Palatine sets pace, rolls
past Hoffman Estates
Cora Jacobsen leads way with 3 assists
By Patrick Z. McGavin
HOFFMAN ESTATES — Nothing surpasses the beauty and grace of a perfectly executed corner. The best have an alchemy between all the moving parts: the server and those inside the box who time their runs just right.
Palatine had been searching for that connection in vain.
“In our last three games, against Hersey, Viator and Burlington Central, we had 37 corners, and I think we came close on one of them,” Palatine coach Willie Filian said.
The time and patience finally paid off.
Palatine exploded for all its scoring in the first half as the Pirates high pressure created constant corner opportunities that resulted in three headers in the impressive 4-1 Mid-Suburban League road victory Monday night.
Palatine (8-6-3, 5-3-1) took charge by scoring three goals during a six-minute blitz.
Senior defender Cora Jacobsen assisted all three goals. She turned the practice of serving the ball into a mesmerizing art. It all connected, and she earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match distinction for her contributions.
“It really helps when our forwards and midfielders keep up the high pressure and give me the opportunities to take corners,” Jacobsen said. “We work on set-pieces a lot in practice. We can get the ball and judge where I place it. I usually place it in the same spot, so that my team can run there.
“They don’t have to judge it as I kick it.”
Palatine’s aggressive and fluid style was established right at the start. Defender Kaitlyn Strauss hammered a ball from just outside the top of the box. It sailed over the crossbar, but her and the Pirates point was emphasized. They were going to dictate tempo, work to control possession and deny Hoffman Estates any real chance to get out of its own end.
“We were trying to keep them in their half because we were pressuring them and trying to send balls over the top, and they would not be able to get out,” junior defender/midfielder Mackenzie Filian said. “We just tried to press and not let them out for as long as possible and not give them any real opportunities.”
Hoffman Estates (5-8-0, 3-6-0) has some quality players. Natalie Nagrant recorded a hat trick in the Hawks’ previous game. Forward Michelle Montes de Oca is also very dangerous in space.
Palatine never really gave them an opportunity to breathe. The Pirates intense pressure generated six corner-kicks in the first half. Jacobsen and Mackenzie Filian alternated, but Mackenzie Filian is too dangerous in the box.
The two hooked up on the Pirates’ first goal. Serving from the left corner, Jacobsen drilled a ball that Mackenzie Filian broke on perfectly and timed her run for the header inside the near post in the 19th minute.
“Cora had one before that was really good that I didn’t judge well enough,” Mackenzie Filian said. “The next one she was going to put in a similar spot, and I was going to read it better, and I tried to go as aggressive as I could.”
The strong play only emboldened the Pirates to sustain their attack. In the 22nd minute, Palatine generated five-consecutive point-blank shots -- two brilliantly saved by Hawks’ keeper Frankie Van, another that hit off the crossbar and one cleared by a defender.
The other was cleaned up by freshman midfielder Jamie Henning, who gave Palatine the 2-0 lead.
“We talked before the game that we had all of these set-pieces in our last couple of games, and we were not able to get on the end of most of them,” Mackenzie Filian said. “This game we really emphasized on trying to get on the end of as many as possible. We also wanted to get the early lead. We knew they had some good players, so we wanted to have a lead, so that if we gave up a goal on a counter or something we’d still be safe.”
Sophomore midfielder Kacie Filian got into the act in the 25th minute with her own header, with Jacobsen again delivering the ball, this time from the left wing. The frustration of past games had fully dissipated.
“Cora played some beautiful balls into the upper six,” Kacie Filian said. “That’s usually where my run ends, and I made I capitalized on them. I knew the other team was playing some good balls, and we wanted to cut them off and pressure them, especially in the midfield, because that made it easier for us to press and not let them out of their own half. And that led to more corner-kicks.”
Hoffman Estates cut the margin to 3-1 as forward Ena Sabanagic drove the left edge, got to the corner and served the ball to Montes de Oca. She controlled the ball and turned and fired for an impressive goal of her own. It was the highlight for the Hawks.
Kacie Filian vanquished any hope of a comeback with her second header goal in the 39th minute.
She missed seeing the ball go in after she was clipped from behind.
“Once they got that goal against us, they had the momentum for about 10 more minutes because we let one of their better players slip in behind us,” Kacie Filian said.
“We made sure to get ourselves gathered up again and score another goal.”
The game was an ideal expression of the emotional fabric of the Pirates. The Filian sisters, playing for their father, combined for three goals. Cora Jacobsen, the older sister of sophomore midfielder Anja Jacobsen, was the facilitator.
“I really enjoy playing with my sister,” Cora Jacobsen said. “Sometime in (Celtic) club she will play with my team but to get a chance to play a whole season with her and connect and playing with two other sisters and have this bond that everybody shares is really special.”
Willie Filian saw the breakout effort he had been calmly waiting on.
“That’s how I like to see us play: more defensively, stepping in and keeping them in,” Filian said.
The Hawks had been a thorn in the Pirates’ side in recent years, especially in Hoffman Estates.
“Even when they have struggled, every time we come here they find a way get a point off of us or even beat us,” he said. “Tonight we were really solid and organized.”
Starting line-ups
Palatine
GK: Amaya Rivera
D: Cora Jacobsen
D: Kaitlyn Strauss
D: Mackenzie Filian
MF: Jamie Henning
MF: Anja Jacobsen
MF: Sarah Clancy
MF: Sarah Jasonowicz
MF: Kacie Filian
F: Kendall Kane
F: Marissa Glaviano
Hoffman Estates
GK: Frankie Van
D: Emma Lunak
D: Payton Badziong
D: Jennie Nailor
D: Becca Salerno
MF: Anna Sall
MF: Molly Salerno
MF: Bella Alansari
MF: Ena Sabanagic
F: Michelle Montes de Oca
F: Natalie Nagrant
MVP of the Match: Cora Jacobsen, D, Palatine
past Hoffman Estates
Cora Jacobsen leads way with 3 assists
By Patrick Z. McGavin
HOFFMAN ESTATES — Nothing surpasses the beauty and grace of a perfectly executed corner. The best have an alchemy between all the moving parts: the server and those inside the box who time their runs just right.
Palatine had been searching for that connection in vain.
“In our last three games, against Hersey, Viator and Burlington Central, we had 37 corners, and I think we came close on one of them,” Palatine coach Willie Filian said.
The time and patience finally paid off.
Palatine exploded for all its scoring in the first half as the Pirates high pressure created constant corner opportunities that resulted in three headers in the impressive 4-1 Mid-Suburban League road victory Monday night.
Palatine (8-6-3, 5-3-1) took charge by scoring three goals during a six-minute blitz.
Senior defender Cora Jacobsen assisted all three goals. She turned the practice of serving the ball into a mesmerizing art. It all connected, and she earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match distinction for her contributions.
“It really helps when our forwards and midfielders keep up the high pressure and give me the opportunities to take corners,” Jacobsen said. “We work on set-pieces a lot in practice. We can get the ball and judge where I place it. I usually place it in the same spot, so that my team can run there.
“They don’t have to judge it as I kick it.”
Palatine’s aggressive and fluid style was established right at the start. Defender Kaitlyn Strauss hammered a ball from just outside the top of the box. It sailed over the crossbar, but her and the Pirates point was emphasized. They were going to dictate tempo, work to control possession and deny Hoffman Estates any real chance to get out of its own end.
“We were trying to keep them in their half because we were pressuring them and trying to send balls over the top, and they would not be able to get out,” junior defender/midfielder Mackenzie Filian said. “We just tried to press and not let them out for as long as possible and not give them any real opportunities.”
Hoffman Estates (5-8-0, 3-6-0) has some quality players. Natalie Nagrant recorded a hat trick in the Hawks’ previous game. Forward Michelle Montes de Oca is also very dangerous in space.
Palatine never really gave them an opportunity to breathe. The Pirates intense pressure generated six corner-kicks in the first half. Jacobsen and Mackenzie Filian alternated, but Mackenzie Filian is too dangerous in the box.
The two hooked up on the Pirates’ first goal. Serving from the left corner, Jacobsen drilled a ball that Mackenzie Filian broke on perfectly and timed her run for the header inside the near post in the 19th minute.
“Cora had one before that was really good that I didn’t judge well enough,” Mackenzie Filian said. “The next one she was going to put in a similar spot, and I was going to read it better, and I tried to go as aggressive as I could.”
The strong play only emboldened the Pirates to sustain their attack. In the 22nd minute, Palatine generated five-consecutive point-blank shots -- two brilliantly saved by Hawks’ keeper Frankie Van, another that hit off the crossbar and one cleared by a defender.
The other was cleaned up by freshman midfielder Jamie Henning, who gave Palatine the 2-0 lead.
“We talked before the game that we had all of these set-pieces in our last couple of games, and we were not able to get on the end of most of them,” Mackenzie Filian said. “This game we really emphasized on trying to get on the end of as many as possible. We also wanted to get the early lead. We knew they had some good players, so we wanted to have a lead, so that if we gave up a goal on a counter or something we’d still be safe.”
Sophomore midfielder Kacie Filian got into the act in the 25th minute with her own header, with Jacobsen again delivering the ball, this time from the left wing. The frustration of past games had fully dissipated.
“Cora played some beautiful balls into the upper six,” Kacie Filian said. “That’s usually where my run ends, and I made I capitalized on them. I knew the other team was playing some good balls, and we wanted to cut them off and pressure them, especially in the midfield, because that made it easier for us to press and not let them out of their own half. And that led to more corner-kicks.”
Hoffman Estates cut the margin to 3-1 as forward Ena Sabanagic drove the left edge, got to the corner and served the ball to Montes de Oca. She controlled the ball and turned and fired for an impressive goal of her own. It was the highlight for the Hawks.
Kacie Filian vanquished any hope of a comeback with her second header goal in the 39th minute.
She missed seeing the ball go in after she was clipped from behind.
“Once they got that goal against us, they had the momentum for about 10 more minutes because we let one of their better players slip in behind us,” Kacie Filian said.
“We made sure to get ourselves gathered up again and score another goal.”
The game was an ideal expression of the emotional fabric of the Pirates. The Filian sisters, playing for their father, combined for three goals. Cora Jacobsen, the older sister of sophomore midfielder Anja Jacobsen, was the facilitator.
“I really enjoy playing with my sister,” Cora Jacobsen said. “Sometime in (Celtic) club she will play with my team but to get a chance to play a whole season with her and connect and playing with two other sisters and have this bond that everybody shares is really special.”
Willie Filian saw the breakout effort he had been calmly waiting on.
“That’s how I like to see us play: more defensively, stepping in and keeping them in,” Filian said.
The Hawks had been a thorn in the Pirates’ side in recent years, especially in Hoffman Estates.
“Even when they have struggled, every time we come here they find a way get a point off of us or even beat us,” he said. “Tonight we were really solid and organized.”
Starting line-ups
Palatine
GK: Amaya Rivera
D: Cora Jacobsen
D: Kaitlyn Strauss
D: Mackenzie Filian
MF: Jamie Henning
MF: Anja Jacobsen
MF: Sarah Clancy
MF: Sarah Jasonowicz
MF: Kacie Filian
F: Kendall Kane
F: Marissa Glaviano
Hoffman Estates
GK: Frankie Van
D: Emma Lunak
D: Payton Badziong
D: Jennie Nailor
D: Becca Salerno
MF: Anna Sall
MF: Molly Salerno
MF: Bella Alansari
MF: Ena Sabanagic
F: Michelle Montes de Oca
F: Natalie Nagrant
MVP of the Match: Cora Jacobsen, D, Palatine