Glenbard E., S. Elgin meet in key U8 tilt
Rams, Storm sit just behind Bartlett in conference standings
By Gary Larsen
Glenbard East makes the trek to South Elgin today for a consequential tilt between two of the top teams in the Upstate Eight Conference.
The Rams and Storm sit in second and third place, respectively, in the UEC right behind conference leader Bartlett.
Glenbard East (6-2-1, 5-0-1) heads into Wednesday’s game on the heels of Monday’s 1-0 league win over district rival Glenbard South. South Elgin (5-1-2, 3-1-2) looks to rebound from a 4-0 home loss to Bartlett on Monday.
Glenbard East coach Kent Overbey’s side has been hindered by COVID-19 protocols this season. While none of his players have tested positive, seven have had to sit out due to close-contact rules regarding the pandemic.
Those absences have caused Overbey and his staff to tweak lineups and formations since the season’s start, but the Rams will have all but two players on the field for Wednesday’s game.
“It’s been a challenge for us as coaches and players on almost a daily basis,” Overbey said. “They’ve had to start at some positions, move to other positions. We’ve played multiple formations, so we’re pretty happy with 6-2-1. Our young players want to compete, and they’ve been willing to do whatever the team needs.”
Junior Sarah Liljestrand has moved from a forward’s role to help solidify the midfield, and Sarah Conroy has been a Swiss army knife for the Rams.
“We’ve utilized her in so many ways,” Overbey said. “Outside defender, central defender, defensive center mid, attacking center mid, and now she’s kind of found her spot up-top. I don’t she’s started two games in the same spot and it says a lot about her as a player. Her development and mentality have been nothing short of spectacular for us.”
Natalie Borcean has locked down the defensive midfield role, while Sophia Heatley and Liljestrand are settling into creative attacking midfield roles. Everyone has chipped in offensively, led by Jasmine Dhamers, “and what’s been most refreshing for us has been that we’ve haven’t had to rely just on Jasmine,” Overbey said. “We’ve had other players stepping up for us.”
The Rams have switched from five to three to four defenders in back this season. Hope McKenna has started every game in back, Kendall Crackel is a three-year starter, and first-year varsity players Maddie Kiefer and Brielle DeForest have moved from attacking to defensive roles to great effect for the Rams.
Add a solid keeper in Zoe Romano and the Rams are playing their best defense as the season winds down.
The Rams will need to be at their best in their back third in order to slow down a South Elgin offense led by Katrina Barthelt. The junior scored 33 goals as a freshman and was kept out of net by Bartlett on Monday. She's likely chomping at the bit to find the net Wednesday.
“She’s great 1-v-1, and she has a confidence level that’s rare,” Overbey said of Barnhelt. “She’s impressive. So defensively for us, we’ll have to have bodies behind the ball. But she’s surrounded by other people that can hurt you as well.”
The Rams scored 26 goals through nine games while giving up 11. South Elgin scored 21 goals through eight games this season, and given up 10 — four of which came in the loss to Bartlett in an atypical 17-minute span of the second half.
“PK and free kick goals … those burn,” South Elgin coach Laura Szwaja said after the game. “The game was closer than a 4-0 game. Bartlett is a very good team, a very disciplined team. They won the ball in the air, clearly, throughout the second half.”
Rams, Storm sit just behind Bartlett in conference standings
By Gary Larsen
Glenbard East makes the trek to South Elgin today for a consequential tilt between two of the top teams in the Upstate Eight Conference.
The Rams and Storm sit in second and third place, respectively, in the UEC right behind conference leader Bartlett.
Glenbard East (6-2-1, 5-0-1) heads into Wednesday’s game on the heels of Monday’s 1-0 league win over district rival Glenbard South. South Elgin (5-1-2, 3-1-2) looks to rebound from a 4-0 home loss to Bartlett on Monday.
Glenbard East coach Kent Overbey’s side has been hindered by COVID-19 protocols this season. While none of his players have tested positive, seven have had to sit out due to close-contact rules regarding the pandemic.
Those absences have caused Overbey and his staff to tweak lineups and formations since the season’s start, but the Rams will have all but two players on the field for Wednesday’s game.
“It’s been a challenge for us as coaches and players on almost a daily basis,” Overbey said. “They’ve had to start at some positions, move to other positions. We’ve played multiple formations, so we’re pretty happy with 6-2-1. Our young players want to compete, and they’ve been willing to do whatever the team needs.”
Junior Sarah Liljestrand has moved from a forward’s role to help solidify the midfield, and Sarah Conroy has been a Swiss army knife for the Rams.
“We’ve utilized her in so many ways,” Overbey said. “Outside defender, central defender, defensive center mid, attacking center mid, and now she’s kind of found her spot up-top. I don’t she’s started two games in the same spot and it says a lot about her as a player. Her development and mentality have been nothing short of spectacular for us.”
Natalie Borcean has locked down the defensive midfield role, while Sophia Heatley and Liljestrand are settling into creative attacking midfield roles. Everyone has chipped in offensively, led by Jasmine Dhamers, “and what’s been most refreshing for us has been that we’ve haven’t had to rely just on Jasmine,” Overbey said. “We’ve had other players stepping up for us.”
The Rams have switched from five to three to four defenders in back this season. Hope McKenna has started every game in back, Kendall Crackel is a three-year starter, and first-year varsity players Maddie Kiefer and Brielle DeForest have moved from attacking to defensive roles to great effect for the Rams.
Add a solid keeper in Zoe Romano and the Rams are playing their best defense as the season winds down.
The Rams will need to be at their best in their back third in order to slow down a South Elgin offense led by Katrina Barthelt. The junior scored 33 goals as a freshman and was kept out of net by Bartlett on Monday. She's likely chomping at the bit to find the net Wednesday.
“She’s great 1-v-1, and she has a confidence level that’s rare,” Overbey said of Barnhelt. “She’s impressive. So defensively for us, we’ll have to have bodies behind the ball. But she’s surrounded by other people that can hurt you as well.”
The Rams scored 26 goals through nine games while giving up 11. South Elgin scored 21 goals through eight games this season, and given up 10 — four of which came in the loss to Bartlett in an atypical 17-minute span of the second half.
“PK and free kick goals … those burn,” South Elgin coach Laura Szwaja said after the game. “The game was closer than a 4-0 game. Bartlett is a very good team, a very disciplined team. They won the ball in the air, clearly, throughout the second half.”