DVC win opportunity
slips away from Lake Park
Lancers score 1st, but can't hold off Glenbard North in 2-1 loss
By Bill Stone
ROSELLE -- Lake Park sophomore co-captain Brianna McAloon spent most of the second half Thursday with a somewhat powerless feeling.
Usually a starting forward for the Lancers, McAloon wanted to contribute to at least a game-tying goal against Glenbard North in the Lancers' home DuPage Valley Conference game.
Instead, she was playing goalie and wearing the green jersey top of starting junior Catherine Vitale after the starting keeper was injured during the first half and her swollen wrist forced her to leave the game at halftime.
“Of course it’s frustrating. We have girls out right now and the worst thing you can do as an athlete is just watch the play happen and know there’s nothing you can do,” McAloon said.
“But of course there are other ways I can contribute to the team. I can communicate back there. I can make sure that I’m doing my best. It’s kind of bittersweet but at the same time I have to do 100 percent, and I can rely on my teammates.”
McAloon returned for the Lancers’ offensive push down the stretch, but they never were able to convert. The result was a 2-1 defeat in what may very well may have been their best chance at a league victory.
The latest in a string of Lake Park injuries, Vitale bent back her left wrist as she punched out Emma Martinez’s cross in the 22nd minute.
McAloon, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match, last played goalie March 19 in a 2-1 loss to Vernon Hills.
“I gave it my best effort out there,” McAloon said. “I like being back there (as goalie). I can see the whole field back there. I can communicate with the girls and
tell them where their marks are, where the ball is, what the shape of the field looks like. It’s also helping out our keeper. I just had to step up today.”
Lake Park (4-10-1, 0-5-0 in DVC) seemed destined to prevail early, especially after sophomore Lauren Tarchala scored just 2:42 into the match.
But Glenbard North freshman Victoria Szklarczyk scored for the Panthers (3-10, 1-4) just 3:06 later and senior Anna Matthew scored the game-winner with 38:20 left on their last legitimate offensive threat of the game. It came after a corner-kick from ashley Class, that Lake Park was unable to clear.
“We were dangerous. We were in their final third for like the last 20 minutes of the game but not enough,” said Lake Park interim head coach Ian Finn. "We’ve got to play a full game like that, not just the last 20 minutes.
“It was really just kind of our head wasn’t in it. We weren’t playing focused the first half and then some of the second half. Once we woke up, we realized it was too late. And then we’re playing with urgency but it didn’t get us anywhere.”
Both teams have taken their lumps in DVC play, which was been made even tougher with the addition of Metea Valley, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley this year.
Among Lake Park's and Glenbard North's two common opponents so far, the Lancers lost to Naperville North 8-0 and Waubonsie 5-0 while the Panthers lost 7-0 and 3-0, respectively.
The Lancers, however, had their most competitive showing so far, only losing 2-0 to Wheaton North on Tuesday.
“This was a very winnable game,” said Lake Park senior co-captain Jacey Kent. “This should have been our first win in the DVC and the girls knew how (Glenbard North’s) record was, and it was the same compared to ours.
“We thought that coming out on the field and not giving 100 percent was going to be good enough, and it wasn’t. We had to come out 100 percent, starting with our warm-ups, starting with our day before practice to be honest ... play to the best of our abilities but we didn’t do that. I feel like we just weren’t ready for today and that showed in the score.”
Injuries continue to hinder the Lancers’ offensive punch. Kent is always a threat with her powerful foot and sideline throw-ins, but she began the game at sweeper to direct an ailing defensive line.
Kent moved up to midfield towards the latter half of the game and began creating several threatening chances. With 17 minutes left, she had the Lancers’ best late scoring chance as her bending corner kick handcuffed goalie Karissa Chalus. The Glenbard North keeper dropped but grabbed the ball just before it crossed the goal line.
Along the sideline, Lake Park had players dressed but unable to play. They wore protective boots or used crutches.
“In reality, we have two subs,” Kent said. “We have a lot of injured players. We have five girls that are like 50 percent. So it’s kind of hard because our coaches want to conserve them, so they can heal their injuries but that means everyone’s playing the whole 80 minutes.”
Sophomore defender Liz Guenther is out with a hairline fracture on her hip. Forward Jazmine Davis, one of three seniors, remains out with a sprained ankle. Freshman midfielder/forward Selena Catalano suffered the latest injury, a sevee ankle sprain against
Wheaton North.
The Lancers competed against the defending conference champs Tuesday night and hoped to continue in the vein Thursday.
“They (Glenbard North) were the better team today,” Finn said. “They came out with the win so they are a better team, but they scored two goals on us and Wheaton North scored two goals on us. And they were not the same teams.”
Glenbard North has its own challenges. Head coach David Stanfield said four key players did not return this season, contributing to eight freshmen and three sophomores on the roster.
Three freshmen started, including Chalus, as well as two sophomores.
“The conference is so stacked. I’m pleased for the kids (tonight),” Stanfield said. “We’re a young team. I had to move some freshmen up. I would have preferred to get a season under their belts on (junior varsity) and they’re pretty inexperienced.
“It’s just hard but they’re a good group of kids.”
Stanfield did catch two big breaks, however, when Jennifer Deegan and Haley Wiser, two of the school’s best athletes, returned for their senior years.
Deegan, the top player on the girls basketball team, focused on that sport junior year. Wiser, the starting setter for the volleyball team the past two years, hadn’t played soccer since she was a freshman.
They form the core of a starting defense that graduated four-year starting goalie Ariana DePinto. The 6-foot Deegan cleared out one of Kent’s most threatening throw-ins in the 68th minute.
“They make a good center back pairing,” Stanfield said.
Cynthia Martinez moved to defense in place of Kent for Lake Park.
With less than five minutes left, Glenbard North's Jessica West nearly had a breakaway down right wing, but sophomore Amber Sedwick made a great slide tackle and recovered the ball. Junior Gwen Bredahl cleared a cross to the crease moments later.
With less than nine minutes left, McAloon returned field play at forward and senior Anna Sampson became goalie.
“She said she played in junior high a couple of times,” Finn said. “We wanted Bri to get in the attack.”
With three minutes left, McAloon just missed a crossing pass from Natalie Morales. McAloon’s blocked shot with two minutes to go then created the Lancers’ last good chance on another corner-kick from Kent.
Glenbard North midfielder Violet Jakupi held true to protecting the post and cleared the threatening ball. The Panthers cleared but Lake Park defender Stephanie Zachemski was at the 35 to intercept and delivered a hard shot on goal on a bounce.
“Definitely it’s about showing up to play,” McAloon said about the frustrating outcome. “It’s games like these where you have to be ready to go. And they were ready today, and we weren’t and it showed.”
Starting line-ups
Lake Park
GK: Catherine Vitale
D: Jacey Kent
D: Stephanie Zachemski
D: Gwen Bredahl
D: Amber Sedwick
MF: Natalie Morales
MF: Cyndi Martinez
MF: Jaclyn Lamz
MF: Chloe Harris
F: Lauren Tarchala
F: Brianna McAloon
Glenbard North
GK: Karissa Chalus
D: Jen Deegan
D: Ashley Class
D: Haley Wiser
D: Tina Jakupi
MF: Anna Matthew
MF: Victoria Szklarczyk
MF: Sara Malinowski
MF: Violet Jakupi
F: Emma Martinez
F: Jessica West
MVP of the Match: Brianna McAloon, F/G, Lake Park
slips away from Lake Park
Lancers score 1st, but can't hold off Glenbard North in 2-1 loss
By Bill Stone
ROSELLE -- Lake Park sophomore co-captain Brianna McAloon spent most of the second half Thursday with a somewhat powerless feeling.
Usually a starting forward for the Lancers, McAloon wanted to contribute to at least a game-tying goal against Glenbard North in the Lancers' home DuPage Valley Conference game.
Instead, she was playing goalie and wearing the green jersey top of starting junior Catherine Vitale after the starting keeper was injured during the first half and her swollen wrist forced her to leave the game at halftime.
“Of course it’s frustrating. We have girls out right now and the worst thing you can do as an athlete is just watch the play happen and know there’s nothing you can do,” McAloon said.
“But of course there are other ways I can contribute to the team. I can communicate back there. I can make sure that I’m doing my best. It’s kind of bittersweet but at the same time I have to do 100 percent, and I can rely on my teammates.”
McAloon returned for the Lancers’ offensive push down the stretch, but they never were able to convert. The result was a 2-1 defeat in what may very well may have been their best chance at a league victory.
The latest in a string of Lake Park injuries, Vitale bent back her left wrist as she punched out Emma Martinez’s cross in the 22nd minute.
McAloon, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match, last played goalie March 19 in a 2-1 loss to Vernon Hills.
“I gave it my best effort out there,” McAloon said. “I like being back there (as goalie). I can see the whole field back there. I can communicate with the girls and
tell them where their marks are, where the ball is, what the shape of the field looks like. It’s also helping out our keeper. I just had to step up today.”
Lake Park (4-10-1, 0-5-0 in DVC) seemed destined to prevail early, especially after sophomore Lauren Tarchala scored just 2:42 into the match.
But Glenbard North freshman Victoria Szklarczyk scored for the Panthers (3-10, 1-4) just 3:06 later and senior Anna Matthew scored the game-winner with 38:20 left on their last legitimate offensive threat of the game. It came after a corner-kick from ashley Class, that Lake Park was unable to clear.
“We were dangerous. We were in their final third for like the last 20 minutes of the game but not enough,” said Lake Park interim head coach Ian Finn. "We’ve got to play a full game like that, not just the last 20 minutes.
“It was really just kind of our head wasn’t in it. We weren’t playing focused the first half and then some of the second half. Once we woke up, we realized it was too late. And then we’re playing with urgency but it didn’t get us anywhere.”
Both teams have taken their lumps in DVC play, which was been made even tougher with the addition of Metea Valley, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley this year.
Among Lake Park's and Glenbard North's two common opponents so far, the Lancers lost to Naperville North 8-0 and Waubonsie 5-0 while the Panthers lost 7-0 and 3-0, respectively.
The Lancers, however, had their most competitive showing so far, only losing 2-0 to Wheaton North on Tuesday.
“This was a very winnable game,” said Lake Park senior co-captain Jacey Kent. “This should have been our first win in the DVC and the girls knew how (Glenbard North’s) record was, and it was the same compared to ours.
“We thought that coming out on the field and not giving 100 percent was going to be good enough, and it wasn’t. We had to come out 100 percent, starting with our warm-ups, starting with our day before practice to be honest ... play to the best of our abilities but we didn’t do that. I feel like we just weren’t ready for today and that showed in the score.”
Injuries continue to hinder the Lancers’ offensive punch. Kent is always a threat with her powerful foot and sideline throw-ins, but she began the game at sweeper to direct an ailing defensive line.
Kent moved up to midfield towards the latter half of the game and began creating several threatening chances. With 17 minutes left, she had the Lancers’ best late scoring chance as her bending corner kick handcuffed goalie Karissa Chalus. The Glenbard North keeper dropped but grabbed the ball just before it crossed the goal line.
Along the sideline, Lake Park had players dressed but unable to play. They wore protective boots or used crutches.
“In reality, we have two subs,” Kent said. “We have a lot of injured players. We have five girls that are like 50 percent. So it’s kind of hard because our coaches want to conserve them, so they can heal their injuries but that means everyone’s playing the whole 80 minutes.”
Sophomore defender Liz Guenther is out with a hairline fracture on her hip. Forward Jazmine Davis, one of three seniors, remains out with a sprained ankle. Freshman midfielder/forward Selena Catalano suffered the latest injury, a sevee ankle sprain against
Wheaton North.
The Lancers competed against the defending conference champs Tuesday night and hoped to continue in the vein Thursday.
“They (Glenbard North) were the better team today,” Finn said. “They came out with the win so they are a better team, but they scored two goals on us and Wheaton North scored two goals on us. And they were not the same teams.”
Glenbard North has its own challenges. Head coach David Stanfield said four key players did not return this season, contributing to eight freshmen and three sophomores on the roster.
Three freshmen started, including Chalus, as well as two sophomores.
“The conference is so stacked. I’m pleased for the kids (tonight),” Stanfield said. “We’re a young team. I had to move some freshmen up. I would have preferred to get a season under their belts on (junior varsity) and they’re pretty inexperienced.
“It’s just hard but they’re a good group of kids.”
Stanfield did catch two big breaks, however, when Jennifer Deegan and Haley Wiser, two of the school’s best athletes, returned for their senior years.
Deegan, the top player on the girls basketball team, focused on that sport junior year. Wiser, the starting setter for the volleyball team the past two years, hadn’t played soccer since she was a freshman.
They form the core of a starting defense that graduated four-year starting goalie Ariana DePinto. The 6-foot Deegan cleared out one of Kent’s most threatening throw-ins in the 68th minute.
“They make a good center back pairing,” Stanfield said.
Cynthia Martinez moved to defense in place of Kent for Lake Park.
With less than five minutes left, Glenbard North's Jessica West nearly had a breakaway down right wing, but sophomore Amber Sedwick made a great slide tackle and recovered the ball. Junior Gwen Bredahl cleared a cross to the crease moments later.
With less than nine minutes left, McAloon returned field play at forward and senior Anna Sampson became goalie.
“She said she played in junior high a couple of times,” Finn said. “We wanted Bri to get in the attack.”
With three minutes left, McAloon just missed a crossing pass from Natalie Morales. McAloon’s blocked shot with two minutes to go then created the Lancers’ last good chance on another corner-kick from Kent.
Glenbard North midfielder Violet Jakupi held true to protecting the post and cleared the threatening ball. The Panthers cleared but Lake Park defender Stephanie Zachemski was at the 35 to intercept and delivered a hard shot on goal on a bounce.
“Definitely it’s about showing up to play,” McAloon said about the frustrating outcome. “It’s games like these where you have to be ready to go. And they were ready today, and we weren’t and it showed.”
Starting line-ups
Lake Park
GK: Catherine Vitale
D: Jacey Kent
D: Stephanie Zachemski
D: Gwen Bredahl
D: Amber Sedwick
MF: Natalie Morales
MF: Cyndi Martinez
MF: Jaclyn Lamz
MF: Chloe Harris
F: Lauren Tarchala
F: Brianna McAloon
Glenbard North
GK: Karissa Chalus
D: Jen Deegan
D: Ashley Class
D: Haley Wiser
D: Tina Jakupi
MF: Anna Matthew
MF: Victoria Szklarczyk
MF: Sara Malinowski
MF: Violet Jakupi
F: Emma Martinez
F: Jessica West
MVP of the Match: Brianna McAloon, F/G, Lake Park