Lane corners Young for city title
Reveles bends home winner to take repeat title
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO — In the Lane soccer culture, hierarchy and tradition are an essential part of the process. On the first corner attempt of the city final, Lane sophomore midfielder Jazzmin Jordan played the service.
When moments later a second corner was issued to the Indians, Jordan decided a more experienced player was necessary given the importance of the moment. Senior Detzi Reveles stepped up to the left edge.
“Jazzmin was a little bit nervous, and I was ready for it. So I wanted to take a chance,” Reveles said.
She made it count.
Reveles bent the corner seemingly to her own will and desire as the ball floated before taking a sharp dive that eluded the reach of Young’s keeper Sloane Kistinger as the Indians captured the Chicago Public League city championship with the 1-0 victory over the Dolphins on Thursday night at Lane Stadium.
The goal occurred in the 14th minute and held up as Lane (14-6-2) won its second-consecutive city title and third in the last four years. The win was Lane's seventh in a city championship match. The matchup marked the third-consecutive year and fifth time in the last six years Lane and Young played for the city title. Payton was the last school to break up the pair in 2009.
“Winning city was one of our goals since the start of the season,” Reveles said. “It was one hell of a game. We both wanted to win it. We saw that we put our heart in and worked really hard. We were focused, held possession the whole time, and it just proves we are the best in the city.”
Lane took control right from the start, pushing numbers forward and flooding the Young defensive third with constant pressure. Lane forward Nicole Vega hit the post in the second minute. The Indians sustained the pressure, putting Kistinger under furious assault.
Lane established a dominant tone.
“This was one of the toughest games we have ever played,” Vega said. “Both teams really wanted it. The first 15 or 20 minutes we really dominated it, and we knew we had to get it all done. Those early shots didn’t end up with a lot of goals, but they boosted our confidence every single time.
“The closer we got to the goal, the closer we got to winning.”
As a corollary Lane monopolized possession and never let Young generate any attack, whether off the counter or in the Indians’ half. Young (15-8-1) did not attempt a shot in the first half.
“Even though the balls did not go in, we really kept Whitney on their toes,” Lane senior midfielder Andrea Cervantes said. “We made them a lot more nervous. We made them play quicker, and they lost the ball.”
Forced into a defensive stance, Young struggled to find any consistent offensive rhythm. Kistinger recorded six first half saves.
“We were lucky going into halftime that it wasn’t 3-0,” Young coach Spero Mandakas said.
When Young did hold possession, Lane sent multiple defenders at Dolphins’ star midfielder Gaby Schwartz.
“I felt like I couldn’t even get open,” Schwartz said. “At halftime we talked a lot, and we said we had to step up our game, and we had to play with more heart.”
As one-sided as the game was, Lane held just the one-goal differential. Young managed a more cohesive and organized offensive set in the second half. The Dolphins launched four shots, mostly from distance, in the first 10 minutes after halftime.
“We made our adjustments and we gave them a hell of a second half,” Mandakas said. “We had some great combinations, winning 50/50 balls, and we had a few chances that were a couple of feet off. If we put one of those away, who knows what could have happened.”
The Dolphins’ top scoring threats invariably involved Schwartz, the city’s best player. The gifted midfielder was able to shake loose and generate some shots.
She blasted a free-kick from 36 yards out that angled just above the bar. On another free-kick from the right wing, just outside the box, her shot had good velocity but did not move, and Lane keeper Maggie Grossman was able to snare the ball.
“My shots were not going,” Schwartz said. “It was unfortunate. We couldn’t put anything away. Nothing against that shot, a corner shot that curved in, but it’s not a fun way to lose.”
Lane went 12-0-0 against Chicago Public League teams this year, going 7-0-0 in Premier division play and winning all five of the city tournament games by shutout. Lane allowed only two goals in those 12 games.
“We’ve been talking about mental strength the whole season,” Lane coach Michelle Vale said. “The girls have been working on their focus. They have been hyped for this game the whole year. One of their personal goals has been to get to this moment. We were able to obtain it.
“We wanted to make sure that we didn’t give up a goal on a mental lapse. We were also cognizant of the fact that we were going to be facing a very tough competitor. We knew that Young was not going to let us take the city championship. One of the things we have been working on is making sure the defense stayed sharp, and they communicated well.”
Both programs are shaped by tradition and history. It is almost impossible to state the importance of the city championship, an honor that trumps the state tournament for CPL teams. It was obvious in the exaltation of one side and the pain and tears of the other.
Young now prepares to play Fenwick in a Class 3A regional semifinal.
“There’s always room to build,” Schwartz said. “We are only losing four seniors this year. There’s a lot of talent left in the program. We have a couple of really good underclassmen who I think are going to step up and be really good next year.”
Lane faces Taft in a Class 3A regional semifinal at New Trier. Succession is the bridge that links the Lane teams, from Jasmine Carrera to Sofia Pavon and now Cervantes, Vega and Reveles.
“We really looked up to the seniors last year,” Cervantes said. “There were nine of them. We really looked to Sofia. When she graduated it shifted to this year’s seniors. and that was a big role for us. We handled it well. Now the freshmen and sophomores look to us, and we really do support them.”
Starting line-ups
Young
GK: Sloane Kistinger
D: Gabrielle Cattan
D: Cameron Herman
D: Madison Ekern
D: Mariah Helm
MF: Gaby Schwartz
MF: Sophie Leib-Neri
MF: Sarah Heise
F: Keila Vega
F: Sophie Putrim
F: Audrey Howaniec
Lane
GK: Maggie Grossman
D: Magdalena Price-Johnson
D: Leah Finkielsztein
D: Isabella Oganovich
D: Alana Coffman
D: Kinuko Mrozik
MF: Sydney Varga
MF: Andrea Cervantes
MF: Detzi Reveles
MF: Jazzmin Jordan
F: Nicole Vega
MVP of the match: Detzi Reveles, MF, Lane
Reveles bends home winner to take repeat title
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO — In the Lane soccer culture, hierarchy and tradition are an essential part of the process. On the first corner attempt of the city final, Lane sophomore midfielder Jazzmin Jordan played the service.
When moments later a second corner was issued to the Indians, Jordan decided a more experienced player was necessary given the importance of the moment. Senior Detzi Reveles stepped up to the left edge.
“Jazzmin was a little bit nervous, and I was ready for it. So I wanted to take a chance,” Reveles said.
She made it count.
Reveles bent the corner seemingly to her own will and desire as the ball floated before taking a sharp dive that eluded the reach of Young’s keeper Sloane Kistinger as the Indians captured the Chicago Public League city championship with the 1-0 victory over the Dolphins on Thursday night at Lane Stadium.
The goal occurred in the 14th minute and held up as Lane (14-6-2) won its second-consecutive city title and third in the last four years. The win was Lane's seventh in a city championship match. The matchup marked the third-consecutive year and fifth time in the last six years Lane and Young played for the city title. Payton was the last school to break up the pair in 2009.
“Winning city was one of our goals since the start of the season,” Reveles said. “It was one hell of a game. We both wanted to win it. We saw that we put our heart in and worked really hard. We were focused, held possession the whole time, and it just proves we are the best in the city.”
Lane took control right from the start, pushing numbers forward and flooding the Young defensive third with constant pressure. Lane forward Nicole Vega hit the post in the second minute. The Indians sustained the pressure, putting Kistinger under furious assault.
Lane established a dominant tone.
“This was one of the toughest games we have ever played,” Vega said. “Both teams really wanted it. The first 15 or 20 minutes we really dominated it, and we knew we had to get it all done. Those early shots didn’t end up with a lot of goals, but they boosted our confidence every single time.
“The closer we got to the goal, the closer we got to winning.”
As a corollary Lane monopolized possession and never let Young generate any attack, whether off the counter or in the Indians’ half. Young (15-8-1) did not attempt a shot in the first half.
“Even though the balls did not go in, we really kept Whitney on their toes,” Lane senior midfielder Andrea Cervantes said. “We made them a lot more nervous. We made them play quicker, and they lost the ball.”
Forced into a defensive stance, Young struggled to find any consistent offensive rhythm. Kistinger recorded six first half saves.
“We were lucky going into halftime that it wasn’t 3-0,” Young coach Spero Mandakas said.
When Young did hold possession, Lane sent multiple defenders at Dolphins’ star midfielder Gaby Schwartz.
“I felt like I couldn’t even get open,” Schwartz said. “At halftime we talked a lot, and we said we had to step up our game, and we had to play with more heart.”
As one-sided as the game was, Lane held just the one-goal differential. Young managed a more cohesive and organized offensive set in the second half. The Dolphins launched four shots, mostly from distance, in the first 10 minutes after halftime.
“We made our adjustments and we gave them a hell of a second half,” Mandakas said. “We had some great combinations, winning 50/50 balls, and we had a few chances that were a couple of feet off. If we put one of those away, who knows what could have happened.”
The Dolphins’ top scoring threats invariably involved Schwartz, the city’s best player. The gifted midfielder was able to shake loose and generate some shots.
She blasted a free-kick from 36 yards out that angled just above the bar. On another free-kick from the right wing, just outside the box, her shot had good velocity but did not move, and Lane keeper Maggie Grossman was able to snare the ball.
“My shots were not going,” Schwartz said. “It was unfortunate. We couldn’t put anything away. Nothing against that shot, a corner shot that curved in, but it’s not a fun way to lose.”
Lane went 12-0-0 against Chicago Public League teams this year, going 7-0-0 in Premier division play and winning all five of the city tournament games by shutout. Lane allowed only two goals in those 12 games.
“We’ve been talking about mental strength the whole season,” Lane coach Michelle Vale said. “The girls have been working on their focus. They have been hyped for this game the whole year. One of their personal goals has been to get to this moment. We were able to obtain it.
“We wanted to make sure that we didn’t give up a goal on a mental lapse. We were also cognizant of the fact that we were going to be facing a very tough competitor. We knew that Young was not going to let us take the city championship. One of the things we have been working on is making sure the defense stayed sharp, and they communicated well.”
Both programs are shaped by tradition and history. It is almost impossible to state the importance of the city championship, an honor that trumps the state tournament for CPL teams. It was obvious in the exaltation of one side and the pain and tears of the other.
Young now prepares to play Fenwick in a Class 3A regional semifinal.
“There’s always room to build,” Schwartz said. “We are only losing four seniors this year. There’s a lot of talent left in the program. We have a couple of really good underclassmen who I think are going to step up and be really good next year.”
Lane faces Taft in a Class 3A regional semifinal at New Trier. Succession is the bridge that links the Lane teams, from Jasmine Carrera to Sofia Pavon and now Cervantes, Vega and Reveles.
“We really looked up to the seniors last year,” Cervantes said. “There were nine of them. We really looked to Sofia. When she graduated it shifted to this year’s seniors. and that was a big role for us. We handled it well. Now the freshmen and sophomores look to us, and we really do support them.”
Starting line-ups
Young
GK: Sloane Kistinger
D: Gabrielle Cattan
D: Cameron Herman
D: Madison Ekern
D: Mariah Helm
MF: Gaby Schwartz
MF: Sophie Leib-Neri
MF: Sarah Heise
F: Keila Vega
F: Sophie Putrim
F: Audrey Howaniec
Lane
GK: Maggie Grossman
D: Magdalena Price-Johnson
D: Leah Finkielsztein
D: Isabella Oganovich
D: Alana Coffman
D: Kinuko Mrozik
MF: Sydney Varga
MF: Andrea Cervantes
MF: Detzi Reveles
MF: Jazzmin Jordan
F: Nicole Vega
MVP of the match: Detzi Reveles, MF, Lane
