Lady Dukes do everything but finish vs. Metea Valley
By Mike Garofola

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To some, it's just a cruel joke from the soccer gods to decide the final outcome of a match.

Not so to the Metea Valley faithful, especially yesterday afternoon.

That's because the Mustangs have an all-state keeper, who with her terrific wing-span and ability to go from floor to ceiling in the blink of an eye makes the space between the sticks seems so much smaller than most of her counterparts.

Megan Geldernick turned away Christina Ordonez in the first round of a shoot-out, then watched with joy as, one by one, her teammates buried their spotkicks to give the Warriors a 5-4 advantage in kicks, and 1-0 victory over York to capture the championship trophy of St. Francis’ Springfest Classic tournament at Olympic Park in Schaumburg.

It was also a first in program history.

"I think most keepers enjoy shoot-outs and right now, it feels good to help my team win and to be a part of the first team to win a tournament championship at Metea," said Geldernick, who shinned about as brightly as the sun did on Wednesday to give her club the lift it would need against a York (4-1-0) club which attacked and threatened all throughout regulation, only to fall short after two extra sessions and the shoot-out.

"What can you do, it's the way things are decided sometime," said a philosophical Lady Dukes head coach Chris Halupka.

"When you go to shoot-out there's always a little luck involved, and if you’re in the sport you understand that. But I cannot be upset with this loss, because we played well, dominated for most of the day, created some quality chances, and the girls really left it all out on the field.

"What more can you ask?"

The final day of this three-day tournament, which opened with cool weather and roaring winds, welcomed fans with its best weather day of them all, except for a stiff breeze which would rise up from time to time and send harmless serves off the pitch of field No. 1 at Olympic Park.

Despite these conditions, both clubs never missed a beat, particularly the Lade Dukes, which dominated from the onset as they enjoyed the lion's share of possession. York played well through the center of the park, spearheaded by Bryce Banuelos, who impressed Mustangs (7-0-0) head coach Pat Feulner.

"That No. 10 (Banuelos) was a lot better than any of us expected. She ran their attack, and gave us so much trouble all day, and we never really had an answer for her until the (two) overtime periods, when we finally came alive in our own midfield."

The Mustangs withstood a constant barrage of attacks in an opening 20-minute spell, which saw Ordonez and Courtney McHugh go close, and Geldernick spring off her line to punch a pair of dangerous balls sent near the spot in order to keep the match goal-less at the break.

"Megan just commands her box, and she is so fearless in there and just pushes everything out of there when we need her to," said Feulner.

Feulner's biggest point of contention all throughout regulation was his club's inability to win 50-50 balls in the air, or on the floor, and if it wasn't Banuelos doing so, it was York’s Catherine Kent or Sarah Morrissey in the middle being first to the ball.

Additionally, the Lady Dukes backline of Abby Wilkins, Rachel Ogdon, Angela Guerino and Jaime Kovatchis all took turns getting to the ball first in their tackles, or balls sent in from the Mustangs.

"They were so much more physical than us but it seems every time there was a 50-50 ball, our girls ended down, and York had the ball,” Feulner said. “We just didn't win anything at all from them.”

"We've been trying to get the team to understand that in order to compete, you have to be mentally and physically strong and ready to play this game, and I feel that we did all throughout the match," said Halupka.

As much as they wanted to, Metea Valley was unable to orchestrate much in the way of an attack in the first half, but was still able to stay level with the Lady Dukes.

Banuelos put Ordonez through near the end of the half, and with Rachel Warnock draped all over the all-state striker, Ordonez was still able to have a go from in close.

"I really felt that York was in our end for most of the game, and it seemed like we were defending more than going forward," offered Metea junior Jenna Kentgen, who chased down several long balls out of the back, and gave her club a great work rate and plenty of energy to help keep her in full view of the Lady Dukes backline.

York continued in the same vein after the break, and again it was the trio of Ordonez, MuHugh and Banuelos at the center of it all.

Ordonez got free in close, but her one-timer went over the woodwork 6 minutes into the second half, and later York sent a freekick from 25 yards off the mark.

The Mustangs began to concede a tidy amount of corners to their opponents, but with the help of Geldernick, as well as Tracey McCoy and Alexis McKay, who took turns marking Ordonez throughout the second period, none of the Lady Dukes’ serves proved fatal.

"If we could have done better winning balls in regulation, then York wouldn't have been in our end so much," suggested Geldernick.

Freshmen Alyssa Kovatchis and Ordonez tested the center officials’ watch on the field when Kovatchis' perfect crossfield serve found Ordonez in full gallop for a header as time expired. But Ordonez’s attempt sailed over the outstretched gloves of Geldernick to set up two 5-minute sudden death sessions.

Once there, the Mustangs awoke from their 60-minute nap, much to the delight of Feulner.

"Just a minute into OT I thought to myself, where have we been all day, because we came out and won balls, possessed and played throughout midfield."

"I don't think it was a case of us letting up in OT, I think it was more that Metea played better, but both teams had a few chances to score," said Halupka.

Kentgen outpaced the Lady Dukes on the outside before sending a marvelous ball through the 6-yard box, but teammates Kristina Tomaras and McKenzie Sheesley were unable to catch up to it on the other end. Moments later, York keeper Anna Bell Lansdowne, who had an easy time of it through regulation, brushed aside a strike from Tomaras as the first OT was whistled over.

Ordonez, on the turn, set herself free but went over Geldernick in the final minute of  OT No. 2 to send the match into shoot-out.

Once there, Geldernick saved Ordonez' attempt to her right, then watched McHugh, Alyssa Kovathchis, Kent and Banuelos finish with ease.

However, her mates Tomaras, Holly Krol, Alyssa Fox, Sheesley would match their counterparts, leaving it all up to Kentgen, who calmly sent a low ball, with enough pace, just inside the near post to start the celebration.

"You and I talked (beforehand) about a game just like this -- where you dominate, have the run of play, lots of chances, but don't finish those chances," began Halupka.

"We were clear and in on a couple of chances and didn't finish. That's the way this game goes, but again I am very happy with our effort, and the way we played through our midfield today, and did all the things we'll need to do as the season continues.

"This was a good game for us to check we're we stand against team of this level, and I thought we did well in every aspect of the game."

The Mustangs, who open play in the Upstate 8 this Saturday against Waubonsie Valley, will likely get a day off from Feulner before going back to training.

"This was a good game for us, and I think we took a nice step forward against a very good team," Feulner said. "(York) really had us on our heels, and kept us in our end way too much, but I was happy to see us come alive in OT.

"Fox and Krol really got us going in those two extra periods, and we played with a lot of energy, and that said a lot about these girls, and this team."