St. Charles E., Waubonsie V.
battle in Naperville Inv. quarterfinals
By Matt Le Cren
The Naperville Invitational isn’t the biggest soccer tournament in the state, but it is unquestionably the toughest.
Fans will be treated to four great quarterfinal matches Thursday night, including a battle between St. Charles East and Waubonsie Valley at 5 p.m. at Naperville North. Those teams finished second and third, respectively, at last year’s Class 3A state finals.
St. Charles East (14-0), ranked No. 2 in the new Chicagoland Soccer poll, is having a terrific season. The Saints have outscored their opponents by a 49-3 margin heading into Tuesday’s game with Larkin but face their most formidable foe yet in sixth-ranked Waubonsie Valley (9-1-3), which is again loaded with Division I talent.
It could be a preview of a state semifinal or even state championship match.
“It’s been a lot of fun this year,” St. Charles East coach Paul Jennison said. “The girls are really starting to find their level. We’re very excited to play some challenging competitive, and we’re looking forward to testing ourselves.”
The sixth-ranked Warriors will provide a stiff test. They are led by junior midfielder Paige Filipek, who is having a tremendous season after sitting out last spring with a torn ACL.
Filipek has scored 16 of Waubonsie’s 33 goals, already matching her total from freshman year, and has added five assists. She has seven goals and three assists in her last three games.
While Jennison gives kudos to the Warriors’ talent, he said the Saints are not focused on stopping any one player and will not be sidetracked by the spotlight being shined on this game.
“I think we’re just going to go in with the mindset of trying to continue to get better,” Jennison said. “The girls aren’t interested really in any hype because the reality is in soccer the best team doesn’t always win and [a winning streak] can come to an end at any time. If we put one more up on the board than the other team, we’ll be happy.”
These two teams have combined to win 11 state championships. The Saints have eight of them, but the Warriors have most recently been atop the pile having won in 2007, 2008 and 2010.
“Waubonsie is a quality team,” Jennison said. “The job that Julie [Bergstrom] has done over the past few years with the state championships shows what a good program they are.
“So we’ve definitely got to bring our best game. If we can continue to get better I think we’ll play well, and it will be a good game for both teams.”
Unlike Waubonsie, the Saints do not have a big scorer. Their goals have been spread out, with Darcy Cunningham, Sophie Jendrzejczyk, Hannah Kolb and Chantel Carranza being the top finishers.
“We don’t have one go-to player,” Jennison noted. “We’ve been getting goals from all over the field, and I think that’s maybe made us a little tougher to defend.”
Don’t be surprised if Waubonsie Valley is able to do just that. The Warriors have conceded only nine goals and have a tough, experienced back line led by seniors Tori Christiansen and Emily Dickens, both of whom can also get forward into the attack. Senior goalie Emma Rigby, a four-year starter who is bound for Iowa, is one of the most athletic keepers in the area.
The Warriors’ only loss was a 3-0 setback to Naperville North on April 17. Naperville North star Abbie Boswell tallied two goals and an assist in that match as the Huskies completely stifled Waubonsie’s talented midfield which also includes Iowa recruit Morgan Kemerling.
“That was not one of our best performances, that’s for sure,” Christiansen said afterward. “We need to come out with more intensity. We need to learn from our mistakes and hopefully next game, step up. I know we can do better.”
The Warriors have proved that with three impressive performances since then. They crushed District 204 rival Metea Valley 5-1 as Filipek had three goals and an assist,
then knocked off Fremd 3-1 and Lincoln-Way Central 4-0 in group play last weekend.
Filipek had two goals against both Fremd and Lincoln-Way Central, while sophomore forward Maggie Roe has come on of late, scoring two goals with two assists over the past three games. She now has five goals and three assists.
But can the Warriors solve the St. Charles East defense?
Sure-handed goalie Alison Chesterfield hasn’t faced much pressure yet behind a brick wall of a defense anchored by Julia Peterson, Sara Buetow, Hayley Popiel and Maggie Smith. Mallory Mollenhauer has missed the last two weeks because of injury but is expected to join that group.
“Our defense has been outstanding,” Jennison said. “The reality is that has been the bedrock of our success.”
battle in Naperville Inv. quarterfinals
By Matt Le Cren
The Naperville Invitational isn’t the biggest soccer tournament in the state, but it is unquestionably the toughest.
Fans will be treated to four great quarterfinal matches Thursday night, including a battle between St. Charles East and Waubonsie Valley at 5 p.m. at Naperville North. Those teams finished second and third, respectively, at last year’s Class 3A state finals.
St. Charles East (14-0), ranked No. 2 in the new Chicagoland Soccer poll, is having a terrific season. The Saints have outscored their opponents by a 49-3 margin heading into Tuesday’s game with Larkin but face their most formidable foe yet in sixth-ranked Waubonsie Valley (9-1-3), which is again loaded with Division I talent.
It could be a preview of a state semifinal or even state championship match.
“It’s been a lot of fun this year,” St. Charles East coach Paul Jennison said. “The girls are really starting to find their level. We’re very excited to play some challenging competitive, and we’re looking forward to testing ourselves.”
The sixth-ranked Warriors will provide a stiff test. They are led by junior midfielder Paige Filipek, who is having a tremendous season after sitting out last spring with a torn ACL.
Filipek has scored 16 of Waubonsie’s 33 goals, already matching her total from freshman year, and has added five assists. She has seven goals and three assists in her last three games.
While Jennison gives kudos to the Warriors’ talent, he said the Saints are not focused on stopping any one player and will not be sidetracked by the spotlight being shined on this game.
“I think we’re just going to go in with the mindset of trying to continue to get better,” Jennison said. “The girls aren’t interested really in any hype because the reality is in soccer the best team doesn’t always win and [a winning streak] can come to an end at any time. If we put one more up on the board than the other team, we’ll be happy.”
These two teams have combined to win 11 state championships. The Saints have eight of them, but the Warriors have most recently been atop the pile having won in 2007, 2008 and 2010.
“Waubonsie is a quality team,” Jennison said. “The job that Julie [Bergstrom] has done over the past few years with the state championships shows what a good program they are.
“So we’ve definitely got to bring our best game. If we can continue to get better I think we’ll play well, and it will be a good game for both teams.”
Unlike Waubonsie, the Saints do not have a big scorer. Their goals have been spread out, with Darcy Cunningham, Sophie Jendrzejczyk, Hannah Kolb and Chantel Carranza being the top finishers.
“We don’t have one go-to player,” Jennison noted. “We’ve been getting goals from all over the field, and I think that’s maybe made us a little tougher to defend.”
Don’t be surprised if Waubonsie Valley is able to do just that. The Warriors have conceded only nine goals and have a tough, experienced back line led by seniors Tori Christiansen and Emily Dickens, both of whom can also get forward into the attack. Senior goalie Emma Rigby, a four-year starter who is bound for Iowa, is one of the most athletic keepers in the area.
The Warriors’ only loss was a 3-0 setback to Naperville North on April 17. Naperville North star Abbie Boswell tallied two goals and an assist in that match as the Huskies completely stifled Waubonsie’s talented midfield which also includes Iowa recruit Morgan Kemerling.
“That was not one of our best performances, that’s for sure,” Christiansen said afterward. “We need to come out with more intensity. We need to learn from our mistakes and hopefully next game, step up. I know we can do better.”
The Warriors have proved that with three impressive performances since then. They crushed District 204 rival Metea Valley 5-1 as Filipek had three goals and an assist,
then knocked off Fremd 3-1 and Lincoln-Way Central 4-0 in group play last weekend.
Filipek had two goals against both Fremd and Lincoln-Way Central, while sophomore forward Maggie Roe has come on of late, scoring two goals with two assists over the past three games. She now has five goals and three assists.
But can the Warriors solve the St. Charles East defense?
Sure-handed goalie Alison Chesterfield hasn’t faced much pressure yet behind a brick wall of a defense anchored by Julia Peterson, Sara Buetow, Hayley Popiel and Maggie Smith. Mallory Mollenhauer has missed the last two weeks because of injury but is expected to join that group.
“Our defense has been outstanding,” Jennison said. “The reality is that has been the bedrock of our success.”