NORTHFIELD – Addie Sitzmann epitomized a Naperville North team that is taking full advantage of its opportunities.

The usual outside defender shifted to the high pressure centerback role in Thursday’s semifinals of the Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Classic at New Trier. The sophomore helped spark the Huskies (7-1-2), ranked fifth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, to a 2-1 win Thursday over the host and ninth-ranked Trevians (8-2-2).

The win sends the wild card semifinalist to the championship match at 3 p.m. Saturday against Evanston (8-0-1). 

The title tilt is a rematch – the teams played to 1-1 tie Monday (April 8) in the second round of group play.
Evanston went on to win Group B via the goal differential tiebreaker after both teams finished with 2-0-1 marks. Naperville North took the final semifinals spot as the wild card team over Stevenson.
“We barely got into the semifinals: it was based off the goals allowed (the third tiebreaker in the tournament rules)” said Huskies senior Annie Chang, who scored both goals in a late first half span of under three minutes

“Last year we didn’t get out of the group stage, so to even have a chance at the finals is amazing.”

The wild card in the important defensive end of the field was Sitzmann, and her play helped keep wild scrambles to a minimum.

“Addie Sitzmann is playing centerback, who’s never played centerback before,” Huskies coach Steve Goletz said. “She’s there because Reagan O’Malley one of our captains is hurt. And Addie was incredible tonight.

“Our whole backline was incredible, but for a kid to be put under that amount of pressure in this game and play the game she did as a sophomore, as a coach it makes you feel great. She’s a fantastic kid who works super hard and is only going to get better.”

The matching stellar offensive and defensive play of Chang and Sitzmann earned them each a share of the MVP of the Match honor.

“I feel like it wasn’t as hard (moving to centerback) as I expected it to be, because it’s still defending,” Sitzmann said, “but I just know I can’t go as high (up the field), and staying with my runners in the box is really important.”

Sitzmann was quick to share credit for her performance.

“Having Emily (Buescher) there (at the other center spot Thursday), she’s a really good leader and has been a centerback for a while.

“The pressure is there. Last year (as a freshman) my teammates were really welcoming and kind of like ‘It’s OK if you mess up. It’s fine. You’ll get it back.’

“That really helped me walking in. This program is really good. And it was nerve-racking, but they really helped.”

Thursday was the latest step forward in comfort level. 

At the offensive end, a great individual effort by Chang broke the ice in the tug-of-war.

Just 7:46 before halftime, a seemingly harmless Chang possession near midfield turned impactful when she tipped a 50/50 ball nicely ahead, sprinted on a dribble drive into the box and was fouled to earn a penalty kick.

“The two defenders on the outside were both running in, and that’s part of what created the foul,” Chang said. “I honestly don’t remember how I got it (the ball), but I had this breakaway. Driving toward the goal it’s always really important to make sure you have
control of the ball. Being able to drive forward is really important, and not to get too close to the goalie, or they’re going to get it.”

Chang masterfully handled the chance before drawing contact in the box, then powered the PK into the lower right side to put the Huskies up 1-0.

“Annie crashes the net,” Goletz said, “a little bit of miscommunication from their backline, and she doesn’t stop her run. She pokes it, retains possession, dribbles in, gets fouled and then buries the penalty kick. What a big-time play by a senior.”

And it began a big-time three-minute stretch for the forward.

Chang and Claire DeCook made a nice combined rush 70 seconds later, only to be denied on Basie Shannon’s clear of the cross.

But 5:30 before halftime, a Huskies throw-in from the right sideline 10 yards out connected with Jacey Sturek. Chang took an ensuing pass in the left side of the box and tucked home a low shot to make the lead 2-0.

“Jacey created an amazing ball across, and I was just there to kick it in,” Chang said.

The seemingly simple finish began more elaborately.

“Lily Radek threw it in, and Jacey digs it out and slots it across,” Goletz said. “We’ve talked all week about taking a chance and trying to get inside of the outside backs. Annie did it perfect and tapped it in the goal.”

Instead of folding up after the two quick strikes, New Trier produced an impressive late first half flurry to draw close.

After Charlotte Dellin put shots on goal in the 37th and 39th minutes that were saved by Huskies goalkeeper Olivia Ochsner, the Trevians swarmed the box in the final seconds of the stanza and broke through.

The initial shot by Dellin, off an Addy Randall pass, was saved by Ochsner. Jaime Elias’ rebound from 10 yards was somehow denied by a Huskie defender’s foot block at the goal line. But Josie Noble gathered the next rebound and found the back of the net to make the
score 2-1 with 15 seconds left in the half.

“Honestly it’s kind of a blur,” Noble said, “but there were a couple of shots. We work on trying to be there for the rebound. I was there for I think the third rebound, and I put it away.

“We definitely weren’t happy with how the half was going,” Noble added. “The clock was running down, and we kind of all hyped ourselves up like we should have been showing before. The clock kind of flipped a switch in our heads and turned on the urgency for us, and helped rile us up to try to find the net.”

Before those wild last minutes of the first half, the first 10 minutes of the half were also wild, but scoreless. New Trier’s Sybil Evans took three corner kicks in a span of 80 seconds.

Naperville North’s DeCook fired a low liner after a right-side run that went just wide of the left post and diving New Trier goalkeeper Annie Fowler.

After the trio of late first half finishes, capped by the emotional goal by the Trevians, the mood of a 0-0 tie just minutes earlier had shifted.

“We needed to get back to focusing on what we did for 39 minutes and 30 seconds and not worry about the last 30 seconds,” Goletz said. “They (New Trier) were going to come out hard (after the break), and we needed to absorb those first 10 minutes. And the girls did a fantastic job of that.”

It wasn’t easy. The opening minute of the second half featured an Evans corner kick send 55 seconds in that a leaping Ochsner nicely batted down with one hand and covered. The keeper then made a high catch on a Shannon 40-yard free kick with 35 minutes left, before Evans curled a 28-yard shot just wide of the upper-left corner.

“I thought we did a good job of creating into the final third,” New Trier coach Jim Burnside said, “but just didn’t have the finish there.

“There are some little pieces missing. It looks good, but if you don’t wind up putting it away, that’s the problem. But against a good team it’s not easy.”

New Trier continued to have the better of the second half play.

With 20:45 left, Elias burst up the middle and powered a 20-yard shot just wide right. One minute later, an Honor Dold throw-in to the box found Elias, but her ensuing cross to the front was denied on a block and clear by Naperville North midfielder Audrey Hartmann.

“Audrey Hartmann was fantastic today,” Goletz said. “She played all 80 minutes, and you have Claire who battles every game. And Jacey Sturek. 

“Really it was everybody in our midfield: Kennedy Bertsch is a freshman, and what a kid, just battles tooth and nail. To come in and play against New Trier for 40 minutes as a defensive center mid. … We’re so excited to have her for the next four years. I thought
from top to bottom it was a fantastic team effort.”

Sitzmann’s efforts loomed large later in the game. She nicely cleared away a New Trier free kick to ignite a counterattack with 14:20 to play. Then five minutes later, she blocked a cross to the front by the Trevians’ Elias to diffuse another threat.

New Trier remained undeterred in its push for a game-tying score.

With 4:30 left, a Buescher header steered away a long Trevians free kick. Then with 55 seconds to go, another Evans corner kick threat ended with an Elias 20-yard shot just wide.

Buescher and Sitzmann teamed up on a final clear of the Huskies defensive zone as time ran out.

“They (the Huskies) played hard and might have wanted it a little more than we did,” Burnside said. “I thought we did some good stuff, but we got out of our style a little bit. We need to possess a little better. But they make you do things you don’t want to do, and make that happen.

“I think as a team we were good, but we needed to be just a little better.”

Naperville North knew it passed a major test.

“We knew it was going to be an absolute fight,” Goletz said. “Jim’s teams are so organized, with so much talent on the field. They’re so athletic. We had to get the ball forward.”

And on two Chang goals late in the first half, the Huskies did that just enough.

“We knew athletically maybe we’d struggle a little bit at times at certain spots,” Goletz said. “They’ve good some really good kids back there. But we knew they’d play three in the back, and we can match our three with their three and try to get a couple of chances. And we did.”

While suffering their first loss since March 29, the Trevians were hardly reeling as they look forward to bigger things.

“I feel like we controlled the game most of the time, but we didn’t come out with the result,” Noble said, “so we’re definitely missing something. It was kind of disappointing, but I think we just have to figure some more things out and have some more teamwork on the field.

“Overall it’s going good (with eight wins). The results aren’t as good today, but our momentum is in the right direction. So, I’m not too worried.”

“There’s only one tournament that really, really matters,” said Burnside alluding to the state tournament. “We’re not winning anything huge today.

“Are we as far along as we want to be? Probably not. But it’s a matter of trying to come together as a group, and I think we’re moving in the right direction. It was good. I hope we learn from it.”

Naperville North is on a nine-game unbeaten streak (7-0-2) since a season-opening 3-0 loss to Barrington.

“The first game is always rough. Last year I remember too, we lost 2-0 (to the Fillies),” Sitzmann said. “But after that we kind of regrouped. And I feel like our defense the whole year has been really strong.”

Said Chang: “Since our first game we’ve been working together and had different drills that go to what we needed to work on. I feel like as a team we’ve progressed. It’s always hard when you have different players coming in (to start a season) and different players starting. It’s always learning to get the hang of it.”

The next bite of success would be especially delicious: the Deep Dish tournament title Saturday. The semifinal win was a good appetizer.

“Top to bottom what a great effort by the team,” Goletz said. “We knew we would need this kind of effort.

“In this tournament, if you make it this far it’s like a state semifinal or state final. You know you’re playing two incredible games, and you hope it gives these kids more confidence that when they lock in and do the right things, they can beat anybody on any day.

“As a coach I’m proud,” Goletz added, “and it feels good to be back in the championship here. It’s been a little bit of time for us, and hopefully we can put together another great performance, which we’ll need.”

Starting lineups

Naperville North
GK: Olivia Ochsner
D: Lily Radek
D: Addie Sitzmann
D: Emily Buescher
D: Abby Penn
M: Jacey Sturek
M: Kelly Wilson
M: Audrey Hartmann
F: Rachael Noren
F: Claire DeCook
F: Annie Chang

New Trier
GK: Annie Fowler
D: Kennedy Colegrove
D: Clara Deliduka
D: Honor Dold
M: Basie Shannon
M: Sybil Evans
M: Josie Noble
M: Annie Paden
M: Addy Randall
F: Jaime Elias
F: Charlotte Dellin

Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Addie Sitzmann, so. D, Naperville North;
Annie Chang, sr., F, Naperville North

Scoring summary

First half
NN- Annie Chang (PK), 33’
NN- Chang (Jacey Sturek), 35’
NT- Josie Noble (rebound), 40’

Second half
No scoring