Loss to Fenwick a speedbump
in Stagg's drive for success
Young Chargers fall to veteran Friars in Windy City tourney
By Dave Owen
PALOS HILLS - The most improved girls soccer team in Illinois for 2015 hopes that momentum has more kick.
And despite a 3-1 loss to Fenwick in the second round of the Windy City Ram Classic winners' bracket on Thursday, the Chargers (1-1-0) have plenty of upside and confidence.
“We have a young team, and that’s OK,” Stagg coach Chris Campos said. “A lot of these girls were role players for us last year, and they’re being asked to step up into a bigger role this year. It takes some time, but I like the group. They battled.”
The 2015 Chargers battled from preseason obscurity to a spot among the final eight teams still standing in Class 3A.
After winning just seven games in 2014, Stagg soared to 21-4-0 last spring and won 12 matches in a row before a supersectional loss to Collinsville.
And while a strong senior group led by midfielder Hannah Mussallem (now playing at Purdue) has moved on, the Chargers’ hopes for success are still high.
“Last year we had a really good year and went really far,” Stagg senior Jazmin Castanon said. “So going into this year we’re really confident. We might not be as good as last year, but I know we can go really far.”
Fenwick’s experienced squad provided a big test Thursday, starting with Kaylie Fredian’s nice individual effort for a 1-0 Friar lead just 4:53 into the match.
Racing in on right wing between defenders, Fredian angled a low 15-yard shot inside the far post.
“On the first goal everyone was pumped up,” said Fredian. “Our captains Colette Jaslowski and Caitlin (Josephs), who’s hurt right now, really lead us well.
“Everyone is so supportive on the team. No one’s selfish at all – we all give each other credit. It’s a great team.”
Fenwick’s positive atmosphere got better 13:53 before halftime, when Anissa Nourse lined a 25-yard, straight-on shot just under the crossbar inside the left post for a 2-0 lead.
But befitting its resilient reputation of last season, Stagg answered instantly.
Just 21 seconds later, sophomore Veronika Stafira sped in past the defense on right wing and perfectly placed a 10-yard drive inside the right post to slash the difference to 2-1.
“We knew coming into this it was going to be tough,” Stafira said. ““They switched the ball a lot. They knew how to transition really well.
“(Down 2-0) we had to right away get something done.”
Coming off a hat trick in Stagg’s season-opening 8-0 win over Bremen, Stafira again showed her offensive talents.
“Veronika kept us in the game with that goal,” Campos said. “She gives us a chance to transition and counter.”
Angelina Kosmas (two goals against Bremen) has been another early season force.
And the defense and midfield have the horses to make a difference for the Chargers.
“Jazmin always plays really well,” Campos said. “She’s one of our focal points at center mid – she has to do a lot of work. And Grace Javaras had to mark no. 18 (Lauren Stibich) who’s one of the fastest girls we’ve seen.
“Our keepers (freshman Sydney Downs and sophomore Jaime Ryan) are young,” Campos added. “Even though they were shot at a lot, they held their ground really well. Jaime made some nice saves in the second half.
“It was a nice job by all those girls.”
Another Stafira attack was denied by Fenwick defender Tess Shannon 12:15 before halftime, then the Stagg defense stood tall with nice plays by Emily Stefan (block of a cross to the net) and Javaras (long clear 40 seconds before halftime).
Stefan and Stafira are among nine sophomores on the Stagg varsity, seven of whom were part of the great tournament run last spring.
“And most of us play club together, so that helped a lot in the offseason,” Stafira said.
Both also had older sisters among last year’s senior class: Allison Stefan and Paulina Stafira.
“Last year we had a lot of leadership,” Stafira said, “but this year we came in to the season with more confidence than last year.”
“A lot of them have lots of potential to be good,” Castanon said of the sophomores. “They have some experience from their clubs, and us upperclassmen can help them and guide them on what to do.”
Seniors like Castanon provide a big boost.
“Our upperclassmen help us and guide us,” Stafira said. “They’re our leaders, and we try to follow them.”
Following a nice finish to the first half, Stagg had to deal with a wind at Fenwick’s back and an increased Friar attack.
Second half goalkeeper Ryan answered the challenge with 23:30 left to play, stopping a well struck 28-yard free kick by Jaslowski and diving into the scrum in the box as the rebound was sent wide.
Ryan also made a nice save of a 25-yard shot by Alysia Beirne after Beirne’s offensive zone steal and open look.
Stefan (nice block) and Danielle Golob (defense on rebound sent wide) combined to deny another Fenwick attack with 20:50 left.
But with 18:00 to play, Fenwick made it 3-1 on a great individual speed effort by Stibich. Splitting two defenders, she chipped an 8-yard shot inside the right post for a key insurance score.
The third place finishers in Class 2A in 2013, Fenwick (2-0-0) has another talented group.
“We’re playing pretty well as a team for this early in the season,” Fenwick coach Rob Watson said. “We’re playing a new system, and playing some younger new players, so we kind of expected to have some growing pains. But I’d say we’re doing pretty well.
“It was a full team effort – we’re playing three goalkeepers, five or six defenders, seven or eight mids and seven or eight strikers. Everyone’s getting a chance. They’re still competing, and it’s just a phenomenal group. And the key is, we’re playing as a team.”
Stagg tried to respond to the two-goal deficit. A foul set up a 23-yard Erini Kosmas direct kick with 16:40 left. But Fenwick goalkeeper Mackenzie Blaze made the save at the right post.
With 9:15 to go, Fenwick nearly added to its lead as Nourse took a Fredian pass and lined a shot off the crossbar. Fredian got on the rebound but sent it wide.
“Kailey’s work rate is off the charts,” Watson said. “And there’s certainly some senior leadership here. Four years ago we went to state and finished third, and three of those girls were on that team. To have them now as senior captains and leaders makes it easy for a coach, because I have coaches on the field.”
Sophomore Fredian also noted the seniors’ impact.
“They lead the team a lot,” she said. “They know what to do, they’re very technical. They know how to prepare us well for the game and give us encouragement, and they don’t take anything for granted. They’re great leaders.”
With the challenge of Fenwick behind them, the Chargers remain confident.
“We had some chances,” Campos said. “But that Fenwick team is really good. No. 24 (Jaslowski) is a really nice player, and they have a lot of speed on the outside. But we’ll keep trucking away. It’s a marathon not a sprint. We’ll just regroup tomorrow and get back at it Saturday.”
Stafira expects it to take some time to develop, but that good times will follow.
“We’ve come into a different group,” she said. “There’s a mix of us – JV girls, varsity girls. It’s difficult right now. This is only our second game, so we have to build from that and work our way up.”
Starting lineups
Fenwick
GK: Jane Farrell
D: Shannon Erhardt
D: Tess Shannon
D: Moira Hillsman
MF: Lauren Miller
MF: Quinn Reilly
MF: Kaylie Fredian
MF: Collette Jaslowski
F: Annie Perez
F: Lauren Stibich
F: Alysia Beirne
Stagg
GK: Sydney Downs
D: Danielle Golob
D: Grace Javaras
D: Emily Panella
D: Emily Stefan
MF: Jazmin Castanon
MF: Erini Kosmas
MF: Erin O’Leary
MF: Veronika Stafira
F: Angelina Kosmas
F: Asmaa Amara
MVP of the Match: Kaylie Fredian, MF, Fenwick
in Stagg's drive for success
Young Chargers fall to veteran Friars in Windy City tourney
By Dave Owen
PALOS HILLS - The most improved girls soccer team in Illinois for 2015 hopes that momentum has more kick.
And despite a 3-1 loss to Fenwick in the second round of the Windy City Ram Classic winners' bracket on Thursday, the Chargers (1-1-0) have plenty of upside and confidence.
“We have a young team, and that’s OK,” Stagg coach Chris Campos said. “A lot of these girls were role players for us last year, and they’re being asked to step up into a bigger role this year. It takes some time, but I like the group. They battled.”
The 2015 Chargers battled from preseason obscurity to a spot among the final eight teams still standing in Class 3A.
After winning just seven games in 2014, Stagg soared to 21-4-0 last spring and won 12 matches in a row before a supersectional loss to Collinsville.
And while a strong senior group led by midfielder Hannah Mussallem (now playing at Purdue) has moved on, the Chargers’ hopes for success are still high.
“Last year we had a really good year and went really far,” Stagg senior Jazmin Castanon said. “So going into this year we’re really confident. We might not be as good as last year, but I know we can go really far.”
Fenwick’s experienced squad provided a big test Thursday, starting with Kaylie Fredian’s nice individual effort for a 1-0 Friar lead just 4:53 into the match.
Racing in on right wing between defenders, Fredian angled a low 15-yard shot inside the far post.
“On the first goal everyone was pumped up,” said Fredian. “Our captains Colette Jaslowski and Caitlin (Josephs), who’s hurt right now, really lead us well.
“Everyone is so supportive on the team. No one’s selfish at all – we all give each other credit. It’s a great team.”
Fenwick’s positive atmosphere got better 13:53 before halftime, when Anissa Nourse lined a 25-yard, straight-on shot just under the crossbar inside the left post for a 2-0 lead.
But befitting its resilient reputation of last season, Stagg answered instantly.
Just 21 seconds later, sophomore Veronika Stafira sped in past the defense on right wing and perfectly placed a 10-yard drive inside the right post to slash the difference to 2-1.
“We knew coming into this it was going to be tough,” Stafira said. ““They switched the ball a lot. They knew how to transition really well.
“(Down 2-0) we had to right away get something done.”
Coming off a hat trick in Stagg’s season-opening 8-0 win over Bremen, Stafira again showed her offensive talents.
“Veronika kept us in the game with that goal,” Campos said. “She gives us a chance to transition and counter.”
Angelina Kosmas (two goals against Bremen) has been another early season force.
And the defense and midfield have the horses to make a difference for the Chargers.
“Jazmin always plays really well,” Campos said. “She’s one of our focal points at center mid – she has to do a lot of work. And Grace Javaras had to mark no. 18 (Lauren Stibich) who’s one of the fastest girls we’ve seen.
“Our keepers (freshman Sydney Downs and sophomore Jaime Ryan) are young,” Campos added. “Even though they were shot at a lot, they held their ground really well. Jaime made some nice saves in the second half.
“It was a nice job by all those girls.”
Another Stafira attack was denied by Fenwick defender Tess Shannon 12:15 before halftime, then the Stagg defense stood tall with nice plays by Emily Stefan (block of a cross to the net) and Javaras (long clear 40 seconds before halftime).
Stefan and Stafira are among nine sophomores on the Stagg varsity, seven of whom were part of the great tournament run last spring.
“And most of us play club together, so that helped a lot in the offseason,” Stafira said.
Both also had older sisters among last year’s senior class: Allison Stefan and Paulina Stafira.
“Last year we had a lot of leadership,” Stafira said, “but this year we came in to the season with more confidence than last year.”
“A lot of them have lots of potential to be good,” Castanon said of the sophomores. “They have some experience from their clubs, and us upperclassmen can help them and guide them on what to do.”
Seniors like Castanon provide a big boost.
“Our upperclassmen help us and guide us,” Stafira said. “They’re our leaders, and we try to follow them.”
Following a nice finish to the first half, Stagg had to deal with a wind at Fenwick’s back and an increased Friar attack.
Second half goalkeeper Ryan answered the challenge with 23:30 left to play, stopping a well struck 28-yard free kick by Jaslowski and diving into the scrum in the box as the rebound was sent wide.
Ryan also made a nice save of a 25-yard shot by Alysia Beirne after Beirne’s offensive zone steal and open look.
Stefan (nice block) and Danielle Golob (defense on rebound sent wide) combined to deny another Fenwick attack with 20:50 left.
But with 18:00 to play, Fenwick made it 3-1 on a great individual speed effort by Stibich. Splitting two defenders, she chipped an 8-yard shot inside the right post for a key insurance score.
The third place finishers in Class 2A in 2013, Fenwick (2-0-0) has another talented group.
“We’re playing pretty well as a team for this early in the season,” Fenwick coach Rob Watson said. “We’re playing a new system, and playing some younger new players, so we kind of expected to have some growing pains. But I’d say we’re doing pretty well.
“It was a full team effort – we’re playing three goalkeepers, five or six defenders, seven or eight mids and seven or eight strikers. Everyone’s getting a chance. They’re still competing, and it’s just a phenomenal group. And the key is, we’re playing as a team.”
Stagg tried to respond to the two-goal deficit. A foul set up a 23-yard Erini Kosmas direct kick with 16:40 left. But Fenwick goalkeeper Mackenzie Blaze made the save at the right post.
With 9:15 to go, Fenwick nearly added to its lead as Nourse took a Fredian pass and lined a shot off the crossbar. Fredian got on the rebound but sent it wide.
“Kailey’s work rate is off the charts,” Watson said. “And there’s certainly some senior leadership here. Four years ago we went to state and finished third, and three of those girls were on that team. To have them now as senior captains and leaders makes it easy for a coach, because I have coaches on the field.”
Sophomore Fredian also noted the seniors’ impact.
“They lead the team a lot,” she said. “They know what to do, they’re very technical. They know how to prepare us well for the game and give us encouragement, and they don’t take anything for granted. They’re great leaders.”
With the challenge of Fenwick behind them, the Chargers remain confident.
“We had some chances,” Campos said. “But that Fenwick team is really good. No. 24 (Jaslowski) is a really nice player, and they have a lot of speed on the outside. But we’ll keep trucking away. It’s a marathon not a sprint. We’ll just regroup tomorrow and get back at it Saturday.”
Stafira expects it to take some time to develop, but that good times will follow.
“We’ve come into a different group,” she said. “There’s a mix of us – JV girls, varsity girls. It’s difficult right now. This is only our second game, so we have to build from that and work our way up.”
Starting lineups
Fenwick
GK: Jane Farrell
D: Shannon Erhardt
D: Tess Shannon
D: Moira Hillsman
MF: Lauren Miller
MF: Quinn Reilly
MF: Kaylie Fredian
MF: Collette Jaslowski
F: Annie Perez
F: Lauren Stibich
F: Alysia Beirne
Stagg
GK: Sydney Downs
D: Danielle Golob
D: Grace Javaras
D: Emily Panella
D: Emily Stefan
MF: Jazmin Castanon
MF: Erini Kosmas
MF: Erin O’Leary
MF: Veronika Stafira
F: Angelina Kosmas
F: Asmaa Amara
MVP of the Match: Kaylie Fredian, MF, Fenwick