Late goal lets Jones exit March undefeated
Wright-placed shot gives Eagles 1-0 league win over Payton
By Dave Owen
CHICAGO – Adversity can knock you down, or fire you up.
Based on Friday, Jones senior Zoe Wright would be an expert on the latter.
Less than a minute after being denied on a penalty kick on a great diving save by Payton goalkeeper Hannah Lynn, Wright responded to the denial in epic fashion.
Striking a high 20-yard shot from the right side, Wright somehow perfectly angled the ball high inside the far post in the 72nd minute of Friday’s Chicago Public League match at Jones Turf Field.
That incredibly-aimed goal stood up as the difference in a 1-0 win for Jones, continuing a torrid 6-0-0 overall and 2-0-0 Premier Division start for the Eagles in a rematch of their 2016 regional win over Payton (2-1-1, 1-1-0).
“I missed the PK, and I felt so upset for like five seconds,” said Wright, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match. “Then I was like, ‘I’m going to score – I have to make it happen. If it doesn’t happen now, it’s not going to happen.’ And I somehow managed to make it happen.”
“I just thought, I need to hit this as hard as I can. I fell backward, and I was like, ‘Please God, go in.’ I just wanted to test the keeper, and it worked.”
With nine goals and five assists already this season, Wright is no stranger to heroic moments. But the emotions of being denied on the PK try sent her to maximum intensity levels.
“I think I play my best when I’ve just been knocked down physically or emotionally,” she said. “When I missed the PK there, I knew I had to respond right away or else I’ll get stuck in this mentally negative place. That’s always when I guess I’m the most effective.”
Wright’s drive to respond to any challenge was a familiar sight for Jones coach Derek Bylsma.
“After she missed the PK, I knew she was going to do something,” he said. “That’s the type of player Zoe is – she is going to make something happen because she’s mad.
“As soon as she missed that, I thought ‘A goal is coming.’ Whether she scores it or takes the ball from somebody and passes it, this game is not going to end without her contributing to something important because she’s not going to let that happen. That’s her mentality, and why she’s a great player.”
The Jones defense provided its own supreme effort, withstanding multiple threats by Payton’s skilled attack.
And the visitors nearly matched Wright’s flair for the dramatic with a near buzzer-beater that would have tied the score.
Off a well-struck Hannah Lowenthal corner kick, a Vivian Gasca redirect from the crowd in front appeared destined for the far corner of the net. But Jones senior defender Charlotte Geissler saved the day, stepping in to clear the ball wide of the net with just 20 seconds left.
“I was just like, ‘Whoa, the ball’s coming,’ and I hit it out,” Geissler said.
That clutch play set the stage moments later for a postgame celebration.
“Payton’s a great team – it’s always really fun to play against them,” Geissler said. “We’re all super happy. Hopefully we’ll be successful in the future and see how this season goes.”
Payton rode in to Friday off a big win over Young on Wednesday, and gave the Eagles a major test.
“This is a huge game, and I’m really impressed with the way we put it away,” Wright said. “We played great all around the field, and so did they. It was a really evenly matched game, I thought, the whole way through.”
Narrow defeat aside, Payton coach Paul Escobar saw plenty of positives.
“Our whole team played great,” Payton coach Paul Escobar said, “but I’d say two standouts were Vivian Gasca and Hannah Lowenthal in the middle.
“And we had three starting freshmen (Lindsay Hoffman, Sophie Salem and Mimi Hamada) that I would say played above their level. You can’t tell they’re freshmen when they’re out there, which is great to see.
“It’s a work in progress,” Escobar added. “We’re trying to get better every game, and as long as we’re doing that – wins and losses will come, but if we continue to play better and peak at the right time for city playoffs and state, that’s the ultimate goal.”
Jones’ defense already is in peak form.
“I thought Charlotte played a great game,” Bylsma said, “and our defense across the back played really well with Charlotte, Gabriela (Baxtrom) and Izzy (Kamba).
“Those back three played well the entire game, and overall we’ve given up two goals in six games. I’m really happy overall with how the defense is playing, and I thought tonight as a team we really worked hard.
“They (Payton) are a tough team to play and possess against – they play hard, they just beat Whitney the other day. That’s always going to be a hard game, and it’s one of those games where you can’t necessarily try to look great. You just have to try to outwork them.”
Geissler noted the team defensive effort needed to quiet Payton.
“In the back we tried to stay back a little bit and keep them contained,” she said, “and the midfield kind of pushed back and pressured them.”
Payton played with the wind in the first half, and produced big chances. Three minutes in, Hamada chipped a corner kick cross just over the net. Later, Jones goalkeeper Devin Barry made a nice short hop save on a low 25-yard Hayley Owens shot, and also stopped a 20-yard Gasca shot in the 38th minute.
Jones’ best first half chance came 29 minutes in – off a Priya Charles corner kick, Natalie Loos’ point-blank try at the far post was foot blocked by goalkeeper Lynn.
Kamba’s block in the box and clear of a Lowenthal 40-yard free kick 13 minutes into the second half continued the strong Jones defensive effort. Geissler later cleared Olive Welsh’s impressive dribble drive into the box against a trio of Eagle defenders.
A breakthrough in the 0-0 battle seemed imminent with nine minutes left, when a cross into the box by Jones’ Dani Schulgasser resulted in Avery Kaplan being fouled to produce the penalty kick.
And on a night when Wright drew major attention from the Payton defense, her response to being stopped on the PK added a dramatic final twist.
“They had one-and-a-half players on Zoe at all times,” Bylsma said. “They keyed in on her, so Zoe couldn’t do some of the things she normally does. We had to be a little different in what we do, so we tried to work a little more through the midfield instead of getting the ball wide. I was really happy with our striker play.”
In the minutes between Wright’s highlight film goal and Geissler’s goal line sweep, each side had other near misses. Payton's Lowenthal neatly split defenders but sent a 20-yard shot wide left with six minutes to play, then Wright sent her own drive off a right wing attack just wide of the left post with two minutes to go.
Having survived Friday’s battle, Jones has another test looming.
“We play Lane on Monday, so we’ll really find out where we are,” Bylsma said. “They’re a perennially good team.
“But this is the best team I’ve ever had. We’ll see how good that is, but I’m extremely happy with where we are, the attitude of the girls and how hard they work. These are unbelievable kids.
“In years past I had seven kids who put it all out,” Bylsma added. “Now I have almost 20 who will give everything they have until the final whistle. I have seven or eight on the bench who are fighting for playing time – that’s what a program should be.”
Effort, talent, experience and rising enthusiasm added up to a perfect March.
“We’re even more excited about the season, and more confident for Monday and going forward,” Geissler said. “Hopefully we’ll win a lot more.”
Enduring nighttime temperatures in the 30s, the Eagles remained red hot.
“I think it tends to be a more a mental thing than physical with the cold,” Wright said. “You can’t let it get to your head, and I think we’re good at that. We play in Chicago winters all the time so we’re used to it.
“This (win) is huge – we’ve got some great momentum right now,” Wright added. “I know we’re going to push through this and finish out strong. I’m super excited for the season.”
Starting lineups
Payton
GK Hannah Lynn
D Cami Grandjean
D Lily Blender
D Maddie Clerkin
D Grace Hague
M Hannah Lowenthal
M Vivian Gasca
M Sophie Salem
M Hayley Owens
F Mimi Hamada
F Olive Welsh
Jones
GK Devin Barry
D Gabriela Baxtrom
D Charlotte Geissler
D Izzy Kamba
M Kassie Cortez
M Dani Schulgasser
M Zoe Wright
M Janai Cedeno
M Rachel Sohn
F Avery Kaplan
F Gillian Miller
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Zoe Wright, sr., MF, Jones
Wright-placed shot gives Eagles 1-0 league win over Payton
By Dave Owen
CHICAGO – Adversity can knock you down, or fire you up.
Based on Friday, Jones senior Zoe Wright would be an expert on the latter.
Less than a minute after being denied on a penalty kick on a great diving save by Payton goalkeeper Hannah Lynn, Wright responded to the denial in epic fashion.
Striking a high 20-yard shot from the right side, Wright somehow perfectly angled the ball high inside the far post in the 72nd minute of Friday’s Chicago Public League match at Jones Turf Field.
That incredibly-aimed goal stood up as the difference in a 1-0 win for Jones, continuing a torrid 6-0-0 overall and 2-0-0 Premier Division start for the Eagles in a rematch of their 2016 regional win over Payton (2-1-1, 1-1-0).
“I missed the PK, and I felt so upset for like five seconds,” said Wright, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match. “Then I was like, ‘I’m going to score – I have to make it happen. If it doesn’t happen now, it’s not going to happen.’ And I somehow managed to make it happen.”
“I just thought, I need to hit this as hard as I can. I fell backward, and I was like, ‘Please God, go in.’ I just wanted to test the keeper, and it worked.”
With nine goals and five assists already this season, Wright is no stranger to heroic moments. But the emotions of being denied on the PK try sent her to maximum intensity levels.
“I think I play my best when I’ve just been knocked down physically or emotionally,” she said. “When I missed the PK there, I knew I had to respond right away or else I’ll get stuck in this mentally negative place. That’s always when I guess I’m the most effective.”
Wright’s drive to respond to any challenge was a familiar sight for Jones coach Derek Bylsma.
“After she missed the PK, I knew she was going to do something,” he said. “That’s the type of player Zoe is – she is going to make something happen because she’s mad.
“As soon as she missed that, I thought ‘A goal is coming.’ Whether she scores it or takes the ball from somebody and passes it, this game is not going to end without her contributing to something important because she’s not going to let that happen. That’s her mentality, and why she’s a great player.”
The Jones defense provided its own supreme effort, withstanding multiple threats by Payton’s skilled attack.
And the visitors nearly matched Wright’s flair for the dramatic with a near buzzer-beater that would have tied the score.
Off a well-struck Hannah Lowenthal corner kick, a Vivian Gasca redirect from the crowd in front appeared destined for the far corner of the net. But Jones senior defender Charlotte Geissler saved the day, stepping in to clear the ball wide of the net with just 20 seconds left.
“I was just like, ‘Whoa, the ball’s coming,’ and I hit it out,” Geissler said.
That clutch play set the stage moments later for a postgame celebration.
“Payton’s a great team – it’s always really fun to play against them,” Geissler said. “We’re all super happy. Hopefully we’ll be successful in the future and see how this season goes.”
Payton rode in to Friday off a big win over Young on Wednesday, and gave the Eagles a major test.
“This is a huge game, and I’m really impressed with the way we put it away,” Wright said. “We played great all around the field, and so did they. It was a really evenly matched game, I thought, the whole way through.”
Narrow defeat aside, Payton coach Paul Escobar saw plenty of positives.
“Our whole team played great,” Payton coach Paul Escobar said, “but I’d say two standouts were Vivian Gasca and Hannah Lowenthal in the middle.
“And we had three starting freshmen (Lindsay Hoffman, Sophie Salem and Mimi Hamada) that I would say played above their level. You can’t tell they’re freshmen when they’re out there, which is great to see.
“It’s a work in progress,” Escobar added. “We’re trying to get better every game, and as long as we’re doing that – wins and losses will come, but if we continue to play better and peak at the right time for city playoffs and state, that’s the ultimate goal.”
Jones’ defense already is in peak form.
“I thought Charlotte played a great game,” Bylsma said, “and our defense across the back played really well with Charlotte, Gabriela (Baxtrom) and Izzy (Kamba).
“Those back three played well the entire game, and overall we’ve given up two goals in six games. I’m really happy overall with how the defense is playing, and I thought tonight as a team we really worked hard.
“They (Payton) are a tough team to play and possess against – they play hard, they just beat Whitney the other day. That’s always going to be a hard game, and it’s one of those games where you can’t necessarily try to look great. You just have to try to outwork them.”
Geissler noted the team defensive effort needed to quiet Payton.
“In the back we tried to stay back a little bit and keep them contained,” she said, “and the midfield kind of pushed back and pressured them.”
Payton played with the wind in the first half, and produced big chances. Three minutes in, Hamada chipped a corner kick cross just over the net. Later, Jones goalkeeper Devin Barry made a nice short hop save on a low 25-yard Hayley Owens shot, and also stopped a 20-yard Gasca shot in the 38th minute.
Jones’ best first half chance came 29 minutes in – off a Priya Charles corner kick, Natalie Loos’ point-blank try at the far post was foot blocked by goalkeeper Lynn.
Kamba’s block in the box and clear of a Lowenthal 40-yard free kick 13 minutes into the second half continued the strong Jones defensive effort. Geissler later cleared Olive Welsh’s impressive dribble drive into the box against a trio of Eagle defenders.
A breakthrough in the 0-0 battle seemed imminent with nine minutes left, when a cross into the box by Jones’ Dani Schulgasser resulted in Avery Kaplan being fouled to produce the penalty kick.
And on a night when Wright drew major attention from the Payton defense, her response to being stopped on the PK added a dramatic final twist.
“They had one-and-a-half players on Zoe at all times,” Bylsma said. “They keyed in on her, so Zoe couldn’t do some of the things she normally does. We had to be a little different in what we do, so we tried to work a little more through the midfield instead of getting the ball wide. I was really happy with our striker play.”
In the minutes between Wright’s highlight film goal and Geissler’s goal line sweep, each side had other near misses. Payton's Lowenthal neatly split defenders but sent a 20-yard shot wide left with six minutes to play, then Wright sent her own drive off a right wing attack just wide of the left post with two minutes to go.
Having survived Friday’s battle, Jones has another test looming.
“We play Lane on Monday, so we’ll really find out where we are,” Bylsma said. “They’re a perennially good team.
“But this is the best team I’ve ever had. We’ll see how good that is, but I’m extremely happy with where we are, the attitude of the girls and how hard they work. These are unbelievable kids.
“In years past I had seven kids who put it all out,” Bylsma added. “Now I have almost 20 who will give everything they have until the final whistle. I have seven or eight on the bench who are fighting for playing time – that’s what a program should be.”
Effort, talent, experience and rising enthusiasm added up to a perfect March.
“We’re even more excited about the season, and more confident for Monday and going forward,” Geissler said. “Hopefully we’ll win a lot more.”
Enduring nighttime temperatures in the 30s, the Eagles remained red hot.
“I think it tends to be a more a mental thing than physical with the cold,” Wright said. “You can’t let it get to your head, and I think we’re good at that. We play in Chicago winters all the time so we’re used to it.
“This (win) is huge – we’ve got some great momentum right now,” Wright added. “I know we’re going to push through this and finish out strong. I’m super excited for the season.”
Starting lineups
Payton
GK Hannah Lynn
D Cami Grandjean
D Lily Blender
D Maddie Clerkin
D Grace Hague
M Hannah Lowenthal
M Vivian Gasca
M Sophie Salem
M Hayley Owens
F Mimi Hamada
F Olive Welsh
Jones
GK Devin Barry
D Gabriela Baxtrom
D Charlotte Geissler
D Izzy Kamba
M Kassie Cortez
M Dani Schulgasser
M Zoe Wright
M Janai Cedeno
M Rachel Sohn
F Avery Kaplan
F Gillian Miller
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Zoe Wright, sr., MF, Jones