LA GRANGE — The unique player can impact winning in manners almost invisible to the eye. It can come from intuition, through the use of natural agility, from a knack for being in the middle of the action or any combination thereof.

Warren midfielder Kate Mondejar fits the bill. 

On Thursday night, she scored the 79th-minute game-winner in the Blue Devils’ 2-1 victory over then 10th-ranked Stevenson, which was deeply gratifying in its own right. 

For her follow-up, Mondejar pursued a different mode of address. It was stealthy and furtive, a style hard to see though impossible to ignore.

“I think today I really decided to play smart and tried to deal with the ball on the ground,” Mondejar said. “Usually I play with the ball a lot and try to win as many as balls in the air as possible. Today I just decided to trust my teammates. 

“I looked for my centerbacks or my outside backs as much as I could when I had the ball, kept my composure and just won those 50/50 balls.”

Her ball-hawking, energy and playmaking sparked Warren, which is ranked 25th in the Week 6 edition of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, to a 2-1 victory over Boylan in a championship game of the BodyArmor tournament Sunday afternoon at the Lyons Sports Complex.

Warren (8-5-0) won for the sixth time in its last seven games, and beat a Titans’ team that was then ranked second in the Chicagoland Soccer Class AA Super 7 poll.

The only loss during that stretch was a 3-0 defeat in the Blue Devils’ North Suburban Conference opener against Libertyville on April 16.

The Blue Devils opened the tournament with a penalty shootout victory April 13 against previously perfect Saint Viator, who is top-ranked in the Class AA Super 7 poll. 

“It’s been a very long nine days with three BodyArmor games and two conference games,” Warren coach Ryan McCabe said. “I’m really happy with how the girls fought through it.

“I thought there were probably some tired legs out there at times. The girls did a great job of staying focused. We needed to start early, and I think those two goals in the first half were really important.”

Mondejar created the opening goal in the 20th minute. She knifed between two Boylan players for the steal at midfield. She quickly worked the ball to forward Gwen Zajac, who played a gorgeous through-ball to forward Addison Stanciak.

“Kate’s work rate has been tremendous all season,” McCabe said. “Winning that ball in the middle of the pitch and setting up that first goal today was huge.

“She drove a lot of our attack today. She is playing at a very high level right now. She is the engine who never stops. She’s a three-sport athlete. She’s worked very hard with her club playing the central midfielder, and it really shows out there.”

Mondejar earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for her excellent play.

Stanciak controlled the pass from Zajac, and finished a low-lined ball from about 14 yards that went inside the near post.

Earlier in the game, Stanciak tried to shoot off movement. She took premature touches that didn’t allow for the difference in speed and play of a ball on natural grass.

That first shot was saved by Titans keeper Natalya Razo.

“I had to recognize my environment and realize that this is not what we're used to playing on our turf field, and I tried to get used to it,” Stanciak said. 

“I took those first two shots, and saw they didn’t go in. I just told myself that something has got to change here. My mentality switched, and I held the ball longer and got off a better look. After that, everything was cool.”

Playing so many games in a tight window necessitates a shuffling of players and expanding the roster. If Mondejar and Stanciak have been staples, a new face added to the mix provided a crucial energy boost.

Sophomore Sophie Dolinar was first elevated to the varsity for the Stevenson game.

Against Boylan on Sunday she scored her first varsity goal and the eventual game-winner in the 25th minute. 

The Blue Devils’ pressure again yielded strong results. Defender Jelly Amezquita trapped the ball on the left edge just inside midfield and punched the ball down the channel to the streaking Dolinar.

She drove hard with the ball, and hammered a shot off movement from about 16 yards inside the near post for a 2-0 lead.

“I love running off the ball, and Jelly made an amazing play. I laid it back, and she sent it for me,” Dolinar said. “I just joined the team, and my teammates, I think, are starting to understand the way that I play.

“This team was already really good. I just think I’m creating a lot of opportunities and getting to know these players better, and they’re getting to know me. I trust these guys, and I hope they trust me.”

Warren awoke from an early season slump and changed its fortunes during a spring break trip to the St. Louis area during the final week of March. 

The Blue Devils played St. Louis powerhouse St. Joseph’s Academy (15-0-0) and defending Class 3A champion O’Fallon (12-0-0), which is top-ranked in the Illinois 10 poll.

After a lopsided loss against the St. Louis private school, the Blue Devils played O’Fallon to a very tough and competitive 1-0 loss on March 25.

Warren is 6-1-0 since that trip.

“We have never gone to St. Louis to play since I’ve been on the team,” Stanciak said. “Then it was intimidating to play the (Illinois) state champions from last year, but we kept our positive attitude. Our effort and our communication was really good, and we ended up losing a very close game. 

“I think playing against these different teams is making us better. We are getting a chance to see a different brand of soccer, and I think that is really important for us to grow as a team.”

Keeper Emma Megerle made six saves, including two superb stops after deep Boylan runs in the final 20 minutes of the game.

Boylan made a late push after forward Johanna Hawley broke free down the right edge and finished from about 12 yards in the 74th minute.

“I thought we should have played a little grittier. But in the end it was not a bad (second) half,” Hawley said. “The first couple of minutes after they scored our heads were down, and we were not really in a good mindset. Once we got into our runs, we got back into the right mood.

“We made some mistakes, and they capitalized on them. We are going to get better.”

Warren showed the underpinnings of its improved play, like the activity and pressure created by Amezquita, whose left-footed blasts from the back opened up the offensive attack.

Savvy defender Reese Mertens worked the Blue Devils out of dangerous situations. Sofia Ogren worked well with Mondejar in the middle attack. Zajac looks like a breakout talent up-top and a formidable partner to all-stater Stanciak. Forward Yasmin Lenzi made an impact.

And Dolinar looks like a keeper.

“We had a great week,” Stanciak said. “I think the Stevenson game was a huge win for us coming off the loss to Libertyville. We beat Viator in kicks, and had a really good 3-1 win over Elk Grove to get here today.

“We have this mentality that it doesn’t matter who they are. We are just going to come out, and play our game.”

Starting lineups

Boylan
GK: Natalya Razo
D: Claire Kirkham
D: Sophia Moore
D: Gracie Rose
D: Ava Galluzzo
MF: Jocelyn Posada
MF: Mary Therese Harrison
MF: Leilani Gomez
MF: Yazmin Reyes
F: Delilah Hawley
F: Johanna Hawley

Warren
GK: Emma Megerle
D: Jelly Amezquita
D: Mia Gloria
D: Maya Martinek
D: Reese Mertens
MF: Kimberly White
MF: Sofia Ogren
MF: Kate Mondejar
F: Yasmin Lenzi
F:Addison Stanciak
F: Gwen Zajac

Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Kate Mondejar, so., MF, Warren

Scoring summary

First half
Warren—Addison Stanciak (Gwen Zajac), 20’
Warren—Sophie Dolinar (Jelly Amezquita), 25’

Second half
Boylan—Johanna Hawley (Claire Kirkham), 74’