Tigers fall short to Loyola in Pepsi Showdown

By Mike Garofola
Photos courtesy of Diana Fowee

Loyola Academy scored two second-half goals to end the run of Wheaton Warrenville South in the championship bracket of the Pepsi Showdown Saturday afternoon at wind-blown Olympic Park in Schaumburg.

The Tigers (5-1-0) will host Napeville Central tomorrow, but will likely do so without the service of its talented sophomore striker, Lexi Peterson, who was injured on a 50-50 ball in the 56th minute, and was helped off the pitch after a 10-minute delay.

"Lexi took a pretty hard blow to her nose, there was a lot of blood, and no doubt, she will need a stitch or two to close things up, and I am guessing she will be very sore come tomorrow," said Tigers head coach Guy Callipari.

The Ramblers (4-1-2), who won it all here last spring when they defeated St. Ignatius in the final at Toyota Park, received goals from Carrie Schoenberger on a stunning wind-aided 40-yard freekick missile and the eventual game-winner at 66 minutes by Laura Gardner.

With both sides starting cautiously, South proved to be a bit braver in the first quarter hour.

The Tigers connected on several passes up the left flank, with Bridget Shrigley finding mates Elizabeth Ciesielski and Peterson, and forced the big, physical backline of Loyola to ask for extra help from its midfield.

Jill Langlas had a go from just outside the area at 14 minutes, however, her strike failed to test Ramblers keeper Carly Stevens.

Minutes later, the 2009 all-tournament keeper watched a Peterson attempt sail over the bar after the Tigers striker corkscrewed a pair of defenders in order to get free.

"We just didn't play to feet (enough) in the first-half in order to attack the way Loyola was defending," offered Shrigley.

The backline quartet from Loyola stayed organized and airtight most of the match, especially when the Tigers would near the 18. Then coach Craig Snower would drop both midfielders from the center of the park to help defend.

Loyola left-outside back, Kathleen Carroll, helped signal a 15-minute flurry until intermission from both sides when her left-footed drive was saved confidently by South keeper Kelsey Graham.

The aforementioned Gardner could have put Loyola ahead, when a lucky bounce forward after her wicked strike rattled the underside of the bar, before bounding away from Graham, and not into the back of the net at 30 minutes.

"I wouldn't say we played conservatively in the first half, but we didn't really go after Loyola the way we are capable of and didn't fight (to) create anything either," said Callipari.

The halftime interval seemed to help inspire the Tigers, who opened with plenty of energy and pace, which was highlighted by Peterson, who tricked her way into the box from the left side, only to steer her shot wide of Stevens.

However, Loyola would make something happen out of nothing when Schoenberger stepped up after a foul near the midline and unloaded her freekick blast into the upper right corner.

The Tigers responded well to the goal, and got back on the attack, until Peterson went down in front of a big crowd along the far touchline.

The extra-long stoppage time given for the care of Peterson, appeared to dash all of the Tigers momentum that had been building, as her club would have trouble in its attack.

South was not able to challenge Stevens and the Ramblers as they had been prior to the injury to Peterson.

"Yeah, (we) really missed Lexi out there for awhile, and it took us some time to gain our focus back," Shrigley would say.

During that brief time, Graham would make a wonderful save on a snap-shot in close by Meaghan Smith, then watch a Smith freekick nearly redirected past her at 63 minutes.

Loyola would receive a favorable bounce on another crossbar-rattling drive, this time from Gardner, who on the turn, made it 2-0 at 66 minutes.

Callipari would respond by adding a third striker up top, Kara Bimschlager, to help in the search of a goal to cut the lead in the half and in response, Loyola would change its formation to a 4-5-1.

"We attacked (Loyola) much better after going to three up top, but it was still difficult to get inside them with them adding extra numbers in the back," said Callipari.

Jill Langlas forced a save by Stevens from the top of the box and seconds later, Heidi Ansiel's blast had far too much pace for Stevens.

When the Loyola keeper gave up a short rebound, the opportunistic Ciesielski slotted home the Tigers' first goal of the match.

With its re-found confidence, and nine minutes left in regulation, the Tigers would finally generate the offense Callipari had been looking for from his club.

South quickly went forward after the Cielieski strike as it looked to equalize and the extra speed of play led to chippy play and several more whistles, which were absent for most of the first 70 minutes of play.

The Tigers produced a shot off a 1-2 short corner from Langlas and Ciesielski, and another corner and deep throw only produced a little more stress for both sides.

South had not given up yet, though, and appeared to have found the goal to draw even at 78 minutes when Langlas' freekick created a large-scale scrum near the spot, and a ball into the back of the net, which was called back when officials ruled the Tigers had directed in with a hand.

"It was kind of a crazy ending, and the referee said (we) sent it in with a handball, and from where we were, it looked to be the other way, but it wasn't to be," said Callipari, who now looks to another busy week of soccer, and the hopeful return, soon, of the injured Peterson.

"That's our concern now (Lexi) and after that, everything else will come together for us."