its advantage with two very promising young talents, Ella Koleno and her fraternal twin sister Sydney. Ella has flashed tremendous scoring potential.
In the 57th minute, Sydney slotted the ball to Ella, who worked inside the box and hammered a shot inside the near post from about 18 yards for the Dolphins’ 2-0 advantage. It was her seventh goal of the year.
“I just felt like I had to take that shot,” Ella Koleno said. “You realize that sometimes it isn't always going to be perfect, so you just take the opportunities when you can.”
If Lisanti and Howaniec mark one generation, the twins and fellow freshman Alexis Sassower represent the next as fresh and exciting new faces who are ready and capable to make an impact.
“I can’t imagine being part of a more welcoming team, where you really feel like you are part of the team and not treated as just another freshman,” Ella Koleno said.
North Shore was not going to go quietly into the night. Even with a depleted roster, the Raiders put up an aggressive fight. The Dolphins struggled at times to restrict Edwards-Mizel in space. She had two free kicks that proved dangerous.
In the 75th minute, off a free kick from about 20 yards on the left wing, Edwards-Mizel cut the Dolphins’ lead in half by drilling a perfect and unreachable ball over the arm of Young keeper Mia Engelmann.
“I think our energy picked up at the end even before we scored,” Edwards-Mizel said. “There was that little extra push where we said there were 20 minutes to play, and we still felt we could do it.”
On their own terms, North Shore Country Day succeeded.
“We entered this tournament for the sole reason of trying to play solid teams, and that was a great team,” North Shore Country Day coach Lizzy Giffen said. “Hats off to them, because they really played well. But I was also proud for how we played.”
Pushed to the edge, North Shore Country Day never submitted. They were an active and vital presence until the end.
“Caroline [Segal] said 'I love going to a small school, until we run out of subs,'” Giffen said. “We played our entire roster, and that is good stuff for us. We have always been a team, because we are such a small school you have to be able to play almost every position.”
North Shore Country Day hosted Wheaton North in a semifinal of the main bracket for a chance to advance to the championship game.
Young squares off against Woodstock at 9:15 a.m. Saturday in Schaumburg.
“Our goal is four for four because that is how many games we have this week,” Howaniec said. “This is our winning streak, and we are going to keep going.”
Starters
Young
GK: Mia Engelman
D: Ashley Sidney
D: Addie Schlensker
D: Carson Herman
MF: Meaghan Jungels
MF: Ayana Loyd
MF: Stella Ljung
MF: Annelise Kelner
MF: Carina Barillas
F: Audrey Howaniec
F: Mia Lisanti
North Shore Country Day
GK: Abby Renaud
D: Emily Smirl
D: Jane Scullion
D: Rachel Olatunji
D: Caroline Segal
MF: Allie Charnas
MF: Eun Hae Lillig
MF: Julia Fortier
MF: Natalie Duquette
MF: Emily Weil
F: Edith Edwards-Mizel
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Audrey Howaniec, sr., F, Young
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Young—Addie Schlensker (unassisted), 42nd minute
Young—Ella Koleno (Sydney Koleno), 57th minute
North Shore Country Day—Edith Edwards-Mizel (free kick), 75th minute