DGN looks to counter Lyons' KO attempt
By Patrick Z. McGavin
The next round of a heavyweight battle plays out Thursday afternoon at Lyons’ natural grass complex in LaGrange with Downers Grove North rolling in for a pivotal West Suburban Conference Silver Division game.
A Lyons win keeps the league crown in the Lions trophy case. A Trojans win, along with a victory against Proviso West, splits the league prize.
“Lyons is Lyons, and they have been the queen of the conference, and we want to try and knock them off their pedestal,” Downers Grove North coach Brian Papa said.
Last year the two played two instant classics. Lyons knocked out Downers Grove North 3-2 to stand astride the top of the Silver standings. The Trojans got revenge on a bigger stage with the 2-1 victory in a Class 3A sectional championship that ignited the program’s first ever run to a state finals appearance and an eventual fourth place state trophy.
The split decision favored the Trojans.
“They were two great games, very well well played, and I would not say that either team really dominated,” Lyons coach Bill Lanspeary said. “Winning conference is important, and that is always a goal of ours. The state playoffs are what really matters.”
A year later, and it is pretty much a mirror of the recent past. Lyons and Downers Grove North are the top two seeds of the Class 3A York sectional.
Lyons (10-5-0, 5-0) holds a 1 1/2-game advantage over the Trojans (8-4-4, 3-1). Lyons played superb back-to-back games with a 4-0 victory over a rapidly improving Hinsdale Central on Monday and followed with a 2-0 win over Glenbard West.
Click here for the West Suburban Conference Silver Division standings
By contrast, Downers Grove North saw two separate leads vanish and the Trojans suffered their first keague loss, by penalty shootout, against York.
“Up until the York game, I was feeling pretty good about how we were playing,” Papa said. “Four-of-our-last-five opponents we had shut out. To some extent, I also blame myself. I’ve shortened the rotation compared to last year, in part, since I am not at the school [as a teacher]. I don’t know the juniors as well as I did the year before.
“The girls game is do different compared with the boys. With the boys, you have great weather right at the start and you get outside and you are able to practice. With the girls, you are evaluating them in March inside a gym, and it’s often the third week of April before you get out and actually get to practice. We are just finally now in a position where we are able to practice.
“Everything is really compressed with the girls.”
Downers Grove North is singing a refrain, or lament, about being more productive in the scoring third.
“Everybody is dealing with this, Neuqua Valley, Naperville North. Who’s really a great goal-scoring team? We have good build-up and good movement. Against York, we had some tremendous opportunities that we did not take advantage of. We have to find a way to put the ball through the pipes.”
The Trojans’ anchor has been a rock solid defense keyed by elite keeper Grace Stevenson and a very gifted and physical backline of Chloe Nowka, Olivia Bull, Francesca Marconi and Isabella Scarlati. Midfielder Abby Swanson is the cornerstone of the offense, with capable support from midfielders Carissa Mysliwiec, Victoria Finklea, Maggie Urbanski and Julia Kramper. Alyssa Gunderson and Alexis Parker are the top attacking players.
Click here for the Downers Grove North team page
Lyons scored twice in the first 15 minutes against Hinsdale Central, setting the tone for a dominant performance. The team is starting to click offensively.
“This is a great group of kids, a terrific group who really enjoy playing together,” Lanspeary said.
The Lions played in the area's two toughest tournaments, the Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Classic and the Naperville Invitational. Going up against the likes of no. 2 New Trier, no. 3 Naperville North and no. 6 St. Francis, Lyons was exposed to a high caliber of play and has adjusted accordingly.
“We did not make it out of group play in either of those tournaments, which was a disappointment. But the saying is true, if it did not break us, those tournaments certainly made us stronger, and it was a great learning experience,” Lanspeary said.
The fulcrum of the Lions’ attack develops out of its two most impressive individual players, midfielder Eileen Murphy and forward Bella Lestina. They each scored a second half goal against Hinsdale Central on Monday. Both are quick, explosive and highly skilled players.
Midfielder Maggie Gilchrist is another player to watch. She is a facilitator and creator who assisted the Murphy goal at the start of the second half. Gilchrist was named the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the match. Forward Ava Dallavo was another standout who scored the second goal and assisted the goal by Lestina. Grace Truax and Meara Hilling round out the middle of the Lions’ attack.
The defense has been solid the whole year. Catherine Johnson, who converted a penalty kick against the Red Devils, is a three-year starter. Keeper Sophie Grabis has been exceptional of late with the shutout string. Elsa McMahon, Kaelan Lee and Bri Stirrat are the other defensive standouts for a team trending in the right direction, winners of six of their last eight games.
Click here for the Lyons team page
By Patrick Z. McGavin
The next round of a heavyweight battle plays out Thursday afternoon at Lyons’ natural grass complex in LaGrange with Downers Grove North rolling in for a pivotal West Suburban Conference Silver Division game.
A Lyons win keeps the league crown in the Lions trophy case. A Trojans win, along with a victory against Proviso West, splits the league prize.
“Lyons is Lyons, and they have been the queen of the conference, and we want to try and knock them off their pedestal,” Downers Grove North coach Brian Papa said.
Last year the two played two instant classics. Lyons knocked out Downers Grove North 3-2 to stand astride the top of the Silver standings. The Trojans got revenge on a bigger stage with the 2-1 victory in a Class 3A sectional championship that ignited the program’s first ever run to a state finals appearance and an eventual fourth place state trophy.
The split decision favored the Trojans.
“They were two great games, very well well played, and I would not say that either team really dominated,” Lyons coach Bill Lanspeary said. “Winning conference is important, and that is always a goal of ours. The state playoffs are what really matters.”
A year later, and it is pretty much a mirror of the recent past. Lyons and Downers Grove North are the top two seeds of the Class 3A York sectional.
Lyons (10-5-0, 5-0) holds a 1 1/2-game advantage over the Trojans (8-4-4, 3-1). Lyons played superb back-to-back games with a 4-0 victory over a rapidly improving Hinsdale Central on Monday and followed with a 2-0 win over Glenbard West.
Click here for the West Suburban Conference Silver Division standings
By contrast, Downers Grove North saw two separate leads vanish and the Trojans suffered their first keague loss, by penalty shootout, against York.
“Up until the York game, I was feeling pretty good about how we were playing,” Papa said. “Four-of-our-last-five opponents we had shut out. To some extent, I also blame myself. I’ve shortened the rotation compared to last year, in part, since I am not at the school [as a teacher]. I don’t know the juniors as well as I did the year before.
“The girls game is do different compared with the boys. With the boys, you have great weather right at the start and you get outside and you are able to practice. With the girls, you are evaluating them in March inside a gym, and it’s often the third week of April before you get out and actually get to practice. We are just finally now in a position where we are able to practice.
“Everything is really compressed with the girls.”
Downers Grove North is singing a refrain, or lament, about being more productive in the scoring third.
“Everybody is dealing with this, Neuqua Valley, Naperville North. Who’s really a great goal-scoring team? We have good build-up and good movement. Against York, we had some tremendous opportunities that we did not take advantage of. We have to find a way to put the ball through the pipes.”
The Trojans’ anchor has been a rock solid defense keyed by elite keeper Grace Stevenson and a very gifted and physical backline of Chloe Nowka, Olivia Bull, Francesca Marconi and Isabella Scarlati. Midfielder Abby Swanson is the cornerstone of the offense, with capable support from midfielders Carissa Mysliwiec, Victoria Finklea, Maggie Urbanski and Julia Kramper. Alyssa Gunderson and Alexis Parker are the top attacking players.
Click here for the Downers Grove North team page
Lyons scored twice in the first 15 minutes against Hinsdale Central, setting the tone for a dominant performance. The team is starting to click offensively.
“This is a great group of kids, a terrific group who really enjoy playing together,” Lanspeary said.
The Lions played in the area's two toughest tournaments, the Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Classic and the Naperville Invitational. Going up against the likes of no. 2 New Trier, no. 3 Naperville North and no. 6 St. Francis, Lyons was exposed to a high caliber of play and has adjusted accordingly.
“We did not make it out of group play in either of those tournaments, which was a disappointment. But the saying is true, if it did not break us, those tournaments certainly made us stronger, and it was a great learning experience,” Lanspeary said.
The fulcrum of the Lions’ attack develops out of its two most impressive individual players, midfielder Eileen Murphy and forward Bella Lestina. They each scored a second half goal against Hinsdale Central on Monday. Both are quick, explosive and highly skilled players.
Midfielder Maggie Gilchrist is another player to watch. She is a facilitator and creator who assisted the Murphy goal at the start of the second half. Gilchrist was named the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the match. Forward Ava Dallavo was another standout who scored the second goal and assisted the goal by Lestina. Grace Truax and Meara Hilling round out the middle of the Lions’ attack.
The defense has been solid the whole year. Catherine Johnson, who converted a penalty kick against the Red Devils, is a three-year starter. Keeper Sophie Grabis has been exceptional of late with the shutout string. Elsa McMahon, Kaelan Lee and Bri Stirrat are the other defensive standouts for a team trending in the right direction, winners of six of their last eight games.
Click here for the Lyons team page