Best of the Wests? Wildcats,
Blackhawks aim to find out
By Gary Larsen
Even though Wednesday’s game between West Chicago and host West Aurora won’t carry the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division ramifications both programs would have liked, each team's aims remain on a quality showing in their final regular season game.
The 4:30 p.m. game will feature Senior Day festivities for the Blackhawks.
West Aurora coach Laura Wagley always knows what to expect from West Chicago coach Cesar Gomez’s teams.
“We know that they'll come out ready to battle,” Wagley said. “Cesar does a great job of motivating his girls to play hard.”
The respect is mutual.
“West Aurora is a good squad, and we’ve been on the losing end of this game for a while,” Gomez said. “We would like to send the (regular season) out with a victory.”
West Aurora (7-6-2, 2-1-1) is playing well at season’s end. The Blackhawks won four-consecutive games before losing 1-0 to conference co-champion Bartlett on May 5. That loss eliminated the Blackhawks from a chance at a share of the UEC Valley title. As it did in 2017, Bartlett shared the crown title with Glenbard East with a 3-0-2 record.
But on May 7, West Aurora showed its coach pure resilience. The Blackhawks posted a 1-0 upset win over Metea Valley, which is ranked 19th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
“Honestly, I was nervous,” Wagley said about her girls. “I was expecting them to still be bummed about losing conference, but the way they came out really impressed me.
“I couldn't have been happier as a coach. I’m proud of the way they were able to put losing Saturday behind them so quickly.”
Senior Sofia Papoutsis leads a West Aurora defense that has only given up one goal in its last four games. Offensively, Riley O’Brien and Audrey Stephens have been opportunistic goal-scorers and midfielders Kiara and Olivia McPherson “have been explosive on and off the ball to get open and create opportunities for us,” Wagley said.
The Blackhawks open Class 3A regional play May 16 as the ninth seed of the Plainfield North Sectional against regional host and no. 8-seed Lockport.
West Chicago (11-10-2, 2-2-0) plays Bartlett in a 3A regional semifinal May 15 at St. Charles North. West Chicago is seeded ninth and Bartlett is the eighth seed of the Geneva sectional.
Defender Odalis Martinez is close to returning from injury for a West Chicago program that took a step forward this year.
“We’re starting five freshmen now, Odalis is practicing now, and we improved from 13th to the ninth seed in the regional,” Gomez said. “After all the hard work this season, we have lots to be happy with.”
Blackhawks aim to find out
By Gary Larsen
Even though Wednesday’s game between West Chicago and host West Aurora won’t carry the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division ramifications both programs would have liked, each team's aims remain on a quality showing in their final regular season game.
The 4:30 p.m. game will feature Senior Day festivities for the Blackhawks.
West Aurora coach Laura Wagley always knows what to expect from West Chicago coach Cesar Gomez’s teams.
“We know that they'll come out ready to battle,” Wagley said. “Cesar does a great job of motivating his girls to play hard.”
The respect is mutual.
“West Aurora is a good squad, and we’ve been on the losing end of this game for a while,” Gomez said. “We would like to send the (regular season) out with a victory.”
West Aurora (7-6-2, 2-1-1) is playing well at season’s end. The Blackhawks won four-consecutive games before losing 1-0 to conference co-champion Bartlett on May 5. That loss eliminated the Blackhawks from a chance at a share of the UEC Valley title. As it did in 2017, Bartlett shared the crown title with Glenbard East with a 3-0-2 record.
But on May 7, West Aurora showed its coach pure resilience. The Blackhawks posted a 1-0 upset win over Metea Valley, which is ranked 19th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
“Honestly, I was nervous,” Wagley said about her girls. “I was expecting them to still be bummed about losing conference, but the way they came out really impressed me.
“I couldn't have been happier as a coach. I’m proud of the way they were able to put losing Saturday behind them so quickly.”
Senior Sofia Papoutsis leads a West Aurora defense that has only given up one goal in its last four games. Offensively, Riley O’Brien and Audrey Stephens have been opportunistic goal-scorers and midfielders Kiara and Olivia McPherson “have been explosive on and off the ball to get open and create opportunities for us,” Wagley said.
The Blackhawks open Class 3A regional play May 16 as the ninth seed of the Plainfield North Sectional against regional host and no. 8-seed Lockport.
West Chicago (11-10-2, 2-2-0) plays Bartlett in a 3A regional semifinal May 15 at St. Charles North. West Chicago is seeded ninth and Bartlett is the eighth seed of the Geneva sectional.
Defender Odalis Martinez is close to returning from injury for a West Chicago program that took a step forward this year.
“We’re starting five freshmen now, Odalis is practicing now, and we improved from 13th to the ninth seed in the regional,” Gomez said. “After all the hard work this season, we have lots to be happy with.”