Young's Schwartz thwarts
Lincoln Park's upset bid
Senior hits 78th-minute game-winner,
matches LP's Roderick-Fried's hat trick
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO — Soccer is a collective endeavor, but sometimes individuals take hold in the imagination to the point that everything else is secondary.
The clash between city power Young and emerging program Lincoln Park played out like a movie. The backdrop was pure theater. The game was moved to a converted softball field at Near North. The tight format of the field only intensified the drama. Everything felt more contained and up close. The recurrent snow, rain and wind only added to the surreal texture.
At the center were two great players making their own magic with the ball. Young’s Gaby Schwartz, the senior midfielder long considered the city’s best player, is a known. Her counterpart, Lincoln Park's junior striker Jordan Roderick-Fried, made a spectacular name for herself. She also helped establish the legitimacy of Lincoln Park.
Schwartz and Roderick-Fried each recorded a hat trick, but the Young star did her best work late as the Dolphins rallied from a two-goal deficit to edge the Lions 4-3 in Premier Division play here Monday afternoon.
“I think in the beginning we were really determined to go into this game and dominate,” Roderick-Fried said.
The Lions (7-2-0, 0-2-0) got a rude introduction to the Chicago Public League's top division in a 7-0 loss against defending city champion Lane last week. They were determined to make a better showing.
“This is our first year in the Premier and we’re trying to get adjusted and get a flavor for the competition,” Lincoln Park coach Geoffrey Ruttenberg said. “I thought today the girls competed really hard.”
Roderick-Fried and Schwartz earned co-Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match recognition for their outstanding achievements. Roderick-Fried recorded her 10th, 11th and 12th goals of the year and showcased a powerful blend of speed, agility, footwork and excellent vision. She capitalized on Young passing errors to score in the 7th and 22nd minute to stake the Lions to the 2-1 advantage at the break.
It was an unexpected position for Young.
“We started off well, and we were able to possess,” Young coach Spero Mandakas said. “We played a ball up to our wing and played a bad ball and that set off a series of miscommunications and bad movement on and off the ball that set them up for a breakaway.
“[Roderick-Fried] is a great player, and if she gets those she is going to finish them.”
Schwartz scored her first goal for the Dolphins (5-4-1, 2-0-1) in the 10th minute with one of her signature shots -- a left-footed howitzer that broke sharply and handcuffed the Lions’ keeper, deflecting off her hands for Young's early response.
Lincoln Park persevered and continued to generate opportunities.
“They definitely caught us by surprise,” Young senior midfielder Gabrielle Cattan said. “We started a little too laid back. They scored, and we kind of wanted to pick it up. We didn’t really pick it up until the second half, but then they scored again and it really surprised us.”
The Lions’ ability to play with Young caused a certain level of frustration if not desperation to creep in. Young began to press, playing short balls that yielded turnovers. In the 49th minute, Lincoln Park midfielder Anisa Ciaciura controlled an errant pass and delivered a beautiful through-ball that Roderick-Fried ran under in stride and drilled from about 16 yards out for a stunning 3-1 Lincoln Park lead.
“At that point, I thought, When was the last time we lost to Lincoln Park?” Schwartz said. “We haven’t lost to Lincoln Park in at least 10 years. Everybody just hit a [different] switch, and we had the attitude that there was no way we were going to let this happen. Everybody picked up their game.”
The momentum changed in the 57th minute as Cattan expertly bent a corner kick that curved in for the crucial second Young goal that narrowed the gap and provided the necessary spark.
“We got mad that we were losing,” Cattan said. “That definitely closed the gap and everybody got more intense. It helped us push forward.”
Young’s superior depth and size began to wear down the Lions.
“After a while we got tired,” Roderick-Fried said.
Young began to control the middle, accelerate the tempo and force Lincoln Park to lunge and lose its balance. Schwartz knotted the score at 3-apiece by converting a penalty kick in the 71st minute after the Dolphins’ Anna Dennis was fouled in the box.
“We were out five-or-six girls today and we ran out of depth,” Ruttenberg said. “At the end of the game we needed it.”
Schwartz scored the game-winner in the 78th minute with another of her patented juke moves to create space that enabled her to maneuver through two defenders. That forced the Lions’ keeper to move off the line, and Schwartz finished with a beautiful floater.
“As soon as the ball got kicked up to me I knew I was going,” she said.
“As soon as I got up to the second defender I realized she was giving me the left side. I went around her with my left, and I saw the goalie out.”
Young secured the win. Lincoln Park served notice it is a team to watch going forward.
“Young is a good team with a lot of great players,” Ruttenberg said. “I give them credit. We gave them everything for 80 minutes, and that’s all we can do.”
Roderick-Fried put herself on the radar.
“Being up in this high division this was a good game compared to what we did last week, and I was really happy with our performance,” she said. “The score doesn’t show how well we played. I’m really proud of how we came out and held our own against Whitney.”
Young showed grit and made the plays at the end. The game was a wake-up call.
“It was great to see us pull through and score there at the end,” Mandakas said. “With that said, we can’t put ourselves in those situations. If we think we’re a good team, we can’t go down 3-1 and expect to win.”
Starting line-ups
Young
GK: Kyra Sadovi
D: Cameron Herman
D: Elsa Schlensker
D: Madison Ekern
D: Quinn Gorman
MF: Sarah Heise
MF: Gabrielle Cattan
MF: Gaby Schwartz
F: Keila Vega
F: Sara Woods
F: Sloane Kistinger
Lincoln Park
GK: Sarah Fitcher
D: Daisy Martin
D: Neydy Bucio
D: Coco Sharp
D: Mia Seeley
MF: Celeste Miller
MF: Anisa Ciaciura
MF: Kyra Biederman
F: Jordan Roderick-Fried
F: Sydi Goodman
F: Idalis Cardenas
MVPs of the Match: Jordan Roderick-Fried, F, Lincoln Park
Gaby Schwartz, MF, Young
Lincoln Park's upset bid
Senior hits 78th-minute game-winner,
matches LP's Roderick-Fried's hat trick
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO — Soccer is a collective endeavor, but sometimes individuals take hold in the imagination to the point that everything else is secondary.
The clash between city power Young and emerging program Lincoln Park played out like a movie. The backdrop was pure theater. The game was moved to a converted softball field at Near North. The tight format of the field only intensified the drama. Everything felt more contained and up close. The recurrent snow, rain and wind only added to the surreal texture.
At the center were two great players making their own magic with the ball. Young’s Gaby Schwartz, the senior midfielder long considered the city’s best player, is a known. Her counterpart, Lincoln Park's junior striker Jordan Roderick-Fried, made a spectacular name for herself. She also helped establish the legitimacy of Lincoln Park.
Schwartz and Roderick-Fried each recorded a hat trick, but the Young star did her best work late as the Dolphins rallied from a two-goal deficit to edge the Lions 4-3 in Premier Division play here Monday afternoon.
“I think in the beginning we were really determined to go into this game and dominate,” Roderick-Fried said.
The Lions (7-2-0, 0-2-0) got a rude introduction to the Chicago Public League's top division in a 7-0 loss against defending city champion Lane last week. They were determined to make a better showing.
“This is our first year in the Premier and we’re trying to get adjusted and get a flavor for the competition,” Lincoln Park coach Geoffrey Ruttenberg said. “I thought today the girls competed really hard.”
Roderick-Fried and Schwartz earned co-Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match recognition for their outstanding achievements. Roderick-Fried recorded her 10th, 11th and 12th goals of the year and showcased a powerful blend of speed, agility, footwork and excellent vision. She capitalized on Young passing errors to score in the 7th and 22nd minute to stake the Lions to the 2-1 advantage at the break.
It was an unexpected position for Young.
“We started off well, and we were able to possess,” Young coach Spero Mandakas said. “We played a ball up to our wing and played a bad ball and that set off a series of miscommunications and bad movement on and off the ball that set them up for a breakaway.
“[Roderick-Fried] is a great player, and if she gets those she is going to finish them.”
Schwartz scored her first goal for the Dolphins (5-4-1, 2-0-1) in the 10th minute with one of her signature shots -- a left-footed howitzer that broke sharply and handcuffed the Lions’ keeper, deflecting off her hands for Young's early response.
Lincoln Park persevered and continued to generate opportunities.
“They definitely caught us by surprise,” Young senior midfielder Gabrielle Cattan said. “We started a little too laid back. They scored, and we kind of wanted to pick it up. We didn’t really pick it up until the second half, but then they scored again and it really surprised us.”
The Lions’ ability to play with Young caused a certain level of frustration if not desperation to creep in. Young began to press, playing short balls that yielded turnovers. In the 49th minute, Lincoln Park midfielder Anisa Ciaciura controlled an errant pass and delivered a beautiful through-ball that Roderick-Fried ran under in stride and drilled from about 16 yards out for a stunning 3-1 Lincoln Park lead.
“At that point, I thought, When was the last time we lost to Lincoln Park?” Schwartz said. “We haven’t lost to Lincoln Park in at least 10 years. Everybody just hit a [different] switch, and we had the attitude that there was no way we were going to let this happen. Everybody picked up their game.”
The momentum changed in the 57th minute as Cattan expertly bent a corner kick that curved in for the crucial second Young goal that narrowed the gap and provided the necessary spark.
“We got mad that we were losing,” Cattan said. “That definitely closed the gap and everybody got more intense. It helped us push forward.”
Young’s superior depth and size began to wear down the Lions.
“After a while we got tired,” Roderick-Fried said.
Young began to control the middle, accelerate the tempo and force Lincoln Park to lunge and lose its balance. Schwartz knotted the score at 3-apiece by converting a penalty kick in the 71st minute after the Dolphins’ Anna Dennis was fouled in the box.
“We were out five-or-six girls today and we ran out of depth,” Ruttenberg said. “At the end of the game we needed it.”
Schwartz scored the game-winner in the 78th minute with another of her patented juke moves to create space that enabled her to maneuver through two defenders. That forced the Lions’ keeper to move off the line, and Schwartz finished with a beautiful floater.
“As soon as the ball got kicked up to me I knew I was going,” she said.
“As soon as I got up to the second defender I realized she was giving me the left side. I went around her with my left, and I saw the goalie out.”
Young secured the win. Lincoln Park served notice it is a team to watch going forward.
“Young is a good team with a lot of great players,” Ruttenberg said. “I give them credit. We gave them everything for 80 minutes, and that’s all we can do.”
Roderick-Fried put herself on the radar.
“Being up in this high division this was a good game compared to what we did last week, and I was really happy with our performance,” she said. “The score doesn’t show how well we played. I’m really proud of how we came out and held our own against Whitney.”
Young showed grit and made the plays at the end. The game was a wake-up call.
“It was great to see us pull through and score there at the end,” Mandakas said. “With that said, we can’t put ourselves in those situations. If we think we’re a good team, we can’t go down 3-1 and expect to win.”
Starting line-ups
Young
GK: Kyra Sadovi
D: Cameron Herman
D: Elsa Schlensker
D: Madison Ekern
D: Quinn Gorman
MF: Sarah Heise
MF: Gabrielle Cattan
MF: Gaby Schwartz
F: Keila Vega
F: Sara Woods
F: Sloane Kistinger
Lincoln Park
GK: Sarah Fitcher
D: Daisy Martin
D: Neydy Bucio
D: Coco Sharp
D: Mia Seeley
MF: Celeste Miller
MF: Anisa Ciaciura
MF: Kyra Biederman
F: Jordan Roderick-Fried
F: Sydi Goodman
F: Idalis Cardenas
MVPs of the Match: Jordan Roderick-Fried, F, Lincoln Park
Gaby Schwartz, MF, Young
