Tigers draw against Red Devils to close out regular season

 

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By Curt Herron

Most squads would like to close out regular season play with a victory.

However, Hinsdale Central and Wheaton Warrenville South finished regularly-scheduled play on Saturday and neither side won, and that was okay.

That's because despite their 1-1 draw in Wheaton, the Red Devils and Tigers got what they wanted out of the nonconference match.

Both were looking to not only continue their recent successes but also work on things against a quality opponent while letting everyone play.

In those aspects, the sides were able to walk away satisfied, despite the fact that neither one walked away victorious.

WW South struck first, getting a score from Erin Madigan following a pass from Rachel Conrady about a quarter of an hour in.

Hinsdale tied things shortly before the break after some nice passing led to a Casey May goal off of a Jenn Jarmy assist.

The Tigers (11-5-2) finished the regular season with a 9-2-2 run while the Red Devils (12-3-3) went 8-2-2 down the stretch.

Both squads were eager to not show all of their cards since they are both entered in the upcoming Hinsdale Central Sectional.

WW South opens postseason play on Wednesday against Glenbard West while Hinsdale meets Proviso East in its opener on Tuesday.

"It was important for us to try to keep our momentum going," Tigers coach Guy Callipari said. "We didn't to play against someone who's weak so that we might see some bad habits, we wanted to be under pressure and continue to learn as we move forward.

"I thought that we did a good job of that since we were tested today, especially in that final 15 minutes when we were on our heels after they really started to get into a rhythm and find each other and did a great off the ball.

"I think that we're better for the experience today as we move on against Glenbard West on Wednesday."

Although his squad had most of the best chances after the break, Red Devils coach Michael Smith was also pleased with the effort.

"We wanted to get as many minutes for all players as we could today, and we got that," Smith said. "We had moments when were strong and consistent in our play. There were also some times where we weren't as sharp, but that's what happens when you share the minutes.

"We also wanted to give some girls a start who hadn't had that opportunity since we all know that once we get to the postseason, things are tighter and the substitution patterns won't be as liberal. I think the 1-1 result was fair, considering how both teams played.

"For us, we had a good run on a beautiful day where the sun was shining and it was good to get our legs moving and now we'll recover before Tuesday's match."

Things started off well for the hosts, who enjoyed the majority of good scoring chances during the opening half of play.

A.J. Jakuszewski presented the initial threat about seven minutes in when her free kick was punched away by Katy Coseglia.

Then in the 15th minute, Conrady sent a pass in front of the net and Madigan was there for the touch to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

With about 10 minutes remaining before the break, Dana Miller had a liner halted and a bit later, Jakuszewski was again denied.

It looked like WW South might take its advantage into the intermission but the visitors struck with a score in the late going.

Jarmy and May did a nice job on a give and go down the sideline and then Jarmy found May for the equalizer in the 38th minute.

"What I liked, especially on our goal, was the movement off of the ball," Smith said. "That rhythm which our players have, whether it's our wingers or midfielders, we're really starting to see the fruitions of all that we've been working on all season long.

"At the same time, we had some chances late, where we could have gotten one, but their goalie is a strong player and she made some nice saves. What I liked was that the movement was collective on our part, not just by one or two players.

"We're beaten and battered like everybody, but more than anything else, the girls are in a good place mentally. They're excited about what the next few weeks look like for us."

After the break, it was the Red Devils who enjoyed the upper hand, frequently testing Abbey Fuster, who was up to the challenge.

Meanwhile, the visitors limited the Tigers' chances, resulting in a pretty easy half for Riley Glenn, who came in at keeper.

Hinsdale's best threats came following the second half's midpoint, during which at least four good opportunities were thwarted.

Lily Chetosky started things with an attempt that was deflected by a defender, which resulted in a Red Devil corner kick.

On that corner kick, Meghan Schick sent a threatening liner toward the net but it was hauled in by the Tiger keeper.

In the final five minutes, Fuster came out of the net to deflect a try by Alison Cerny and then halted an effort from Schick.

"You want to get out of a game like this healthy and also carry some momentum," Callipari said. "We played everybody on the roster, as they did. Both benches had the competitive spirit where they didn't want to give it away.

"At the same token, you're trying to play a certain way so that you can get through without injury and continue to move forward. I thought that both teams did a great job of doing that. It was well-balanced throughout and everyone got some experience.

"No one had a good preseason since everyone got out of the gates slower than usual. The teams with a lot more returnees probably felt that they could get into a rhythm a little sooner but we were discombobulated for the first month. We're just starting to find our way."

Seven Tigers stepped onto Red Grange field for the final time. After losing the first two home matches, they finished 4-0-1.

That group consisted of Erin Coakley, Alia Devick, Zoe Ekonomou, Natalie Jensen, Kelly Langlas, Dana Miller and Casey Ulrich.

"We've done well, especially in our last 11 games, and now we have some good momentum going into the playoffs," Jensen said. "With a new team, we struggled a little bit at the beginning trying to connect passes.

"But we've been working a lot on the little things and finishing on those half chances and I think that's worked really well for us because we've been coming away with a lot of wins. I'm really happy with how the team has been playing.

"We knew that they're the top seeds and they're a great team and we played well against them. Even though we are a young team, everyone works really hard and we're all supportive and positive. I can't wait to see how we do in the playoffs."