Chicagoland Soccer

Lyons top Rolling Meadows in Pink Out game
By Mike Garofola

It was a big win on and off the soccer pitch yesterday afternoon for the side from Lyons Township.

In advance of its non-conference contest with visiting Rolling Meadows (9-10-2) at Bennett Field, the Lions were involved with several activities in the community, and the third annual 'Pink Out' to support the Karen Dove Cabral Cancer Foundation.

LT then capped it all with a 2-1 victory, which saw both Kristen Janicki and Grace Nasenbenny supply the firepower needed to give the Lions their comeback victory.

Janicki would open the second half by scoring the equalizer, and Nasenbenny later fired in the decisive goal with a blistering right-footed cracker to thrill the Lyons faithful and send them home happy.

"What a great way to end the day, and the week for all of us," said a thrilled Juliet Lusson, one of three who wears the captain armbands for the LT club.

"It's more about what we were able to do this week with our fund-raising and calling attention to everything else to do with the 'Pink Out' plan and program, but it still feels good to get this win, and to keep things going in a positive way on the soccer side of things.”

"It really has been a great week around here," began LT head coach Bill Lanspeary.

"Today culminated a day-long list of events, and of course we’re very proud to be a part of it as the final sport of the day to participate here at this venue."

Early in the week, the varsity hosted over 70 young players from around the community in a two-hour soccer clinic, leading up to a full day of events at the south campus, beginning with girls water polo, softball and lacrosse, before Lusson and her mates took the pitch to finish off the day.

"We helped raise money for the foundation, and brought some attention to the cause, and today was a just a great way to end the week," said the senior.

Lanspeary’s club wore white and pink for its match with Rolling Meadows, and many of the young players which received training at the aforementioned clinic were on hand, dressed in pink splendor, to swell the stands and offer their support for their favorite players from Lyons Township.

However, Ann Marie Lynch and Maggie Moran had something to say about all of the pomp and circumstance as the Rolling Meadows duo terrorized the Lions in the first half hour, using their speed, creative runs and trickery to keep the home-side from getting forward and into its attack as much as they would have liked.

"We knew all about Lynch and Moran, and we also know they come from a great soccer conference, and many of the results that I've seen for them show they are very competitive, and a team that we wouldn't take lightly," said Lanspeary, who has enjoyed a long friendship with Mustangs head coach Mike Drenth.

The two were on staff together at LT before Drenth left a few years ago to teach at Rolling Meadows.

"Bill and I go way back, and he does a great job on the girls side, as does Paul Labbato with the boys,” Drenth said. “So it's always a lot of fun to come back here and play against Bill and his girls." Drenth took over as the Mustangs’ manager this spring after being an assistant under long-time head coach Jeff Adkins.

The two clubs traded shots as each tested the other’s keeper, who each handled their first foray with ease.

Moran sent a low-driven shot to the near post, but LT senior Maggie Orlowski reacted quickly in order to beat Mary Collins to the stick to grab the ball from danger.

Moments later, Sarah Bohac's attempt was saved by Orlowski, and it was LT’s Emily Lange who drove her shot on frame to give Mustangs' sophomore keeper Ashley Ingolia her first look.

Lynch, who is off to Marquette next fall to continue her playing career, proved crafty in her ability to create as the Mustangs' playmaker in the center of the park, and leading up to her goal at 22 minutes. The four-year varsity star put her teammate Moran through on three separate occasions, as well as Evelyn Lopez, but the LT defense of Liza Gabrek, Sarah Mazur and Emily Thuma would have none of it.

"We've got a great backline, and even though they gave us some trouble in that first half, everyone in the back played really well, and never really allowed very much for the game," offered Lusson.

The Lions’ year-long air-tight defense conceded only its 7th goal of the season when the Mustangs got the early goal that it desired. Lynch would dispossess an LT player, calmly break the ball under control, and then find the back of the net from 18 yards with a sublime touch.

The goal would awaken the home-side, who in the final 10 minutes before intermission would enjoy the run of play and possession, leading up to Lusson going just over the bar at 32 minutes and Nasenbenny forcing a call to action from Ingolia on a save.

Just before time, Mazur roared out of the back, and on the tail-end of an enterprising run, found Lange, but the Rolling Meadows defense collapsed on the charging sophomore to halt anything further.

"I thought we knocked the ball around, and possessed well enough in the first half, but we weren't aggressive enough in their end," admitted Lusson.

"We talked about (getting) more aggressive in the second half, and we seemed to do so once we got back out there."

"Nobody was taking anyone on, and there wasn't any bite in our attack in the final third,” Lanspeary said. “But the girls seemed to know that, so all we had to do was remind of (it) at the half, and they came out and performed very well.”

With almost perfect timing, Janicki responded immediately to the plea of Lanspeary, as the freshman weaved her way in close to draw LT level at 42 minutes.

The goal seemed to settle the Lions, and before too long they began to get into rhythm, with plenty of pace and energy, and began to enjoy the lion’s share of possession in the midfield. Lange and Lusson helped to keep the tempo high while Abbie Pasquinelli and Janicki began to get deeper and deeper into the Mustangs’ end more often.

"There was a little more urgency, and speed of play in that second half, and we did some good combination work to force them to defend nearly the entire half, and I really felt like it began to wear them down as the half went on," said Lanspeary.

Patient build-ups beginning from the back were becoming more frequent for the Lions, and with Ari Kowalski getting forward, the added numbers slowly stretched and broke down the Mustangs' line of defense with each passing minute.

Just after the hour, Nasenbenny dented the woodwork with a blistering shot, but the energized sophomore wouldn't miss on a second chance at 75 minutes when she sent her bending shot up and over Ingolia's outstretched glove for the game-winner.

"I really thought that first one was in, but it was great to get the second one," smiled Nasenbenny. "Sarah Mazur gave me a great ball, and I put it on my right foot, and after that, it all happened so fast.

"I thought we played pretty decent in the first half, but in the second half we took control of the match, kept the ball in their end almost the entire time by playing more aggressive, and going at people to create and open things up for other players."

Lanspeary was happy to see his girls continue to get back on track with Saturday’s win.

"After we were bumped from the championship bracket at the Pepsi, we played through a couple of matches that really didn't have a whole lot of meaning, and we were in kind of a rut,” he said. “But we've come back of late to play with the type of intensity and energy that we were before, beginning with a big win here against Hinsdale Central last Thursday.

"We're ready to finish the regular season up against Oak Park and Glenbard East, then into the regionals, which we're all looking forward to."