Motivated Metea Valley runs past Crystal Lake Central

By Bobby Narang

WESTERN SPRINGS – On a sunny and somewhat warm Sunday afternoon, the Lyons Soccer Complex held a bevy of activities for the BodyArmor tournament. 

A DJ was on hand to add a lively backdrop to the numerous soccer games being played over multiple fields in close proximity.

Even with all the planned activities, there was no question about who was the headliner of the day: it was the Metea Valley soccer team.

Two years after capturing the Class 3A state championship, the Mustangs are working toward adding a second piece of state hardware to their trophy case.

Behind a bevy of college-bound players, the Mustangs, who ranked fourth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, took center stage against no. 13 Crystal Lake Central. With a throng of fans filling the stands, the Mustangs lived up to the hype by cruising to a 4-0 victory over the Tigers to win their bracket. It was the program’s third-straight championship at the event.

“We do this tournament because we get three good teams (to play), and they do a nice job of creating an environment that the girls enjoy,” Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley said. “The off-the-field stuff here is important to us. This is a great thing to be involved with. The girls have been in a lot of good games lately, especially controlling games but not necessarily finishing the way we like. But maybe they were saving it for today.”

Standing on the plush grass, Whaley tossed praise at several players. He credited his backline of Jessica Terada, Sydney Phillips, Kyleigh Jannisch and Kaylee Hansen for playing hard. Goalie Alyssa Gluting had just one save in the game but was kept busy handling the Tigers’ aggressiveness.

Crystal Lake Central, the third place finisher in Class AA last spring, attempted numerous corner kicks and free kicks in the first half.

“Lucy Burk came out to play today bigtime. I thought a few of our midfielders worked really, really hard, plus we got a clean-sheet, so that’s a tough one,” Whaley said. “The whole backline played great. Sydney Bayless was super dynamic. This is where you have to grind it out and play your game, but (the grass) does change it.

“We talked a lot about being tough on the ball and strong on 50/50s, especially against a team like (the Tigers). I know they like to play physical, same with Lincoln-Way Central. We talked about toughness all week. They played tough and shut them down, which is huge. I’m glad to be a part of a competitive tournament. It’s huge to win, but this should make us better for the postseason.”

The Mustangs (10-1-1, 2-0-0) won their fifth game in a row since dropping a 1-0 decision at Triad on April 6. The Mustangs have allowed just one goal during the streak.

Burk led Metea Valley with a goal and assist. Jannisch produced two helpers. Lily Senese, Terada and McKenna Wigfield added goals. Bayless chipped in with a helper.

Crystal Lake Central (10-2-1, 4-0-0) was also on a roll with a seven-game winning streak entering the match. Sunday’s loss was just the second time this season the Tigers have been shutout. Senior goalie Addison Cleary showed her mettle against Metea Valley. She made five of her six saves in a busy second half.

Standing a few inches away from the entrance fence, Crystal Lake Central coach Sarah Fack discussed the tough loss while her team slowly boarded the bus for the long drive to the far northwest suburbs.

“I think we kind of lost the mental battle today and just really didn’t play our game,” Fack said. “We had a little bit of a stretch in the first half, and we had the ball on their side. But after they found their groove, we could never really get back into it.

“Addison is always really solid. She did a nice job in the net, is always solid back there. 

“Overall, it was a tough game mentally for us. It’s a good kick in the butt for us, especially if we really want this and to make that run to state. We can’t have any games where we’re not focused or into it, or playing with our all. 

"… If it happens again in the playoffs, that’s it for us. We have to figure it out now rather than later. Metea Valley is a great team, is well-coached and did a great job today. We know we’re a good team. We have a lot to look forward to this season. One bad game is not going to define us.”

Three minutes into the match, Senese slithered her way into an opening to knock in a shot from 10 yards for a 1-0 lead after a perfect pass from Burk.

“Lily was open in the middle, and I ended up being the defender up wide.” Burk said. “Lily was perfectly open. I just crossed it into her, and she made a perfect finish.”

Terada, a freshman, scored the second goal, and the first of her prep career, early in the second half. The defender’s face lit up discussing the milestone tally.

“It was really good to score, because I’ve had a couple of chances like that in past games,” Terada said. “It felt good to finally get one it. It was really exciting.”

She was proud of how her team played.

“(Crystal Lake Central) was really fast and tried to get behind us with through-balls, but our backline did very well,” Terada said. “Our backs did really good overall. I think we did good at connecting the passes and taking shots. Our forwards did really good today.”

Burk, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match, added more pressure on the Tigers, scoring on a tap-in from in front of the net for a 3-0 lead in the 52nd minute. Burk stunned the crowd on the tally, turning her body in a 180-degree fashion slowly in the midst of a crowd of players to score.

“It was off a cross or a restart, and I was sealing off the centerback. I realized I didn’t have anyone on my right, so I just stopped and twisted and hit with my left, and it went in,” said the Northern Michigan recruit. 

“We look forward to this tournament every single year. It’s a great experience. Winning it means a lot. This was a good way to end a hard week and shows hard work pays off. We’ve had other players step up. We have a more team effort than it has been in the past.”

Wigfield added the final topping to the party by knocking in a header in the 63rd minute. 

Bayless was a standout on the pitch for the Mustangs with her energetic play. She also had an assist.

“I think it was a good win for us,” Bayless said. “They were an aggressive team. We knew that coming in, so we knew how to work this game to win a championship. We knew we had to score fast to come out with a win. We wanted to set the tone for the game. It feels good to come back here and get another win.”
 
 
Starting lineups

Metea Valley
GK: Alyssa Gluting
D: Sydney Phillips
D: Kyleigh Jannisch
D: Jessica Terada
MF: Kaylee Hansen
MF: Emma Strcic
MF: McKenna Wigfield
MF: Olivia Hernandez
F: Lily Senese
F: Lucy Burk
F: Cydnie Bayless
 
Crystal Lake Central
GK: Addison Cleary
D: Kalissa Kaiser
D: Shaylee Gough
D: Chelsea Iles
D: Paiton Hulata                                                
MF: Sadie Quinn
MF: Peyton McMahon
MF: Madeline Gray
MF: Olivia Anderson
F: Jillian Mueller
F: Brooklyn Carlson
 
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Lucy Burke sr., F Metea Valley
 
Scoring summary
 
First half
Metea Valley: Senese (Burk), 3’
 
Second half
Metea Valley: Terada (Jannisch), 45’
Metea Valley: Burk (Bayless), 52’
Metea Valley: Wigfield (Jannisch), 63’