Szylke spins a tie for Fremd,
denies win for Prospect
Late free-kick goal leads to draw
By Patrick Z. McGavin
MOUNT PROSPECT — Time is ineluctable in soccer. Sometimes it flows invisibly and moves with thrilling speed. At other times it seems to freeze.
Fremd needed it to stop, and Prospect wanted it to burn.
Prospect, unheralded and largely unknown, has quietly stitched together an impressive start to the season. Fremd has played better than its record suggested without the satisfaction of knowing that.
The teams demonstrated their strengths and vulnerabilities here Wednesday night with each taking turns playing sharp and aggressive soccer that yielded positive results.
Prospect led for more than 60 minutes until a rejuvenated Fremd caught the kind of break that has proven elusive, and the two sides played an invigorating and interesting 1-1 double-overtime draw Wednesday night.
The Knights (4-1-1, 3-0-1 Mid-Suburban League) had won their first three conferences games by identical 1-0 shutouts behind a stellar possession game and the strong defensive skills of senior keeper Mehgan Rickett. Prospect’s only loss came against top-ranked juggernaut New Trier.
“The number of goals we’ve given up other than to New Trier is good, but tonight it wasn’t good enough,” Prospect coach Tom Froats said.
Prospect freshman forward Ella Marzolf staked the Knights to the 1-0 advantage in the 18th minute. Working off a corner, she collected the ball on the left wing and made a quick and decisive turn that enabled her to push off a blast. She also had the advantage of a Fremd defender that cut off the perspective of elite Vikings’ junior keeper Kelsie Stone.
“Just before the goal we had a lot of great through-balls and good combinations, it was just tough for some of them to get through because they were playing great defense,” Marzolf said. “We called the play off the corner, I got the ball and I turned around the corner, and I just kind of took it.”
Fremd’s season has had more challenges. Again, the numbers deceive. Outside of a season-opening lopsided loss against undefeated no. 2 St. Charles East, the Vikings (1-3-4, 1-1-4 MSL West) have been highly competitive. The team’s youthful core is still getting acclimated to the speed and intensity of varsity play.
“We’re still trying to find what works for us,” Fremd coach Steve Keller said. “We give too much space and respect to the other team, and when you do that you’re always on your heels. In the second half, we didn’t do that. We are finally doing, in the second half, what we ask to them to do -- tight markings, pressure, aggressiveness.”
The lynchpin of the Vikings’ attack is the skilled combination of two juniors — Julia Szylke, a hybrid midfielder and defender who is the team’s long-ball, free-kick specialist and athletic junior forward Emilijia Peleckas. In the fifth minute, the two collaborated on a terrific sequence as Szylke played a beautiful looping ball into the box that Peleckas smashed a one touch that Rickett blocked. That constituted the team’s best first half scoring chance.
Peleckas also got deep on the right flank for another short ball that Rickett made a strong save in the 42nd minute.
As Prospect clung to its lead, Fremd started to find itself.
“We really started picking it up toward the end of the first half, and I just wanted to pull it in for the team,” Szylke said.
She got her chance late. After a Prospect foul in the center of the pitch, Szylke punched a ball on an angle to the left from about 30 yards that took a hard bounce, deflected off a Prospect defender and caroomed into the air and the net for the equalizer in the 78th minute.
“I focused on that shot,” Szylke said. “I really wanted this win. Our season has not been so great so far. I put some spin on the shot and I got lucky -- it hit off that girl and it went in the goal. It really made us pick up our pace in the game, which gave us an advantage in the two overtimes. I thought we pretty much dominated those two periods, and we could have won.”
Marzolf and Szylke shared the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for their impactful play.
Suddenly, a Prospect team on the verge of another shutout found itself having to play on.
“That was really tough, mentally and physically after that last goal they had to get back into it,” Marzolf said. “It was tough to get through the two overtimes and not only hold them but also have the opportunities.”
The goal was a bit unorthodox though it was derived from Fremd’s accumulated pressure.
“It was kind of an unfortunate bounce, but that happens sometimes,” Froats said. “At that point they had the run of play. They worked for it. It just, obviously, came at an unfortunate time for us. I thought, overall, it was an ebb-and-flow game.
“I think one team pushed and pressed and then the other team pushed and pressed. I thought the work rate and the effort and the physical challenges made it a really fun game to watch. It was probably a fun game to be in.”
Both sides had some decent chances in the overtime. Marzolf had a shot just wide in the second overtime from about 12 yards out. Peleckas had a left-footed rocket ball in the final seconds push just wide.
“Our team came out, and in our hearts we wanted to win this game,” Peleckas said. “We wanted to put it away. We just came in the overtime and told ourselves we needed to push ourselves and put the ball in the back of the net and keep our momentum going.”
Fremd’s takeaway in this draw, unlike some others, is a positive sign going forward.
“The way we played —- night and day -- first half to second half,” Keller said. "The way we played in the second half I told the girls I thoroughly enjoyed myself sitting there on the sidelines and had fun watching. When we play like that the results will take care of themselves.
“We carried a lot of the play and created opportunities. We have to play like that and put some in the back of the net and things will start to happen for us.”
Starting line-ups
Fremd
GK: Kelsie Stone
D: Courtney Baker
D: Marta Cholewa
D: Kellie Halloran
MF: Julia Szylke
MF: Katie Bondi
MF: Layla Dib
F: Katie Murauskis
F: Emilijia Peleckas
F: Angie Zara
F: Tara Bergles
Prospect
GK: Mehgan Rickett
D: Kristina Suto
D: Grace Johannesen
D: Kathryn Szukalla
D: Natalie Marfilius
MF: Amy Novak
MF: Faith Fitzsimmons
MF: Grace Taldone
F: Ella Marzolf
F: Shawna Stokes
F: Andi Marfilius
MVPs of the Match: Julia Szylke, MF, Fremd; Ella Marzolf, F, Prospect
denies win for Prospect
Late free-kick goal leads to draw
By Patrick Z. McGavin
MOUNT PROSPECT — Time is ineluctable in soccer. Sometimes it flows invisibly and moves with thrilling speed. At other times it seems to freeze.
Fremd needed it to stop, and Prospect wanted it to burn.
Prospect, unheralded and largely unknown, has quietly stitched together an impressive start to the season. Fremd has played better than its record suggested without the satisfaction of knowing that.
The teams demonstrated their strengths and vulnerabilities here Wednesday night with each taking turns playing sharp and aggressive soccer that yielded positive results.
Prospect led for more than 60 minutes until a rejuvenated Fremd caught the kind of break that has proven elusive, and the two sides played an invigorating and interesting 1-1 double-overtime draw Wednesday night.
The Knights (4-1-1, 3-0-1 Mid-Suburban League) had won their first three conferences games by identical 1-0 shutouts behind a stellar possession game and the strong defensive skills of senior keeper Mehgan Rickett. Prospect’s only loss came against top-ranked juggernaut New Trier.
“The number of goals we’ve given up other than to New Trier is good, but tonight it wasn’t good enough,” Prospect coach Tom Froats said.
Prospect freshman forward Ella Marzolf staked the Knights to the 1-0 advantage in the 18th minute. Working off a corner, she collected the ball on the left wing and made a quick and decisive turn that enabled her to push off a blast. She also had the advantage of a Fremd defender that cut off the perspective of elite Vikings’ junior keeper Kelsie Stone.
“Just before the goal we had a lot of great through-balls and good combinations, it was just tough for some of them to get through because they were playing great defense,” Marzolf said. “We called the play off the corner, I got the ball and I turned around the corner, and I just kind of took it.”
Fremd’s season has had more challenges. Again, the numbers deceive. Outside of a season-opening lopsided loss against undefeated no. 2 St. Charles East, the Vikings (1-3-4, 1-1-4 MSL West) have been highly competitive. The team’s youthful core is still getting acclimated to the speed and intensity of varsity play.
“We’re still trying to find what works for us,” Fremd coach Steve Keller said. “We give too much space and respect to the other team, and when you do that you’re always on your heels. In the second half, we didn’t do that. We are finally doing, in the second half, what we ask to them to do -- tight markings, pressure, aggressiveness.”
The lynchpin of the Vikings’ attack is the skilled combination of two juniors — Julia Szylke, a hybrid midfielder and defender who is the team’s long-ball, free-kick specialist and athletic junior forward Emilijia Peleckas. In the fifth minute, the two collaborated on a terrific sequence as Szylke played a beautiful looping ball into the box that Peleckas smashed a one touch that Rickett blocked. That constituted the team’s best first half scoring chance.
Peleckas also got deep on the right flank for another short ball that Rickett made a strong save in the 42nd minute.
As Prospect clung to its lead, Fremd started to find itself.
“We really started picking it up toward the end of the first half, and I just wanted to pull it in for the team,” Szylke said.
She got her chance late. After a Prospect foul in the center of the pitch, Szylke punched a ball on an angle to the left from about 30 yards that took a hard bounce, deflected off a Prospect defender and caroomed into the air and the net for the equalizer in the 78th minute.
“I focused on that shot,” Szylke said. “I really wanted this win. Our season has not been so great so far. I put some spin on the shot and I got lucky -- it hit off that girl and it went in the goal. It really made us pick up our pace in the game, which gave us an advantage in the two overtimes. I thought we pretty much dominated those two periods, and we could have won.”
Marzolf and Szylke shared the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for their impactful play.
Suddenly, a Prospect team on the verge of another shutout found itself having to play on.
“That was really tough, mentally and physically after that last goal they had to get back into it,” Marzolf said. “It was tough to get through the two overtimes and not only hold them but also have the opportunities.”
The goal was a bit unorthodox though it was derived from Fremd’s accumulated pressure.
“It was kind of an unfortunate bounce, but that happens sometimes,” Froats said. “At that point they had the run of play. They worked for it. It just, obviously, came at an unfortunate time for us. I thought, overall, it was an ebb-and-flow game.
“I think one team pushed and pressed and then the other team pushed and pressed. I thought the work rate and the effort and the physical challenges made it a really fun game to watch. It was probably a fun game to be in.”
Both sides had some decent chances in the overtime. Marzolf had a shot just wide in the second overtime from about 12 yards out. Peleckas had a left-footed rocket ball in the final seconds push just wide.
“Our team came out, and in our hearts we wanted to win this game,” Peleckas said. “We wanted to put it away. We just came in the overtime and told ourselves we needed to push ourselves and put the ball in the back of the net and keep our momentum going.”
Fremd’s takeaway in this draw, unlike some others, is a positive sign going forward.
“The way we played —- night and day -- first half to second half,” Keller said. "The way we played in the second half I told the girls I thoroughly enjoyed myself sitting there on the sidelines and had fun watching. When we play like that the results will take care of themselves.
“We carried a lot of the play and created opportunities. We have to play like that and put some in the back of the net and things will start to happen for us.”
Starting line-ups
Fremd
GK: Kelsie Stone
D: Courtney Baker
D: Marta Cholewa
D: Kellie Halloran
MF: Julia Szylke
MF: Katie Bondi
MF: Layla Dib
F: Katie Murauskis
F: Emilijia Peleckas
F: Angie Zara
F: Tara Bergles
Prospect
GK: Mehgan Rickett
D: Kristina Suto
D: Grace Johannesen
D: Kathryn Szukalla
D: Natalie Marfilius
MF: Amy Novak
MF: Faith Fitzsimmons
MF: Grace Taldone
F: Ella Marzolf
F: Shawna Stokes
F: Andi Marfilius
MVPs of the Match: Julia Szylke, MF, Fremd; Ella Marzolf, F, Prospect
