Lincoln-Way East gets the bounce, Glenbard East gets bounced
LWE prevails again in Windy City Ram Classic rivalry
By Matt Le Cren
LOMBARD – Lincoln-Way East's Emily Scianna didn’t expect the ball to bounce her way.
That was understandable considering few balls were bouncing anyone’s way in Tuesday’s opening round game of the Windy City Ram Classic between the Griffins and Glenbard East.
But Anna Power’s strong throw-in from deep on the left wing did bounce, twice in fact. Then it found the wide-open Scianna, whose short shot with 4:25 remaining in the second half produced the only goal in Lincoln-Way East’s 1-0 victory.
“I heard coach (Brian Papa) say, ‘Emily, get [on the] back six,’ and I just ran right there and here came the ball,” Scianna said. “I was not expecting it to come exactly to me, but it did.”
Scianna’s 10th career goal came on one of the few quality chances either side had in the classic defensive struggle.
“It hit off my chest and then bounced once and then (I took) a little (touch),” Scianna said. “I just did what I know to do and put the ball in the back of the net.”
Doing so was easier said than done as the two squads combined for just eight shots, five of which were on frame. Glenbard East goalkeeper Sierra Dana and her Lincoln-Way East counterpart, freshman Peyton Vechiet, each made two saves and their defenses did the rest.
“Our goalie really came through,” Scianna said. “She’s a freshman so it was her first varsity game as a Griffin, and it was amazing.
“Our defense all-around was just great. Everybody just played defense as best as they could, and that’s what it all comes down to.”
Indeed, the Griffins’ defense was so stifling, Glenbard East star striker Brittany Paganucci was held without a shot and Holly Ward, the Rams’ second-leading scorer in 2015, had just one attempt.
The backline of Emily Bicek, Lauren Sandburg, Jade Christensen and Hanna Dawczak combined with holding midfielders Stefani Cetera and Caroline Kilrea to cut off nearly every through-ball and block several would-be shots.
“(Sandberg) in the back is very strong and fast,” Glenbard East coach Kent Overbey said. “Brittany is usually the fastest player on the field and that girl, we just couldn’t get behind her.
“Then we missed some shots when we did get chances. We just couldn’t get on the end of them.”
Paganucci was swarmed by defenders whenever she got the ball, which wasn’t often in places that were dangerous. Her best early chance came with 11:30 left in the first half when fellow senior Taylor Ray sprung her into the box with a lead pass, but Bicek rubbed her off the ball.
Early in the second half, Sammie Sarles sent a 51-yard free kick into the box but it bounced over the head of Paganucci as she tried to head it.
“Definitely talking and communicating with one another (was the key),” Cetera said. “(You have to) stay together and make sure you’re in the right position at the right time.”
The Rams can testify that the Griffins did exactly that.
“It almost seemed like they were doubling Brittany at times,” Glenbard East midfielder Amanda Chlebek said. “But she did get a couple crosses off, and we just couldn’t finish them through the back.”
Paganucci was most dangerous when she crossed from the end line. The most promising chance came with 18:10 to go in the second half when her serve from the right side just missed the head of a diving Dana Plotke in front.
Freshman Amy Chiero tracked the ball down for the Rams but her shot was rejected by Dawczak.
Less than a minute later, Vechiet made the save of the game, diving to her left to knock away Sarles’ 30-yard rocket.
Sarles tried to break through again at the 14:40 mark, but her 45-yard free kick was blocked in front and Elizabeth Toledo’s rebound met a similar fate thanks to Christensen.
The Rams had one last chance in the final minute when Sarles sent a long high ball from the right wing that found Plotke open on the back post, but Plotke’s shot from seven yards out missed the left post with 47 seconds remaining.
“Were we the better team? No,” said Papa, who will retire at the end of the school year. “We were kind of our own enemy at times.
“We were losing the ball when we got it in great position. We corrected it in the second half. But our legs weren’t there, and they were coming at us.
“I told the girls you bent but you didn’t break. Then we got the one break, and we made them pay.”
The Griffins know they owe the victory to their defense.
“You can’t say enough about our middle people,” Papa said. “They played hard and strong.
“Stefani was playing against (Chlebek), who is four inches taller than her. We were very fortunate that we came away with a victory, but that’s one game. Both teams are going to be better down the road.”
Everybody seemed to be in agreement on that.
“It was our first game of the season, and this is our new team,” said Glenbard East's Chlebek. “We’ve got to just keep working hard.
“I think our passes worked really well, ... if we could just keep our passes on the ground. It was really windy so that was probably a factor, but we were really strong in the air.
“I think our communication was a lot better the second half, so I think we just need to learn more about each other as players because we do have one freshman and a couple sophomores and a lot of juniors. We’re really excited for the rest of the season.”
So, too, are the Griffins, who topped Glenbard East in the tournament final last spring and kept their defense of the tournament championship alive.
“It’s definitely a confidence-booster,” Cetera said. “It puts us in the winners' bracket, so we’re looking to win the whole thing again.
“Since it’s Papa’s last year, we want to make it a great season for him and for the team.”
Starting line-ups
Lincoln-Way East
GK: Peyton Vechiet
D: Emily Bicek
D: Lauren Sandberg
D: Jade Christensen
D Hanna Dawczak
MF: Stefani Cetera
MF: Caroline Kilrea
MF: Kelsey Scholfield
MF: Anna Power
F: Emily Scianna
F: Stephanie Zobel
Glenbard East
GK: Sierra Dana
D: Paige Taylor
D: Katie Hansen
D: Genevieve Severini
MF: Amy Chiero
MF: Holly Ward
MF: Amanda Chlebek
MF: Sammie Sarles
F: Brittany Paganucci
F: Elizabeth Toledo
F: Dana Plotke
MVP of the Match: Stefani Cetera, MF, Lincoln-Way East
LWE prevails again in Windy City Ram Classic rivalry
By Matt Le Cren
LOMBARD – Lincoln-Way East's Emily Scianna didn’t expect the ball to bounce her way.
That was understandable considering few balls were bouncing anyone’s way in Tuesday’s opening round game of the Windy City Ram Classic between the Griffins and Glenbard East.
But Anna Power’s strong throw-in from deep on the left wing did bounce, twice in fact. Then it found the wide-open Scianna, whose short shot with 4:25 remaining in the second half produced the only goal in Lincoln-Way East’s 1-0 victory.
“I heard coach (Brian Papa) say, ‘Emily, get [on the] back six,’ and I just ran right there and here came the ball,” Scianna said. “I was not expecting it to come exactly to me, but it did.”
Scianna’s 10th career goal came on one of the few quality chances either side had in the classic defensive struggle.
“It hit off my chest and then bounced once and then (I took) a little (touch),” Scianna said. “I just did what I know to do and put the ball in the back of the net.”
Doing so was easier said than done as the two squads combined for just eight shots, five of which were on frame. Glenbard East goalkeeper Sierra Dana and her Lincoln-Way East counterpart, freshman Peyton Vechiet, each made two saves and their defenses did the rest.
“Our goalie really came through,” Scianna said. “She’s a freshman so it was her first varsity game as a Griffin, and it was amazing.
“Our defense all-around was just great. Everybody just played defense as best as they could, and that’s what it all comes down to.”
Indeed, the Griffins’ defense was so stifling, Glenbard East star striker Brittany Paganucci was held without a shot and Holly Ward, the Rams’ second-leading scorer in 2015, had just one attempt.
The backline of Emily Bicek, Lauren Sandburg, Jade Christensen and Hanna Dawczak combined with holding midfielders Stefani Cetera and Caroline Kilrea to cut off nearly every through-ball and block several would-be shots.
“(Sandberg) in the back is very strong and fast,” Glenbard East coach Kent Overbey said. “Brittany is usually the fastest player on the field and that girl, we just couldn’t get behind her.
“Then we missed some shots when we did get chances. We just couldn’t get on the end of them.”
Paganucci was swarmed by defenders whenever she got the ball, which wasn’t often in places that were dangerous. Her best early chance came with 11:30 left in the first half when fellow senior Taylor Ray sprung her into the box with a lead pass, but Bicek rubbed her off the ball.
Early in the second half, Sammie Sarles sent a 51-yard free kick into the box but it bounced over the head of Paganucci as she tried to head it.
“Definitely talking and communicating with one another (was the key),” Cetera said. “(You have to) stay together and make sure you’re in the right position at the right time.”
The Rams can testify that the Griffins did exactly that.
“It almost seemed like they were doubling Brittany at times,” Glenbard East midfielder Amanda Chlebek said. “But she did get a couple crosses off, and we just couldn’t finish them through the back.”
Paganucci was most dangerous when she crossed from the end line. The most promising chance came with 18:10 to go in the second half when her serve from the right side just missed the head of a diving Dana Plotke in front.
Freshman Amy Chiero tracked the ball down for the Rams but her shot was rejected by Dawczak.
Less than a minute later, Vechiet made the save of the game, diving to her left to knock away Sarles’ 30-yard rocket.
Sarles tried to break through again at the 14:40 mark, but her 45-yard free kick was blocked in front and Elizabeth Toledo’s rebound met a similar fate thanks to Christensen.
The Rams had one last chance in the final minute when Sarles sent a long high ball from the right wing that found Plotke open on the back post, but Plotke’s shot from seven yards out missed the left post with 47 seconds remaining.
“Were we the better team? No,” said Papa, who will retire at the end of the school year. “We were kind of our own enemy at times.
“We were losing the ball when we got it in great position. We corrected it in the second half. But our legs weren’t there, and they were coming at us.
“I told the girls you bent but you didn’t break. Then we got the one break, and we made them pay.”
The Griffins know they owe the victory to their defense.
“You can’t say enough about our middle people,” Papa said. “They played hard and strong.
“Stefani was playing against (Chlebek), who is four inches taller than her. We were very fortunate that we came away with a victory, but that’s one game. Both teams are going to be better down the road.”
Everybody seemed to be in agreement on that.
“It was our first game of the season, and this is our new team,” said Glenbard East's Chlebek. “We’ve got to just keep working hard.
“I think our passes worked really well, ... if we could just keep our passes on the ground. It was really windy so that was probably a factor, but we were really strong in the air.
“I think our communication was a lot better the second half, so I think we just need to learn more about each other as players because we do have one freshman and a couple sophomores and a lot of juniors. We’re really excited for the rest of the season.”
So, too, are the Griffins, who topped Glenbard East in the tournament final last spring and kept their defense of the tournament championship alive.
“It’s definitely a confidence-booster,” Cetera said. “It puts us in the winners' bracket, so we’re looking to win the whole thing again.
“Since it’s Papa’s last year, we want to make it a great season for him and for the team.”
Starting line-ups
Lincoln-Way East
GK: Peyton Vechiet
D: Emily Bicek
D: Lauren Sandberg
D: Jade Christensen
D Hanna Dawczak
MF: Stefani Cetera
MF: Caroline Kilrea
MF: Kelsey Scholfield
MF: Anna Power
F: Emily Scianna
F: Stephanie Zobel
Glenbard East
GK: Sierra Dana
D: Paige Taylor
D: Katie Hansen
D: Genevieve Severini
MF: Amy Chiero
MF: Holly Ward
MF: Amanda Chlebek
MF: Sammie Sarles
F: Brittany Paganucci
F: Elizabeth Toledo
F: Dana Plotke
MVP of the Match: Stefani Cetera, MF, Lincoln-Way East