Paganucci, Glenbard E. have
Senior Night to remember
Rams' stars breaks all-time, goal-scoring mark
By Matt Le Cren
LOMBARD – Glenbard East star Brittany Paganucci and her fellow seniors enjoyed a little pomp and circumstance as they were feted during Senior Night festivities before their Thursday evening game with Willowbrook.
Then they went out and added to their burgeoning legacy.
Paganucci scored three goals to become the school’s career scoring leader, goalkeeper Sierra Dana added to her career shutout record and the Rams won their fifth-straight game by knocking off the vastly improved Warriors 3-0.
The Illinois State-bound Paganucci now has 20 goals this season. The goal that completed the hat trick was the 66th of her career, which broke the school record.
“It was very important for me, because it was a big goal of mine,” Paganucci said. “I knew before the game I was just a couple goals away, so it was constantly on my mind (that) I need to get them before the end of the year.
“It was something very important to me to do it on Senior Night and have all my seniors around me and even the younger kids.”
Paganucci, who also had 20 goals last year, is as dangerous as ever and even more versatile.
“The thing that’s most impressive about Brittany is it’s not just 20 goals,” Glenbard East coach Kent Overbey said. “She’s got 16 assists, too, so she does a very good job of watching and seeing when the defense collapses on her and not just trying to go alone.
“We’ve got other people who can finish, and she’ll just slot it for easy finishes. She does a great job, and that’s probably the biggest difference in her game this year versus the past years.”
It was fitting, if not all that surprising, that Paganucci had a big performance on Senior Night. What was surprising was how important all three goals were.
“A hat trick on Senior Night against a good team (is great),” Overbey said. “It’s not like it’s a hat trick, and we scored eight goals.
“We needed all of them. That goalie does a great job.”
Indeed, Willowbrook senior Allie Jones, though less heralded than Dana, was outstanding. She made six saves, including diving denials on breakaways by Paganucci, Taylor Ray and Amanda Chlebek and a leaping effort to tip a Paganucci drive over the crossbar.
“Their keeper was amazing,” Overbey said. “This is the second year in a row that she’s kept it from being 6-0 or 7-0.
“Last year she had about 10 breakaway saves. This year she made a couple point-blanks. She’s strong, and she gets down quick and plays tough."
The Rams (14-3-0), who are within three wins of tying the school's single-season victory record, also saw several other breakaway shots go wide of either post. But Paganucci did more than enough to break through the Warriors’ stingy defense.
The first goal came with 28:51 left in the first half when she tucked a header inside the left post off a corner kick from senior Sammie Sarles.
Glenbard East held a 10-1 edge in shots in the first half, so it appeared to be only a matter of time before the hosts broke down the door.
That’s what happened, but not before the Warriors (11-3-2), who are enjoying one of the best seasons in school history, threw a scare into the Rams.
Ironically, Willowbrook’s two best scoring chances ended up with the ball in the back of the net, but it was their own.
Senior Alyssa Spada teed up a 28-yard free kick from the left wing. Bidding for the tying goal, Spada drilled a perfectly placed shot that was ticketed for the extreme upper left corner of the net.
But Dana, a Brandeis recruit who two weeks ago broke Glenbard East’s career shutout record, timed her leap perfectly and grabbed the ball at the last second.
Less than 20 seconds later, Paganucci scored on a breakaway, juking Jones to the ground before tapping in a short shot to make it 2-0 at the 26:08 mark of the second half.
Two minutes later, lightning struck again.
To everyone’s amazement, Spada got another 28-yard free kick from the identical spot and again Dana made the save. And again, Dana’s punt triggered another breakaway.
This time, Paganucci took a pass from Dana Plotke, raced past the defense into the right side of the box and sent a shot inside the left post from a tough angle to extend the lead to 3-0.
“I like to think one of my strong suits is the way we can get in the attack right away with my distribution,” Dana said. “I’m just trying to get it up the field and obviously they do all the work.
“I get us to midfield, and they do the rest.”
Paganucci usually does the last part, often in crowd-pleasing fashion.
“When she’s out there you know something is going to happen, for sure,” said Dana, who now has 27 career shutouts.
But good things didn’t happen as often as the Rams would have liked thanks to the Warriors, who battled Glenbard East tough for the second-straight season. The Rams beat the Warriors 2-0 last year, though Paganucci did not play in that game, giving her some added incentive for this match.
“I didn’t get a chance to play last year against them, because I had a red card the game before,’ Paganucci said. “So coming out here my main goal was to try and beat them, take girls on and give opportunities for my teammates.
“(The Warriors) came out strong today. We’re definitely building up every year, and they are definitely building up every year. They came out (and played) a hard-fought (game).”
Willowbrook, a perennial also-ran, is where Glenbard East was at the start of Overbey’s career. But this season has been a revelation as the Warriors reeled off seven-straight wins at one point and have surrendered three or more goals only three times.
“I think (Glenbard East) is the best team that we’ve played this season and, we definitely played very well against them,” Willowbrook assistant coach Pete Montgomery said. “Most of the course of play was pretty back and forth. We had our chances attacking.
“They scored really good goals. They put in a corner kick, they finished two breakaways and in between that I thought we had some outstanding saves to keep us going. Our defensive line was very, very good today. Other than those two breakaways they were nearly flawless.”
Jones, one of six four-year varsity players for the Warriors, was happy despite the loss.
“I was very pleased with how my team played,” Jones said. “They played very, very well.
“I know in previous years East has really nailed us, so we were happy that we were able to (be competitive) this year.”
Aside from the local rivalry, not much about this match-up warranted hype until this year. The importance the Rams and their fans placed on it shows how intriguing it has suddenly become.
“They’re a quality side,” Dana said. “They’ve improved a lot the past couple years.
“(Beating them) is definitely good for us, obviously, on Senior Night. We had a huge crowd. That energy was awesome so I think that always helps.”
Another impressive stat for the Rams is that all six seniors will be playing in college.
In addition to Paganucci and Dana, Sarles and midfielder Holly Ward are headed to Benedictine, Chlebek has signed with Dubuque and Ray is committed to Carthage.
“It’s awesome,” Paganucci said. “This is the first year ever that all the seniors are going to play in college.
“It’s just a great opportunity, and I’m looking forward to it. I want to come out and see some of (her teammates’) games, and I hope they come and see some of mine.”
For Overbey, sending his entire senior class to the next level is a rewarding feeling.
“That’s something we’re really proud of,” Overbey said. “When you look at your lasting legacy as a coach, (most people look at) wins and all that.
“Wins is something that has never been at the top; it has been the lifelong lessons.
“Right now we have 17 players either committed or playing in college. That’s something we work hard all year long to get them there. That’s probably our biggest achievement.”
Starting line-ups
Willowbrook
GK: Allie Jones
D: Erin Owen
D: Jessica Ragucci
D: Alyssa Spada
D: Valentina Poggi
MF: Samantha Wozniak
MF: Kassandra Darrus
MF: Maria Aparicio
MF: Kaleigh Rugg
F: Caitlyn Owen
F: Bridget Garner
Glenbard East
GK: Sierra Dana
D: Paige Taylor
D: Katie Hansen
D: Amanda Chlebek
D: Sammie Sarles
MF: Faith Davies
MF: Ali Liljestrand
MF: Holly Ward
F: Brittany Paganucci
F: Elizabeth Toledo
F: Taylor Ray
MVP of the Match: Brittany Paganucci, F, Glenbard East.
Senior Night to remember
Rams' stars breaks all-time, goal-scoring mark
By Matt Le Cren
LOMBARD – Glenbard East star Brittany Paganucci and her fellow seniors enjoyed a little pomp and circumstance as they were feted during Senior Night festivities before their Thursday evening game with Willowbrook.
Then they went out and added to their burgeoning legacy.
Paganucci scored three goals to become the school’s career scoring leader, goalkeeper Sierra Dana added to her career shutout record and the Rams won their fifth-straight game by knocking off the vastly improved Warriors 3-0.
The Illinois State-bound Paganucci now has 20 goals this season. The goal that completed the hat trick was the 66th of her career, which broke the school record.
“It was very important for me, because it was a big goal of mine,” Paganucci said. “I knew before the game I was just a couple goals away, so it was constantly on my mind (that) I need to get them before the end of the year.
“It was something very important to me to do it on Senior Night and have all my seniors around me and even the younger kids.”
Paganucci, who also had 20 goals last year, is as dangerous as ever and even more versatile.
“The thing that’s most impressive about Brittany is it’s not just 20 goals,” Glenbard East coach Kent Overbey said. “She’s got 16 assists, too, so she does a very good job of watching and seeing when the defense collapses on her and not just trying to go alone.
“We’ve got other people who can finish, and she’ll just slot it for easy finishes. She does a great job, and that’s probably the biggest difference in her game this year versus the past years.”
It was fitting, if not all that surprising, that Paganucci had a big performance on Senior Night. What was surprising was how important all three goals were.
“A hat trick on Senior Night against a good team (is great),” Overbey said. “It’s not like it’s a hat trick, and we scored eight goals.
“We needed all of them. That goalie does a great job.”
Indeed, Willowbrook senior Allie Jones, though less heralded than Dana, was outstanding. She made six saves, including diving denials on breakaways by Paganucci, Taylor Ray and Amanda Chlebek and a leaping effort to tip a Paganucci drive over the crossbar.
“Their keeper was amazing,” Overbey said. “This is the second year in a row that she’s kept it from being 6-0 or 7-0.
“Last year she had about 10 breakaway saves. This year she made a couple point-blanks. She’s strong, and she gets down quick and plays tough."
The Rams (14-3-0), who are within three wins of tying the school's single-season victory record, also saw several other breakaway shots go wide of either post. But Paganucci did more than enough to break through the Warriors’ stingy defense.
The first goal came with 28:51 left in the first half when she tucked a header inside the left post off a corner kick from senior Sammie Sarles.
Glenbard East held a 10-1 edge in shots in the first half, so it appeared to be only a matter of time before the hosts broke down the door.
That’s what happened, but not before the Warriors (11-3-2), who are enjoying one of the best seasons in school history, threw a scare into the Rams.
Ironically, Willowbrook’s two best scoring chances ended up with the ball in the back of the net, but it was their own.
Senior Alyssa Spada teed up a 28-yard free kick from the left wing. Bidding for the tying goal, Spada drilled a perfectly placed shot that was ticketed for the extreme upper left corner of the net.
But Dana, a Brandeis recruit who two weeks ago broke Glenbard East’s career shutout record, timed her leap perfectly and grabbed the ball at the last second.
Less than 20 seconds later, Paganucci scored on a breakaway, juking Jones to the ground before tapping in a short shot to make it 2-0 at the 26:08 mark of the second half.
Two minutes later, lightning struck again.
To everyone’s amazement, Spada got another 28-yard free kick from the identical spot and again Dana made the save. And again, Dana’s punt triggered another breakaway.
This time, Paganucci took a pass from Dana Plotke, raced past the defense into the right side of the box and sent a shot inside the left post from a tough angle to extend the lead to 3-0.
“I like to think one of my strong suits is the way we can get in the attack right away with my distribution,” Dana said. “I’m just trying to get it up the field and obviously they do all the work.
“I get us to midfield, and they do the rest.”
Paganucci usually does the last part, often in crowd-pleasing fashion.
“When she’s out there you know something is going to happen, for sure,” said Dana, who now has 27 career shutouts.
But good things didn’t happen as often as the Rams would have liked thanks to the Warriors, who battled Glenbard East tough for the second-straight season. The Rams beat the Warriors 2-0 last year, though Paganucci did not play in that game, giving her some added incentive for this match.
“I didn’t get a chance to play last year against them, because I had a red card the game before,’ Paganucci said. “So coming out here my main goal was to try and beat them, take girls on and give opportunities for my teammates.
“(The Warriors) came out strong today. We’re definitely building up every year, and they are definitely building up every year. They came out (and played) a hard-fought (game).”
Willowbrook, a perennial also-ran, is where Glenbard East was at the start of Overbey’s career. But this season has been a revelation as the Warriors reeled off seven-straight wins at one point and have surrendered three or more goals only three times.
“I think (Glenbard East) is the best team that we’ve played this season and, we definitely played very well against them,” Willowbrook assistant coach Pete Montgomery said. “Most of the course of play was pretty back and forth. We had our chances attacking.
“They scored really good goals. They put in a corner kick, they finished two breakaways and in between that I thought we had some outstanding saves to keep us going. Our defensive line was very, very good today. Other than those two breakaways they were nearly flawless.”
Jones, one of six four-year varsity players for the Warriors, was happy despite the loss.
“I was very pleased with how my team played,” Jones said. “They played very, very well.
“I know in previous years East has really nailed us, so we were happy that we were able to (be competitive) this year.”
Aside from the local rivalry, not much about this match-up warranted hype until this year. The importance the Rams and their fans placed on it shows how intriguing it has suddenly become.
“They’re a quality side,” Dana said. “They’ve improved a lot the past couple years.
“(Beating them) is definitely good for us, obviously, on Senior Night. We had a huge crowd. That energy was awesome so I think that always helps.”
Another impressive stat for the Rams is that all six seniors will be playing in college.
In addition to Paganucci and Dana, Sarles and midfielder Holly Ward are headed to Benedictine, Chlebek has signed with Dubuque and Ray is committed to Carthage.
“It’s awesome,” Paganucci said. “This is the first year ever that all the seniors are going to play in college.
“It’s just a great opportunity, and I’m looking forward to it. I want to come out and see some of (her teammates’) games, and I hope they come and see some of mine.”
For Overbey, sending his entire senior class to the next level is a rewarding feeling.
“That’s something we’re really proud of,” Overbey said. “When you look at your lasting legacy as a coach, (most people look at) wins and all that.
“Wins is something that has never been at the top; it has been the lifelong lessons.
“Right now we have 17 players either committed or playing in college. That’s something we work hard all year long to get them there. That’s probably our biggest achievement.”
Starting line-ups
Willowbrook
GK: Allie Jones
D: Erin Owen
D: Jessica Ragucci
D: Alyssa Spada
D: Valentina Poggi
MF: Samantha Wozniak
MF: Kassandra Darrus
MF: Maria Aparicio
MF: Kaleigh Rugg
F: Caitlyn Owen
F: Bridget Garner
Glenbard East
GK: Sierra Dana
D: Paige Taylor
D: Katie Hansen
D: Amanda Chlebek
D: Sammie Sarles
MF: Faith Davies
MF: Ali Liljestrand
MF: Holly Ward
F: Brittany Paganucci
F: Elizabeth Toledo
F: Taylor Ray
MVP of the Match: Brittany Paganucci, F, Glenbard East.