Wheaton North continues winning ways
Hannah Atkinson lifts Falcons
over Highland Park, into tournament semis
By Mike Garofola
LOMBARD -- Wheaton North will go into its PepsiCo Showdown semifinal this afternoon (Thursday, April 14) with the wind in its sails after a well-deserved, but hard-fought 1-0 victory Tuesday over Highland Park on the campus of Glenbard East.
When the Falcons (5-3-0) host Glenbard West at 5 at home in the ATI Bracket, they will come in with a 5-game winning streak, with two of those victories clean-sheets, while conceding just three goals during the stretch.
"We started out a little slow today, but I feel as if things came around for us around spring break when we trained, and really came together as a team, both on and off the field," suggested Hannah Atkinson, who struck the game-winner at 44 minutes. Because of her work up top for the her club, the senior forward earned MVP of the Match honors from Chicagoland Soccer.
Gwyneth Phillips agreed with Atkinson's assessment of the Falcons turnaround after the duo cooled down and prepared for the ride home on this chilly night that saw 7th-seeded Highland Park (4-3-1) give the no. 2 seed North an even match in the first 40 minutes, before things opened up after the intermission.
"I would call Highland Park a scrappy, gritty team (that) didn't give us much in the way of attacking, but challenged just about everything, especially in that first period when we weren't connecting and communicating like we have been of late," said Phillips, who was the ultimate box-to-box midfielder for the Falcons.
"Our rhythm was off in that first half, but the last part of the first half (then) the first part of the second half we began to play, and that's when we scored, and probably could have put another one or two in at that point," added Atkinson.
While Atkinson, who will attend and play soccer at Centerville University in Ohio next fall, fired in the match-winner, it was Phillips, Becca Kouwe, Margaret Hupp and Lauren Haley, right in the middle of the park who were the difference with their voracious tackling and high work-rate who did in the Giants.
In the first 10 minutes, it was Hupp who was involved in nearly every touch or dead ball opportunity for the Falcons and kept HP under duress during the early exchanges.
Atkinson's trickery on a nice stop-and=go put the senior in close on Highland Park keeper, Maile Lunardi, but her attempt found the side netting in the 14th minute.
Just afterwards, the Falcons faithful had a nervous moment when the Giants junior midfielder Lauren Shotts unleashed a left-footed attempt -- which, on the way in, was redirected the other way -- but an alert Zoe Welsh, despite wrong-footed on the play, made an outstanding reaction save to keep things goalless at the quarter hour.
That would be the only serious chance on frame the rest of the way against Welsh, who could thank her backline mates, and especially freshman Abby Atkinson, who drew praise for her work from Falcons manager Tim McEvilly after the match.
"Abby has really embraced her role as our center-back. She does all the dirty work, can get in on the tackle when we really need her to do so, and she plays like a veteran even though she is just a freshman."
Wheaton North dominated the proceedings after the break, and it was too much pace and speed from Hannah Atkinson that led to the lone goal of the match.
The Falcons striker beat three defenders, transfered the ball to her left and then went right before bending her well-paced shot just inside the back post.
"We don't have a player who is going to score 15-20 goals for us this season. But what we do have is a player like Hannah who can strike at any time, plus, another 6-7 who will pop up and give us goals when we need them, which should really come in handy when the games are on the line, and really count for us," said McEvilly.
The Falcons energy went clearly skyward after the 44th-minute goal, and it looked as though Wheaton North would break things open at anytime.
Kouwe, Phillips and outside-mid, Cara Maxwell forced Highland Park to parry away a dangerous situation out of their own end with some quality combination work, while Hannah Atkinson continued to shred and stretch the HP backline.
However, as good as the work and passing was during this 10-15 sequence, Wheaton North was unable to find the back of the net with its touch in the final third.
"I felt like we had another goal or two in us," admitted Phillips.
A sharp and decisive tackle from Abby Atkinson stopped Jolie Carl from getting in on Welsh in the 66th minute, while on the other end, Clare Kocher went close, first with a nice half volley, then another chance moments later, both of which forced the aforementioned Lunardi to save.
"We've been averaging three goals per game of late, while our defense has been very stingy (all) of which are good signs when you look at who we've played so far, and what's ahead of us with such a tough nonconference schedule, and, of course, in the DVC, where every opponent will be a good one," McEvilly said in closing. "(All) of which should help prepare us for those final few weeks of the season,"
Starting line-ups
Highland Park
GK: Maile Lunardi
D: Ryan Cary
D: Hannah Metzner
D: Sydney Cohen
D: Jamie Stern
MF: Sydney Kalter
MF: Lauren Shotts
MF: Sarah Stahlberger
MF: Natalie Rachman
MF: Josie Dee
F: Jolie Carl
Wheaton North
GK: Zoe Welsh
D: Morghin Klein
D: Stacie Galo
D: Abby Atkinson
D: Anna Warfield
MF: Lauren Haley
MF: Cara Maxwell
MF: Becca Kouwe
MF: Gwyneth Phillips
F: Margaret Hupp
F: Hannah Atkinson
MVP of the Match: Hannah Atkinson, F, Wheaton North
Referee: Jen Mayfield
Hannah Atkinson lifts Falcons
over Highland Park, into tournament semis
By Mike Garofola
LOMBARD -- Wheaton North will go into its PepsiCo Showdown semifinal this afternoon (Thursday, April 14) with the wind in its sails after a well-deserved, but hard-fought 1-0 victory Tuesday over Highland Park on the campus of Glenbard East.
When the Falcons (5-3-0) host Glenbard West at 5 at home in the ATI Bracket, they will come in with a 5-game winning streak, with two of those victories clean-sheets, while conceding just three goals during the stretch.
"We started out a little slow today, but I feel as if things came around for us around spring break when we trained, and really came together as a team, both on and off the field," suggested Hannah Atkinson, who struck the game-winner at 44 minutes. Because of her work up top for the her club, the senior forward earned MVP of the Match honors from Chicagoland Soccer.
Gwyneth Phillips agreed with Atkinson's assessment of the Falcons turnaround after the duo cooled down and prepared for the ride home on this chilly night that saw 7th-seeded Highland Park (4-3-1) give the no. 2 seed North an even match in the first 40 minutes, before things opened up after the intermission.
"I would call Highland Park a scrappy, gritty team (that) didn't give us much in the way of attacking, but challenged just about everything, especially in that first period when we weren't connecting and communicating like we have been of late," said Phillips, who was the ultimate box-to-box midfielder for the Falcons.
"Our rhythm was off in that first half, but the last part of the first half (then) the first part of the second half we began to play, and that's when we scored, and probably could have put another one or two in at that point," added Atkinson.
While Atkinson, who will attend and play soccer at Centerville University in Ohio next fall, fired in the match-winner, it was Phillips, Becca Kouwe, Margaret Hupp and Lauren Haley, right in the middle of the park who were the difference with their voracious tackling and high work-rate who did in the Giants.
In the first 10 minutes, it was Hupp who was involved in nearly every touch or dead ball opportunity for the Falcons and kept HP under duress during the early exchanges.
Atkinson's trickery on a nice stop-and=go put the senior in close on Highland Park keeper, Maile Lunardi, but her attempt found the side netting in the 14th minute.
Just afterwards, the Falcons faithful had a nervous moment when the Giants junior midfielder Lauren Shotts unleashed a left-footed attempt -- which, on the way in, was redirected the other way -- but an alert Zoe Welsh, despite wrong-footed on the play, made an outstanding reaction save to keep things goalless at the quarter hour.
That would be the only serious chance on frame the rest of the way against Welsh, who could thank her backline mates, and especially freshman Abby Atkinson, who drew praise for her work from Falcons manager Tim McEvilly after the match.
"Abby has really embraced her role as our center-back. She does all the dirty work, can get in on the tackle when we really need her to do so, and she plays like a veteran even though she is just a freshman."
Wheaton North dominated the proceedings after the break, and it was too much pace and speed from Hannah Atkinson that led to the lone goal of the match.
The Falcons striker beat three defenders, transfered the ball to her left and then went right before bending her well-paced shot just inside the back post.
"We don't have a player who is going to score 15-20 goals for us this season. But what we do have is a player like Hannah who can strike at any time, plus, another 6-7 who will pop up and give us goals when we need them, which should really come in handy when the games are on the line, and really count for us," said McEvilly.
The Falcons energy went clearly skyward after the 44th-minute goal, and it looked as though Wheaton North would break things open at anytime.
Kouwe, Phillips and outside-mid, Cara Maxwell forced Highland Park to parry away a dangerous situation out of their own end with some quality combination work, while Hannah Atkinson continued to shred and stretch the HP backline.
However, as good as the work and passing was during this 10-15 sequence, Wheaton North was unable to find the back of the net with its touch in the final third.
"I felt like we had another goal or two in us," admitted Phillips.
A sharp and decisive tackle from Abby Atkinson stopped Jolie Carl from getting in on Welsh in the 66th minute, while on the other end, Clare Kocher went close, first with a nice half volley, then another chance moments later, both of which forced the aforementioned Lunardi to save.
"We've been averaging three goals per game of late, while our defense has been very stingy (all) of which are good signs when you look at who we've played so far, and what's ahead of us with such a tough nonconference schedule, and, of course, in the DVC, where every opponent will be a good one," McEvilly said in closing. "(All) of which should help prepare us for those final few weeks of the season,"
Starting line-ups
Highland Park
GK: Maile Lunardi
D: Ryan Cary
D: Hannah Metzner
D: Sydney Cohen
D: Jamie Stern
MF: Sydney Kalter
MF: Lauren Shotts
MF: Sarah Stahlberger
MF: Natalie Rachman
MF: Josie Dee
F: Jolie Carl
Wheaton North
GK: Zoe Welsh
D: Morghin Klein
D: Stacie Galo
D: Abby Atkinson
D: Anna Warfield
MF: Lauren Haley
MF: Cara Maxwell
MF: Becca Kouwe
MF: Gwyneth Phillips
F: Margaret Hupp
F: Hannah Atkinson
MVP of the Match: Hannah Atkinson, F, Wheaton North
Referee: Jen Mayfield
