Mid-game flurry drives Loyola past Young
Diblik nets 2 in 5-1 regional championship victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
FRANKLIN PARK -- The future was on hold for Grace Ehlert and Ella Koleno.
They had more immediate business to attend.
Ehlert is the leading scorer and top playmaker at Loyola. Ella Koleno is the leading scorer at Young.
The high school rivals are set to be teammates in the fall as lead recruits for Washington University in St. Louis.
“It’s exciting for sure,” Ehlert said. “I don’t know her too well. We’re getting to know each other online.
“She’s a great player. They have a great team, and a tough team. They have the three Koleno sisters. That’s like half the starting lineup.”
Young was handicapped by a significant absence, and Loyola unwound two consequential actions that changed the tide.
Loyola forward Kathryn Diblik broke a 1-1 tie and the Dolphins’ spirit with a 39th-minute goal.
Young never recovered.
Diblik scored two goals and Ehlert had a crucial early second half goal in the Ramblers’ 5-1 victory in the championship game of the Class 3A Leyden Regional on Friday afternoon.
Eleventh-ranked and third-seeded Loyola (16-4-1) advances to play second-seeded and no. 17 Maine South in the second sectional semifinal Tuesday at New Trier.
Loyola and Maine South deprived the city’s top two teams of reaching the sectional round.
Maine South defeated seventh-seeded and 15th-ranked Lane 2-1.
Ella Koleno ended her remarkable career with her 24th goal of the season for the Dolphins (13-8-3).
“Grace is a fantastic player, and I can’t wait to play together,” Ella Koleno said, fighting back tears. She had just competed with her twin sister Sydney for the final time.
The Koleno twins and senior midfielder Alexis Sassower were the connective thread of the Dolphins’ 2019 team that reached a sectional final.
“I have a special place in my heart for them,” Young coach Ross LaBauex said.
Taking over the program that year, he brokered the athleticism, skill and grace of the twins and Sassower as the bridge to the program’s present-day success.
Unfortunately, Sassower couldn’t participate in the state tournament. She was on the sidelines in a brace after suffering a torn MCL in the city championship game against Lane.
Her 18 assists were a team best, and she provided a steady and creative presence the Dolphins struggled to replicate against the dynamic and athletic Ramblers.
“The one thing about Alexis is that she is a playmaker, so it was very difficult out there without her,” Ella Koleno said.
“She makes a big difference on the field.”
Loyola and Young played to a 1-1 tie in the second game of the season on March 17.
In an emotional and technical game, every piece carries ramifications.
“In the playoff games, you have to be focused, and the little things matter,” LaBauex said.
“A lot has to happen for you to win games. Some luck here and there, and you have to stay healthy, and be on a good run come playoff time. I thought we were almost there.”
The first half had three very distinct movements.
Having the gusting 25-mile wind at the beginning, Loyola started hot and created numerous early chances.
Sixth-seeded and 16th-ranked Young recovered and staged its own counter, before Loyola delivered the haymaker at the end of the half and reasserted control.
In the seventh minute, Loyola pounced off a beautiful free kick from Ellianna Seeley. Situated on the left wing 31 yards out, her fantastic shot hit off the far post.
Ella Couri got the second touch, and midfielder Kaitlyn Kurtz blasted home a header for the opening tally.
“There are pros and cons of going into the wind,” Ehlert said. “Defensively, sometimes it helps, because their balls run out of bounds.
“Stuff in the first half was holding more for them, and they were able to run onto stuff with their speedy forwards.”
After withstanding the early Ramblers’ assault only a goal down, Young held tight over the balance of the first half.
Ella Koleno found her touch in the 25th minute off a tremendous combination sequence.
Midfielder Daphne Murray controlled the ball in the middle and played it wide to Maisy Connolly on the left wing.
She directed a ball into the box, and Koleno finished near post from about 11 yards for the dazzling sequence.
It was a new game, up until a point.
Loyola’s combination of Couri and Diblik took the heart out of the Dolphins.
Working from the right edge, Couri got to the edge and crossed just inside the top of the box.
Diblik got free and unleashed a laser shot from about 16 yards inside the near post for the backbreaking goal and a 2-1 halftime lead.
“That goal right before the end of the half was massive,” Ehlert said. “It really gave us back the momentum, because they had the swing after the goal by Ella (Koleno).”
The speed at the top of the Ramblers offense provided by Diblik, Couri and Kendall Beil created a near constant state of pressure that Loyola utilized to entrap the Dolphins with favorable matchups.
Diblik was the beneficiary of the open channel.
“Getting that goal felt like it raised the stakes, and also raised our emotions in that moment,” Diblik said.
“We were a little down once they scored, and that gave us more confidence going into the second half.”
Young made the first recovery at the start of the game, but end-of-the-half goals feel especially crushing emotionally.
“After they scored that first goal and then they scored again, execution was our issue,” Sydney Koleno said.
“We found the ball was in our half most of the time. Loyola played really well, and we did our best.”
The Ramblers ended any hope of a Young comeback during the opening salvo of the second half.
Ehlert scored off another free kick from Seeley in the 46th minute.
Moments later, Diblik got free down the left edge in the 49th off a gorgeous through-ball from Emily Pikarski for a breakaway finish.
That 11-minute span from the end of the first half to the beginning of the second half produced three Loyola goals and a suddenly destabilized Young.
“That was the biggest difference from the first time we played them,” LaBauex said.
“The wind was going to be a factor, and whichever team dealt with it better. Giving up corner kicks, giving up set pieces, they’re very dangerous. Congratulations to Loyola. They were the better side today.”
Diblik earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for her outstanding play.
“We kept pressing, and the midfield was always there and able to come back to attack,” Diblik said.
“I don’t think the wind affected us that much during the second half. We put the ball on the ground. Each goal kept getting our hopes up higher.”
Defender Maria Nikas put the finishing touch on the victory with a 75-minute goal.
As the deficit mounted, Young had to accept the obvious. The players played hard for the final 30 minutes.
In addition to Ella Koleno at Washingon University, Murray is set to play at Butler and Sassower at Case Western Reserve.
Sydney Koleno will attend the California- Santa Barbara.
She plans to play club soccer there.
“Especially at the end of the game, we knew this was going to be our last time playing together, and we just wanted to go out there and try our best, even if it wasn’t the result that we wanted,” Sydney Koleno said.
“It’s very special for me to play with my sister, Alexis, and now my younger sister Moira. We’ve had a great run, and I think we came a long way since our freshman year.”
“Loyola’s a great team,” Ella Koleno said. “They caught us while we were asleep a couple of times, and they definitely capitalized on their chances.
“It was very special to play with my sister this last time.”
Pondering the coming separation of the two, she paused.
“I was fine about it until now,” she said. “I will be paying a lot of visits to California.”
Starting lineups
Young
GK: Zoe Adelstein
D: Celeste Garton
D: Lauren Roche
D: Katie Sweitzer
D: Ainsley Christensen
MF: Sydney Koleno
MF: Maisy Connolly
MF: Daphne Murray
MF: Moira Koleno
F: Ella Kadish
F: Ella Koleno
Loyola
GK: Ellie Bradley
D: Anne Carretta
D: Emily Pikarski
D: Ellianna Seeley
D: Maria Nikas
MF: Kaitlyn Kurtz
MF: Isabella Guzman
MF: Ella Couri
MF: Grace Ehlert
F: Kathryn Diblik
F: Kendall Beil
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match:
Kathryn Diblik, sr., F, Loyola
Scoring summary
First half
Loyola—Kaitlyn Kurtz (Ella Couri), seventh minute
Young—Ella Koleno (Maisy Connolly), 25th minute
Loyola—Kathryn Diblik (Ella Couri), 39th minute
Second half
Loyola—Grace Ehlert (Ellianna Seeley), 46th minute
Loyola—Diblik (Emily Pikarski), 49th minute
Loyola—Maria Nikas (Kurtz), 75th minute
Diblik nets 2 in 5-1 regional championship victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
FRANKLIN PARK -- The future was on hold for Grace Ehlert and Ella Koleno.
They had more immediate business to attend.
Ehlert is the leading scorer and top playmaker at Loyola. Ella Koleno is the leading scorer at Young.
The high school rivals are set to be teammates in the fall as lead recruits for Washington University in St. Louis.
“It’s exciting for sure,” Ehlert said. “I don’t know her too well. We’re getting to know each other online.
“She’s a great player. They have a great team, and a tough team. They have the three Koleno sisters. That’s like half the starting lineup.”
Young was handicapped by a significant absence, and Loyola unwound two consequential actions that changed the tide.
Loyola forward Kathryn Diblik broke a 1-1 tie and the Dolphins’ spirit with a 39th-minute goal.
Young never recovered.
Diblik scored two goals and Ehlert had a crucial early second half goal in the Ramblers’ 5-1 victory in the championship game of the Class 3A Leyden Regional on Friday afternoon.
Eleventh-ranked and third-seeded Loyola (16-4-1) advances to play second-seeded and no. 17 Maine South in the second sectional semifinal Tuesday at New Trier.
Loyola and Maine South deprived the city’s top two teams of reaching the sectional round.
Maine South defeated seventh-seeded and 15th-ranked Lane 2-1.
Ella Koleno ended her remarkable career with her 24th goal of the season for the Dolphins (13-8-3).
“Grace is a fantastic player, and I can’t wait to play together,” Ella Koleno said, fighting back tears. She had just competed with her twin sister Sydney for the final time.
The Koleno twins and senior midfielder Alexis Sassower were the connective thread of the Dolphins’ 2019 team that reached a sectional final.
“I have a special place in my heart for them,” Young coach Ross LaBauex said.
Taking over the program that year, he brokered the athleticism, skill and grace of the twins and Sassower as the bridge to the program’s present-day success.
Unfortunately, Sassower couldn’t participate in the state tournament. She was on the sidelines in a brace after suffering a torn MCL in the city championship game against Lane.
Her 18 assists were a team best, and she provided a steady and creative presence the Dolphins struggled to replicate against the dynamic and athletic Ramblers.
“The one thing about Alexis is that she is a playmaker, so it was very difficult out there without her,” Ella Koleno said.
“She makes a big difference on the field.”
Loyola and Young played to a 1-1 tie in the second game of the season on March 17.
In an emotional and technical game, every piece carries ramifications.
“In the playoff games, you have to be focused, and the little things matter,” LaBauex said.
“A lot has to happen for you to win games. Some luck here and there, and you have to stay healthy, and be on a good run come playoff time. I thought we were almost there.”
The first half had three very distinct movements.
Having the gusting 25-mile wind at the beginning, Loyola started hot and created numerous early chances.
Sixth-seeded and 16th-ranked Young recovered and staged its own counter, before Loyola delivered the haymaker at the end of the half and reasserted control.
In the seventh minute, Loyola pounced off a beautiful free kick from Ellianna Seeley. Situated on the left wing 31 yards out, her fantastic shot hit off the far post.
Ella Couri got the second touch, and midfielder Kaitlyn Kurtz blasted home a header for the opening tally.
“There are pros and cons of going into the wind,” Ehlert said. “Defensively, sometimes it helps, because their balls run out of bounds.
“Stuff in the first half was holding more for them, and they were able to run onto stuff with their speedy forwards.”
After withstanding the early Ramblers’ assault only a goal down, Young held tight over the balance of the first half.
Ella Koleno found her touch in the 25th minute off a tremendous combination sequence.
Midfielder Daphne Murray controlled the ball in the middle and played it wide to Maisy Connolly on the left wing.
She directed a ball into the box, and Koleno finished near post from about 11 yards for the dazzling sequence.
It was a new game, up until a point.
Loyola’s combination of Couri and Diblik took the heart out of the Dolphins.
Working from the right edge, Couri got to the edge and crossed just inside the top of the box.
Diblik got free and unleashed a laser shot from about 16 yards inside the near post for the backbreaking goal and a 2-1 halftime lead.
“That goal right before the end of the half was massive,” Ehlert said. “It really gave us back the momentum, because they had the swing after the goal by Ella (Koleno).”
The speed at the top of the Ramblers offense provided by Diblik, Couri and Kendall Beil created a near constant state of pressure that Loyola utilized to entrap the Dolphins with favorable matchups.
Diblik was the beneficiary of the open channel.
“Getting that goal felt like it raised the stakes, and also raised our emotions in that moment,” Diblik said.
“We were a little down once they scored, and that gave us more confidence going into the second half.”
Young made the first recovery at the start of the game, but end-of-the-half goals feel especially crushing emotionally.
“After they scored that first goal and then they scored again, execution was our issue,” Sydney Koleno said.
“We found the ball was in our half most of the time. Loyola played really well, and we did our best.”
The Ramblers ended any hope of a Young comeback during the opening salvo of the second half.
Ehlert scored off another free kick from Seeley in the 46th minute.
Moments later, Diblik got free down the left edge in the 49th off a gorgeous through-ball from Emily Pikarski for a breakaway finish.
That 11-minute span from the end of the first half to the beginning of the second half produced three Loyola goals and a suddenly destabilized Young.
“That was the biggest difference from the first time we played them,” LaBauex said.
“The wind was going to be a factor, and whichever team dealt with it better. Giving up corner kicks, giving up set pieces, they’re very dangerous. Congratulations to Loyola. They were the better side today.”
Diblik earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for her outstanding play.
“We kept pressing, and the midfield was always there and able to come back to attack,” Diblik said.
“I don’t think the wind affected us that much during the second half. We put the ball on the ground. Each goal kept getting our hopes up higher.”
Defender Maria Nikas put the finishing touch on the victory with a 75-minute goal.
As the deficit mounted, Young had to accept the obvious. The players played hard for the final 30 minutes.
In addition to Ella Koleno at Washingon University, Murray is set to play at Butler and Sassower at Case Western Reserve.
Sydney Koleno will attend the California- Santa Barbara.
She plans to play club soccer there.
“Especially at the end of the game, we knew this was going to be our last time playing together, and we just wanted to go out there and try our best, even if it wasn’t the result that we wanted,” Sydney Koleno said.
“It’s very special for me to play with my sister, Alexis, and now my younger sister Moira. We’ve had a great run, and I think we came a long way since our freshman year.”
“Loyola’s a great team,” Ella Koleno said. “They caught us while we were asleep a couple of times, and they definitely capitalized on their chances.
“It was very special to play with my sister this last time.”
Pondering the coming separation of the two, she paused.
“I was fine about it until now,” she said. “I will be paying a lot of visits to California.”
Starting lineups
Young
GK: Zoe Adelstein
D: Celeste Garton
D: Lauren Roche
D: Katie Sweitzer
D: Ainsley Christensen
MF: Sydney Koleno
MF: Maisy Connolly
MF: Daphne Murray
MF: Moira Koleno
F: Ella Kadish
F: Ella Koleno
Loyola
GK: Ellie Bradley
D: Anne Carretta
D: Emily Pikarski
D: Ellianna Seeley
D: Maria Nikas
MF: Kaitlyn Kurtz
MF: Isabella Guzman
MF: Ella Couri
MF: Grace Ehlert
F: Kathryn Diblik
F: Kendall Beil
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match:
Kathryn Diblik, sr., F, Loyola
Scoring summary
First half
Loyola—Kaitlyn Kurtz (Ella Couri), seventh minute
Young—Ella Koleno (Maisy Connolly), 25th minute
Loyola—Kathryn Diblik (Ella Couri), 39th minute
Second half
Loyola—Grace Ehlert (Ellianna Seeley), 46th minute
Loyola—Diblik (Emily Pikarski), 49th minute
Loyola—Maria Nikas (Kurtz), 75th minute