OSWEGO—The beginning is always elusive and hard to hold, and rarely conforms to a single narrative line.

Young had the early advantage. After a scoreless first half, Oswego East felt the urgency to respond.

“We talked at halftime that knowing we’d have the wind, we had to take advantage,” Oswego East forward Anya Gulbrandsen said. “If we came out and scored fast, they probably wouldn’t be able to come back.

“They’d probably run out of time.”

Gulbrandsen scored early second half goals three minutes apart to power a 2-1 victory in opening round play of the City-Suburb Connect Invitational on the opening day of the season Monday afternoon.

Her goal 45 seconds into the start of the second half provided the necessary release valve. She followed with a 44th-minute score that proved the game-winner.

The Wisconsin recruit now has 66 career goals, just two away from the school record. Gulbrandsen recorded 30 goals to set a new school record, and added eight assists, last year.

The senior absorbed a hard foul inside the box in the 17th minute. She tried to play on before eventually coming out and missing most of the final 20 minutes of the first half.

“It’s the first game of the season, and we’re trying to get different players time out there,” she said.

Gulbrandsen earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for her outstanding play. 

Both programs were eager to take part in the third edition of the invitational that yokes together some of the top programs in the city and suburbs.

The Wolves are the outlier on the five-team suburban side -- the other four programs come out of the West Suburban Conference Silver Division.

Oswego East was ranked no. 18 in the First 50, the exclusive Chicagoland Soccer survey of the state’s top teams. Young entered ranked no. 45, and was one of just two of the newly ranked programs coming off a losing record last season.

Oswego East (1-0-0) won by surviving the first half as Young enjoyed a surge with the gusting 27-mph winds behind it.

A two-time all-state player, Gulbrandsen is a special talent, a freewheeling and lyrical presence who strikes fear in the opposition.

“I’m excited about this year,” she said. “Everybody is really fired up about what we are capable of. Everybody is back, and we all love each other. We are ready for this season.”

Oswego East was reclaiming its past in welcoming back to the fold midfielder Riley Gumm, Gulbrandsen’s closest friend.

The San Diego State recruit spent last year on a private odyssey, developing her skills and optimizing her visibility for colleges on the club circuit.

She assisted both of Gulbrandsen’s goals.

“I took the time to just be with myself, and work out a few things that I needed to work on personally,” Riley Gumm said. “I think coming back and just being able to play with my best friend and my younger sister is just such a blessing.”

At the start of the second half with the wind at its back, Oswego East took charge. Gumm played a ball to Gulbrandsen in the crease, and she fired a sidewinder from about 14 yards for the opening goal.

Minutes later, Gulbrandsen worked down the left edge, latched on to a ball from Gumm and finished with her left foot from about 17 yards.

Gulbrandsen had an action- and incident-packed game.

In the aftermath of the 17th minute foul inside the box that yielded the penalty kick, Gumm took over as Gulbrandsen shook off the lower body injury. One attempt sailed into the wind and hit the post. 

The second half was different. Gumm created two gorgeous through-balls that found Gulbrandsen at her most dangerous.

“We’ve been playing together for 12 years, and as soon as she gets the ball, I know something good is going to happen,” Gulbrandsen said.

Young (0-1-0) was also eager to show off what its team was capable of.

The first half ended scoreless. Young had the more dangerous play, in part because of the advantage the wind.

Transformation is the name of the Dolphins’ new beginning. The game marked the debut of new coach Zoe Saphir, a former Dolphins’ standout.

“I think this game just showed how much we’ve come out to play this year,” Saphir said.

“I feel like this is our year, and we are really excited. I felt like Moira Koleno did an excellent job, and Kate Sweitzer did an excellent job on their best player.”

Koleno nearly scored in the first 25 seconds, blasting a ball from about 15 yards that required Wolves’ keeper Maddie McGregor to make a fantastic diving stop.

The Dolphins were eager to make an opening statement.

Koleno had 15 goals and eight assists last year. Her prep debut came in this tournament in her freshman season two years ago.

“I am very happy to have Moira on my team,” Saphir said

Playing with her older sisters, twins Ella and Sydney Koleno, the precocious talent showed she belonged by starting in her high school debut against Lyons.

“This was our first opportunity to play together as a team, and I am proud with our effort, and the way we battled until the end,” Koleno said.

Young has three foundational talents in Koleno, three-year starter Lauren Roche in the middle, and the very skilled disruptive backline talent Ainsley Christiansen.

The game offered a first look at some promising underclass talent for the Dolphins, like freshman defender Tallulah Avery and midfielder Finley Skertich.

“I felt like our midfield, especially in the first half, we were possessing the ball most of the time,” Saphir said. “I felt like we were dominating in the first half.

“I was really proud of them for that and finding each other and building out of the back. I’m very excited to see how our midfield develops over the course of the next few weeks, just getting more and more time together.”

Junior keeper Marcela Matallana, in her first career start for the Dolphins, was up to the challenge, blasting off her line to take on the Wolves’ shooters.

Young had the first half advantage in corner and free kicks. And even after the two Gulbrandsen goals, Roche had a spectacular free kick from about 35 yards on the right flank that McGregor made a superb stop on.

Oswego East coach Juan Leal said improving his backline and allowing fewer goals was a focus for the new season.

McGregor finished with five saves. How she’d replace three-year starter Sam McPhee was a huge question mark heading into the season.

“I played with Sam for many years, and we played at the same club,” McGregor said. “After she left for college, I definitely had big shoes to fill.

“I just got back from a surgery, and I didn’t play last season. This was my first varsity game ever, and Sam is definitely one of my idols. I just went for it tonight, and it worked.”

Young did not wilt after the backbreaking goals by Gulbrandsen.  The Dolphins showed moxie, toughness and resilience, especially after Roche was issued a red card in the middle of the second half.

Young was ready to make an impression for its new coach.

“I think naturally our style of play is going to be a little different, right, because we’re not the same coaching staff any longer,” Saphir said.

“We want to make sure we’re playing to all of our strengths, and we’re monopolizing on that. We want to make sure that we’re a cohesive unit, and we’re more on the attacking front than being on the defensive. We’re trying to score goals.”

Koleno made things interesting with a 79th minute score off a beautiful through-ball from defender Sweitzer.

“We really battled at the end,” Koleno said. “We knew we were one player down, but we didn’t give up. Kate slotted me a beautiful ball that I was able to control and hit a shot.

“I just wish we had a few more minutes.”

Starting lineups

Young
GK: Marcela Matallana
D: Tallulah Avery
D: Ainsley Christiensen
D: Kate Sweitzer
D: Xochiti Lopez
MF: Danielle Lam
MF: Lauren Roche
MF: Sonia Liew
MF: Finley Skertich
F: Evelyn Vaughn
F: Moira Koleno

Oswego East
GK: Maddie McGregor
D: Morgan Wulk
D: Emma Klosterman
D: Alex Hoger
D: Kailey Smith
MF: Natalie Hamilton
MF: Catie Sloan
MF: Lana Bomstad
MF: Ashley Gumm
MF: Riley Gumm
F: Anya Gulbrandsen

Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Anya Gulbrandsen, Oswego East, sr., F

Scoring summary

First half

No scoring

Second half

Oswego East—Anya Gulbrandsen (Riley Gumm), 41st minute
Oswego East—Gulbrandsen (Gumm), 44th minute
Young—Moira Koleno (Kate Sweitzer), 79th minute