Recent history on Plainfield North's side
By Dave Owen
Plainfield North officially joined the west suburban soccer elite four years ago this week, winning the first regional title in school history in 2013 and following with two more regional titles.
Now the Tigers (13-6-0) hope to add to their postseason track record, starting with a 4:30 p.m. Wednesday regional semifinal match at Lockport.
As usual, the road isn’t easy. The host Porters enter with a 10-6-1 record, and their resume includes a 1-1 tie in March against Lincoln-Way East (ranked no. 22 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 and a top seed in another sectional).
“We haven't played Lockport in a few years, but we do know that they are a very strong defensive team,” Tigers coach Jane Crowe said.
“For us to be able to break them down, we’re going to have be less predictable in the attack. We need to be able to be a threat on the wing as well as the middle of the field. If we can attack in a variety of ways, we can be successful.”
The Tigers’ offensive effectiveness was dealt a severe blow when senior captain Megan Breier suffered a season-ending injury.
“Megan is top five in career scoring in the program,” Crowe said, “and has been a huge part of our attack over the past couple years.”
Helping fill the void in impressive fashion has been a versatile junior, whose first year with the Tigers has provided a huge lift.
“Victoria Thornton has emerged as one of the best players in the area,” Crowe said. “I have consistently had opposing coaches comment on how talented she is.
“This is her first year playing high school soccer, and throughout the season she’s taken more of a leadership role for us. With Megan Breier out injured, we have asked Victoria to become more of an offensive threat for us, in addition to her usual role as a possession-oriented midfielder.”
Makenna Woodill’s development as a sophomore has also been vital for the Tigers.
“Makenna plays outside back and has been our most consistent defender this year,” Crowe said. “Last year as a freshman, she played mostly JV until late in the year, and she was a midfielder.
“She just started playing in the back with her club team in the fall, and has done a great job making that transition. Although only a sophomore, she provides a lot of leadership in the back. She’s been matched up with some very good forwards this year and has done a great job limiting their opportunities.”
The Tigers’ defense has held nine opposing teams to one goal or less (with three shutouts), despite the fact that senior goalkeepers Megan Donnally and Erin Kuyawa have joined Breier with season-ending injuries.
Plainfield North finished 8-1-0 in the Southwest Prairie Conference, the lone league loss a 1-0 setback to 2016 state quarterfinalist Minooka. A late-season four-match winning streak was snapped in the regular season finale against no. 3 Naperville North (a 4-0 loss).
“We have had some ups and downs during the regular season,” Crowe said. “We’ve had some stretches where we have played really well, but have also struggled at times.”
But the Tigers have often been at their best in late-game pressure situations.
“We’ve played in two overtime games and went to PKs once in the Pepsi Tournament, and we won all three of those games,” Crowe said. “That shows the resilience of this group, and ability to pull out tight games. And we’ve also come from behind numerous times throughout the season to win.
“We feel confident that even if we fall behind, we have the ability to get ourselves back in the game.”
That confidence might be needed at regionals. If the Tigers defeat Lockport, a likely regional final matchup awaits against no. 8 Neuqua Valley (10-3-4).
“We know there aren't going to be any easy games in the postseason,” Crowe said, “so we just have to focus on the little things that have been our focus from the beginning of the season.”
By Dave Owen
Plainfield North officially joined the west suburban soccer elite four years ago this week, winning the first regional title in school history in 2013 and following with two more regional titles.
Now the Tigers (13-6-0) hope to add to their postseason track record, starting with a 4:30 p.m. Wednesday regional semifinal match at Lockport.
As usual, the road isn’t easy. The host Porters enter with a 10-6-1 record, and their resume includes a 1-1 tie in March against Lincoln-Way East (ranked no. 22 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 and a top seed in another sectional).
“We haven't played Lockport in a few years, but we do know that they are a very strong defensive team,” Tigers coach Jane Crowe said.
“For us to be able to break them down, we’re going to have be less predictable in the attack. We need to be able to be a threat on the wing as well as the middle of the field. If we can attack in a variety of ways, we can be successful.”
The Tigers’ offensive effectiveness was dealt a severe blow when senior captain Megan Breier suffered a season-ending injury.
“Megan is top five in career scoring in the program,” Crowe said, “and has been a huge part of our attack over the past couple years.”
Helping fill the void in impressive fashion has been a versatile junior, whose first year with the Tigers has provided a huge lift.
“Victoria Thornton has emerged as one of the best players in the area,” Crowe said. “I have consistently had opposing coaches comment on how talented she is.
“This is her first year playing high school soccer, and throughout the season she’s taken more of a leadership role for us. With Megan Breier out injured, we have asked Victoria to become more of an offensive threat for us, in addition to her usual role as a possession-oriented midfielder.”
Makenna Woodill’s development as a sophomore has also been vital for the Tigers.
“Makenna plays outside back and has been our most consistent defender this year,” Crowe said. “Last year as a freshman, she played mostly JV until late in the year, and she was a midfielder.
“She just started playing in the back with her club team in the fall, and has done a great job making that transition. Although only a sophomore, she provides a lot of leadership in the back. She’s been matched up with some very good forwards this year and has done a great job limiting their opportunities.”
The Tigers’ defense has held nine opposing teams to one goal or less (with three shutouts), despite the fact that senior goalkeepers Megan Donnally and Erin Kuyawa have joined Breier with season-ending injuries.
Plainfield North finished 8-1-0 in the Southwest Prairie Conference, the lone league loss a 1-0 setback to 2016 state quarterfinalist Minooka. A late-season four-match winning streak was snapped in the regular season finale against no. 3 Naperville North (a 4-0 loss).
“We have had some ups and downs during the regular season,” Crowe said. “We’ve had some stretches where we have played really well, but have also struggled at times.”
But the Tigers have often been at their best in late-game pressure situations.
“We’ve played in two overtime games and went to PKs once in the Pepsi Tournament, and we won all three of those games,” Crowe said. “That shows the resilience of this group, and ability to pull out tight games. And we’ve also come from behind numerous times throughout the season to win.
“We feel confident that even if we fall behind, we have the ability to get ourselves back in the game.”
That confidence might be needed at regionals. If the Tigers defeat Lockport, a likely regional final matchup awaits against no. 8 Neuqua Valley (10-3-4).
“We know there aren't going to be any easy games in the postseason,” Crowe said, “so we just have to focus on the little things that have been our focus from the beginning of the season.”