Lane's Jordan makes playoff noise
Scores game-winner in CPL semifinal victory over Payton
By Dave Owen
CHICAGO – Lane’s Jazzmin Jordan wasn’t even on the field for the first 15 minutes of the second half in the Chicago Public League playoffs semifinal match against Payton.
Over the next 25 minutes, there was no more important player on the pitch.
Jordan’s goal with 19:24 left to play put Lane ahead 1-0. Her continued aggressive play combined with an excellent Lane defense and a last-second insurance goal by
Carlye Makuch sealed an eventual 2-0 win over Payton (9-7-4).
Lane (13-6-1) advances to Thursday’s Public League title match at Lane Stadium against Whitney Young, a 2-1 winner over Northside in the other semifinal.
“We played well throughout the game, but Payton was a formidable opponent,” Lane coach Michelle Vale said. “We just continued to play how we play – we did a lot of passing and played together, which is one of the key things.
“And then Jazzmin took off. She’s a strong player, and no one was able to stop her.”
After 60 minutes of strong defense and few top chances for either side, nice combination passing and Jordan’s strong finish changed things for Lane.
Andrea Cervantes’ pass upfield initiated a strong counterattack, with Detzi Reveles then connecting with Johanna Bozic driving in on right wing.
Bozic sent a nice cross to Jordan at the left top of the box, and Jordan tucked a low 12-yard shot inside the right post.
“I saw the play happening on the right side, and I saw that Jo (Bozic) was going to cross it in,” Jordan said. “I just anticipated it early and ran towards the middle of the goal. The ball came to me, and I just finished it right corner.”
The impact of that finish after a back-and-forth flow was evident.
“With two teams like this, you give them one chance and it’s going to be a really tough game,” Payton coach Paul Escobar said. “Especially with two really tough teams.”
Jordan also initiated the next big chance with 18 minutes left, as her corner-kick was headed just wide in a scrum near the right post.
But the Lane defense also more than did its part down the stretch.
A Lane foul gave Payton’s Hannah Lowenthal a 20-yard direct kick from the right side with 13:05 left. Her send deflected to Vivian Gasca in the box, but Lane goalkeeper Maggie Grossman made a great effort to dive behind her and cover the ball before a Gasca point-blank try and a virtually certain tying goal.
“I felt like my defense was pretty strong today,” Vale said, “and I appreciated how they worked with the goalie.
“Maggie is a very reliable and strong goalkeeper, and she worked very well with the defense. If I had to pick out one (top) player on the defense, it would be Kino Mrozik. She played very well and very reliably, and she was also part of a variety of plays we used to attack Payton.”
That Lane attack remained relentless to the end.
Off a Jordan corner kick with 3:05 left, Payton goalkeeper Hannah Lynn made a nice catch save on Sydney Varga’s point-blank header.
Payton standout senior defender Emi Stearn made a nice block of a Jordan corner kick with 40 seconds left to nullify that threat. But Lane wasn’t done – off a perfectly sent Cervantes 28-yard direct-kick from the right sideline, freshman Makuch lined home a clinching goal from left of the net with two seconds left.
“I think we were struggling a little keeping possession,” Makuch said, “but once we got the first goal we started to get more confident and pass better, and that led to another goal.”
In a balanced first half between the two squads, Lane had one of the best chances 12 minutes before halftime. A nicely struck Cervantes 45-yard direct-kick to the open far post just missed connection with a streaking Magdalena Price-Johnson.
“We had Payton on their toes, and we were playing great with the ball,” Cervantes said. “Every part of our team was playing together, and I think that eventually helped us get both of our goals.”
Payton had its own strong performance.
“If we would have won I would have said we played great,” Grizzlies coach Paul Escobar said. “But it’s a tough loss. But I think our girls worked as hard as they could, and as a coach that’s all you can ask for win or lose.
“I think Vivian Gasca, Hannah Lowenthal and our freshman Maddie Clerkin played really well today. As a team though I’d say everyone played great. Except for the result, it’s everything you could ask for to try your hardest and put your heart into the game.”
That effort was epitomized by Stearn, Payton’s lone senior starter. She was briefly knocked from the game with a hit to the eye but returned with eight minutes left.
Before and after her injury, Stearn helped thwart multiple Lane threats in or near the box. But she was especially proud of her team’s effort.
“I think we played amazing, and each girl really put everything into it,” she said. “That’s all we can ask for
“It’s been really nice. We’re such a good team together – we all work together really well. It’s not like there’s one main leader, but as a senior I do try to encourage everybody to play well, play happy and have fun.”
Lane has just four seniors, with Cervantes and Reveles the lone senior starters.
“I think most of the team looks up to the seniors because we’ve been on the team for at least more than two years,” Cervantes said. “They look to us for advice, and we’re there to keep them focused and motivate them whenever they’re nervous.”
Any anxiety has eased over a successful season.
“I think we’re a lot more confident,” Makuch said. “We’re kind of a young team, and at the beginning of the season we were kind of nervous about what it would lead up to. But since we’ve played against some stronger teams and come out on top, I think we’re a lot more confident going into the playoffs.”
Starting line-ups
Payton
GK- Hannah Lynn
D- Natalie Van Mell
D- Emi Stearn
D- Maddie Clerkin
D- Cami Grandjean
MF- Vivian Gasca
MF- Maddie Beirne
MF- Annie Bonebrake
MF- Blair Ellis
F- Hannah Lowenthal
F- Olive Welsh
Lane
GK-Maggie Grossman
D- Magdalena Price-Johnson
D-Isabella Oganovich
D- Kinuko Mrozik
MF- Leah Finkielzstein
MF- Andrea Cervantes
MF- Alana Coffman
MF- Jazzmin Jordan
MF- Sydney Varga
F- Detzi Reveles
F- Nicole Vega
MVP of the Match: Jazzmin Jordan, MF, Lane
Scores game-winner in CPL semifinal victory over Payton
By Dave Owen
CHICAGO – Lane’s Jazzmin Jordan wasn’t even on the field for the first 15 minutes of the second half in the Chicago Public League playoffs semifinal match against Payton.
Over the next 25 minutes, there was no more important player on the pitch.
Jordan’s goal with 19:24 left to play put Lane ahead 1-0. Her continued aggressive play combined with an excellent Lane defense and a last-second insurance goal by
Carlye Makuch sealed an eventual 2-0 win over Payton (9-7-4).
Lane (13-6-1) advances to Thursday’s Public League title match at Lane Stadium against Whitney Young, a 2-1 winner over Northside in the other semifinal.
“We played well throughout the game, but Payton was a formidable opponent,” Lane coach Michelle Vale said. “We just continued to play how we play – we did a lot of passing and played together, which is one of the key things.
“And then Jazzmin took off. She’s a strong player, and no one was able to stop her.”
After 60 minutes of strong defense and few top chances for either side, nice combination passing and Jordan’s strong finish changed things for Lane.
Andrea Cervantes’ pass upfield initiated a strong counterattack, with Detzi Reveles then connecting with Johanna Bozic driving in on right wing.
Bozic sent a nice cross to Jordan at the left top of the box, and Jordan tucked a low 12-yard shot inside the right post.
“I saw the play happening on the right side, and I saw that Jo (Bozic) was going to cross it in,” Jordan said. “I just anticipated it early and ran towards the middle of the goal. The ball came to me, and I just finished it right corner.”
The impact of that finish after a back-and-forth flow was evident.
“With two teams like this, you give them one chance and it’s going to be a really tough game,” Payton coach Paul Escobar said. “Especially with two really tough teams.”
Jordan also initiated the next big chance with 18 minutes left, as her corner-kick was headed just wide in a scrum near the right post.
But the Lane defense also more than did its part down the stretch.
A Lane foul gave Payton’s Hannah Lowenthal a 20-yard direct kick from the right side with 13:05 left. Her send deflected to Vivian Gasca in the box, but Lane goalkeeper Maggie Grossman made a great effort to dive behind her and cover the ball before a Gasca point-blank try and a virtually certain tying goal.
“I felt like my defense was pretty strong today,” Vale said, “and I appreciated how they worked with the goalie.
“Maggie is a very reliable and strong goalkeeper, and she worked very well with the defense. If I had to pick out one (top) player on the defense, it would be Kino Mrozik. She played very well and very reliably, and she was also part of a variety of plays we used to attack Payton.”
That Lane attack remained relentless to the end.
Off a Jordan corner kick with 3:05 left, Payton goalkeeper Hannah Lynn made a nice catch save on Sydney Varga’s point-blank header.
Payton standout senior defender Emi Stearn made a nice block of a Jordan corner kick with 40 seconds left to nullify that threat. But Lane wasn’t done – off a perfectly sent Cervantes 28-yard direct-kick from the right sideline, freshman Makuch lined home a clinching goal from left of the net with two seconds left.
“I think we were struggling a little keeping possession,” Makuch said, “but once we got the first goal we started to get more confident and pass better, and that led to another goal.”
In a balanced first half between the two squads, Lane had one of the best chances 12 minutes before halftime. A nicely struck Cervantes 45-yard direct-kick to the open far post just missed connection with a streaking Magdalena Price-Johnson.
“We had Payton on their toes, and we were playing great with the ball,” Cervantes said. “Every part of our team was playing together, and I think that eventually helped us get both of our goals.”
Payton had its own strong performance.
“If we would have won I would have said we played great,” Grizzlies coach Paul Escobar said. “But it’s a tough loss. But I think our girls worked as hard as they could, and as a coach that’s all you can ask for win or lose.
“I think Vivian Gasca, Hannah Lowenthal and our freshman Maddie Clerkin played really well today. As a team though I’d say everyone played great. Except for the result, it’s everything you could ask for to try your hardest and put your heart into the game.”
That effort was epitomized by Stearn, Payton’s lone senior starter. She was briefly knocked from the game with a hit to the eye but returned with eight minutes left.
Before and after her injury, Stearn helped thwart multiple Lane threats in or near the box. But she was especially proud of her team’s effort.
“I think we played amazing, and each girl really put everything into it,” she said. “That’s all we can ask for
“It’s been really nice. We’re such a good team together – we all work together really well. It’s not like there’s one main leader, but as a senior I do try to encourage everybody to play well, play happy and have fun.”
Lane has just four seniors, with Cervantes and Reveles the lone senior starters.
“I think most of the team looks up to the seniors because we’ve been on the team for at least more than two years,” Cervantes said. “They look to us for advice, and we’re there to keep them focused and motivate them whenever they’re nervous.”
Any anxiety has eased over a successful season.
“I think we’re a lot more confident,” Makuch said. “We’re kind of a young team, and at the beginning of the season we were kind of nervous about what it would lead up to. But since we’ve played against some stronger teams and come out on top, I think we’re a lot more confident going into the playoffs.”
Starting line-ups
Payton
GK- Hannah Lynn
D- Natalie Van Mell
D- Emi Stearn
D- Maddie Clerkin
D- Cami Grandjean
MF- Vivian Gasca
MF- Maddie Beirne
MF- Annie Bonebrake
MF- Blair Ellis
F- Hannah Lowenthal
F- Olive Welsh
Lane
GK-Maggie Grossman
D- Magdalena Price-Johnson
D-Isabella Oganovich
D- Kinuko Mrozik
MF- Leah Finkielzstein
MF- Andrea Cervantes
MF- Alana Coffman
MF- Jazzmin Jordan
MF- Sydney Varga
F- Detzi Reveles
F- Nicole Vega
MVP of the Match: Jazzmin Jordan, MF, Lane
