CHICAGO — Felicity Cole unlocked the perfect way to celebrate the last four years of her athletic life.

Everything came together in a glorious and beautiful morning of pageantry, celebration and history.

The soccer was also just right.

“We came into this game with a lot of high intensity because you never want to lose on Senior Day,” she said. “Even though we chose them, Latin’s a really good team, and we knew we had to play well.”

The 12 Payton seniors all found a way to contribute to the joyous day.

Forward Ajla Gradjan created the early advantage and Cole finished with a fantastic late score for a 2-0 victory over Latin at Wish Field at DePaul University on Saturday morning.

Payton (10-6-1) captured its seventh-consecutive victory, the perfect concluding note to its regular-season non-tournamenet schedule.

The game marked a homecoming for coach Paul Escobar, a former player on the DePaul men’s team who is retiring from coaching at the end of the season.

The Grizzlies finished second in the Chicago Public League Premier Division North to Lane, which is ranked 12th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25. Both teams play opening matches in the 16-team city tournament Monday.

From the activity of Gradjan and Campbell Meszaros at the top of the attack through the intricate and overlapping runs of Cole, Victoria Brooks, Isabelle Katz and Norah Cervenka in the middle, the Grizzlies showed off a spirited and active style of play that kept the Romans (6-4-0) off-balance and on their heels. Midfielder Anna Sandman made her presence felt in the second half. 

Keeper Chloe Guzik made six saves, and the back with Catherine Cupps and Arielle Evans in the middle flanked by Juliana Mokaya and Alondra Reyes, made things particularly difficult for the Romans to create any meaningful possession time.

A two-time Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List player, Cupps is a savvy and skilled two-way talent who could play anywhere on the field. 

Her alert and heady play at the start helped push the Grizzlies over the top.

With Latin pushing numbers forward, Cupps brilliantly drew them in, making a quick play on the ball and launching the perfect over-the-top ball that Gradjan turned into a textbook counter.

The forward outran the last defender and created a one-on-one showdown with Latin keeper Sidney Dibble.

She broke toward the goal and went right post from about 14 yards in the sixth minute for the invaluable fast start.

“From the start of the game, I knew one of the defenders was going to be on my back,” Gradjan said.

“I knew Cate has a great long ball, and I just waited for her to give me that ball. That’s a stressful situation, because you don’t know whether you’re going to miss or not, but I think I was very calm. I just placed it well.”

Cupps is the Grizzlies’ set piece specialist with her corner and free kicks.

She showed another effective aspect of her game.

“We talked before the game that this is a college field, a massive space, and bigger than basically anywhere we’ve ever played before,” Cupps said.

“I knew there was a lot of space behind me, and I haven’t really met a defense yet that Ayla can’t run behind and beat. I felt very confident playing that ball over, and knowing good things would happen.”

Gradjan, a UIC recruit, scored her team-best 11th goal.

She has international experience playing with the U19 Bosnian national program.

“I think getting the early goal is always good. It just makes us more hyped and excited about the game, and playing more calm knowing that we’re up a goal,” Gradjan said.

Payton had the advantage of the gusting and swirling 20-mph winds.

The Grizzlies pushed numbers forward, with Cole especially effective orchestrating the middle attack.

Brooks and Cole created pressure deep in the Latin final third, mounting pressure on the edges and creating from distance.

Most importantly, Payton felt entirely whole and connected after dealing with injuries and disruptions during the first month of the season which provided the context for its 3-6-1 start.

The Class AA city power has also stepped up its schedule with games against Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 members no. 5 Evanston and no. 7 York, and honorable mention team Oswego East.

“It was obviously hard at the beginning of the season,” Gradjan said. “We were still figuring out who plays what, who’s good at what position.

“I think as the season emerged, we started playing very well and figured out who knows what to do, and what are the other teams’ strengths or weaknesses. We’ve just been connecting and winning our games.”

During the seven-game winning streak, Payton defeated Young and Jones, the top two teams in the Premier Division South.

Latin generated some intermittent success and created some decent chances, mostly off the free kicks of defender Beth Rosenberg and the dynamic play of forward Lauren Rosenberg.

With Latin having the wind during the second half, Beth Rosenberg hammered a free kick from 50 yards that just skipped wide right of the frame.

Cupps was very effective at cutting off space, and limiting Latin's chances. 

Cole was the driving, animating force of the second half. Quick and fluid with a nose for the ball, she made a number of strong plays -- winning balls or simply controlling the action.

But as much as Payton felt in control, the slim one-goal differential remained.

Dibble made a couple of superb stops that kept Latin hovering and within reach.

“We were just telling each other to press high, and go for the ball. I think we were all doing that,” Cole said.

Cole effectively put the game out of reach in the 64th minute. 

She attacked the ball and won possession on the right flank, dribbled up and nailed a gorgeous shot from 26 yards for a 2-0 margin.

“We had the early goal, and I thought we could have played a little better in the second half,” Cole said. “We kept the intensity up, and we knew that a second goal was going to come.

“We were trying to play in space a lot and be very interactive. We had to play with our feet more in the second half without the wind. I saw the opportunity. There was only one girl in front of me, and I wanted to score.”

It was her sixth goal of the season.

If the performances by Cole, Cupps and Gradjan pushed the Grizzlies over the top, the toughness and valor of Katz spoke to the heart of the team.

Her work-rate and ability to win balls and challenge Dibble was a crucial part of the team’s larger success.

Katz has endured a great deal, dealing with the consequences of a quad injury that was so painful she was unable to pass or shoot the ball with her right foot.

“The coaches just said 'Pass with your left foot,'” Katz said. 

“Now I’m back. I was just so excited to go very hard out there and not worry about my injury or whether it was slowing me down.”

Senior Day was also a time to reflect on the achievements of the last four years.

As freshmen, many of them played significant roles on a team that reached a supersectional.

Two years ago, Cole engineered an upset of top-seeded Young in the city semifinal, and the Grizzlies played Lane for the city championship.

On Sunday, the bigger stage and the symbolic importance of the day elevated the team.

“I just think the experience was great,” said Cole, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match. “Being able to play here was something that we were all very excited about.

“Getting to play with these girls has been great. We’ve either been together for most of these years, or at least half of them. We wanted to play this game for each other, and win. I think doing that with these people was just really special.”

Starting lineups

Payton
GK: Chloe Guzik
D: Juliana Mokaya
D: Catherine Cupps
D: Arielle Evans
D: Alondra Reyes
MF: Isabelle Katz
MF: Norah Cervenka
MF: Felicity Cole
MF: Victoria Brooks
F: Ajla Gradjan
F: Campbell Meszaros

Latin
GK: Sidney Dibble
D: Lizzy Wells
D: Ellie O’Shea
D: Cailan Band
D: Beth Rosenberg
MF: Jordyn Kohn
MF: Ruby Larson
MF: Eliza Goldhaber
F: Casey Mitchell
F: Lauren Rosenberg
F: Belle Krueger

Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Felicity Cole, sr., MF, Payton

Scoring summary

First half
Payton—Ajla Gradjan (Catherine Cupps), 6’

Second half
Payton—Felicity Cole (unassisted), 64’