MINOOKA -- Wheaton Warrenville South made its BodyArmor tournament exit a winning  one with a 2-1 road victory Monday (April 15) at Minooka.

The Tigers started off on the right foot, gaining momentum early on. Unaccustomed to the grass field, the visitors adjusted quickly  in what proved to be a hard-fought tournament fixture. 

Wheaton Warrenville South controlled possession and bombarded Minooka’s box in the opening 20 minutes. The span yielded a goal that reflected the run of play. Senior midfielder Camryn Fleming sent a through-ball to the edge of the box where junior all-state forward Ashlyn Adams picked it up. She connected with a blast from about 15 yards from the middle of the box to put the visitors ahead.

“Camryn (Fleming), our midfielder, she had an open-wide through-ball for me, and I just had to run on to it, take a couple touches and just finish it in the back corner,” said Adams. “It was a great ball, and I knew I had to finish it to go up 1-0.”

This initial phase of the contest was a wake-up call for Minooka. The home team responded. This fixture wasn’t only a tournament game, it was also a marquee matchup in their nonconference slate.

“They’re a well-coached team. They do the right things, and they communicate well,” said Minooka head coach Chris Brolley. “Just battling with that, which we knew we were gonna get, we were trying to incorporate some of the things we’re trying to instill in a really tough, close game.”

Minooka’s energy noticeably increased its clawed its way back into the game. Forward Keira Rucka led the charge, especially down the right wing. The hosts’ efforts quickly paid off on a set piece. Seven minutes after the Tigers’ opening goal, Cali Rucka’s corner kick connected with Keira, who fired off a one-touch shot.

“I had a shot and then the keeper saved it,” said Rucka. “Then it was a corner, and it was like back post. I volleyed it in.”

The remainder of the half was even, with both teams vying for control of a game that seemed to have reached equilibrium. As halftime arrived, Minooka and Wheaton Warrenville South found themselves at a deadlock. Both sides sought the  X-factor to tip the scales in their favor.

“I thought they (Minooka) did a really nice job of continuing to apply pressure, and they had some good looks as well,” said Wheaton Warrenville South head coach Guy Callipari. “They made a really good game of it.”

“We made some changes,” said Brolley. “We adjusted at halftime and things started to go better. If you can play high-level games like this and improve, that’s the key for this tournament.”

Wheaton Warrenville South returned from the break and implemented a tactical change in the final third. Adams switched from filling the role of a traditional striker to floating between a creative attacking-midfielder and winger throughout the half.

“In the second half, we kind of changed things around a little bit,” said Callipari. “We were trying to open them up by moving (Ashlyn) Adams around, because we knew they would focus on her defensively. We applied pressure that way.”

Wheaton Warrenville South’s more freestyle mode of play resulted in both teams finding open space. The Tigers made the most of the new option. 

Junior defender Lily Petrie, who recently committed to Wisconsin-Green Bay, ran down the left wing and crossed the ball into the box. Minooka goalkeeper Jasmine Frazier was unable to secure it, which opened the door for Anna Ittersagen to swing the ball over to Ava Walsh at the top of the box. The Wheaton Warrenville South captain fired a shot from 20 yards that went straight over Frazier’s head and into the net.

“Someone (Petrie) crossed it from the other side,” said Walsh. “Then Anna (Ittersagen) had the rebound and then it hit back. I turned, and then I shot it, and it went in.”

The Tigers hung on for the remaining 18 minutes of the match, escaping some close calls. Keira Rucka nearly found an equalizer for Minooka off a free kick. The home team ran out of time as the visitors regained the momentum in the dying minutes of the contest. A yellow card on Minooka midfielder Callie Hefner for a hard foul on Kelsey Clousing preceded Wheaton Warrenville South forward Sabrina Stransky hitting the crossbar just before time expired.

“I think that it’s a grind, and that we always have to hustle and play as a team,” said Adams. “Sometimes, when teams come back, we just have to come back even harder and just really capitalize on any opportunities we have.”

The one-goal difference in the final score accurately reflected the razor-thin margin that decided the winner. Minooka rose to the challenge but couldn’t overcome their visitors’ firepower.

“They really killed us off the breakaway,” said Hefner. “We were shut down in positions that we were not supposed to be in. They really attacked us on that point. They were really good at finding their wingers and attacking.”

Wheaton Warrenville South goalkeeper Marilyn Dixon had a busy day, tallying seven saves and playing a fundamental role in the Tigers’ victory.

“Their goalie (Dixon), she did a really good job,” said Rucka. “We had a couple good shots, and she still saved them.”

Minooka will look to take away lessons from this game. They proved they can go toe-to-toe with high-level competition.

“I think we can work around everywhere, we can work in every position,” said Hefner. “Every day we’re learning how to play with the team, every single day.”

“We started to actually connect more passes in the middle, which opens it up,” said Brolley. “We definitely have some speed on both sides, and we like to use it.”

Wheaton Warrenville South will look to keep its winning mindset as it continues in the quest for their first DuKane Conference championship.

“We wanted to make certain that if our identity and personality is defined by how we follow-up after a loss, we want to win,” said Callipari. 

Starting lineups

Wheaton Warrenville South
GK-Marilyn Dixon
D-Brooke Ittersagen
D-Chloe Trinkl
D-Kayla Waterman
D-Lily Petrie
MF-Ella Byrnes
MF-Emma Gronlund
MF-Kelsey Clousing
F-Sabrina Stransky
F-Molly Spayth
F-Ashlyn Adams

Minooka
GK-Jasmine Frazier
D-Jasmin Valles
D-Carlee Rausa
D-Shea Freckelton
MF-Jada Neill
MF-Callie Hefner
MF-Ashley Sullivan
MF-Gabby Kwait
MF-Cali Rucka 
F-Keira Rucka
F-Addison Cailteux

Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Ava Walsh, sr., MF, Wheaton Warrenville South

Scoring summary

First half
Wheaton Warrenville South: Ashlyn Adams (Camryn Fleming), 20’
Minooka: Keira Rucka (Cali Rucka), 27’

Second half
Wheaton Warrenville South: Ava Walsh (Anna Ittersagen), 62’