GLENVIEW -- New Glenbrook South manager Cassidy Price’s message to her squad after this week is to stay in the present and take the season as it comes.

After a week where the eighth-ranked Titans defeated Deerfield 1-0 and tied rival Glenbrook North 0-0, the home team played in a match for the fourth time in five days. That’s because the Deerfield match was suspended and played over two days because of weather. 

Glenbrook South looked to change some things offensively against Normal on Saturday.

“Sometimes we want to play direct. We want to play people on and take so many touches,” Price said. “We talked about if you can take two touches and get it off your foot, do it. If you can play the simple pass, do it.

“They did a great job of playing the simple pass, not trying to take everybody on. My goal for them was to take X-amount of shots per half and good things will happen. 

“There were a couple things that were different today. Deerfield didn’t allow us to really have many shots, because they had a lot of numbers in the box. And GBN, we just didn’t take a lot of shots. 

“I tell the girls that if they have the opportunities, even if it may not be a great opportunity, take it. Liv’s shot today, she wasn’t fully open, but she took it and great things happened.”

The Titans took down visiting Normal, the seventh-ranked team in the Chicagoland Soccer Illinois 10 poll, 2-1 Saturday afternoon at John Davis Stadium.

“We’re really learning how to connect with each other more on the field, and our chemistry has really grown,” Glenbrook South’s Olivia Ollmert said. 

Even though his team didn’t get the win, Normal manager Matt Chapman was very encouraged by how his squad played.

“I thought our players rose to the occasion,” he said. “I thought we did a fantastic job. I liked the effort, the communication I saw. I really liked the overall connectedness we had.

“Honestly, we played better today in a loss than we have recently. That’s a good team over there, and we didn’t play bad. I’m really encouraged by how we played.”

Normal (9-4-1) and Glenbrook South have been playing each other in nonconference play for more than a decade.

Normal’s four losses this season have come against teams with a combined 42-4-5 record. Each of the quartet are ranked either in the top 10 of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 or top six of the Illinois 10 poll. 

Glenbrook South feels it benefitted from the Lady Iron’s visit.

“They didn’t allow us to really take a play off,” Price said. “[Rayna Powers] did a great job in there; [Mary Baker] was winning balls. It was a great game. 

“They help prepare us to take the next step in conference. They help us understand what level of play we need to win. It helps us grow.”

The feeling was mutual.

“Glenbrook South is a fantastic team, and we’re really glad we got to play them,” Chapman said. “Because of the area we live in, there’s a lot of Class AA teams. There’s a good number of good AA teams, and we’ve been beaten by some good AA teams, but to have the chance to play a school we could maybe see deep in the (Class 3A) postseason and the quality of players they have this year, it was a great game, a great game.”

With its 5-1-4 formation, Glenbrook South was more than willing to dare the visitors to come out and defend them 15-plus yards away from the goal and were not afraid to pepper the Normal goal with long-distance shots. 

The Titans (10-1-3) had six shots that were either saved by the goalie, hit the crossbar or went just wide of the goal.

Things changed when UIC recruit Ollmert, who is tied with Sofia Sommer for the team lead in goals with five, was able to put a ball in over the outstretched arms of Normal keeper Erica Elofson from the right hash around the 20-yard line of the football field with six minutes, 40 seconds remaining in the first half.

“I came in from the side, had a nice pass from Madison Wessel and saw a lot of room to get up, took a touch and saw the opportunity to shoot,” Ollmert said. “I’m confident with the ball. When I see the open shot, I’ll always take it, regardless of where it’s at really.”

The Titans defense to that point had controlled much of the Normal attack, allowing the visitors to earn only two corners and one shot on goal in the match’s first 36 minutes.

“They kept possession really well and were passing around us,” Normal’s Powers said of the reasons the Titans controlled the majority of first half play. “They’re all very good technically, and it was really difficult to take it off their foot.”

That changed with 3:12 remaining in the half when Powers drove down the middle of the field toward the goal. She earned a free kick right outside of the box after being taken down by a Titans defender.

The junior, a Kentucky recruit, calmly placed the free kick into the back of the net, tying the match at 1 just before the half.

“It was on the left side of the box so I knew I could bend the ball over the wall,” Powers said. “It worked today. My goal was to shoot it.

“For me, when we’re around the 18 or a little outside the 18, it’ll be me who takes the free kick. So, it wasn’t anything really new to me.”

Much like the first half, Glenbrook South came out looking for more in the second half. The home team again controlled much of the play and saw two shots, one by Ollmert and one by Lindsey Ciss, hit the goal frame before ricocheting back into the field of play.

The onslaught finally paid off with 13:45 remaining when Ollmert, who earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor, connected for the game-winning goal.

“I feel really comfortable dribbling up and beating defenders, so I saw an opportunity to do that, saw space and I really wanted another goal,” she said. “I took the space, shot it and was happy with it.”

Price was happy with the fact her squad was able to put double-digit shots on frame. She hopes her squad will be able to maintain that in the remaining three league games, which include heavy hitters and top 10 teams Evanston and New Trier.

“One day at a time,” Price said. “That’s what I told the girls. Your next game is against Maine South. That’s your next battle. It’s not what we’re going to do down the road. One day at a time give me everything you’ve got, whether it’s a film session, lift, anything, give me what you’ve got.

“I think that’s how we have to take it. One day at a time, continue to get better and grow, polish off what’s our brand of soccer. If you play your brand of soccer, you’re good.”

Normal will also look to use its solid effort as it prepares for the home stretch of the regular-season.

“We knew they were very good and that’s what we want to do, play really good competition throughout the entire season to prepare us for May, June -- the playoffs,” Powers said. “We like playing teams that are either around the same level or above average to us so we can continue to work on things to get better.” 

“We’re doing our best to match up with the talent they have on the field,” Chapman said. “They definitely had the ball more, especially in the second half. But we had our moments where we were possessing as well.

“Our passing was better than it has been recently. Raising the level of the game, the quality of the game is very evident with games like these.”
 

Starting lineups

Normal
GK: Erica Elofson
D: Sarah Thompson
D: Emma Henry
D: Audrey Riedner
D: Katie Olson
MF: Rayna Powers
MF: Elly McClelland
MF: Emma Reichert
MF: Mary Baker
F: Teagan Fahy
F: Reese Anderson

Glenbrook South
GK: Lyndsey Mack
D: Avery Spear
D: Adyson Clemen
D: Lyla Galat
D: Katie Condon
D: Lindsey Ciss
MF: Lauren Koopersmith
F: Claire Baim
F: Olivia Ollmert
F: Sofia Sommer
F: Megan Murray

Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Olivia Ollmert, sr., F, Glenbrook South

Scoring summary

First half
GBS: Olivia Ollmert (Madison Wessel), 34th minute
Normal: Rayna Powers (free kick), 37th minute

Second half
GBS: Ollmert (Sofia Sommer), 67th minute