Glenbard East puts
fitting end to historic season
Rams top Huntley in sudden death PKs to take 3rd in Class 3A
By Dave Owen
NAPERVILLE -- The greatest season in Glenbard East athletic history had a fittingly dramatic, and familiar, ending.
The Rams won the Class 3A third place match in sudden death PKs against Huntley on Saturday at North Central College.
The state trophy was the first for any girls program at Glenbard East and only the sixth overall.
If the 5-4 advantage over Huntley in the second round of sudden death penalty kicks after 80 minutes of scoreless play was a nail-biting end to a breakthrough season, it also put a great final chapter to a postseason full of dramatic finishes – and a comeback from a tough start to the weekend.
After a 2-1 double overtime loss to Collinsville Friday night halted the Rams’ state title hopes, Glenbard East went to the limit to rebound from that emotional blow.
“We met this morning and talked about the game,” Rams senior defender Sammie Sarles said, “and (coach Kent) Overbey said ‘Just let it go, on to the next one. We want third, we didn’t come this far to get fourth.’”
The Rams’ seniors had the added emotional challenge of graduation ceremonies Saturday morning. But Glenbard East (24-5-0) dug deep to produce a big finishing kick that night.
“We bounced back pretty well,” Sarles said. “Our team is really good at bouncing back from losses. We took it as it comes at us, and everything just fell into place in this game.”
It took a while for the victory puzzle to come together. But after emerging with penalty kick wins over Lyons and Hinsdale Central earlier in their magical playoff run, the Rams were again at their best in the high-pressure PK environment Saturday.
With Huntley (22-5-2) leading 3-2 in PKs and shooting to clinch the win with its fifth shooter, Rams senior goalkeeper Sierra Dana came up big with a diving save on Huntley star striker Taryn Jakubowski (30 goals this season) to keep the Glenbard East hopes alive.
“I’m not supposed to save them (in PKs) so there’s absolutely no pressure on me,” said Dana, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match after growing her school-record for shutouts in a season to 21. “I just try to do whatever I can to get in their heads and remind them of the pressure.
“It comes down ultimately to instinct. You can study whatever you want, but bottom line I have a gut feeling and I go.”
Said Overbey: “She (Dana) has been doing that all year. She had a tough goal against yesterday, and to come back and be in it, make big saves and be intimidating – she’s been huge for us for the last three years.”
Holly Ward’s ensuing PK conversion drew the Rams even 3-3 and forced sudden death kicks.
The two teams traded conversions (Glenbard East’s Katie Hansen and Huntley’s Morgan Ceh) to keep the deadlock through six shooters.
Then after Rams freshman Amy Chiero tucked a PK inside the left post to put her team up 5-4, Huntley’s seventh attempt (by Tayah Owens) glanced off the crossbar upper left to ignite the final celebration of an amazing year for Glenbard East soccer.
“We’ve had multiple times when we’ve been in PKs,” Paganucci said. “We practice it every day – we just calm down. It’s just knowing where you shoot every time and placing it.”
With her huge defensive role in Rams’ postseason run of PK success, Dana offered her own take.
“I think you just have to take it as it comes,” Dana said. “You just have to have confidence – we’ve stoned teams in PKs.
“This is our third round, so we know how it goes, and we know what to do. We just have to roll with the punches and do what we can.”
One of those punches was a rule unique to the state third place game – after regulation ended 0-0, Glenbard East and Huntley skipped any overtime sessions and jumped right into PKs.
That quick transition aided Huntley early. After a Brittany Paganucci conversion put the Rams up 1-0 in PKs, the Red Raiders shot to a 3-1 lead on PK finishes by Alyssa Kaufman, Alexandra Sunter and Emily Lopez.
Then came a Dana Plotke conversion, Dana’s diving save, and the Rams were back on track.
The battle through the PK session wasn’t the only big showdown of the match for Dana.
With just 12:49 left in regulation, a well-struck 60-yard free kick by Huntley’s Owens led to Jakubowski being knocked down in the box – setting up a late regulation PK duel between an elite striker and top goalkeeper.
As Dana dove to the left post, Jakubowski sent the PK to the open right side – and off the right post to maintain the defensive standstill.
To their coach, that narrow escape was part of a struggle throughout regulation for the Rams.
“We didn’t have our best day today,” Overbey said. “I thought Huntley outplayed us for most of the game.
“We put everything into the game last night, and it’s really hard to turn around. About 20 hours after we got out of here (following the Collinsville loss) we were back, but we stuck with it, our defense has been our strong suit and came up with the shutout.”
Huntley threatened in just the second minute of play, as Brenna Keegan made a steal left of the net and sent a tough angle 6-yard shot just wide of the right post.
Another attack 31:40 before halftime was stopped by Rams defender Faith Davies, who intercepted Keegan’s cross to the box and cleared the zone. Jakubowski later sent an 18-yard drive just over the net with 12:05 left in the half.
The Rams’ best first half chance to score came on a Plotke 25-yard shot over the net off a Paganucci pass 13:30 before the break.
The teams traded threats nine minutes into the second half. At one end, Huntley’s Kaufman was well marked but still sent a shot just wide of the left post.
Then an Elizabeth Toledo pass set up Paganucci for an 18-yarder deflected wide for a Rams corner kick. Off that Sarles set-piece, Toledo sent a header wide of the net.
The PK off the post and a combined effort by Rams defenders Paige Taylor and Davies (shot block) to deny a Huntley attack inside the box with 16:15 left stymied the Red Raiders' pressure.
But the Rams had their own great chance with 5:05 to play. Paganucci drove in on right wing and found an open Ward, whose 30-yard drive was denied on a leaping catch by Huntley goalkeeper Paige Renkosik. Then two minutes later, Renkosik made a point blank catch of Mimi Camacho’s header off a strong high send to the box by Glenbard East’s Paige Taylor.
Like the Rams, Huntley was enjoying its first trip to the state semifinals behind its own stellar senior class.
“That (senior nucleus) gave us a lot of experience,” said Renkosik, one of seven senior starters for Huntley. “A lot of people knew what it was like to play in the playoffs and have that energy.”
Even the eventual narrow loss in the PK session hardly dampened a great year for the Red Raiders.
“Our accomplishments speak for themselves,” Renkosik said. “I think that really sends us (seniors) off on a good note.
“We’re definitely happy with where we ended up. It’s better than ending with a supersectional or sectional game.”
Huntley’s big 2016 included a 2-0 win over Class 1A state champion Wheaton Academy and a supersectional shutout of Barrington.
“It was a great season,” said Huntley coach Kris Grabner: “The fight and the battle, overcoming some of the things we have to get here, I’m very proud of them.”
After the regulation tug-of-war ended 0-0, Huntley couldn’t overcome the Rams’ PK magic.
“We always ask who wants to shoot, because you pick someone who doesn’t want to, and they’re nervous,” Overbey said. “We had eight shooters, and we picked the seniors in the first round (Saturday), plus Dana Plotke who’s always solid.
“And then the next round Katie (Hansen) is usually in the top five, and she stepped up cool as ever and hit it, and Amy Chiero closed it for us.”
Having never even won a regional before, Glenbard East shares in the taste of first-time state euphoria.
And after the whirlwind 20-hour journey from a two-OT loss to graduation to the third place match win, the Rams finished in style.
“It’s exhausting, but it also feels really good to get top three in state,” Sarles said. “We worked so hard for it, and we finally get what we deserve. Even though we wanted first or second, third is the next best thing, and we got it.”
Sarles and fellow seniors Dana, Paganucci, Ward, Amanda Chlebek and Taylor Ray will all play collegiately next year – and certainly ended their high school careers with a historic run.
“It feels really good my last year to finally get somewhere in soccer,” Sarles said. “Last year (a 13-10-2 season) we struggled in the regional final. And this year bouncing back to win regionals, sectionals and supersectionals, it’s also bittersweet because it’s the last year and we’d all love it do it again. But it feels good to end our senior year with third place at state.”
Paganucci caps her career as the Rams’ all-time leading goal scorer and with a team feat that far exceeds individual numbers.
“This year we definitely accomplished a lot and had a lot of firsts for everything,” Paganucci said. “Beating high-ranked teams we never beat before, making it past a regional championship which we’d never done before, and even getting here. It’s a great mindset for the younger kids to keep it going.”
A strong underclassmen group led by Plotke (15 goals this season), Toledo (9 goals, 11 assists), defensive standouts Davies, Taylor and Hansen, midfielder Ali Liljestrand and clinching PK finisher Chiero will look to build on the fast-emerging tradition.
“Our seniors this year were great leaders,” Chiero said. “They helped me grow as a player and all of us grow as players, and I’m just glad they had our back. I look up to them.”
Looking back on Friday’s loss to Collinsville, goalkeeper Dana noted her own rare miscue on one of the goals. But she and her teammates were determined to write a winning ending to their finale.
“We know that we’re a good team,” Dana said. “Mistakes are going to happen, and it sucks to make them. They’re plays I make 99 out of 100 times.
“But bottom-line is, we have another game to play, and we have people in that crowd and back home in Lombard that are proud of us. So we’re playing for them and for our teammates. We’re proud of each other.”
And from beating perennial juggernauts like Hinsdale Central and Naperville North to closing a grueling state weekend in style, there was much to be proud of.
“Regionals, sectionals, supersectionals and now third place at state – we really tried to hype before the game that only two teams in all of 3A end the year with a win, and we wanted to be one of them,” Overbey said.
Starting lineups
Glenbard East
GK- Sierra Dana
D- Faith Davies
D- Paige Taylor
D- Sammie Sarles
D- Katie Hansen
MF- Ali Liljestrand
MF- Holly Ward
MF- Amanda Chlebek
MF- Elizabeth Toledo
F- Dana Plotke
F- Brittany Paganucci
Huntley
GK- Paige Renkosik
D- Stephanie Noble
D- Erin Gaitsch
D- Samantha Heustis
D- Tayah Owens
MF- Alyssa Kaufman
MF- Brianna Wilder
MF- Alexandra Sunter
MF- Emily Lopez
F- Taryn Jakubowski
F- Brenna Keegan
MVP of the Match: Sierra Dana, GK, Glenbard East
fitting end to historic season
Rams top Huntley in sudden death PKs to take 3rd in Class 3A
By Dave Owen
NAPERVILLE -- The greatest season in Glenbard East athletic history had a fittingly dramatic, and familiar, ending.
The Rams won the Class 3A third place match in sudden death PKs against Huntley on Saturday at North Central College.
The state trophy was the first for any girls program at Glenbard East and only the sixth overall.
If the 5-4 advantage over Huntley in the second round of sudden death penalty kicks after 80 minutes of scoreless play was a nail-biting end to a breakthrough season, it also put a great final chapter to a postseason full of dramatic finishes – and a comeback from a tough start to the weekend.
After a 2-1 double overtime loss to Collinsville Friday night halted the Rams’ state title hopes, Glenbard East went to the limit to rebound from that emotional blow.
“We met this morning and talked about the game,” Rams senior defender Sammie Sarles said, “and (coach Kent) Overbey said ‘Just let it go, on to the next one. We want third, we didn’t come this far to get fourth.’”
The Rams’ seniors had the added emotional challenge of graduation ceremonies Saturday morning. But Glenbard East (24-5-0) dug deep to produce a big finishing kick that night.
“We bounced back pretty well,” Sarles said. “Our team is really good at bouncing back from losses. We took it as it comes at us, and everything just fell into place in this game.”
It took a while for the victory puzzle to come together. But after emerging with penalty kick wins over Lyons and Hinsdale Central earlier in their magical playoff run, the Rams were again at their best in the high-pressure PK environment Saturday.
With Huntley (22-5-2) leading 3-2 in PKs and shooting to clinch the win with its fifth shooter, Rams senior goalkeeper Sierra Dana came up big with a diving save on Huntley star striker Taryn Jakubowski (30 goals this season) to keep the Glenbard East hopes alive.
“I’m not supposed to save them (in PKs) so there’s absolutely no pressure on me,” said Dana, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match after growing her school-record for shutouts in a season to 21. “I just try to do whatever I can to get in their heads and remind them of the pressure.
“It comes down ultimately to instinct. You can study whatever you want, but bottom line I have a gut feeling and I go.”
Said Overbey: “She (Dana) has been doing that all year. She had a tough goal against yesterday, and to come back and be in it, make big saves and be intimidating – she’s been huge for us for the last three years.”
Holly Ward’s ensuing PK conversion drew the Rams even 3-3 and forced sudden death kicks.
The two teams traded conversions (Glenbard East’s Katie Hansen and Huntley’s Morgan Ceh) to keep the deadlock through six shooters.
Then after Rams freshman Amy Chiero tucked a PK inside the left post to put her team up 5-4, Huntley’s seventh attempt (by Tayah Owens) glanced off the crossbar upper left to ignite the final celebration of an amazing year for Glenbard East soccer.
“We’ve had multiple times when we’ve been in PKs,” Paganucci said. “We practice it every day – we just calm down. It’s just knowing where you shoot every time and placing it.”
With her huge defensive role in Rams’ postseason run of PK success, Dana offered her own take.
“I think you just have to take it as it comes,” Dana said. “You just have to have confidence – we’ve stoned teams in PKs.
“This is our third round, so we know how it goes, and we know what to do. We just have to roll with the punches and do what we can.”
One of those punches was a rule unique to the state third place game – after regulation ended 0-0, Glenbard East and Huntley skipped any overtime sessions and jumped right into PKs.
That quick transition aided Huntley early. After a Brittany Paganucci conversion put the Rams up 1-0 in PKs, the Red Raiders shot to a 3-1 lead on PK finishes by Alyssa Kaufman, Alexandra Sunter and Emily Lopez.
Then came a Dana Plotke conversion, Dana’s diving save, and the Rams were back on track.
The battle through the PK session wasn’t the only big showdown of the match for Dana.
With just 12:49 left in regulation, a well-struck 60-yard free kick by Huntley’s Owens led to Jakubowski being knocked down in the box – setting up a late regulation PK duel between an elite striker and top goalkeeper.
As Dana dove to the left post, Jakubowski sent the PK to the open right side – and off the right post to maintain the defensive standstill.
To their coach, that narrow escape was part of a struggle throughout regulation for the Rams.
“We didn’t have our best day today,” Overbey said. “I thought Huntley outplayed us for most of the game.
“We put everything into the game last night, and it’s really hard to turn around. About 20 hours after we got out of here (following the Collinsville loss) we were back, but we stuck with it, our defense has been our strong suit and came up with the shutout.”
Huntley threatened in just the second minute of play, as Brenna Keegan made a steal left of the net and sent a tough angle 6-yard shot just wide of the right post.
Another attack 31:40 before halftime was stopped by Rams defender Faith Davies, who intercepted Keegan’s cross to the box and cleared the zone. Jakubowski later sent an 18-yard drive just over the net with 12:05 left in the half.
The Rams’ best first half chance to score came on a Plotke 25-yard shot over the net off a Paganucci pass 13:30 before the break.
The teams traded threats nine minutes into the second half. At one end, Huntley’s Kaufman was well marked but still sent a shot just wide of the left post.
Then an Elizabeth Toledo pass set up Paganucci for an 18-yarder deflected wide for a Rams corner kick. Off that Sarles set-piece, Toledo sent a header wide of the net.
The PK off the post and a combined effort by Rams defenders Paige Taylor and Davies (shot block) to deny a Huntley attack inside the box with 16:15 left stymied the Red Raiders' pressure.
But the Rams had their own great chance with 5:05 to play. Paganucci drove in on right wing and found an open Ward, whose 30-yard drive was denied on a leaping catch by Huntley goalkeeper Paige Renkosik. Then two minutes later, Renkosik made a point blank catch of Mimi Camacho’s header off a strong high send to the box by Glenbard East’s Paige Taylor.
Like the Rams, Huntley was enjoying its first trip to the state semifinals behind its own stellar senior class.
“That (senior nucleus) gave us a lot of experience,” said Renkosik, one of seven senior starters for Huntley. “A lot of people knew what it was like to play in the playoffs and have that energy.”
Even the eventual narrow loss in the PK session hardly dampened a great year for the Red Raiders.
“Our accomplishments speak for themselves,” Renkosik said. “I think that really sends us (seniors) off on a good note.
“We’re definitely happy with where we ended up. It’s better than ending with a supersectional or sectional game.”
Huntley’s big 2016 included a 2-0 win over Class 1A state champion Wheaton Academy and a supersectional shutout of Barrington.
“It was a great season,” said Huntley coach Kris Grabner: “The fight and the battle, overcoming some of the things we have to get here, I’m very proud of them.”
After the regulation tug-of-war ended 0-0, Huntley couldn’t overcome the Rams’ PK magic.
“We always ask who wants to shoot, because you pick someone who doesn’t want to, and they’re nervous,” Overbey said. “We had eight shooters, and we picked the seniors in the first round (Saturday), plus Dana Plotke who’s always solid.
“And then the next round Katie (Hansen) is usually in the top five, and she stepped up cool as ever and hit it, and Amy Chiero closed it for us.”
Having never even won a regional before, Glenbard East shares in the taste of first-time state euphoria.
And after the whirlwind 20-hour journey from a two-OT loss to graduation to the third place match win, the Rams finished in style.
“It’s exhausting, but it also feels really good to get top three in state,” Sarles said. “We worked so hard for it, and we finally get what we deserve. Even though we wanted first or second, third is the next best thing, and we got it.”
Sarles and fellow seniors Dana, Paganucci, Ward, Amanda Chlebek and Taylor Ray will all play collegiately next year – and certainly ended their high school careers with a historic run.
“It feels really good my last year to finally get somewhere in soccer,” Sarles said. “Last year (a 13-10-2 season) we struggled in the regional final. And this year bouncing back to win regionals, sectionals and supersectionals, it’s also bittersweet because it’s the last year and we’d all love it do it again. But it feels good to end our senior year with third place at state.”
Paganucci caps her career as the Rams’ all-time leading goal scorer and with a team feat that far exceeds individual numbers.
“This year we definitely accomplished a lot and had a lot of firsts for everything,” Paganucci said. “Beating high-ranked teams we never beat before, making it past a regional championship which we’d never done before, and even getting here. It’s a great mindset for the younger kids to keep it going.”
A strong underclassmen group led by Plotke (15 goals this season), Toledo (9 goals, 11 assists), defensive standouts Davies, Taylor and Hansen, midfielder Ali Liljestrand and clinching PK finisher Chiero will look to build on the fast-emerging tradition.
“Our seniors this year were great leaders,” Chiero said. “They helped me grow as a player and all of us grow as players, and I’m just glad they had our back. I look up to them.”
Looking back on Friday’s loss to Collinsville, goalkeeper Dana noted her own rare miscue on one of the goals. But she and her teammates were determined to write a winning ending to their finale.
“We know that we’re a good team,” Dana said. “Mistakes are going to happen, and it sucks to make them. They’re plays I make 99 out of 100 times.
“But bottom-line is, we have another game to play, and we have people in that crowd and back home in Lombard that are proud of us. So we’re playing for them and for our teammates. We’re proud of each other.”
And from beating perennial juggernauts like Hinsdale Central and Naperville North to closing a grueling state weekend in style, there was much to be proud of.
“Regionals, sectionals, supersectionals and now third place at state – we really tried to hype before the game that only two teams in all of 3A end the year with a win, and we wanted to be one of them,” Overbey said.
Starting lineups
Glenbard East
GK- Sierra Dana
D- Faith Davies
D- Paige Taylor
D- Sammie Sarles
D- Katie Hansen
MF- Ali Liljestrand
MF- Holly Ward
MF- Amanda Chlebek
MF- Elizabeth Toledo
F- Dana Plotke
F- Brittany Paganucci
Huntley
GK- Paige Renkosik
D- Stephanie Noble
D- Erin Gaitsch
D- Samantha Heustis
D- Tayah Owens
MF- Alyssa Kaufman
MF- Brianna Wilder
MF- Alexandra Sunter
MF- Emily Lopez
F- Taryn Jakubowski
F- Brenna Keegan
MVP of the Match: Sierra Dana, GK, Glenbard East