Lockport aces 1st PK test,
edges Stagg in shootout
Porters connect on all 7 tries, win battle of conference unbeatens
By Steve Millar
PALOS HILLS - Prior to Monday, Lockport’s game proficiency in penalty kicks had not been examined.
The Porters passed their first test with flying colors.
After a 0-0 tie in the run of play, seven Lockport players took kicks in a marathon shootout against Stagg. All seven executed to perfection, burying their shots inside a post or under the crossbar. The visiting Porters needed all of them as they outlasted Stagg 7-6 for a SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue Division win.
“We practice penalty kicks all the time and that really helps, but the most important thing is confidence,” Lockport junior Allison Polinski said. “We all go up there knowing we can put them in and that we can put them in the corner where the keeper can’t get them.”
Polinski delivered what proved to be the game-winner for the Porters (11-4-1, 4-0-0) with a line drive inside the post. The seventh shooter for Stagg (9-4-1, 3-1-0) fired high.
“I was excited and nervous at the same time,” Polinski said. “I went up there like ‘I’m going to put this in.’
“We want to win conference and keep moving forward, so we knew we had to win this one.”
Polinski capped a brilliant display by the Porters shooters. Brooke Janeczek and Stephanie Quigley buried shots under the crossbar while Lauren Pikulski, Madisyn Hannion, Jamie Hansen and Sylvia Kordaczka all fired lasers inside the left post.
Kordaczka, like Polinski, was not among the first five shooters selected for the Porters, but was ready to go when the shootout was extended.
“At first, I was really nervous,” she said, “but coach (Todd Elkei) instills a lot of confidence in us. When the moment comes, you have to be ready to take it and make it.”
Kordaczka, a junior defender who also contributed heavily to the Porters’ ninth shutout of the season, was recognized as Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match.
Grace Javaras, Danielle Golob, Erin O’Leary, Emily Stefan, Jazmin Castanon and Erini Kosmas scored in the shootout for Stagg.
Prior to penalty kicks, the match went mostly according to plan for the Chargers.
Stagg was out-possessed for most of the match, but hung in defensively and created several dangerous opportunities off counter attacks.
The Chargers came inches away from winning it in double overtime. Sophomore forward Veronika Stafira blew past a defender on a counter and went in alone on Lockport goalkeeper Cassidy Henson but fired her shot off the near post.
Stafira’s speed gave Lockport fits all day. She also got free on a breakaway with 10 minutes left in regulation, but fired wide.
“Veronika has such a bright future,” Stagg coach Chris Campos said. “She has so much potential. Teams have to worry about her speed. I’m so happy with her and her growth this year.”
Stagg goalkeeper Sydney Downs made four saves, but none were particularly challenging as the Chargers’ starting backline of Javaras, Golob, Stefan and Malak Halim played well and got help from their midfielders as Stagg was mostly content to pack it in and defend.
“We knew how dangerous Lockport was,” Campos said. “We had a plan we stuck with. We grinded it out, and we just fell a little short.
“The girls know what they’re capable of. I’m very proud of the effort. Falling short is obviously not what we intended, but this shows us that we can compete with anyone if we’re willing to do the work.”
Most of Lockport’s offense was generated by a duo who has made names for themselves in the back over the last few years.
Elkei moved juniors Hansen and Janeczek, both starters on defense since their freshman seasons, forward. Hansen was an All-State defender last season and Janeczek earned All-Sectional honors.
Monday, the pair alternated playing forward and center midfielder.
“We’re just trying to see what opportunities we can create and trying to be a little more dangerous and more dynamic,” Elkei said. “The girls in the back got another shutout without those two back there. So they’re doing a great job back there.”
Hansen is enjoying the change.
“My whole soccer career, travel and high school, I’ve been playing center defender,” she said. “I’ve always been thinking ‘Defense, defense, defense.’ Now, I really like going up and scoring goals. I’ve scored two goals since changing positions. and it’s a huge rush. I do miss the defensive aspect, because it’s kind of like home, but I’m having a lot of fun.”
Kordaczka, Hannion and Pikulski were up to the challenge on the backline, holding Stagg to just one shot on goal in 100 minutes.
“It’s a little different without Jamie and Brooke back there on defense, but we all get along and we all have confidence in each other back there,” Kordaczka said.
“It’s all about teamwork. We back each other up. We know no matter who’s back there, they’re each going to give it 110 percent.”
Pikulski has made a smooth adjustment to the backline after playing forward last year and through the first month of this season.
“Me and her basically switched positions,” Hansen said. “At first, we were kind of like ‘What’s going on?’ She’s doing a great job there, though. She knows how to get the ball out. She has confidence on the ball and she just knows what she’s doing all around.”
Elkei said his team’s depth, and the players’ personalities, makes it easy to move players around.
“This is the deepest team we’ve had in a long time,” he said. “These girls are just a lot of fun to be with, and they work hard all the time.”
Lockport will compete in the Tournament of Champions this weekend in Burlington, Iowa, before returning to the state for a conference showdown Tuesday at Sandburg.
Stagg, meanwhile, will see those same Eagles on Wednesday, and Castanon says they’ll go into the match with their District 230 rivals with a new sense of confidence.
“The Sandburg game is going to be a battle,” she said. “We beat them twice last year, so we know they’re going to come out with all they have. After the way we played (Monday), though, I know we have a good chance. For us to take Lockport to PKs, it just shows how tough we are and what we’re capable of.”
Starting lineups
Lockport
GK: Cassidy Henson
D: Sylvia Kordaczka
D: Madisyn Hannion
D: Lauren Pikulski
MF: Karlee Stortz
MF: Finley Travis
MF: Allison Polinski
MF: Jamie Hansen
MF: Stephanie Quigley
F: Brooke Janeczek
F: Allyson Fischer
Stagg
GK: Sydney Downs
D: Malak Halim
D: Danielle Golob
D: Grace Javaras
D: Emily Stefan
MF: Jamie Ryan
MF: Erin O’Leary
MF: Jazmin Castanon
MF: Angelina Kosmas
MF: Erini Kosmas
F: Veronika Stafira
MVP of the Match: Sylvia Kordaczka, D, Lockport
edges Stagg in shootout
Porters connect on all 7 tries, win battle of conference unbeatens
By Steve Millar
PALOS HILLS - Prior to Monday, Lockport’s game proficiency in penalty kicks had not been examined.
The Porters passed their first test with flying colors.
After a 0-0 tie in the run of play, seven Lockport players took kicks in a marathon shootout against Stagg. All seven executed to perfection, burying their shots inside a post or under the crossbar. The visiting Porters needed all of them as they outlasted Stagg 7-6 for a SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue Division win.
“We practice penalty kicks all the time and that really helps, but the most important thing is confidence,” Lockport junior Allison Polinski said. “We all go up there knowing we can put them in and that we can put them in the corner where the keeper can’t get them.”
Polinski delivered what proved to be the game-winner for the Porters (11-4-1, 4-0-0) with a line drive inside the post. The seventh shooter for Stagg (9-4-1, 3-1-0) fired high.
“I was excited and nervous at the same time,” Polinski said. “I went up there like ‘I’m going to put this in.’
“We want to win conference and keep moving forward, so we knew we had to win this one.”
Polinski capped a brilliant display by the Porters shooters. Brooke Janeczek and Stephanie Quigley buried shots under the crossbar while Lauren Pikulski, Madisyn Hannion, Jamie Hansen and Sylvia Kordaczka all fired lasers inside the left post.
Kordaczka, like Polinski, was not among the first five shooters selected for the Porters, but was ready to go when the shootout was extended.
“At first, I was really nervous,” she said, “but coach (Todd Elkei) instills a lot of confidence in us. When the moment comes, you have to be ready to take it and make it.”
Kordaczka, a junior defender who also contributed heavily to the Porters’ ninth shutout of the season, was recognized as Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match.
Grace Javaras, Danielle Golob, Erin O’Leary, Emily Stefan, Jazmin Castanon and Erini Kosmas scored in the shootout for Stagg.
Prior to penalty kicks, the match went mostly according to plan for the Chargers.
Stagg was out-possessed for most of the match, but hung in defensively and created several dangerous opportunities off counter attacks.
The Chargers came inches away from winning it in double overtime. Sophomore forward Veronika Stafira blew past a defender on a counter and went in alone on Lockport goalkeeper Cassidy Henson but fired her shot off the near post.
Stafira’s speed gave Lockport fits all day. She also got free on a breakaway with 10 minutes left in regulation, but fired wide.
“Veronika has such a bright future,” Stagg coach Chris Campos said. “She has so much potential. Teams have to worry about her speed. I’m so happy with her and her growth this year.”
Stagg goalkeeper Sydney Downs made four saves, but none were particularly challenging as the Chargers’ starting backline of Javaras, Golob, Stefan and Malak Halim played well and got help from their midfielders as Stagg was mostly content to pack it in and defend.
“We knew how dangerous Lockport was,” Campos said. “We had a plan we stuck with. We grinded it out, and we just fell a little short.
“The girls know what they’re capable of. I’m very proud of the effort. Falling short is obviously not what we intended, but this shows us that we can compete with anyone if we’re willing to do the work.”
Most of Lockport’s offense was generated by a duo who has made names for themselves in the back over the last few years.
Elkei moved juniors Hansen and Janeczek, both starters on defense since their freshman seasons, forward. Hansen was an All-State defender last season and Janeczek earned All-Sectional honors.
Monday, the pair alternated playing forward and center midfielder.
“We’re just trying to see what opportunities we can create and trying to be a little more dangerous and more dynamic,” Elkei said. “The girls in the back got another shutout without those two back there. So they’re doing a great job back there.”
Hansen is enjoying the change.
“My whole soccer career, travel and high school, I’ve been playing center defender,” she said. “I’ve always been thinking ‘Defense, defense, defense.’ Now, I really like going up and scoring goals. I’ve scored two goals since changing positions. and it’s a huge rush. I do miss the defensive aspect, because it’s kind of like home, but I’m having a lot of fun.”
Kordaczka, Hannion and Pikulski were up to the challenge on the backline, holding Stagg to just one shot on goal in 100 minutes.
“It’s a little different without Jamie and Brooke back there on defense, but we all get along and we all have confidence in each other back there,” Kordaczka said.
“It’s all about teamwork. We back each other up. We know no matter who’s back there, they’re each going to give it 110 percent.”
Pikulski has made a smooth adjustment to the backline after playing forward last year and through the first month of this season.
“Me and her basically switched positions,” Hansen said. “At first, we were kind of like ‘What’s going on?’ She’s doing a great job there, though. She knows how to get the ball out. She has confidence on the ball and she just knows what she’s doing all around.”
Elkei said his team’s depth, and the players’ personalities, makes it easy to move players around.
“This is the deepest team we’ve had in a long time,” he said. “These girls are just a lot of fun to be with, and they work hard all the time.”
Lockport will compete in the Tournament of Champions this weekend in Burlington, Iowa, before returning to the state for a conference showdown Tuesday at Sandburg.
Stagg, meanwhile, will see those same Eagles on Wednesday, and Castanon says they’ll go into the match with their District 230 rivals with a new sense of confidence.
“The Sandburg game is going to be a battle,” she said. “We beat them twice last year, so we know they’re going to come out with all they have. After the way we played (Monday), though, I know we have a good chance. For us to take Lockport to PKs, it just shows how tough we are and what we’re capable of.”
Starting lineups
Lockport
GK: Cassidy Henson
D: Sylvia Kordaczka
D: Madisyn Hannion
D: Lauren Pikulski
MF: Karlee Stortz
MF: Finley Travis
MF: Allison Polinski
MF: Jamie Hansen
MF: Stephanie Quigley
F: Brooke Janeczek
F: Allyson Fischer
Stagg
GK: Sydney Downs
D: Malak Halim
D: Danielle Golob
D: Grace Javaras
D: Emily Stefan
MF: Jamie Ryan
MF: Erin O’Leary
MF: Jazmin Castanon
MF: Angelina Kosmas
MF: Erini Kosmas
F: Veronika Stafira
MVP of the Match: Sylvia Kordaczka, D, Lockport
