Season recap: Young
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO — On a crisp, beautiful night in the West Loop on March 14, Young managed something in about three minutes of action that augured a memorable season to come.
Playing against Lyons, which returned as a top team after finishing second in Class 3A in 2021, a dazzling free kick goal by senior midfielder Daphne Murray was followed moments later by senior Ella Kadish smashing home a cross.
In three minutes, the Dolphins scored two goals against the formidable Lions, who’d only surrender five the remainder of the season.
Young scored as many goals in that brief span as Lyons permitted over its next 12 games.
Unfortunately, the near-West Side school couldn’t hold on to its 2-1 halftime lead and fell 3-2.
But Young made a consequential point. The Dolphins belonged on the pitch against any top team.
“That was one of our biggest goals was to play some of the really good suburban or Catholic teams and show that we are right up there with them,” senior forward Ella Koleno said.
Three days later, Young played Loyola to a contested 1-1 tie, befitting a pattern that would play out the entire season.
The Dolphins took on every challenge and never shirked away from elite competition.
Nine of their opponents finished ranked in the final regular-season Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
The Dolphins (13-9-3, 6-0-1) placed no. 25 in the Final 50, the statewide rankings of the top programs.
The early Loyola game provided a circular structure to the season. Young ended the year with a loss against Loyola in the regional final at Leyden.
The hard-fought season was a satisfying and positive one.
“It was a successful season,” senior midfielder Alexis Sassower said.
“Obviously we’d have liked to go further in the state tournament and pull off the win in the city final.”
The season featured some cruel, heartbreaking moments, like the 2-1 loss against rival Lane in the city tournament title game.
Still, Young advanced to the final compared to its third place finish in 2021. The Dolphins also won their regional semifinal this season.
“I think overall our team really got to know each other well, and I think that was something where we definitely saw improvement,” Sassower said.
The highlights were many. A 3-0 victory over Lane paved the way for their second-consecutive undisputed Premier Division championship. The Dolphins unbeaten conference-season streak now stands at 14-0-2.
Sophomore Lauren Roche, a skilled defender with the versatility to play in the middle, scored two goals as Young became the first city team to beat Lane in eight years (the teams tied 1-1 in 2021).
Young posted 12 shutouts, nine by sophomore Zoe Adelstein, and amassed an impressive
78-27 goal differential.
The Dolphins did not permit a goal in regular-season Premier action, posting a 33-0 advantage in those games. Only a scoreless tie with Payton broke the perfect run.
Dynamic and thrilling forward Ella Koleno ended her remarkable four-year career as a signature and defining talent.
A three-time all-state player, she was a model of consistency by scoring at least 20 goals with double-figure assists in all three seasons.
Koleno scored 21 goals her freshman year, 20 last year as a junior, and finished her senior year with 24 goals.
“I do have an eye for the goal, and I like to take players on,” she said.
“I have always had great teammates, from Mia Lisanti my freshman year, to now playing with my sisters (twin Sydney and freshman Moira), Alexis, Daphne and Maisy Connolly.”
Opening the season against Lyons evoked the story of the Dolphins’ exciting 2019 Class 3A state tournament.
Coach Ross LaBauex took over the program and was energized by the simultaneous arrival of three glittering freshmen: the twins Ella and Sydney, and Sassower -- best friends since the first grade.
Young made it to the sectional final, where again Lyons proved its downfall in a 2-1 match.
Despite the loss, the Dolphins made a statement.
“We went into that run our freshmen year with no expectation, and that almost took the pressure off,” Ella Koleno said.
“Every game we didn’t want it to be our last, and we just kept going.”
Flash forward three years, and Young declared its ambitions and reach by starting the year with two knockout opponents in Lyons and Loyola.
The electric connection with the twins and Sassower powered the attack.
The arrival of Murray, a Butler recruit playing her only year of high school ball, took the team to a higher level.
The Dolphins’ talent in the middle and top of the attack was second to none.
“All of my good friends are on the team, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to close out my career,” Murray said.
“Club soccer ended, and everybody is playing high school their last year after making their commitments to college.”
City soccer, especially among the power programs Young, Lane, Payton and Jones, is deeply entwined and interconnected.
“You know almost everybody, from club soccer, or even elementary school,” Ella Koleno said.
Those connections played out magnificently, with Ella and Sydney Koleno joined by the “third twin,” Sassower.
The three were the only freshmen on the sectional final team three years ago.
“It felt like a natural thing coming into the program, contributing right away and being able to build the program up,” Sydney Koleno said.
“I know we missed our sophomore year (to the pandemic), but just watching the team improve and the team chemistry get stronger was amazing.”
The season-opening game of their senior season signified another prominent and emotional tie for the twins — the arrival of their youngest sister Moira.
Another midfielder who played in the style of her sister Sydney with her superb ball-control, vision and passing skills, Moira was a bright, energetic talent who contributed three assists.
Connolly played every field position, toggling between the back or the middle or top of the formation.
Her speed and versatility created special chances. She finished with six goals and nine assists.
An energetic contributor off the bench, Kadish finished with six goals. Roche added five goals.
Defender Celeste Garton had four goals. Senior forward Karen Vega matched her.
Young’s youth movement is well stocked. The Dolphins are poised to remain strong. Freshman defender Ainsley Christiansen also showed dramatic improvement, and became a fixture in the back.
Sophomore midfielder Sonia Liew was another sparkplug off the bench. She finished with four goals.
Making a seamless fit, Murray finished with nine goals and nine assists. She scored the game-winner in a crucial 1-0 victory over Jones.
“I played with the twins and Alexis on club, and that definitely helped me,” Murray said. “All of the seniors, we’re friends, and we have great connections.”
The memories were pure and beautiful. According to Sassower, they were also something of a blur.
“It was super fun to play, and it was also weird that all of a sudden, we were seniors,” Sassower said.
“Just yesterday, we were the freshmen on the team.”
Like Ella Koleno, Sassower was astonishingly prolific and efficient in her three years of competition. She also posted double-doubles all three years.
Despite suffering a knee injury in the second half in the city title game against Lane, Sassower finished with 10 goals and a team-best 18 assists.
She was a two-time Chicagoland Soccer all-state player and two-time Watch List talent.
“It was a lot of fun to have the role of being a leader on the team,” Sassower said.
“I think the biggest thing that is going to help me moving forward is the confidence I have built on this team, and the trust Ross put in me.”
She credited the coaching staff for permitting mistakes and learning how to play through them.
“When it comes to taking people on, instead of relying on a coach of telling me what to do, I just trusted myself to figure it out, and go out there and do it,” Sassower said.
“I felt that my main role on the team was to be a playmaker. I do a good job of executing those through-balls, with Ella and Daphne running on. I knew how to find them.”
Young won 43 games during the spectacular Koleno and Sassower trinity years.
They also took part in a remarkable run for the girls’ programs this spring at Young.
The Dolphins won the Class 3A girls state track championship. The softball team reached a 4A supersectional, where they lost a tight game against eventual state champion St. Charles North.
That last high school game came up in a rush for the seniors.
“When the whistle blew at the Loyola game, we all looked at each other, and just my gosh,” Sassower said.
Tears were shed, and emotions shared.
“It was so fun that we were the first class for Ross, and we were together all four years, the three freshmen and three best friends.”
Sassower is rehabbing from MCL injury. She is set to play at Case Western Reserve.
Ella Koleno will play at Washington University in St. Louis.
Sydney Koleno — the glue of the team and the one who sacrificed personal statistics to make the pieces flow — will attend California-Santa Barbara, where she is considering playing club.
“In that Loyola regional game, I just looked up at the clock, and saw there were just 20 minutes left, and these were my last 20 minutes of playing high school ever,” Sydney Koleno said.
“It was bittersweet.”
Die-hard friends, twins, siblings, teammates, the Young players are bound by shared memories and beautiful moments.
“It’s the most fun I ever had in high school,” Ella Koleno said.
Before they set off on separate paths, the friends are playing pickup games in the park.
“Even though we are not going to be officially on the same team, we are still going to continue to play,” Sydney Koleno said.
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO — On a crisp, beautiful night in the West Loop on March 14, Young managed something in about three minutes of action that augured a memorable season to come.
Playing against Lyons, which returned as a top team after finishing second in Class 3A in 2021, a dazzling free kick goal by senior midfielder Daphne Murray was followed moments later by senior Ella Kadish smashing home a cross.
In three minutes, the Dolphins scored two goals against the formidable Lions, who’d only surrender five the remainder of the season.
Young scored as many goals in that brief span as Lyons permitted over its next 12 games.
Unfortunately, the near-West Side school couldn’t hold on to its 2-1 halftime lead and fell 3-2.
But Young made a consequential point. The Dolphins belonged on the pitch against any top team.
“That was one of our biggest goals was to play some of the really good suburban or Catholic teams and show that we are right up there with them,” senior forward Ella Koleno said.
Three days later, Young played Loyola to a contested 1-1 tie, befitting a pattern that would play out the entire season.
The Dolphins took on every challenge and never shirked away from elite competition.
Nine of their opponents finished ranked in the final regular-season Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
The Dolphins (13-9-3, 6-0-1) placed no. 25 in the Final 50, the statewide rankings of the top programs.
The early Loyola game provided a circular structure to the season. Young ended the year with a loss against Loyola in the regional final at Leyden.
The hard-fought season was a satisfying and positive one.
“It was a successful season,” senior midfielder Alexis Sassower said.
“Obviously we’d have liked to go further in the state tournament and pull off the win in the city final.”
The season featured some cruel, heartbreaking moments, like the 2-1 loss against rival Lane in the city tournament title game.
Still, Young advanced to the final compared to its third place finish in 2021. The Dolphins also won their regional semifinal this season.
“I think overall our team really got to know each other well, and I think that was something where we definitely saw improvement,” Sassower said.
The highlights were many. A 3-0 victory over Lane paved the way for their second-consecutive undisputed Premier Division championship. The Dolphins unbeaten conference-season streak now stands at 14-0-2.
Sophomore Lauren Roche, a skilled defender with the versatility to play in the middle, scored two goals as Young became the first city team to beat Lane in eight years (the teams tied 1-1 in 2021).
Young posted 12 shutouts, nine by sophomore Zoe Adelstein, and amassed an impressive
78-27 goal differential.
The Dolphins did not permit a goal in regular-season Premier action, posting a 33-0 advantage in those games. Only a scoreless tie with Payton broke the perfect run.
Dynamic and thrilling forward Ella Koleno ended her remarkable four-year career as a signature and defining talent.
A three-time all-state player, she was a model of consistency by scoring at least 20 goals with double-figure assists in all three seasons.
Koleno scored 21 goals her freshman year, 20 last year as a junior, and finished her senior year with 24 goals.
“I do have an eye for the goal, and I like to take players on,” she said.
“I have always had great teammates, from Mia Lisanti my freshman year, to now playing with my sisters (twin Sydney and freshman Moira), Alexis, Daphne and Maisy Connolly.”
Opening the season against Lyons evoked the story of the Dolphins’ exciting 2019 Class 3A state tournament.
Coach Ross LaBauex took over the program and was energized by the simultaneous arrival of three glittering freshmen: the twins Ella and Sydney, and Sassower -- best friends since the first grade.
Young made it to the sectional final, where again Lyons proved its downfall in a 2-1 match.
Despite the loss, the Dolphins made a statement.
“We went into that run our freshmen year with no expectation, and that almost took the pressure off,” Ella Koleno said.
“Every game we didn’t want it to be our last, and we just kept going.”
Flash forward three years, and Young declared its ambitions and reach by starting the year with two knockout opponents in Lyons and Loyola.
The electric connection with the twins and Sassower powered the attack.
The arrival of Murray, a Butler recruit playing her only year of high school ball, took the team to a higher level.
The Dolphins’ talent in the middle and top of the attack was second to none.
“All of my good friends are on the team, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to close out my career,” Murray said.
“Club soccer ended, and everybody is playing high school their last year after making their commitments to college.”
City soccer, especially among the power programs Young, Lane, Payton and Jones, is deeply entwined and interconnected.
“You know almost everybody, from club soccer, or even elementary school,” Ella Koleno said.
Those connections played out magnificently, with Ella and Sydney Koleno joined by the “third twin,” Sassower.
The three were the only freshmen on the sectional final team three years ago.
“It felt like a natural thing coming into the program, contributing right away and being able to build the program up,” Sydney Koleno said.
“I know we missed our sophomore year (to the pandemic), but just watching the team improve and the team chemistry get stronger was amazing.”
The season-opening game of their senior season signified another prominent and emotional tie for the twins — the arrival of their youngest sister Moira.
Another midfielder who played in the style of her sister Sydney with her superb ball-control, vision and passing skills, Moira was a bright, energetic talent who contributed three assists.
Connolly played every field position, toggling between the back or the middle or top of the formation.
Her speed and versatility created special chances. She finished with six goals and nine assists.
An energetic contributor off the bench, Kadish finished with six goals. Roche added five goals.
Defender Celeste Garton had four goals. Senior forward Karen Vega matched her.
Young’s youth movement is well stocked. The Dolphins are poised to remain strong. Freshman defender Ainsley Christiansen also showed dramatic improvement, and became a fixture in the back.
Sophomore midfielder Sonia Liew was another sparkplug off the bench. She finished with four goals.
Making a seamless fit, Murray finished with nine goals and nine assists. She scored the game-winner in a crucial 1-0 victory over Jones.
“I played with the twins and Alexis on club, and that definitely helped me,” Murray said. “All of the seniors, we’re friends, and we have great connections.”
The memories were pure and beautiful. According to Sassower, they were also something of a blur.
“It was super fun to play, and it was also weird that all of a sudden, we were seniors,” Sassower said.
“Just yesterday, we were the freshmen on the team.”
Like Ella Koleno, Sassower was astonishingly prolific and efficient in her three years of competition. She also posted double-doubles all three years.
Despite suffering a knee injury in the second half in the city title game against Lane, Sassower finished with 10 goals and a team-best 18 assists.
She was a two-time Chicagoland Soccer all-state player and two-time Watch List talent.
“It was a lot of fun to have the role of being a leader on the team,” Sassower said.
“I think the biggest thing that is going to help me moving forward is the confidence I have built on this team, and the trust Ross put in me.”
She credited the coaching staff for permitting mistakes and learning how to play through them.
“When it comes to taking people on, instead of relying on a coach of telling me what to do, I just trusted myself to figure it out, and go out there and do it,” Sassower said.
“I felt that my main role on the team was to be a playmaker. I do a good job of executing those through-balls, with Ella and Daphne running on. I knew how to find them.”
Young won 43 games during the spectacular Koleno and Sassower trinity years.
They also took part in a remarkable run for the girls’ programs this spring at Young.
The Dolphins won the Class 3A girls state track championship. The softball team reached a 4A supersectional, where they lost a tight game against eventual state champion St. Charles North.
That last high school game came up in a rush for the seniors.
“When the whistle blew at the Loyola game, we all looked at each other, and just my gosh,” Sassower said.
Tears were shed, and emotions shared.
“It was so fun that we were the first class for Ross, and we were together all four years, the three freshmen and three best friends.”
Sassower is rehabbing from MCL injury. She is set to play at Case Western Reserve.
Ella Koleno will play at Washington University in St. Louis.
Sydney Koleno — the glue of the team and the one who sacrificed personal statistics to make the pieces flow — will attend California-Santa Barbara, where she is considering playing club.
“In that Loyola regional game, I just looked up at the clock, and saw there were just 20 minutes left, and these were my last 20 minutes of playing high school ever,” Sydney Koleno said.
“It was bittersweet.”
Die-hard friends, twins, siblings, teammates, the Young players are bound by shared memories and beautiful moments.
“It’s the most fun I ever had in high school,” Ella Koleno said.
Before they set off on separate paths, the friends are playing pickup games in the park.
“Even though we are not going to be officially on the same team, we are still going to continue to play,” Sydney Koleno said.