Song remains the same for
unlucky Plainfield S. against Oswego
After hot start, Cougars mired in 5-game losing streak
By Dave Owen
PLAINFIELD - The song says "The answer is blowin' in the wind."
But for the Plainfield South soccer team Tuesday, Bob Dylan’s lyric would have to replace “the answer” with frustration.
With a gusting flatlands wind at its back, visiting Oswego (7-2-2, 4-0-0) scored twice in the first 22 minutes.
Then with the wind in its favor for the final 40 minutes, Plainfield South (5-6-0, 2-1-0) endured an incredible series of near misses in a variety of unlikely ways en route to a 3-0 Southwestern Prairie Conference loss.
The bad fortune of a handball in the box produced a penalty kick for Oswego’s third goal with 32:13 left in the match. And at the other end of the field, Plainfield South’s lack of luck was infinite.
“We had a corner that looked like it went in from our vantage point, a few scrambles in front of the goal where it gets nicked out of the way or a shot into somebody’s back,” Cougars coach David Brown said. “But that’s the game of soccer.”
The wave of near-misses was a tribute both to tough luck, and extra effort by Oswego’s defense.
“You talk about Plainfield South knocking on the door,” Oswego coach Kelsey Champion said. “We made a couple nice saves by field players, by goalies. We had a couple different players saving goals out there today, but whatever gets the job done.”
Lindsey Bond had the first big chance of the second half for the Cougars with 32:50 left, as her burst in on right wing produced an 8-yard drive. But Oswego goalkeeper Madison Lockard made the initial save, and defender Morgan Brown blocked a rebound try.
Adding to the frustration, the handball call at the upper edge of the box less than a minute later set up a PK goal by Oswego’s Abby Grzetic that made the score 3-0 and quieted the Cougar momentum.
That PK score followed what had been a rough first half for the hosts.
“I don’t know if we came out with the right mindset in the first half going into the wind,” Brown said. “We were getting a little outhustled to 50/50 balls, not connecting passes as sharply as we can and playing a little tentative.
“In the second half we fought to get back in the game, but there was an unfortunate call on the PK. Some refs are going to call a handball, some will call no real intent there and play on. Today it was a PK, and they scored.
“One thing is that we didn’t give up down 3-0. We created six, seven or eight good chances, and if we put one or two away it’s a different game.”
How they didn’t put at least one away defied the odds any casino could give.
Millimeters separated Shelby Bishop from an amazing corner kick goal with 25:20 left.
Bishop’s restart from the right corner curled over the goalkeeper’s head and seemed destined for a spot inside the left post. But Oswego’s Melissa Kasper came up huge, making a great midair block with the back of her leg to clear the would-be goal off the line.
Gianna Dodaro followed two minutes later with a 35-yard shot on goal. Then left of the box with 18:40 to go, Isabel Conrath’s shot was blocked by Brown – and Angela Corcoran lined a 15-yard rebound just wide.
Plainfield South appeared to finally get the break it needed with 11:15 left, when a Nirchi and Taylor Metcalf attack led to an illegal pass in the box from an Oswego defender to the goalkeeper.
A rare indirect kick just outside the crease followed, as did another near miss.
Nirchi sent a short pass to Bishop, whose 8-yard drive was blocked by the Lockard’s point blank kick save. Conrath’s 20-yard rebound try was then caught by the netminder.
Plainfield South’s second half confidence in a comeback came from experience earlier this year.
“We played Oswego East and we were down 4-1 in the first half,” Bishop said. “We came back to tie it in the second half, and then I scored the winning goal in overtime (to win 6-5).
“In the beginning of the season we were down in the first half like that a few games and managed to come back, so we were hoping to do the same today. Obviously it didn’t go our way.”
But the Cougars’ fighting spirit never let up. With 7:40 left, Conrath drove a 20-yard shot just wide of the left post. Then with 1:20 to play, Nirchi’s shot off a Gianna Dodaro pass was denied by goalkeeper Lockard.
“When we play well, it’s a team effort,” Brown said. “Gianna Dodaro has been great for us offensively. We move her around to forward, wing, center mid, just kind of getting her the ball.
“And I thought Lindsey Bond played well today on the left side, causing them a lot of problems down the left wing.”
The win dropped Plainfield South out of a quartet of conference teams with one loss. Minooka, Oswego and Plainfield North remain in the group through games of April 19.
Oswego caused first half problems for the Cougars, going up 1-0 in the 14th minute as Jordyn Schoen headed in a cross from Brianna Welch.
That lead grew to 2-0 with 18:14 left in the half, when Grzetic’s corner kick into a scrum in front of the net was punched in by Oswego’s Kaylee Zimbelmann.
Between wind conditions, adjusting to a natural grass field and playing on the road, Oswego had plenty of reasons to be happy early on.
“We’re trying to move towards being a more aggressive team, to come out and score early as much as we can,” Champion said.
“The wind was definitely a factor. We got off the bus, and it was kind of windy. By the first half starting it’s windier, and by the second half even windier. But I thought we played a good game and we connected well.
“It’s a thin field here, a lot smaller than our field,” Champion added, “and that’s something we always adjust to. And we were just on turf for three days so we adjusted back to grass. But other than that it was a good overall game for our team.
“I thought Morgan Brown was spectacular. Abby Grzetic with a goal and an assist, you can’t say that’s a bad day. And Kaylee Zimbelmann has been playing out of her mind.”
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match Grzetic was happy her team could ride the wind early on.
“In the first half (the wind) was a blessing,” said Grzetic. “I’m glad we got those first two in.
“The second half took us a bit by surprise – I think the wind picked up a little bit. But our defense held super strong. We had a couple mess-ups, but we were able to clear the ball when needed.”
The tough-luck day continued a rough stretch for Plainfield South, which had raced off to a 5-1-0 start this season.
“Last week at the Pepsi Tournament we went 0-4, a long week for us,” Brown said. “We have a couple injuries and are a little banged up, so we’re trying to get our footing back.
“Oswego’s a good team. We knew we had to play close to our vest to beat them, and we made too many mistakes to come out of here with a W.”
Senior standout Corcoran (whose five goals tie Nirchi for the team lead) expects the good times to return soon for the Cougars.
“I feel like we started off strong, then for a few games we haven’t been as sharp,” Corcoran said. “But I feel like we’re going to pick it up.”
Said Brown: “We just have to bring the right attitude, the right mentality and work ethic. We’re not going to win many games if we’re getting outworked. That’s where we set the bar.”
Oswego’s impressive win Tuesday raises the bar for their side, as they fought off a Plainfield South team that scored 19 goals in one four-game stretch earlier this season.
“I definitely think going forward this win helps a lot,” Grzetic said. “Especially getting a shutout – they’ve been able to score a lot on other good teams in our conference. So I think in seeding for playoffs we’re going to be in a good spot.”
Starting lineups:
Oswego:
GK: Madison Lockard
D: Hannah Caruso
D: Carissa Brown
D: Morgan Brown
D: Jordyn Schoen
MF: Erin Marchert
MF: Margaret Pagone
MF: Abby Grzetic
MF: Riley Parker
F: Melissa Kasper
F-Kaylee Zimbelmann
Plainfield South:
GK: Nicole Trenholm
D: Madison Ourada
D: Ciara Coneset
D: Adanelly Escamilla
D: Shelby Bishop
MF: Angela Corcoran
MF: Isabel Conrath
MF: Lindsey Bond
MF: Gianna Dodaro
F: Taylor Metcalf
F: Miranda Nirchi
MVP of the Match: Abby Grzetic, Oswego
unlucky Plainfield S. against Oswego
After hot start, Cougars mired in 5-game losing streak
By Dave Owen
PLAINFIELD - The song says "The answer is blowin' in the wind."
But for the Plainfield South soccer team Tuesday, Bob Dylan’s lyric would have to replace “the answer” with frustration.
With a gusting flatlands wind at its back, visiting Oswego (7-2-2, 4-0-0) scored twice in the first 22 minutes.
Then with the wind in its favor for the final 40 minutes, Plainfield South (5-6-0, 2-1-0) endured an incredible series of near misses in a variety of unlikely ways en route to a 3-0 Southwestern Prairie Conference loss.
The bad fortune of a handball in the box produced a penalty kick for Oswego’s third goal with 32:13 left in the match. And at the other end of the field, Plainfield South’s lack of luck was infinite.
“We had a corner that looked like it went in from our vantage point, a few scrambles in front of the goal where it gets nicked out of the way or a shot into somebody’s back,” Cougars coach David Brown said. “But that’s the game of soccer.”
The wave of near-misses was a tribute both to tough luck, and extra effort by Oswego’s defense.
“You talk about Plainfield South knocking on the door,” Oswego coach Kelsey Champion said. “We made a couple nice saves by field players, by goalies. We had a couple different players saving goals out there today, but whatever gets the job done.”
Lindsey Bond had the first big chance of the second half for the Cougars with 32:50 left, as her burst in on right wing produced an 8-yard drive. But Oswego goalkeeper Madison Lockard made the initial save, and defender Morgan Brown blocked a rebound try.
Adding to the frustration, the handball call at the upper edge of the box less than a minute later set up a PK goal by Oswego’s Abby Grzetic that made the score 3-0 and quieted the Cougar momentum.
That PK score followed what had been a rough first half for the hosts.
“I don’t know if we came out with the right mindset in the first half going into the wind,” Brown said. “We were getting a little outhustled to 50/50 balls, not connecting passes as sharply as we can and playing a little tentative.
“In the second half we fought to get back in the game, but there was an unfortunate call on the PK. Some refs are going to call a handball, some will call no real intent there and play on. Today it was a PK, and they scored.
“One thing is that we didn’t give up down 3-0. We created six, seven or eight good chances, and if we put one or two away it’s a different game.”
How they didn’t put at least one away defied the odds any casino could give.
Millimeters separated Shelby Bishop from an amazing corner kick goal with 25:20 left.
Bishop’s restart from the right corner curled over the goalkeeper’s head and seemed destined for a spot inside the left post. But Oswego’s Melissa Kasper came up huge, making a great midair block with the back of her leg to clear the would-be goal off the line.
Gianna Dodaro followed two minutes later with a 35-yard shot on goal. Then left of the box with 18:40 to go, Isabel Conrath’s shot was blocked by Brown – and Angela Corcoran lined a 15-yard rebound just wide.
Plainfield South appeared to finally get the break it needed with 11:15 left, when a Nirchi and Taylor Metcalf attack led to an illegal pass in the box from an Oswego defender to the goalkeeper.
A rare indirect kick just outside the crease followed, as did another near miss.
Nirchi sent a short pass to Bishop, whose 8-yard drive was blocked by the Lockard’s point blank kick save. Conrath’s 20-yard rebound try was then caught by the netminder.
Plainfield South’s second half confidence in a comeback came from experience earlier this year.
“We played Oswego East and we were down 4-1 in the first half,” Bishop said. “We came back to tie it in the second half, and then I scored the winning goal in overtime (to win 6-5).
“In the beginning of the season we were down in the first half like that a few games and managed to come back, so we were hoping to do the same today. Obviously it didn’t go our way.”
But the Cougars’ fighting spirit never let up. With 7:40 left, Conrath drove a 20-yard shot just wide of the left post. Then with 1:20 to play, Nirchi’s shot off a Gianna Dodaro pass was denied by goalkeeper Lockard.
“When we play well, it’s a team effort,” Brown said. “Gianna Dodaro has been great for us offensively. We move her around to forward, wing, center mid, just kind of getting her the ball.
“And I thought Lindsey Bond played well today on the left side, causing them a lot of problems down the left wing.”
The win dropped Plainfield South out of a quartet of conference teams with one loss. Minooka, Oswego and Plainfield North remain in the group through games of April 19.
Oswego caused first half problems for the Cougars, going up 1-0 in the 14th minute as Jordyn Schoen headed in a cross from Brianna Welch.
That lead grew to 2-0 with 18:14 left in the half, when Grzetic’s corner kick into a scrum in front of the net was punched in by Oswego’s Kaylee Zimbelmann.
Between wind conditions, adjusting to a natural grass field and playing on the road, Oswego had plenty of reasons to be happy early on.
“We’re trying to move towards being a more aggressive team, to come out and score early as much as we can,” Champion said.
“The wind was definitely a factor. We got off the bus, and it was kind of windy. By the first half starting it’s windier, and by the second half even windier. But I thought we played a good game and we connected well.
“It’s a thin field here, a lot smaller than our field,” Champion added, “and that’s something we always adjust to. And we were just on turf for three days so we adjusted back to grass. But other than that it was a good overall game for our team.
“I thought Morgan Brown was spectacular. Abby Grzetic with a goal and an assist, you can’t say that’s a bad day. And Kaylee Zimbelmann has been playing out of her mind.”
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match Grzetic was happy her team could ride the wind early on.
“In the first half (the wind) was a blessing,” said Grzetic. “I’m glad we got those first two in.
“The second half took us a bit by surprise – I think the wind picked up a little bit. But our defense held super strong. We had a couple mess-ups, but we were able to clear the ball when needed.”
The tough-luck day continued a rough stretch for Plainfield South, which had raced off to a 5-1-0 start this season.
“Last week at the Pepsi Tournament we went 0-4, a long week for us,” Brown said. “We have a couple injuries and are a little banged up, so we’re trying to get our footing back.
“Oswego’s a good team. We knew we had to play close to our vest to beat them, and we made too many mistakes to come out of here with a W.”
Senior standout Corcoran (whose five goals tie Nirchi for the team lead) expects the good times to return soon for the Cougars.
“I feel like we started off strong, then for a few games we haven’t been as sharp,” Corcoran said. “But I feel like we’re going to pick it up.”
Said Brown: “We just have to bring the right attitude, the right mentality and work ethic. We’re not going to win many games if we’re getting outworked. That’s where we set the bar.”
Oswego’s impressive win Tuesday raises the bar for their side, as they fought off a Plainfield South team that scored 19 goals in one four-game stretch earlier this season.
“I definitely think going forward this win helps a lot,” Grzetic said. “Especially getting a shutout – they’ve been able to score a lot on other good teams in our conference. So I think in seeding for playoffs we’re going to be in a good spot.”
Starting lineups:
Oswego:
GK: Madison Lockard
D: Hannah Caruso
D: Carissa Brown
D: Morgan Brown
D: Jordyn Schoen
MF: Erin Marchert
MF: Margaret Pagone
MF: Abby Grzetic
MF: Riley Parker
F: Melissa Kasper
F-Kaylee Zimbelmann
Plainfield South:
GK: Nicole Trenholm
D: Madison Ourada
D: Ciara Coneset
D: Adanelly Escamilla
D: Shelby Bishop
MF: Angela Corcoran
MF: Isabel Conrath
MF: Lindsey Bond
MF: Gianna Dodaro
F: Taylor Metcalf
F: Miranda Nirchi
MVP of the Match: Abby Grzetic, Oswego
