Deerfield, Maine S. strengths to collide
By Hunter Tickel
Deerfield and Maine South both approach their matchup with a surge of momentum but for contrasting reasons.
The teams meet at 5 p.m. Monday in Park Ridge.
Deerfield, ranked 15th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, took a share of the Central Suburban League North Division with their 7-0 win over Maine East on May 3. The fixture with Maine South presents the first of three opportunities to set a program record with 17 regular season wins.
“The way we set up the season, we always try to play early season games against teams in our sectional,” Deerfield coach Rich Grady said. “Other than Vernon Hills, no team in our conference is AA. We want to have a basis for comparison. That’s always a point of emphasis, to make sure we win those games.”
The Warriors (16-3-1, 4-0-1) have dropped just one game in their past 10 matches (8-1-1). One reason for their successful streak has been the performance of senior forward Rachel Levin.
“Rachel Levin scored on Senior Night; she has been playing well,” Grady said. “She got the assist against GBS; she started and scored the first goal against Vernon Hills. I told her, ‘If you keep playing well you are going to keep starting.’”
Maine South (7-5-4), meanwhile, is hitting its stride after finally getting healthy. At full-strength, the Hawks put together their best performance of the year with a 1-0 win over Glenbrook South on May 1.
“We’re playing the best soccer we have played (this season), right now,” said Maine South head coach J.J. Crawford, who captured his 200th win Friday night. “Since Game 2, it’s been the weirdest season. I’ve never had more injuries and more (illnesses). We’ve had mono go through a couple girls; we’ve had broken collar bones. When we’ve got everyone on the field, I think we have proven we can play with everybody.”
According to Crawford, 11 players have missed at least one game this year. The team comes into the match after using the same starting lineup in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
It’s clear this match will be decided in the Deerfield’s final third, where the Warriors' offensive firepower challenges a stingy Maine South backline.
The Warriors have scored in every game, and they’ve already topped the program-high for goals with 69. The previous record was 68 across 23 matches, including postseason in 2002, according to Grady.
The creativity and production begins with senior forward Samantha Linn on the right wing. She has broken the regular season assists record by four so far with 20.
The teammate most benefiting from her playmaking ability has been sophomore central midfielder Malori Killoren, who has scored a team-high 21 goals along with nine assists.
“It will be fun; they have been rolling and scoring a lot of goals,” Crawford said. “It will be a good test for us. As the playoffs roll around, they mirror a little
bit of what New Trier does.”
Maine South has posted seven shutouts this season through 16 games.
“I think my defense is probably as good as anyone's,” Crawford said. “We got to figure out a way to generate goals.”
The Hawks started the season in a 4-5-1 formation, but have since switched to a 3-5-2. The trio of seniors Angie Moore and senior Hannah Northfell, and freshman Danielle Barzowski has been efficient working as flat-back three.
Crawford has pushed them into the midfield at points this year to provide pace in the attack.
“I’ve got some speed in the back. I will move some defenders up there,” Crawford said. “Anywhere from (seniors) Angie Moore and lately to Hannah Northfell, and we even put our freshman, who is in the back Danielle Barzowksi (up-top). We are trying to shake it up and incorporate some speed.”
The playoff outlook for both programs is a stark contrast.
According to Grady, Deerfield received the no. 2 seed in the Saint Viator Sectional on a coin flip with Wauconda after a tie in the votes and head-to-head tiebreakers. He said three schools didn’t submit ballots.
The Warriors host a regional with Grayslake North its likely opponent in the final. After that a probable matchup with Saint Viator looms in the sectional semis.
Due to its early season issues, Maine South got the eighth seed in the Class 3A Glenbrook South Sectional. If the Hawks get past Maine West, it would set up a Maine East Regional final match with top-seeded New Trier, Chicagoland Soccer's second-ranked team.
“I had a lot of high hopes at the beginning of the season,” Crawford said. “I thought it was going to be one of my better teams. We didn’t get the results early, but now we are starting to turn the corner.”
By Hunter Tickel
Deerfield and Maine South both approach their matchup with a surge of momentum but for contrasting reasons.
The teams meet at 5 p.m. Monday in Park Ridge.
Deerfield, ranked 15th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, took a share of the Central Suburban League North Division with their 7-0 win over Maine East on May 3. The fixture with Maine South presents the first of three opportunities to set a program record with 17 regular season wins.
“The way we set up the season, we always try to play early season games against teams in our sectional,” Deerfield coach Rich Grady said. “Other than Vernon Hills, no team in our conference is AA. We want to have a basis for comparison. That’s always a point of emphasis, to make sure we win those games.”
The Warriors (16-3-1, 4-0-1) have dropped just one game in their past 10 matches (8-1-1). One reason for their successful streak has been the performance of senior forward Rachel Levin.
“Rachel Levin scored on Senior Night; she has been playing well,” Grady said. “She got the assist against GBS; she started and scored the first goal against Vernon Hills. I told her, ‘If you keep playing well you are going to keep starting.’”
Maine South (7-5-4), meanwhile, is hitting its stride after finally getting healthy. At full-strength, the Hawks put together their best performance of the year with a 1-0 win over Glenbrook South on May 1.
“We’re playing the best soccer we have played (this season), right now,” said Maine South head coach J.J. Crawford, who captured his 200th win Friday night. “Since Game 2, it’s been the weirdest season. I’ve never had more injuries and more (illnesses). We’ve had mono go through a couple girls; we’ve had broken collar bones. When we’ve got everyone on the field, I think we have proven we can play with everybody.”
According to Crawford, 11 players have missed at least one game this year. The team comes into the match after using the same starting lineup in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
It’s clear this match will be decided in the Deerfield’s final third, where the Warriors' offensive firepower challenges a stingy Maine South backline.
The Warriors have scored in every game, and they’ve already topped the program-high for goals with 69. The previous record was 68 across 23 matches, including postseason in 2002, according to Grady.
The creativity and production begins with senior forward Samantha Linn on the right wing. She has broken the regular season assists record by four so far with 20.
The teammate most benefiting from her playmaking ability has been sophomore central midfielder Malori Killoren, who has scored a team-high 21 goals along with nine assists.
“It will be fun; they have been rolling and scoring a lot of goals,” Crawford said. “It will be a good test for us. As the playoffs roll around, they mirror a little
bit of what New Trier does.”
Maine South has posted seven shutouts this season through 16 games.
“I think my defense is probably as good as anyone's,” Crawford said. “We got to figure out a way to generate goals.”
The Hawks started the season in a 4-5-1 formation, but have since switched to a 3-5-2. The trio of seniors Angie Moore and senior Hannah Northfell, and freshman Danielle Barzowski has been efficient working as flat-back three.
Crawford has pushed them into the midfield at points this year to provide pace in the attack.
“I’ve got some speed in the back. I will move some defenders up there,” Crawford said. “Anywhere from (seniors) Angie Moore and lately to Hannah Northfell, and we even put our freshman, who is in the back Danielle Barzowksi (up-top). We are trying to shake it up and incorporate some speed.”
The playoff outlook for both programs is a stark contrast.
According to Grady, Deerfield received the no. 2 seed in the Saint Viator Sectional on a coin flip with Wauconda after a tie in the votes and head-to-head tiebreakers. He said three schools didn’t submit ballots.
The Warriors host a regional with Grayslake North its likely opponent in the final. After that a probable matchup with Saint Viator looms in the sectional semis.
Due to its early season issues, Maine South got the eighth seed in the Class 3A Glenbrook South Sectional. If the Hawks get past Maine West, it would set up a Maine East Regional final match with top-seeded New Trier, Chicagoland Soccer's second-ranked team.
“I had a lot of high hopes at the beginning of the season,” Crawford said. “I thought it was going to be one of my better teams. We didn’t get the results early, but now we are starting to turn the corner.”