xplosion: Game Summaries
Friday, September 7Spring 2007 Final Standings
Team Xplosion rebounded from their "Trainwreck" Fall 2007 season by winning the IWLS B South division championship as well as the Sportsmanship Award for Spring 2007. The Xplosion finished the season with a 7-1-2 record good for 23 points. The team scored a total of 19 goals (1.9 per game) and allowed 12 Goals Against (1.2 per game).
Shannon Clark led the team in scoring with five goals followed closely by Lauren Blyth who tallied four times. Jamie Thauer, Allison Schnase, Kerri Slawik, and Haley Eble each scored twice, while Ashley Noreen scored once. Becca Evans and Jamie Thauer once again anchored the Xplosion in goal with each recording one shutout.
Complete final season standings are provided below.
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Sunday, June 10
Xplosion Wins Out
Team Xplosion finished out its Spring 2007 season with a 1-0 victory over the Orland Park Celtics. By winning their final three games, the Xplosion finished the season with a record of 7-1-2, good for 23 points and a likely B South Division championship. The victory also avenged a 1-0 loss to the Celtics two seasons ago which was their only loss of the Spring 2006 season.
Today's game was very reminiscent of the match two seasons ago as Team Xplosion dominated play, but could not seem to score. Several players had quality scoring chances throughout the game, but couldn't find the back of the net. Fortunately, however, this time Team Xplosion scored the game's only goal midway through the 1st half and was able to make it stand up for the victory. Shannon Clark drilled a high hard shot into the upper corner of the net following two excellent passes from Haley Eble and Liz Kopecky. Becca Evans played the entire game in goal to earn her first complete game shutout of the season.
Saturday, June 9
Xplosion Defeats Oswego 3-1
I couldn't think of a catchy headline, so instead we'll just go with the facts. Team Xplosion defeated the Oswego Panthers Fury 3-1 on a beautiful spring day just perfect for soccer or anything else outdoors for that matter. Kerri Slawik scored twice for the Xplosion, once in each half with assists from Lauren Blyth and Haley Eble to give the team a 2-0 lead. It looked like those two goals would be enough, but Oswego never gave up despite playing with only 11 players and no subs. The Panthers scored with about five minutes remaining in the match to make it a one goal game. However, Jamie Thauer provided the icing on the cake with a goal in the final minute off a pass from Liz Wrobel to secure the victory and the final score.
Tuesday, June 5
Never Say Die (Again)
Team Xplosion moved into a tie for 1st Place in the B South Division with a big 1-0 victory over HSC Green. Lauren Blyth broke a scoreless tie with only three minutes left in the match converting a long direct kick from Iris Casler for the game winner. HSC came into the game leading the division in Goals Against and Coach Gerry warned the team that this would be a tough low scoring match. The game certainly lived up to that prediction. Jamie Thauer played the entire game in goal to earn her first shutout of the season.
Sunday, May 20
Xplosion Strikes Back With Big Win
Team Xplosion bounced back from last week's loss with an impressive 3-1 victory over the Fox Valley Strikers 93 Black. From the opening kickoff, it was apparent that the Xplosion came ready to play today. Haley Eble scored twice in the 1st half to help the Xplosion jump out to a 2-0 halftime lead. Haley scored her first goal following a steal and dribble penetration into the box where she launched a high drive into the upper right corner of the net. Her second goal started with a steal and pass by Kerri Slawik to Haley just outside the box. Haley received the pass with her back to the net and turned to launch a rocket over the Keeper into the top of the goal.
The Xplosion extended their lead to 3-0 in the 2nd half with a goal by Liz Kopecki off a beautiful cross from Lauren Blyth. On the play, Lauren outfought a defender for the ball, drove the sideline and turned the corner toward the net. As the opposing players came across to meet her attack, she slipped the ball across to Kopecki who had an easy tap in for the score. Jamie Thauer preserved the three goal lead with a diving stop of a penalty kick following an inadvertant hand ball in the box. The Strikers finally scored late in the match to ruin the shutout, but the Xplosion hung on for the 3-1 victory.
Sunday, May 13
Didn't See That Coming
Team Xplosion dropped their first game of the season 2-0 to last place Downers Grove Roadrunners White. Certainly didn't see that coming. Must have been the collective hangover from Friday night's Grissom and Prairie View 8th Grade Dances. Best to just shake this one off try again next week.
Sunday, May 6
3 for 3 for the Weekend
Team Xplosion ended the weekend and the second game of a Sunday doubleheader with a 1-0 victory over the Homer Hawks. That gave the team two wins and one tie for their three scheduled weekend games. The Xplosion played shorthanded throughout, starting the game with only one sub and finishing it with none. Shannon Clark finally hit the wall and left the game with an injury after playing four basketball games and three soccer matches from Friday through Sunday. Before Shannon left the match, however, she managed to score the game's only goal off a pass from Liz Wrobel. The Xplosion also borrowed a guest player, Team Xtreme Goal Keeper, Michelle, who played an outstanding game in goal. The highlight of the match was her stop of a Homer Hawks corner kick which she leaped for and managed to deflect over the crossbar.
Sunday, May 6
Border Clash
Team Xplosion hosted Indiana Inter in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader and defeated their new cross-state rival 2-1. The Xplosion began the match with the wind at their backs and scored both of their goals in the opening half. Allison Schnase scored within the first five minutes with an assist going to Jamie Thauer. Shannon Clark added the second goal later in the half off a pass from Lauren Blyth.
Indiana Inter scored their lone goal with the wind at their backs in the 2nd half, but could not break through for a second tying goal. Becca Evans played the entire game in goal for Team Xplosion to earn the victory.
Friday, May 4
Do You Believe in Miracles?
Do you believe in Miracles? This wasn't exactly "Miracle on Ice", but Team Xplosion did mount one of their greatest comebacks of all time. Trailing 3-1 to the HF Valkyries, the team scored twice in the final 15 minutes, with the final tally coming as time expired to earn a really sweet tie.
Team Xplosion had the early momentum in the match, but missed several good scoring opportunities. After HF took a 1-0 lead, Shannon Clark chipped a shot over the HF Keeper off a nice feed from Xtreme guest player Eileen to tie the score. HF then broke down the Xplosion defense a second time to take a 2-1 lead into halftime.
When HF scored again early in the 2nd half, things did not look good for the Xplosion. However, our girls never gave up, and with 15 minutes to play, Shannon Clark crossed a beautiful feed to Lauren Blyth who drilled a shot past the HF Keeper to pull the team within one. And that's how it looked like the match would end.
But with only seconds to play, Iris Casler booted a long goal kick that somehow found its way to Shannon Clark with only the Sweeper to beat. The Sweeper lunged and Shannon powered past her and was off on a breakaway with no other player within 15 yards. Shannon broke in and powered a shot past the Keeper from about 10 yards out. That set off a wild celebration as the referee blew his whistle to end the game with the score tied 3-3. As ties go, this one was indeed sweet.
Sunday, April 29
Victory is Sweet
It had been nearly 11 months since Team Xplosion last won an outdoor match in IWSL division play. Their last victory game against the Hinsdale Hurricanes Black on June 3rd last Spring. Needless to say, it has been a long time coming between victories.
This time the Xplosion battled the Oswego Panther Fury and prevailed 2-1 in a close hard fought match. Lauren Blyth set up Jamie Thauer for the team's first goal early in the match and that's how the 1st half ended. However, our girls had several excellent scoring opportunities throughout the half, but just couldn't convert.
Oswego also had their share of scoring chances. They finally connected about 15 minutes into the 2nd half when the Xplosion defense couldn't clear a rebound out of the box, and gave the Panther Fury a second shot attempt which they slipped past Becca Evans. The Xplosion held their composure and again took the lead five minutes later. Haley Eble picked up a loose ball in the midfield and threaded a pass through to Ashley Noreen. Ashley fought her way past an Oswego defender and then cleanly beat the Keeper for the go ahead goal.
Despite the heat and tired legs, Team Xplosion was able to keep Oswego scoreless the rest of the match to allow Ashley's goal to stand as the game winner. Becca Evans played the entire match at Keeper, making several strong saves throughout to help preserve the victory.
Sunday, April 22
Shaking Off The Rust
Team Xplosion opened the Spring 2007 season with a 3-3 tie against the Chicago Fire Juniors 93. The team hadn't played an outdoor match in several months and at times they looked a bit rusty, especially on defense which is usually their strength. But on the bright side, the Xplosion did score three times which represented half of the team's goal output for the entire Fall 2006 season.
Lauren Blyth scored twice, once in each half, and narrowly missed a third goal when thge Fire Keeper came out to knock away a break away attempt. Lauren's first goal was a high floater over the Keeper's head following a steal. Her second came on a penalty kick after a handball in the box. The Xplosion's third goal came on great individual play by Allison Schnase. Allie chased down a goal kick from Iris Casler, raced down the left sideline, turned the corner on the Fire defender, and beat the Keeper in upper corner.
Saturday, December 30
Fall 2006 Season Final Standings
Team Xplosion continued their rise in class by advancing to the IWSL A/B South Division for the 2006 Fall Season. Going into the season, the coaches were optimistic that the team would be competitive and had realistic expectations of finishing with a .500 record. Unfortunately, those expectations were not met as the team could never quite get un-tracked and finished in last place with a record of 0-9-1.
The speed and quality of play in the A/B Division were consistently higher than in the B Division the previous Spring. The Xplosion struggled to score all season, managing only six (6) goals in 10 games. The team was shutout in five games, and had six one goal losses, three of them by a score of 1-0. On the other end, the defense allowed 21 Goals Against (2.1/game), more than all but one other team.
Despite the poor record, the girls played hard, gave their all, and benefited from this difficult and challenging season. More than anything, the team was done in by injuries and playing "short-handed" for most games. Only 15 girls were rostered to start the season, and that dropped to 14 when Annie Chimienti hurt her ankle and was lost after only one game. Of the remaining 14 girls, only 9 played in all 10 matches. With limited subs, the team often tired and wore down during games, and that often managed to find its way to the scoreboard.
Following are the final Fall Season standings:
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Sunday, November 12
Destroyed By Darien
No one goal loss here. Team Xplosion finished their Spring 2006 season with 4-0 loss to the Darien Destroyers. Hometown girl Claire Murphy scored twice for Darien and single handedly dominated the match. Athough the Xplosion had several good scoring opportunities, they couldn't get one by the Darien Keeper.
Although certainly another disappointing loss, this game was not as lopsided as the final score might indicate. The Xplosion only trailed 1-0 at the half, and 2-0 midway through the 2nd half. Darien added two more tallies late in game, including one with only seconds to play to account for the final score.
Saturday, November 11
Again!
Would you believe another one goal loss? Team Xplosion lost yet another close match, this time to the River Forest Rapids by the score of 2-1.
It seems like the majority of goals given up this season have come on set plays (i.e. corner kicks, direct kicks, etc.) and today was no exception. The Rapids scored first on a 25 yard direct kick placed perfectly into the upper corner of the net. Jamie Thauer had no chance to reach that ball. Lauren Blyth tied the score on a breakaway goal as Becca Evans hit her perfectly in stride with a long pass. Lauren split the defenders and broke in all alone and buried her shot on the short side.
The 2nd half saw some exciting defensive plays by the Xplosion and River Forest miss several good scoring chances. They finally scored midway through the half on a second rebound after a great save by Becca Evans left her out of position for the put back. The Xplosion had their opportunity to tie the match late in the half when they were awarded a direct kick from about 25 yards out. Unfortunately, Iris Casler hit her shot just a bit strong and it narrowly sailed over the crossbar.
That was the difference in the game as River Forest hit their direct kick and Team Xplosion missed theirs. That's the way it seems to have gone all season long.
Sunday, November 5
Great Effort Falls Short
Team Xplosion outplayed the TCSA Blue Devils for most of the game, but came away with yet another one goal loss, falling 3-2. The Xplosion gave up three early 1st half goals, two off set plays, a corner kick and direct kick, but then gave TCSA all they could handle for the rest of the match. Lauren Blyth scored twice on assists from Becca Evans and Sadie McLean and narrowly missed scoring on two other attempts as the team attacked in waves throughout the 2nd half. If the Xplosion can play their last two games with the same intensity they demonstrated today, they should be able to notch their first win of the season.
Sunday, October 29
Another Tough Loss
Team Xplosion lost another tough, heart breaking one goal match, this time to the Galaxy 92-93 Blue by the score of 2-1. Once again the team played short-handed and despite a strong effort by the entire team, the lack of subs eventually took its toll, and the game was lost on a late goal against a tired defense.
The Xplosion scored first on a goal by Lauren Blyth following a scramble in front of the Galaxy net. It looked like the lead would hold up until halftime, but the referee whistled a foul against the Xplosion late in the half, and the Galaxy converted to tie the game at 1-1.
The 2nd half became an adventure as the team first lost Haley Eble to an ankle injury, and then Hallie Prokaski also had to leave with an ankle injury as well. This forced Team Xplosion to play down a girl for about 10 minutes until Hallie was able to return. The Galaxy had the wind at their back and kept attacking, and eventually broke through with the winning goal with only five minutes to play. Although Team Xplosion pushed hard until the end of the game, they couldn't come up with the tying tally.
Sunday, October 15
Another Streak is Broken
Team Xplosion finally avoided defeat in their game against AJAX today, but they still haven't won yet either. Both teams strapped it on and gave each other their best shots, and when it finally became too dark to continue, the match ended in a 1-1 tie.
The Xplosion started the game at a disadvantage with only 9 players, as four of the girls were either lost or late. Although the team hung tough until the rest of the girls showed up, AJAX scored first at the 12 minute mark on a shot from the left corner that sailed over Jamie Thauer's head. Late in the half, Iris Casler evened the score on a direct kick after an AJAX foul just outside the box. Iris blasted a high hard shot that deflected off the fingertips of the AJAX keeper and dribbled over the line before anyone could react to stop it.
Both teams had near misses in the 2nd half. AJAX curled a corner kick off the underside of the crossbar that deflected straight down where Keeper Lauren Blyth was able to grab it and boot it safely out of danger. AJAX also had two breakaways, one which Becca Evans was able to slide tackle neatly away, and the other which was shot right into the Lauren's arms. Team Xplosion's best effort was in the final minute as Kerri Slawik threaded a pass to Haley Ebel who snuck through the AJAX defense and beat the keeper, but pushed the shot just wide.
Team Xplosion now has just one more remaining streak to break - and that streak will be broken with their first victory.
Sunday, October 15
Good News, Bad News
The Good News? The scoring drought is finally over. Haley Ebel booted a long high left-footed shot from the left side outside the 18 yard line over the Keeper into the upper right corner of the net. That goal broke a scoreless streak that spanned 7+ matches, including tournament games. The goal was assisted by Hallie Prokaski who moved up from defense and played much of the game at the Punta position.
The Bad News? Team Xplosion lost their match to the Windy City Pride by the score of 4-1. Although the Xplosion played better than the final score might indicate, the team now remains winless in five matches with only four remaining. Now that they have removing the scoring monkey off their backs, perhaps the team can put together a complete game and earn a victory.
Saturday, October 14
0 N0, N0t An0ther Shut0ut!
Baby it was c0ld 0utside t0day! In fact, it felt as if the temperature were near zer0 as Team Xpl0si0n was shut0ut f0r the f0urth time this seas0n. It's n0t as if the team is getting bl0wn 0ut either, as this was the team's third 1-0 l0ss. The Xpl0sion g0t s0me g00d l00ks 0n g0al t0day, but just c0uldn't snap 0ff the quick sh0ts when needed. Their best sc0ring 0pp0rtunity was a sh0t by Liz K0pecky fr0m the 18 yard line 0n a reb0und 0ff a c0rner kick, h0wever, the drive was right 0n the Elmhurst keeper. Elmhurst had a similar 0pp0rtunity midway thr0ugh the 2nd half, and didn't miss it, burying their sh0t int0 the upper c0rner. One bright sp0t in t0day's match was the energetic play 0f Becca Evans at the f0rward p0siti0n, where she gave the Elmhurst defenders all they c0uld handle. Here's h0ping the weather warms up t0m0rr0w, and we fill the net with g0als!
Sunday, October 8
Streak Goes On
For the second time in three games, Team Xplosion was forced to play a strong opponent with only 12 players (1 substitute). This time the opponent was the Eclipse Select South, and once again the team fought valiantly before wearing down and falling 2-0 on two 2nd half Eclipse goals. As the Eclipse sent wave after wave of fresh bodies into the match throughout, the Xplosion were limited to their one sub, and were forced to move players around on the field to catch some rest.
Despite the shortage of players, the team responded with a very strong game. Several girls played the entire 70 minutes, while others had only brief rests. Although shutout again, the Xplosion did have a few near misses today. Ashley Noreen sent a long shot from just inside midfield barely over the crossbar that dropped onto the back of the net. A few inches shorter and it would have been in. In the second half, Haley Ebel threaded a beautiful touch pass behind an Eclipse defender to Sadie McLean who raced the Keeper to the ball and got a foot on it first before crashing over the Keeper as the ball went just wide right.
Sunday, September 24
Checkmate!
Team Xplosion lost their second 1-0 heartbreaker in a row, this time to the Oak Park River Forest Strikers. The game resembled a finely played chess match, with numerous substitutions and position switches occuring on both sides, as each team looked for either a favorable match-up or to exploit a tired or weakened defender. The match went back and forth and looked like it might end in a scoreless tie until OP-RF finally scored off a corner kick midway through the 2nd half. That turned out to be the only goal of the game, but all that the Strikers needed on this day to defeat the Xplosion.
Sunday, September 17
Heart in Spades
An under(wo)manned Team Xplosion lost a heartbreaker to the Darien Destroyers Black by the score of 1-0 in their season opener. The Xplosion played the game with only one sub, but with a tremendous amount of heart. Darien's only score came late in the 1st half with our girls completely spent and out of gas after putting up a tremendous battle for the first 33+ minutes.
The Xplosion recovered their legs, strength, and wind during halftime, and then outplayed Darien during the 2nd half. The team had several strong scoring opportunities, but hit the crossbar and sidebar on one drive and sent a few others just wide. The Darien Keeper also came up pick on some other chances to keep the Xplosion off the scoreboard.
Despite the loss, Team Xplosion showed that they certainly do belong in the A/B Division.
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Spring 2006 Season Wrap-up
Team Xplosion expected a much tougher go of it in their first season in IWSL B South Division. The team expected every game would be hard fought with most matches ending in a draw or being decided by one goal either way. The coaches felt that the team would be successful if it finshed the season with a winning record and in the top half of the division.
When the final whistle blew in the season's last game, Team Xplosion had not only met, but greatly exceeded their pre-season expectations. Most of the matches were close, and either a draw or decided by a single goal. The team did finish with a winning record and in the top half of the division. However, no one expected to finish the season in second place with a chance at moving up to the AB Division after only one season in the B division.
Team Xplosion finished the season with a record of 4-1-4, good for 16 division points. Although the Xplosion finished a distant 2nd to the Oak Park-River Forest Strikers (8-1 record/24 points), Oak Park's only loss was at the hands of Team Xplosion. The Xplosion's only loss was 1-0 to local rival and 4th Place Orland Park Celtics who always give our girls a tough match.
Statistically, Team Xplosion scored 17 goals during the season or just under 2 goals per game. The Xplosion were tied with two other teams for second most goals scored. Lauren Blyth and Ashley Noreen led the team in scoring with 7 and 3 goals respectively. Iris Casler and Kerri Slawik each netted 2 goals each, and Liz Wrobel, Sadie McLean, and Jamie Thauer each tallied 1 goal each.
On the defensive side, the team allowed only 11 goals against (1.22/game). This also tied the team for second in least goals against. Of the team's 4 victories, two were by shutout. Team Xplosion was extremely blessed this season to have two focused and talented goal keepers, Jamie Thauer and Becca Evans. Jamie led the team in games (8), minutes (350) and goals against (4). Becca was nearly as good - 7 games, 280 minutes, 7 goals agianst. Together they formed an effective 1-2 combination that resolved a stability problem at the keeper position the team has had since they were initially formed.
As good as the keepers played, the team's defenders were equally responsible for Team Xplosion's success on defense. Jessie Choragwicki, Hallie Prokaski, Iris Casler, and Liz Kopecki, Becca Evans, and Annie Chimienti were primarily responsible for locking down the defense all season and all did a tremendous job with a little help from their friends, including Shannon Clark, Liz Wrobel, Jamie Thauer on occasion. The team's midfielders also did a much better job this season of coming back and marking effectively on defense which also contributed to the team's success.
Congratulations girls for an outstanding season!
Monday, June 12
Monday Night Soccer
Team Xplosion and the HSC Hawks Green finished off their seasons with a special edition of Monday Night Soccer. The coaches challenged the Xplosion to give their all in pursuit of a victory that would turn a very good season into a great season. However, we also told the girls we were very proud of each and every one of them, and that win or lose, we would continue to be proud as long as they gave their very best effort.
And that's exactly what the team gave us tonight. The two sides battled to a scoreless tie at the end of the 1st half, with both teams feeling each other out and looking for a way to exploit the other. Team Xplosion cracked the scoreboard first in the 2nd half as Liz Wrobel made another one of her determined runs up the right side, turned the corner and crossed the ball in front for Lauren Blyth to drive into the back of the net.
For awhile, it looked like that one goal might hold up for the victory, but HSC managed to score the equalizer with about 10 minutes left to play following a scramble in front of the Xplosion net. Both teams went all out over the last 10 minutes looking for the lead goal with the Xplosion mounting several strong opportunities and hustling back on defense when the Hawks countered. When the final whistle blew, the score was still tied 1-1 in a game that neither team deserved to lose.
Sunday, June 11
Like the Sands of Time
Team Xplosion let a victory against AJAX FC Capitols slip through their fingers like the sands of time in an hourglass. The Capitols scored twice late in the 2nd half to overcome a 3-1 deficit and the Xplosion were forced to settle for a 3-3 tie. The tie was especially disappointing as a victory would have clinched 2nd place in the division. Now the team must win its final game against HSC Hawks Green on Monday to finish in 2nd outright.
AJAX opened the scoring early with low shot to the corner that Jamie Thauer got a hand on but could keep from crossing the goal line. The Xplosion quickly responded with a goal by Kerri Slawik off an assist from Shannon Clark. Sadie McLean gave the Xplosion a 2-1 lead late in the 1st half when she intercepted a clearing pass and launched a high hard drive over the head of the keeper into the back of net. Lauren Blyth made it 3-1 early in the 2nd half off another assist from Shannon Clark.
However, our girls lacked the killer instinct today as AJAX kept battling and never gave up. The Capitols closed to within one goal when a corner kick deflected in off an Xplosion defender. Then with about five minutes to play, an AJAX midfielder got one up in the wind that sailed on keeper Becca Evans and deflected in off her outstretched arms. Team Xplosion tried hard to add the winning goal before time ran out, but couldn't get one in despite several good chances.
Sunday, June 4
Heart Break in Orland
Team Xplosion lost a heartbreaker to the Orland Park Celtics 1-0 to end their dream of a perfect record. The Xplosion are now 4-1-2 with two games remaining in their first season in the B Division.
Orland Park scored the match's only goal midway through the 1st half on a long high shot over the outstretched arms of Jamie Thauer who had no chance on the play. Neither team could score after that, with Orland playing their signature game of "dump and run" to perfection.
But that's not to say that Team Xplosion didn't have their chances, including several near misses, especially in the 2nd half. Iris Casler blasted a rocket that hit the underside of the crossbar and deflected back into play. Lauren Blyth had several good shots thwarted by the Celtics keeper, and Ashley Noreen just missed over the top of the goal with time running out in the game.
The team will now look to close their season with victories in their final two games next weekend.
Saturday, June 3
Xplosion Blow Away Hurricanes
Team Xplosion squared off against Hinsdale Hurricanes Black in one of their dreaded Saturday make-up games where the team has had their share of problems in the past. This time the team had only 12 girls present, but today that didn't pose a problem as Hinsdale had only 11 players.
The game started out quickly for the Xplosion when they scored only two minutes into the game. Liz Wrobel raced up the right sideline with a pass from Lauren Blyth, turned the corner and launched a long crossing pass which banked into the goal off the Hurricanes defender. The lead lasted until midway through the half when Hinsdale scored off a corner kick to even the match at 1-1. And that's how the 1st half ended.
Coach Gerry (wearing his lucky red shirt) decided to change up his srategy a bit to open the 2nd half in an effort to jump start the offense. He moved Iris Casler up to Punta and had Becca Evans drop back to the Sweeper position. The move paid off quickly as Iris' energy and speed proved to be too much for the Hurricanes to handle. Iris was knocked down in the box about 10 minutes into the 2nd Half and she drilled the penalty kick under the keeper low and hard to the left side. Five minutes later, Ashley Noreen stole the ball from a defender and moved in on goal. As the defense converged on her, she calmly slipped a crossing pass to Lauren Blyth who converted the pass into an easy goal.
That third goal was the "bullet" for Hinsdale, and despite having the wind at their backs, they could not generate much of an offensive push. Final score, Team Xplosion 3, Hinsdale Hurricanes Black 1.
Sunday, May 21
Xplosion on FIRE!
Team Xplosion won their second match in a row, their third of the season, and remain undefeated after five games with a record of 3-0-2. The Xplosion are on FIRE, with the team's latest victim being the Fire Juniors 93 White team, whom they defeated by the score of 2-0.
The formula for this victory is becoming a recurring theme for the season. The team's strong defense led by Iris Casler at Sweeper lock down on their opponents forwards minimizing shots on goal. The defenders push the ball up the field to the mids who in turn work to spring the forwards. The forwards hammer away with several quality scoring opportunities, one or two of which manage to find their way into the back of the net. Sprinkle in some agressive and timely goalkeeping on the defensive end, and you have a recipe for success.
The two teams were scoreless at the half, but the Xplosion were confident in their play and had the wind at their backs for the 2nd half. Lauren Blyth finally got the team on the board midway through the half when she stole the ball from a defender just outside the 18 yard line, sliced down the middle and beat the keeper easily from close range. The goal was Lauren's team leading fourth of the season. Ashley Noreen notched her third of the season with about one minute left in the match. Ashley was in the right place at the right time to collect a deflection off Lauren and send it high and hard past the keeper's outstretched hands to put the game on ice.
Becca Evans and Jamie Thauer split the game in goal to earn the team's second straight shutout. However, the real secret behind Team Xplosion's success is that, well, the team is "gellin" and playing extremely well together as a team. The girls have become comfortable and confident in their roles, trusting of their teammates, and are giving 110 percent throughout each match. If they continue to perform at the elevated level they have been, there's no telling how successful they can be!
Sunday, May 14
Happy Mother's Day Indeed
Team Xplosion honored their mother's with red carnations at halftime and then treated them to a 2-0 Mother's Day victory over the Oswego Panthers Fury. The Xplosion once again dominated throughout, but only led 1-0 at halftime and couldn't put the game out of reach until they scored again with about five minutes left in the match. They had several strong scoring chances, including another shot off the post, this time by Kerri Slawik, but could only manage to score twice. However, with their smothering defense and "spirited" keeper play, two goals was more than enough.
Jamie Thauer scored her first goal of the season midway through the 1st half off some nice passing from Ashley Noreen to Amelia Acosta to Jamie, who blew past the defender, walked in on the keeper and then drilled it by her. Ashley later scored the team's second goal and her second goal of the season following some outstanding individual play by Liz Wrobel. Liz fought with and won the ball from an opponent at midfield and then out-raced the defender down the right sideline, turned the corner on another defender, before dropping a beautiful crossing pass at Ashley's feet which she buried into the open goal.
Becca Evans played the entire game at Keeper to earn the shutout victory. Becca performed with tremendous spirit and passion. She made key saves when she had to and was all over the field attacking loose balls and kicking them out of harms way. She definitely adds a measure of excitement to the game. The defense was led by Iris Casler at Sweeper and Amelia Acosta at Stopper, while several others including Hallie Prokaski and Annie Chimienti contributed strong play at the outside fullback positions to help limit Oswego's scoring chances.
Sunday, May 7
Xplosion Ties One On With Lightning Blue
Team Xplosion remained undefeated and improved their season record to 1-0-2 after battling Naperville Lightning Blue to a 1-1 tie. The Xplosion defenders locked down the Naperville offense, limiting them to only a few good scoring chances. One of those resulted in a 1st half score as a Lightning forward turned the corner on our defender and buried her shot in the upper far corner. Keeper Jamie Thauer had no chance on that shot, but otherwise played a strong game in goal.
The Xplosion meanwhile had several near misses throughout the match, including a "clanker" by Amelia Acosta off the left inside post early in the game and a few drives by Lauren Blyth just wide left in the 2nd half. But their only goal was scored by Iris Casler on a perfectly placed 25-yard free kick that went top shelf over the outstretched hands of the Naperville keeper. The free kick was the result of a Lightning handball just outside the box.
Sunday, April 23
Second Half "Xplosion" Earns Victory
Team Xplosion renewed their rivalry with the Oak Park/River Forest Strikers with an exciting 3-2 "come from behind" victory in their second game of the season. The Xplosion carried the play for most of the 1st half, but still found themselves down 2-1 at halftime. Ashley "Flicker" Noreen scored the team's lone goal on a 15-yard high/hard back footed "flick shot" that has become her "trademark". The coaches still cannot figure out how she did it, and may no longer work so hard at trying to break her of the habit.
During the halftime break, Lauren Blyth challenged both herself and the team by stating "We are not going to lose this game 2-1. We always lose 2-1". The coaches response was..."then you've got 35 minutes to do something about it". And do something they did. The first 20 minutes produced some back and forth play with near misses on both ends. Then Lauren broke through with the equalizer off an assist from Sadie McLean. Five minutes later later, Lauren netted the game winner as Becca Evans made a strong play from defense to keep the ball in the offensive third to earn an assist on the play. The defense and Keeper Jamie Thauer then held tough for the final 10 minutes to seal the deal.
Congratulations girls for a hard played and well earned victory!
Sunday, April 9
Opening Day - Spring 2006
Team Xplosion survived its first game in the IWSL B South Division with a 2-2 tie against the Plainfield Freedom, their chief rivals from last season. Although the team was certainly hoping for a victory, a tie wasn't so bad considering the Xplosion was playing without several regulars from last season (Shannon Clark, Annie Chimienti, Jackie Wysocki, and Allie Fisher). Additionally several other team members were playing sick (Hallie Prokaski and Lauren Blyth) and hurt (Ashley Noreen and Liz Wrobel).
Team Xplosion led 1-0 at halftime after Amelia Acosta threaded a pass up the middle and sprung Lauren Blyth alone in on goal. Lauren easily beat the Plainfield Keeper for the score. However, going into the 2nd half, the under-(wo)manned Xplosion began to tire and the Freedom scored twice to take a 2-1 lead. Things looked bad for our girls, but then a Plainfield defender stripped the ball from Kerri Slawik as she bore in toward goal and passed it back to their Keeper. The Keeper played the ball with her hands and the referee awarded an indirect kick, which Kerri blasted into the upper left corner off the Keeper's outstretched hand.
The Xplosion's tying goal seemed to energize the team and they played stronger for the last 15 minutes, but couldn't add a third goal for the victory. All in all, Team Xplosion gave everything they had, with several girls (Liz Kopecki, Iris Casler, Hallie Prokaski) playing the entire game or nearly the entire game. So, although they didn't get the win, the final result was a well-earned tie.
Sunday, November 27
We Are The CHAMPIONS
We are the Champions of the IWSL U13 C South Division for the Fall 2005 season! As a result, Team Xplosion will move up to compete in the B South Division next season. The Xplosion ended the season with an 8-2 record and 24 points, finishing ahead of the 7-2-1 (22 Points) Plainfield Freedom. Team Xplosion led the league in both scoring and goals against. The team scored 35 goals (3.5 avg./game) and only allowed 10 opposing goals (1.0 avg./game), including four shutouts.
The key to Team Xplosion's success this season can be traced to two defining moments where the team came through with must win victories. The first occurred in Game 5 following a 4-2 loss to the Plainfield Freedom in the previous game. The Xplosion responded to the challenge with a 3-0 victory over the then 1st Place Homer Hawks in Lockport. The second huge win came against Plainfield in Game 9. The winner of that match would likely win the division. Once again our girls came through with a convincing 4-1 victory.
Congratulations Team Xplosion on an outstanding season. Final season standings appear below.
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Sunday, November 13
Windy Finish
I keep telling myself, "It's only a game", but it has still taken me several hours to finally get over a season ending 2-1 loss to the Homer Hawks. The question that keeps running through my mind is "What happened?" How did we manage to go scoreless in the 2nd half with a strong, gusting wind at our backs against a shorthanded team with no subs? There are several possible answers, all of which were undoubtedly contributing factors:
- After clinching the division title last week against Plainfield, the team (and coaches) were "flat" and not quite ready for the determined Hawks.
- The wind in the 2nd half was soooo strong that it was hard to pass and maintain control of the ball without it rolling out of bounds.
- The Homer Hawks keeper came out to scoop up every loose ball that rolled into the box limiting the number of shots on goal.
- Lastly, the Hawks defense kicked every loose ball far out of bounds and packed nearly every player into the defensive box making it extremely difficult for our girls to generate any open, uncontested shots.
Despite the elements, you have to credit the Hawks for having an outstanding 2nd half game plan and executing it to perfection.
The Xplosion actually played a strong 1st half going against the wind. They dominated play early and scored the game's first goal as Ashley Noreen raced up the left sideline, turned the corner and delivered a beautiful cross to Kerri Slawik who converted from short range. The team had several other good scoring chances throughout the 1st half, but were continually stopped by the Hawks keeper. Meanwhile, Lauren Blyth made several strong saves and held the Hawks scoreless until late in the half when they finally scored on a rebound after a lunging, great save by Lauren left her out of position. A few minutes later, a Hawks midfielder launched a 25-30 yard rocket with the wind that sailed over Lauren's head and hands into the top of the net. At halftime, the 2-1 deficit did not seem so bad, but when the final whistle sounded at the end of the game, the Hawks had made that score hold up for the victory.
Coming soon - final season wrap-up!
Sunday, November 6
Revenge is Sweet
Team Xplosion has been waiting nearly one month for their rematch against the Plainfield Freedom to avenge their only loss of the season. The day finally arrived and the results were well worth the wait as the Xplosion defeated the Freedom by a score of 4-1.
Team Xplosion scored twice in each half to overcome a first goal by Plainfield. Jackie Wysocki led the attack with two goals and one assist. Jackie's goals were assisted by Ashley Noreen and Liz Wrobel. Jamie Thauer and Lauren Blyth scored the other goals for the team, with Lauren's goal coming off a beautiful assist from Allison Schnase.
Becca Evans and Jamie Thauer played tough in goal, while Iris Casler, Annie Chimienti, Jessie Choragwicki, Shannon Clark, Liz Kopecki, Hallie Prokaski, and Kerri Slawik anchored a tough defense. Congratulations Team Xplosion on a well fought victory.
Sunday, October 30
Xplosion Downs Darien
Team Xplosion defeated Darien 4-0 to improve their record to 7 Wins and 1 Loss after eight games. The Xplosion scored twice in each half to pace a well-balanced attack. In the 1st half, Shannon Clark scored when the Darien keeper mis-handled a shot by Kerri Slawik, and then Kerri scored on a corner kick by Allison Schnase with an assist from Allie Fisher. Lauren Blythe scored two 2nd half goals on assists from Jamie Thauer and Sadie McLain. Jamie Thauer and Becca Evans split the game in goal to earn the shutout.
Sunday, October 16
Xplosion Downs LTSC
Team Xplosion defeated LTSC 2-1 on a beautiful Fall afternoon just made for soccer. The Xplosion had easily defeated LTSC 5-0 earlier this season, but this match was much tougher. The two teams played to a scoreless 1st half, with neither team generating any quality scoring chances. Jamie Thauer finally scored the game's first goal about 10 minutes into the 2nd half off a nice pass from Jackie Wysocki. Jackie then scored herself on an assist from Lauren Blyth to give the team a two-goal cushion. LTSC spoiled the shutout with their lone goal off a corner kick in the game's final minute.
Saturday, October 15
Forfeit Victory against Lemont
The Lemont Raiders called to forfeit this game as they could only confirm 8 players able to play. By league rule, the final score is recorded as 1-0.
Sunday, October 9
Back on Track
Team Xplosion bounced back from its defeat to Plainfield with a 3-0 win over the previously undefeated Homer Hawks. The victory moved Team Xplosion's record to 4W/1L and into 1st Place at the half way point of the season.
The Xplosion scored all three goals in the 1st half with the wind at their backs and then played the Hawks even in the 2nd half to seal the victory. Jackie Wysocki scored twice, once off a nice feed from Jaime Ebeling and the other after reversing a Homer Hawks goal kick. Coach Gerry earned an "assist" on the second goal by switching Jackie into the Punta position immediately preceding the goal kick. Becca Evans scored the third Xplosion goal from long range after a corner kick by Allison Schnase was deflected out to Becca at the deep point.
Hallie Prokaski and Jamie Thauer split the game at Keeper and earned the shutout. However, they were never seriously threatened as the defense anchored by Iris Casler, Becca Evans, Jessie Choragwicki, and Liz Kopecky all played an outstanding game.
Saturday, October 8
Freedom Train
Team Xplosion was run over by the "Plainfield Freedom" train 4 - 2 ruining their shot at a perfect season after three consecutive victories. The Freedom came roaring into Tinley Park intent on derailing the undefeated Xplosion, and that's exactly what they did.
Team Xplosion came out flat in the 1st half and couldn't take advantage of the wind at their back or the strong scoring opportunities that they were given. Plainfield on the other hand, kept pushing the play and managed to score twice late in the half on the few good chances they had.
The Xplosion came out more fired up to open the 2nd half and quickly scored on a goal by Lauren Blyth assisted by Jackie Wysocki. The team kept attacking Plainfield, but couldn't net the equalizer despite several outstanding scoring chances. Plainfield finally turned the attack and scored to go up 3 - 1. That was quickly answered by a goal from Liz Wrobel off a feed from Shannon Clark. With time running out and the Xplosion pushing up, Plainfield added their fourth goal to close out the scoring.
Sunday, September 25
Xplosion Defeats Darien Destroyers
Team Xplosion defeated the Darien Destroyers 4-1 for their third straight win to open the Fall season. The game was played on a rain soaked field which made for some slippery footing and ultimately kept down the scoring. Shannon Clark played much of the game at Sweeper in place of Iris Casler who was sick, but still managed to lead the team in scoring with two goals. Jackie Wysocki and Lauren Blyth had the other goals. Jamie Thauer had two assists, one on a beautiful high lob to Shannon from the corner. The Liz's (Kopecki and Wrobel) also each had an assist. Becca Evans went the entire game at Keeper and played an active, aggressive, and outstanding game in goal.
Sunday, September 18
Xplosion Rolls Over Lemont Raiders
Team Xplosion rolled over the Lemont Raiders 9-1, producing their highest scoring game of all time. Looking back through their history, the team had scored 8 goals on multiple occasions, but had never scored nine or more, until now. Lauren Blyth led the attack scoring three goals, while Allison Schnase added two more tallies. Other goal scorers included Jackie Wysocki, Liz Wrobel, Allie Fisher, and Shannon Clark. Kerri Slawik and Jamie Thauer had two assists apiece, while Annie Chimienti, Hallie Prokaski, Ashley Noreen, and Jackie Wysocki also picked up assists. Becca Evans, Jessie Choragwicki, and Liz Kopecki helped anchor a tough defense that allowed very few shots on goal.
Sunday, September 11
Xplosion Wins Big in Opener
Team Xplosion opened the Fall 2005 Season and celebrated Ashley Noreen's 13th Birthday winning big with a 5-0 victory over LTSC Gold. Jackie Wysocki and Lauren Blythe led the attack with two goals each, and Allison Schnase also scored in her first game with the team. Lauren added two assists, while Liz Kopecky, Shannon Clark, and Ashley Noreen also assisted on Xplosion scores. Hallie Prokaski and Jamie Thauer each played one half in goal to earn the shutout. After the game, Rick Wrobel led the team's attack on Ashley's birthday cupcakes.
Spring 2005 Season - Final Results
Team Xplosion finished the Spring 2005 Season with a record of 6-3-1, good for 4th Place overall in the IWSL U12 C South Division. The team lost the battle for 3rd Place in their final game of the season against Oak Park-River Forest. Statistically, the team scored 18 goals for an average of 1.8 goals per game. However, the team was only shutout once all season. On the defensive end, the Xplosion gave up a total of 11 goals (1.1 per game) and recorded shutouts in half (5) of their games. Following are the final division results.
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Sunday, June 12
Tuckered Out
In their final game of the season, Team Xplosion hosted the Oak Park-River Forest Strikers in a battle for 3rd Place in the C South division. A win or a tie would give Xplosion the edge. Unfortunately, the team played shorthanded again (only 12 players), and this tme could not rise to the occasion. The Strikers bested Team Xplosion 2-0 to claim 3rd Place for themselves.
The two teams battled to a scoreless 1st half, with both teams unable to convert good scoring opportunities. Jaime Ebeling, Lauren Blyth, and Allie Fisher all had close in shots denied by the opposing Keeper, while Jessie Choragwicki and Amelia Acosta both saved goals on defense with shot blocks with an open goal behind them.
When the bell rang for Round Two, however, Team Xplosion had nothing left in the tank and the Strikers pumped in two quick goals in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half. The two teams then battled to a draw over the final 20 minutes to seal the victory for OP-RF.
The Xplosion finished the season with a record of 6-3-1, finishing in 4th Place. This was an improvement over their 4-4-2 record and 5th Place finish last season. A final end of season recap will be posted in a few weeks.
Sunday, June 5
Xplosion rolls On
Team Xplosion improved their season record to 6-2-1 with a 3-1 victory over the Lemont Raiders. The match was played in 90+ degree temperatures and fortunately the team had enough substitutes (4) for this game to keep from wilting in the heat.
The Xplosion opened the scoring on a long 20-yard rocket by center mid Kerri Slawik. Ashley Noreen playing Punta in this game put the team up 2-0 when she walked in and blasted one past the Lemont Keeper. The Raiders got back in the match with a goal shortly before halftime, but Jackie Wysocki put the game on ice with the team's final score midway through the 2nd half.
Lauren Blyth, Jamie Thauer, and Becca Evans combined to limit Lemont to a single goal. Team Xplosion now has only one game remaining against the tough Oak Park-River Forest Strikers.
Friday, June 3
Awesome Again
Team Xplosion rose to the occasion and defeated LTSC 2-0 in a rare Friday night make-up game. The victory avenged a 2-1 loss to LTSC last season also on a Friday night. What made the win even more special was that the Xplosion did it with only 11 players - no subs at all! This was as awesome as the team's 2-0 victory over Oak Park-River Forest earlier this spring.
Team Xplosion scored once in each half. Allie Fisher scored her first goal of the season on a rebound after Jamie Ebeling drilled a shot off the right post. Jamie was set up by a nice cross from Iris Casler. Iris scored the team's second goal on a corner kick that banked in off an LTSC defender. Liz Wrobel and Becca Evans combined for the team's fifth shutout of the season.
Sunday, May 22
Got It Right This Time
Team Xplosion played No Limits (Mokena) for the second time in two days, and this time got the end result right. Once again, the Xplosion broke out to a 2-0 lead, but this time they held on strong to preserve the victory and the shutout.
Liz Wrobel scored the first goal with a nice run and a long, high arching shot over the keepers head into the back of the net. Lauren Blyth made a nice outlet pass to spring Liz. Jackie Wysocki scored the second goal to give the team some breathing room and account for the final score. Becca Evans and Jamie Thauer each played one half in goal to record the team's third shutout of the season.
Saturday, May 21
Last Minute Breakdown
Team Xplosion gave up the tying goal with under one minute to play letting what seemed like a sure victory over No Limits (Mokena) slip away at the end. In fact, the team had a 2-0 lead with only 10 minutes left in the match before ultimately settling for a 2-2 tie.
The Xplosion had numerous quality scoring opportunities in the 1st half, but came out of it with a scoreless tie. They hit three cross bars, sailed a few over the net and missed several more just wide. Fortunately, No Limits mounted little scoring threat of their own.
Lauren Blyth scored early in the 2nd half to give the Xplosion their first lead. Jaime Ebeling then broke through the defense and drilled a hard shot past the keeper to give the team a 2-0 lead. Ashley Noreen provided some beautiful passing and earned assists on both Xplosion goals.
Sunday, May 15
Xplosion Falls to Orland Park
Team Xplosion squared off against the Orland Park Celtics with 1st Place on the line for the winner. In a game that was expected to be a close, hard fought defensive battle, Orland Park prevailed rather easily by the score of 4-1.
The Celtics scored twice in the opening six minutes of the first half to gain the advantage. Although Lauren Blyth scored for the Xplosion to cut the lead to 2-1 and get the team back in the game, Orland added another goal before the end of the half to go up 3-1, and tallied one more in the second half to account for the final score.
Sunday, May 8
Finally a Laugher
Team Xplosion turned a slim 1-0 halftime lead into a 4-0 rout of the undermanned Darien Destroyers. Darien played shorthanded for the first 15 minutes and then without any subs for the rest of the game. Lauren Blyth took a nice upfield feed from Shannon Clark and knifed through the Darien defense to score the first goal.
Although a little flat in the 1st half, the Xplosion came out strong to open the 2nd half. Kerri Slawik set up Lauren for her second goal of the game, and then Lauren made a nice pass to Liz Wrobel who ripped home the third tally. Kerri then closed out the scoring with a long high shot from the 18 yard line that sailed over the outstretched arms of the Darien Keeper high into the top of the net.
Becca Evans and Jamie Thauer combined in goal to record the team's third shutout in four games. Special kudos as well to Amelia Acosta who played the entire game at Sweeper in place of Iris Casler and Liz Kopecki who also played the entire game at Sweeper and Defense.
Sunday, April 24
In a Word...Awesome!
Team Xplosion packed their "A Game" for the road trip to Oak Park today. "A" as in "Awesome" that is. The Xplosion played perhaps their best soccer match ever, totally dominating an excellent Oak Park-River Forest Strikers team and defeating them by a score of 2-0. Lauren Blyth scored twice, once in each half, while Jamie Thauer and Liz Wrobel combined to earn the team's second shutout in a row.
But this game was not about individual heroics; it was a "total team effort” throughout. To start with, the Xplosion played shorthanded, with only 13 girls (2 subs) . Fearing fatigue, the coaches stressed the importance of each girl holding their position and not chasing the ball. The team executed that strategy perfectly. Secondly, with the players holding their positions, the team's passing improved significantly as they effectively moved the ball down the field both with and against the wind. Lastly, the entire team anticipated well and beat the Strikers to most loose balls and long ball attempts, never letting them get anything going on offense. Iris Casler, Amelia Acosta, and Becca Evans were especially strong in this respect.
If Team Xplosion can play future matches with the same intensity, smarts, and skill that they demonstrated today, there is no telling how far they might advance.
Sunday, April 17
Xplosion edges Lemont 1-0
Team Xplosion edged the Lemont Raiders 1-0 in game that shoulda/coulda been at least 5-0. The Xplosion were on the attack most of the game, and spent 90 percent of the time in the offensive end. They hit two crossbars, sailed 3 or 4 balls over the net, and sent several more shots just wide. Then there were the numerous saves made by a talented Lemont Keeper and multiple offsides calls, one of which cost the team a goal.
Despite the lack of scoring, you had the feeling it was just a matter of time before one went in. And about midway through the 2nd half, it finally happened. Kerri Slawik intercepted a ball in the center of the offensive third. Kerri slipped the ball to Lauren Blyth on the right side who then crossed it to Shannon Clark all alone on the left side. Shannon easily converted into an empty net for the only score of the match. Jamie Thauer and Becca Evans combined in goal for the team's first shutout of the season.
Sunday, April 10
HSC Green Obtains Revenge
The NFL would be proud of the "parity" that exists within the IWSL C South division for the Spring 2005 season. On any given Sunday, any team in the division is capable of beating any other team and the margin of error between victory and defeat each week will be small. The team that "wants it" more and makes the fewest mistakes will most often emerge as the victor in each match.
On opening day, HSC Green wanted it a little bit more than Team Xplosion, winning by the oh so familiar score of 2-1. The "Green" may have had a little extra motivation for this game as the Xplosion defeated them by the identical score in the final game of the Fall 2004 season. Although they had to wait a few months, HSC was finally able to obtain revenge for that game.
The two teams played to a scoreless tie in the 1st half. Team Xplosion had the wind at their backs and a downward field slope going for them, and had several good scoring chances. Unfortunately, they couldn't finish any of their chances. The Xplosion also played with only 14 players (3 subs), and the lack of conditioning was very apparent at halftime.
HSC took advantage of a stronger wind, sloping field, and a tired opponent to pump in two goals early in the 2nd half. The Xplosion never gave up and seemed to catch their second breath about midway through the final period. Shannon Clark buried a beautiful shot high in the left corner of the net with about 12 minutes to play to cut the lead to one. HSC was not about to let this one get away, however, and quickly smothered all remaining scoring chances to hang on for the victory.
Tuesday, February 1
Fall 2004 Season Final Standings
Team Xplosion concluded their inaugural season in the IWSL C South Division with a record of 4-4-2, good for 5th Place in a very competitive division. The team started strong with a tie and two wins, and also finished strong, tying once and winning their last two games of the season. However, in between, the team lost four tough games in a row, three of them by 2-1 scores. The team scored 19 goals and only allowed 9 opposing goals, including three shutouts. Congratulations Xplosion on a winning first season in the C Division. We look forward to further improvement and even greater success in the upcoming Spring season.
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Sunday, November 7
Finishing on a High Note
Team Xplosion finally showed they could win the "close one" by defeating HSC Green 2-1 to finish their fall outdoor season on a "high note". With the victory, the Xplosion closed out their last three games with two wins and one tie. The team concluded its first season in the C Division with a record of 4 wins, 4 losses, and 2 ties.
Lauren Blyth scored both goals, one in each half off assists from Kerri Slawik and Jackie Wysocki. Team Xplosion held a comfortable 2-0 lead with about 15 minutes to play when HSC rocketed a shot off the crossbar that caromed in off the keeper. HSC then pressed hard the rest of the way for the tying goal, but the Xplosion defense including Keeper Amelia Acosta refused to give up another goal and held strong for the victory. Hallie Prokaski also played a strong 1st half in goal to help contribute to the win.
Saturday, November 6
Breakout Game
Team Xplosion finally "xploded", going off against the Tinley Park Select Tornados for eight goals and an 8-0 victory. Jackie Wysocki scored four goals, while Lauren Blyth scored twice against her former team. Other goal scorers included Kerri Slawik who started the rout with the team's first goal and Becca Evans who notched her first ever career outdoor season goal. Becca also played Keeper along with Allie Fisher and Liz Wrobel, and together they combined for the team's third shutout of the season.
Sunday, October 31
Halloween Tie
Team Xplosion hosted the Orland Park Celtics on Halloween Day and broke their three game losing streak with a 1-1 tie. The Celtics had previously beaten the Xplosion 3-2 earlier this season in the Copa Classic and always play a strong game against us, and today was no exception. Orland Park led 1-0 at the half on a shot that "skidded" through the keeper's legs. Once again, Team Xplosion waited until the last 10 minutes of the game to score their goal, and this time it was Jamie Thauer knocking home a well-crossed ball on the weak side. Kerri Slawik made a couple of nice saves in goal during the 2nd half to preserve the tie.
Sunday, October 24
This is Starting to Get Old
Team Xplosion lost their third 2-1 game in a row, this time to the Oak Park River Forest Strikers. The match was an exact repeat of last Sunday's game against DG. The first half was scoreless with the Xplosion carrying most of the play. The Strikers opened the 2nd half with two quick goals before the Xplosion fought back to pull within one with less than 10 minutes to play. And once again, despite a strong flurry at the end, the team couldn't net a second goal to tie the score. Jackie Wysocki scored the team's lone goal off a beautiful crossing pass from Iris Casler.
Sunday, October 17
Tough Weekend
Team Xplosion lost their second one-goal game of the weekend, this time to the DG Roadrunners White, also by a score of 2-1. The 1st half was a well played tight contest that ended in a scoreless tie. Downers Grove then scored two quick goals in the first ten minutes of the 2nd half to break the game open. Once again, the Xplosion did not give up and cut into the lead with less than 10 minutes to play on a goal by Jessica Choragwicki. Unfortunately though, the team couldn't net the equalizer before time ran out.
Friday, October 15
Team Xplosion Goes for the Gold
Team Xplosion was looking for revenge as they squared off against LTSC Gold for the second time in a week. An "undermanned" Team Xplosion fell 3-0 to LTSC Gold in the Midwest Wings Fall Classic last Saturday. This time was supposed to be different. However, once again LTSC Gold proved to be more than the Xplosion could handle, as they were victorious once again, this time by a score of 2-1.
The big difference in this game was clearly the strong goal keeping by LTSC. Their Keeper was very active and scooped up every loose ball that made its way into the box before any of our girls could get there. When LTSC changed Keepers with a 2-0 lead and 15 minutes to play, the Xplosion made it exciting. Ashley Noreen blew past the LTSC defense to score and pull the team within a goal with about 8 minutes to play. Team Xplosion kept the pressure on the rest of the way and just missed knocking in the tying goal off a beautiful corner kick by Annie Chimienti with less than one minute to play. But unfortunately, they couldn't bang it home.
Sunday, October 10
Xplosion Tops Lemont (Again)
Team Xplosion defeated the Lemont Raiders for the third time this fall, this time by a score of 3-1. The Xplosion jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead on goals by Amelia Acosta and Lauren Blyth. Amelia's goal was her first with the team and came off a corner kick by Annie Chimienti. Ashley Noreen played Keeper 1st half and kept the Raiders off the scoreboard.
Lemont had the wind advantage during 2nd half, but had few scoring opportunities until they pounced on a loose ball in the box with only five minutes to play and drove it over Kerri Slawik's reach to cut the lead in half. That led to a tense finish, but with Lemont pushing up for the tie, Team Xplosion pushed the ball out and up to forward Hallie Prokaski who scored the clinching goal with only a few seconds to play.
Sunday, September 26
Hurricanes Storm Xplosion
The Hinsdale Hurricanes Black broke a hard fought scoreless tie midway through the 2nd half and then added another goal with only a few minutes to play to defeat Team Xplosion 2-0. Both defenses played tough, limiting the number of quality scoring chances. The Xplosion defense was led by Lauren Blythe, Becca Evans, Kerri Slawik, Iris Casler, Chrissie Baske, and Shannon Clark, with several others contributing as well. The midfielders also did a nice job of helping out on defense. It looked like the match would end in the Xplosion's second scoreless tie of the season until Hinsdale finally broke through.
Sunday, September 19
Do Over!
Team Xplosion faced the Lemont Raiders in last week's Jack-O-Lantern tournament and defeated them 2-0. The two teams squared off again today in the second game of the season, and the outcome was exactly the same, another 2-0 victory for the Xplosion.
Jackie Wysocki scored the team's first goal of the season late in the 1st half and then Allie Fisher once again found herself in the right place at the right time and knocked in a loose ball following a direct kick by Iris Casler in the 2nd half to close out the scoring. Allie scored a similar goal in the Jack-O-Lantern last week off a corner kick. Hallie Prokaski and Ashley Noreen combined in goal to notch the team's second straight shutout of the season.
Saturday, September 18
Let The Games Begin
Can you believe it? Team Xplosion's first game of the Fall season and in the IWSL C Division was against their old rivals, the Tinley Park Select Tornados. These two teams have played some tough games over the years, both outdoors as well as indoors, and this game was typical of the intense rivalry.
When the final whistle sounded after 60 minutes of play, neither team had scored, and so the game ended in a well deserved scoreless tie for both teams. The Xplosion had several good scoring opportunities, but all of their shots were right at the opposing keeper. The Tornados had only one good scoring chance when they split the defense with only two minutes to play, but then rocketed a shot high over the goal. Our girls were fortunate to dodge that bullet. Jamie Thauer and Liz Wrobel were the keepers and earned the team's first shutout of the year.
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| Xplosion on the Move |
Tuesday, June 22
2nd Place Finish for 2004 Spring Season
Team Xplosion improved upon their 3rd Place Fall 2003 Season performance, but still completed the Spring 2004 Season with a "disappointing" 2nd Place finish in the IWSL D South Division. The only blemish on their schedule was a 2-1 loss to the 1st Place Downers Grove Roadrunners White in a re-scheduled game in which they were forced to play shorthanded.
The "near-perfect" season should be enough for Team Xplosion to move up to the IWSL's C Division for the Fall 2004 Season. Also, in an effort to add some depth to the team and help prevent future short-handed situations, the Xplosion will add a few new players to the roster for next season. Following are the final division standings for the Spring season:
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Xplosion Roars Back
Following their only defeat of the season, Team Xplosion roared back against the LTSC Lions White with a convincing 4-0 victory. Hallie Prokaski scored twice, while Jackie Wysocki and Liz Wrobel had one goal each. With this victory, the Xplosion finished their Spring Season with a record of 8 wins and 1 loss. A full season recap will be provided when the season has officially concluded.
Saturday, June 5
Not Quite Perfect
Team Xplosion saw their dream for a perfect season disappear, as they were edged 2-1 by the Downers Grove Roadrunners after reeling off seven straight wins in a row. The team fought valiantly throughout the match and were tied 1-1 with only three minutes to play, but DG then struck for the winning goal against the tired and shorthanded Xplosion. The team was forced to play this rescheduled game at less than full strength and in the end it cost the Xplosion their perfect season. On another day, the results may have been different, but this day belonged to Downers Grove, and Team Xplosion would like to congratulate DG for a hard fought and well earned victory.
Sunday, May 23
Eight is "More Than" Enough
Team Xplosion dropped an "8-bomb" on the HF Valkyries White team en route to an 8-1 victory on a soggy, wet, and puddle-filled playing field at Pond G. The team exploded on offense and rode a balanced scoring attack with four goals in each of the two halves.
Keeping with the "4-theme", Jackie Wysocki tallied 4 of the team's 8 goals. Other scorers included: Jaime Ebeling, Hallie Prokaski, Iris Casler, and Jessica Choragwicki. Kerri Slawik and Liz Wrobel defended the goal for Team Xplosion, but were never very seriously tested, despite a lot of shuffling of players on the defensive side.
Saturday, May 22
Xplosion "Rise and Shine"
Team Xplosion got up early for an 8:30 AM match and scored three goals in the first seven minutes on their way to a 4-0 victory over the Darien Destroyers Red. Kerri Slawik and Jamie Thauer combined for the team's third shutout of the season, but the story of this game was a strong offensive push and some very effective passing combinations.
Shannon Clark scored the game's first goal on a nice goal mouth pass from Jaime Ebeling. The second score followed a long goal kick from Kerri Slawik to Shannon who then crossed to Jackie Wysocki streaking in from the opposite side. Liz Kopecky then netted her first career outdoor season goal for the Xplosion on a rebound of a shot from Shannon following a nice pass from Jackie. Jackie finished the scoring with her second goal on another assist from Jaime Ebeling.
Sunday, May 16
Payback Time in Palos
Last Fall Team Xplosion took a strong 3W/1L/1T record into Palos against MVP United and came away with a disappointing 3-0 loss. This time the Xplosion were a perfect 4W/0L heading into their game against the team from Palos. Although it looked like deja vu all over again for awhile, in the end Team Xplosion prevailed with a 3-1 victory.
The match was played on a very small field with small goals, and that favored the less skilled MVP United Team. During the 1st half, Team Xplosion had several shots on goal and narrowly missed more than a few. Shots were clanking off posts and crossbars and sailing just over and wide on other attempts. All our girls had to show for their efforts, however, was a 1-0 deficit as MVP United scored on a screened shot late in the half.
The 2nd half was a totally different story. After a few more near misses, Jackie Wysocki scooped up a lose ball and buried a shot behind the MVP United keeper. Shortly after that tying goal, MVP was awarded a penalty shot, and Hallie Prokaski came up "LARGE" in goal to make the save. That completely changed the momentum, and the Xplosion went on to score two more unanswered goals to close out the game. Jaime Ebeling scored the game winner on a one-timer from right in front of the opposing goal off a nice crossing pass from Shannon Clark. Annie Chimienti added the insurance goal with about five minutes to play on a pass from Jamie Thauer following a mad scramble in front of the MVP goal.
Sunday, May 9
Xplosion Xtinguishes Fire
Team Xplosion won its fourth match in a row defeating the Chicago Fire Jr. Team by a score of 2 to 1. The score reflects a game much closer than it actually was, as the Xplosion dominated play throughout both the 1st and 2nd halves. What made the outcome even more impressive was that the Xplosion played the 2nd half against a strong wind and still managed to keep the ball in their opponent's half of the field the majority of the time.
The team welcomed Ashley Noreen back into the lineup following her recovery from a broken hand suffered during the Indoor Season. Ashley's presence seemed to spark the rest of the girls, as they all played an inspired all-around game. Jackie Wysocki scored both goals for the Xplosion off nice passes from Shannon Clark and Jamie Thauer. However, the team collectively had several quality shots on goal, hitting the post and crossbar multiple times and narrowly missing on many other shots. The Fire Keeper also played a strong game to help keep the score down.
Liz Wrobel and Jamie Thauer were the Keepers, and were nearly perfect except for a late Fire goal with only a few minutes left to play in the match. That goal was one of the very few breakdowns the team suffered during the entire game.
Sunday, May 2
Xplosion Destroys Darien Red
Team Xplosion "destroyed" the Darien Destroyers Red 3-1 for their third straight victory of the season. The Xplosion dominated the 1st half and led 2-0 at the break. Annie Chimienti scored from a steep angle on a rebound of her own corner kick for the first goal, and Jackie Wysocki punched home a nice feed from Shannon Clark for the match's second score. Hallie Prokaski played a scoreless half at keeper, but faced little action.
Darien picked up the pace during the 2nd half and had our girls on their heels at times. Kerri Slawik made a great lunging save in goal about midway through the half on a rocket headed for the corner to keep Darien off the scoreboard. Once again, however, the Xplosion played the 2nd half without any subs, and fatigue began to show. Darien finally broke through with about 10 minutes to play on another hard drive that this time got over Kerri's head. That score gave Darien new life and they applied even more pressue looking for the tying goal. With the Xplosion hanging on and only a minute to play, Jackie Wysocki scored her second goal on a long high drive to put the game on ice.
Sunday, April 25
Xplosion Withstands Fury 1-0
Last week was warm enough for a picnic. This Sunday, Team Xplosion overcame difficult weather conditions as well as a difficult opponent. The weather was cold and blustery and the Oswego Panther Fury gave the Xplosion all they could handle. The difference in the match was a goal by Jackie Wysocki on a feed from Sadie McLean with less than one minute to play in the 1st half. Although the team had the wind at their backs during the 2nd half, they were unable to net another goal. That was partly due to a very active Panther keeper, but also a result of fatigue. Our girls played with only one substitute for most of the game, and had no subs for the last 15 minutes. Fortunately, we did have the wind in the 2nd half, and the team was able to press the attack most of the way.
With Ashley Noreen still on the disabled list with a broken hand (but rarin' to go), Kerri Slawik played the entire game in goal and earned the shutout. (Thank you Kerri for putting the team first!) One of the keys to victory was Kerri's goal kicks against the wind in the 1st half. Kerri was able to consistently drive the ball over a number of Panther Fury attackers lined up on the 18-yard line. This prevented the Fury from mounting any quick counter-attacks and having potentially easy scoring opportunities.
Sunday, April 18
Xplosion "Rocks" in Spring Season Opener
Team Xplosion rocked the Elmhurst Elite 6-0 in the opening game of their Spring 2004 season. Fresh off a weeklong IUSC pre-season training camp, the Xplosion put on a "clinic" for Elmhurst, a first year team playing their very first competitive IWSL regular season game. The team demonstrated improved foot skills and strong passing, and rode a balanced scoring attack with three goals in each half.
Jackie Wysocki and Shannon Clark scored twice, while Jessica Choragwicki and Hallie Prokaski each scored one goal apiece. Jamie Thauer and Liz Wrobel split the game in goal to earn the shutout, but had little activity as our girls forced the play throughout. Elmhurst managed only two shots on goal, and saw their best and only serious scoring opportunity soar over the crossbar.
Once again it seems unfair to single out individual players for their statistical contributions when the entire team gave a strong effort and executed their assignments effectively. Irrespective of goals scored or saved, the "real game" was won out on the rest of the field with extra effort, intelligent play, and teamwork. Team Xplosion demonstrated all of those qualities against Elmhurst, and if they continue to play that way, this could be a very special season.
Friday, April 9
AWESOME!!!
Team Xplosion completed its Indoor Session 2 season with a 5-3 victory over the Tinley Park Tornados Blue. With the victory, the Xplosion finished their season UNDEFEATED and clinched the U11 Girls League title. AWESOME!
Not only was it an "awesome" season for the team, but they saved their most "awesome" game for last. Playing on the large field at Frankfort, our girls came prepared to play for the entire 40 minutes, and left nothing on the field when it was over. They played with confidence, agressiveness, and intelligence, and were rewarded for their effort.
What made the result even more impressive was that the team played without Ashley Noreen, Kerri Slawik, and Sadie McLean. Ashley is recovering from a broken hand suffered in the last game against the Blue Tornados when she "took one for the team" diving to control a loose ball and got her hand stepped/stomped on. Nevertheless, the entire team stepped up and just refused to lose.
Hallie Prokaski and Liz Wrobel played well in goal, and our usual strong defense played at even higher level, keeping the ball out of the goal box. Jaime Ebeling, Annie Chimienti, Allie Fisher, and Iris Casler all scored goals, with Iris' goal coming on a long hard shot with only one second left in the match to "put the icing on the cake". However, this game and this season was not about individual heroics. This was truly an outstanding and unselfish team effort. And when our girls compete in that fashion, it is an awesome experience!
Sunday, November 9
Xplosion Clinches 3rd Place
Team Xplosion completed its 2003 Fall Season with a 3-0 victory over the Darien Destroyers Red. Jessica Choragwicki, Jackie Wysocki, and Annie Chimienti each scored, while Jamie Thauer and Hallie Prokaski combined in goal for the team's sixth shutout of the season.
With the victory, the Xplosion finished their season with a record of 5 Wins, 3 Losses, and 2 Ties, good enough for 3rd Place overall in the D South Division. For the 10 games, our girls scored 24 goals and gave up only 7 to their opponents. Final division standings appear below.
Team Xplosion showed definite improvement over their performance this past Spring, especially in the area of goal scoring, a major weakness last season. However, despite the improvement, the team needs to raise their level of play and win matches against the top teams in the division to take a step up to the next level. The coaches are confident that the players will continue to improve and be ready to take that next step come Spring.
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| Fall 2003 Final Standings |
Sunday, November 2
All Tied Up "Again"
Team Xplosion and the LTSC Lions White battled for the second time this season, and once again the match ended in a tie. Although the Xplosion carried the play throughout, and they certainly had their chances, they never could "pop a goal", and so the game ended scoreless.
Jackie Wysocki playing in her first game for the Xplosion had the team's best scoring chance, but the LTSC Keeper came up big on her hard drive from the left side midway through the 2nd half. Ashley Noreen and Kerri Slawik split the game in goal to earn another shutout, but they were never serverly tested as the defense played another strong game, and the team kept the ball in the offensive end for most of the contest.
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| Hallie Shoots! |
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Revenge is Sweet
Team Xplosion experienced some "sweet revenge" against MVP United defeating them 3-0 after losing to them by that same score two weeks ago. MVP United played the entire game down two players, but battled hard throughout. The disadvantage was too much for them to overcome, however, and the Xplosion was able to wear down the tired and overmatched United girls.
Hallie Prokaski scored twice (see photos) and Jaime Ebeling once to account for all the scoring. The Xplosion had several more good scoring opportunities, but couldn't convert. Iris Casler blasted a hard drive off the inside of the crossbar late in the game that sure looked like a score, but unfortunately the referee didn't see it the same way. Ashley Noreen and Megan Gustafsen split the game in goal to earn the team's 4th shutout of the season.
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| Hallie Scores! |
Sunday, October 19
Xplosion Swept Away by Tornados
Team Xplosion rebounded strongly from their poor showing against MVP United, but still lost 2-0 to the Tinley Park Select Tornados. The Xplosion played a near perfect scoreless 1st half, and nearly came away with the lead on a rocket launched off the powerful right foot of Annie Chimienti. Our girls vowed at halftime to win one for Shannon Clark who cheered the team on from the bench. Unfortunately, the more athletic Tornados wore them down in the 2nd half and scored two unanswered goals for the victory.
That concludes the difficult part of our season, and if Team Xplosion can win out the last three games against beatable opponents, the team can clinch 3rd place in the division.
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Team Xplosion Defeats Parents 5-2
Team Xplosion took on the parents at an Illinois United SC "Family Night" hosted by the Lynwood Indoor Soccer facility. The team pretty much took it to the parents, and with the help of some generous officiating by Coach Gerry Prokaski, they "whooped" the parents 5-2.
Led by "Coach" Jim Choragwicki, the parents came out rarin' to go and ready to show the girls a thing or two. That lasted for all of about 30 seconds until the first wave of parents became "gassed". After that, the parents nearly had the girls "dizzy" from the frequent substitutions in an effort to keep from dropping to the turf in exhaustion.
Some of the parents who "strutted their stuff" on the field included Dave and Denise Wysocki, John and Amanda Casler, Jim and Debbie Choragwicki, Rick and Mary Wrobel, Gerry and Sue Prokaski, Gerri Ebeling, Randy Fisher, and Tom Slawik. I expect there to be some pretty sore bodies among the parents in the upcoming week. Hopefully everyone will be be fully recovered in time for the Candlelight Bowl on November 1st.
By the way, if anyone has pictures, I will gladly pay "big money" to get ahold of them to publish on the team web site. Just let me know.
Saturday, October 18
MVP Breakdown
Team Xplosion suffered a "breakdown" against a mediocre MVP United team losing 3-0. After playing a strong game against Lightning Blue last week, the Xplosion came out flat on both ends of the field in this match. They gave up two soft goals in the first half, and although they had plenty of opportunities around the MVP United goal, they couldn't generate any quality shots. The only saving grace is that we get another shot against them again next week. Let's hope they take us lightly.
Sunday, October 12
1st Place Lightning Edges Xplosion 1-0
Naperville Lightning Blue scored the game's only goal with about 5 minutes to play to edge Team Xplosion 1-0. The goal broke open what had been a tight defensive battle for nearly 55 minutes, and came on a deflected shot that changed direction and narrowly eluded the Xplosion keeper.
Team Xplosion played a strong match against the Lightning, the 1st Place team in the D South Division. The contest was made even more challenging by the fact that Shannon Clark is out with "mono" and undoubtedly lost from the team for the rest of the season. Nevertheless, the team battled hard and gave Naperville all they could handle for most of the game.
Sunday, October 5
Xplosion Destroys Darien
Team Xplosion "destroyed" the Darien Destroyers 2-0 with a well played game on both offense and defense. Liz Wrobel scored midway through the 1st half to give the Xplosion an early lead. The coaches then challenged the girls to score again within the first five minutes of the 2nd half, and they did just that on a goal by Jaime Ebeling after only four minutes to put the game away.
Jamie Thauer and Liz Wrobel split the game at Keeper to earn the team's third shutout in four games. The defense anchored by Iris Casler, Becca Evans, and Annie Chimienti shut down Darien for most of the match allowing very few tough shots on goal.
Team Xplosion is now 3-0-1 and in 3rd Place after four games. Their opponents the next two weeks will be the 1st Place Team (Lightning Blue) and the 2nd Place Team (T.P. Tornados Select). These matches should be a great test for our team.
Sunday, September 28
Liz "Scores" a Puppy!
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| Puppy for Liz | |
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Also scoring for Team Xplosion were Annie Chimienti, Jamie Thauer, Sadie McLean, and Shannon Clark. Ashley Noreen and Jaime Ebeling split the game in goal to earn the shutout.
Sunday, September 21
Xplosion Does Almost Everything Right Against LTSC
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Sunday, September 7
Opening Day!
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Nevertheless, our girls did play strong throughout and forced the play in the HF end most of the match. They also spread the field well and crossed the ball effectively, producing a balanced scoring attack with 3 goals in each half. Goal scorers for the Xplosion included Jamie Thauer (2), Ashley Noreen, Hallie Prokaski, Jaime Ebeling, and Sadie Mclean. Elizabeth Wrobel and Allie Fisher split the game in goal to earn the shutout, although I'm not sure either of them actually faced a shot on goal.
Team Xplosion will need to continue their strong play next week when they compete in the Jack-O-Lantern tournament against some tougher opponents. See you in Lisle.
Saturday, June 14
Oh No, Not Again!
Team Xplosion dropped their second game to the Tornados in a week, this time in a heart-breaker 2-1. Xplosion had a 1-0 halftime lead on a goal by Kerri Slawik, but once again the Tornados came out strong in the 2nd half and tied the score in the first five minutes. The Xplosion regained their composure, but allowed the winning goal with under five minutes to play on a corner kick that curled just around the near goalpost and into the net.
Team Xplosion finished the Spring season with a record of 3 wins, 5 losses, and 2 ties, after a 2-0-2 start. Four of their five losses was by a single goal. Our great team defense held their opponents scoreless in four of the ten games and gave up a total of only 13 goals for the season, an average of only 1.3 goals per game. Fantastic! On the offensive side, however, our girls only managed to score a total of 13 goals (1.3 per game), with five of those goals coming in our 5-1 victory over the Galaxy. Goal scoring is definitely an area we will be looking to improve upon for the future.
Although our Spring record did not meet expectations, we are very proud of our team and their effort. They all showed tremendous improvement and played with heart and desire. With just a few more goals scored this season, our record easily could have been much better.
(Click the subject link to view Final Spring Season standings.)
Sunday, June 8
Tornados "Xplode" in 2nd Half
Team Xplosion lost to their crosstown rivals the Tinley Park Tornados 4-2 in another hard fought battle between the two teams. The Tornados won the opening toss and elected to take the wind in the 2nd half and the decision paid off for them.
Team Xplosion drew first blood when Ashley Noreen scored off a cross from Anne Chimienti. The Tornados then snuck behind our defense late in the 1st half to score the tying goal. With the wind at their backs, the Tornados "xploded" for two quick goals to open the 2nd half, and then added another on a penalty kick to go up 4-1.
To their credit, our girls never gave up, and they forced the play over the last 10-15 minutes. There were several excellent scoring oportunities, including two shots that sailed just over the crossbar, and many others where the Tornado Keeper made excellent saves. The Xplosion did manage to get one goal back with Kerri Slawik converting off a nice feed from Shannon Clark, but unfortunately, it was too little, too late.
Saturday, June 7
Picture Perfect Day
On a picture perfect Saturday afternoon, Team Xplosion defeated the Oswego Fury 1-0. Shannon Clark deflected a beautiful crossing pass from Jamie Thauer off her body into the goal late in the 1st half and our girls made it stand up for the rest of the match. Kerri Slawik and Ashley Noreen split the game in goal to earn the shutout behind another solid defensive effort. Next up...(Tornados X 2)!
Sunday, June 1
Horseshoes Anyone?
Team Xplosion played another close game against a very strong opponent, the Orland Park Celtics, but "close" only counts in horseshoes not soccer. All our girls had to show for their hard effort was another one goal loss, this time by a score of 1-0.
Despite two tough losses this weekend, the team is giving their all, showing improvement, and playing some very good soccer. Unfortunately, it's just not showing up right now on the scoreboard. But, we do have a few more games left this season to turn things around, and the way we're playing, the coaches are confident the next few "close" games will go our way.
Saturday, May 31
Lightning Strikes Twice in Naperville
Naperville Lightning Blue struck for two goals in the 2nd half to defeat Team Xplosion 2-1. Kerri Slawik scored on a penalty kick late in the 1st half to give the Xplosion a 1-0 half-time lead. It looked like that lead might hold up, but Naperville took advantage of a strong wind at their back in the 2nd half and forced the play just enough to earn the come from behind victory.
Sunday, May 18
One of Those Games
Coming off Friday night's great tie against Orland Park, Team Xplosion coaches expected another big game against Palos MVP United. However, the funny thing about soccer is that the better team doesn't always win, which is both "xtremely" frustrating and "xtremely" humbling. When that happens, as it did in this match, all you can do is congratulate your opponent, put the game behind you, and look forward to the next one.
Our girls essentially battled MVP United to a scoreless draw, and even had more quality shots on goal than Palos. However, MVP United scored the only goal of the game late in the 1st half on an indirect kick from the 18-yard line, the result of a confusing play and call by the referee. Although somewhat of a fluke, it resulted in a goal nonetheless. There's not much else you can say. It was just one of those games.
Friday, May 16
Great Tie!
There are bad ties and there are good ties. This, however, was a great tie! Team Xplosion fought back from a 2-0 deficit to gain a 2-2 tie against the very tough Orland Park Celtics. This match may have been a defining one for the Xplosion. The stars of the game? Simply each and every member of the team as they all gave 150 percent, maintained their composure, and fought all the way to the end.
Down 2-0 late in the first half, Annie Chimienti worked the ball down the right sideline, turned the corner on her defender, and crossed the ball to Liz Wrobel who slipped it past the Celtic keeper to begin the comeback. Midway through the 2nd half, Shannon Clark and Kerri Slawik combined on a beautiful run and pass combination to tie the match.
Both teams had good scoring opportunities late in the game, but neither team could get that winning goal. The defense continued to come up big when they needed to, and Ashley Noreen again played a strong 2nd half in goal making several key saves to keep her team in the game. Great game girls. Keep it up!
Saturday, May 10
XPLO(ffense)SION
Team Xplosion found their offense Saturday with a 5-1 victory over the Comets. Iris Casler opened the scoring with long 25-yard kick that sailed over and behind the Comet keeper. The Comet's countered with a goal of their own with under a minute to play in the 1st half, and at the break the Xplosion and Comets were tied 1-1.
The 2nd half was a different story, however, as our girls "exploded" for four goals. First, Shannon Clark scored off a nice feed from Kerri Slawik. Then Kerri scored a goal of her own on a hard shot from just inside penalty box. Later, Annie Chimienti settled a high ball and ripped a goal high under the crossbar. Finally, Kerri Slawik netted her second goal of the game to close out the scoring. Kerri's final goal came after a long sideline run by Jessica Choragwicki who turned the corner on her defender and crossed the ball perfectly to Kerri who put it away.
Jamie Thauer played a strong 1st half in goal, and then Ashley Noreen made her Xplosion debut at Keeper in the 2nd half. Ashley made several good saves, punted the ball high and long, and held the Comet's scoreless. Congratulations Xplosion on a well-played game.
Sunday, May 4
No "O" in Oswego!
Alright, who pulled the plug on the Xplosion Offense? The "O" or "Offense" was once again missing in action as Team Xplosion settled for a 0-0 tie against the Oswego Fury in a very winnable game. Our girls again won the battle for field position, but unlike last week when they scored near the end of the game, this time they came up completely empty.
The closest the Xplosion came to scoring was midway through the 2nd half when Kerri Slawik blasted a shot off the right goal post from 15 yards out, and then one-timed the rebound high and wide to the left. All of our other good crossing attempts were quickly intercepted by the Oswego Keeper before our attackers could get to them. Jamie Thauer and Elizabeth Wrobel again combined in goal behind a strong defense for the second shutout in as many games.
Sunday, April 27
Xplosion "All Right" in the End
Team Xplosion started their Spring Season off on the right foot, more specifically, the "right foot" of Ashley Noreen! Ashley was in the "right" position at the "right" time, as she accepted a beautiful long crossing pass from Jaime Ebeling "right" in front of the Darien goal. Ashley calmly measured and then buried a hard shot "right" into the back of the net. The goal came with under five minutes to play in an up to then scoreless tie and was the difference in a 1-0 Xplosion victory.
Our girls clearly dominated the match throughout. They played their usual "trademark" strong defense, and kept the ball in the Darien half most of the game, but they just couldn't seem to position themselves for any quality shots on goal, at least until Ashley's shot "right" near the end. Jamie Thauer and Elizabeth Wrobel split the game in goal earning the first shutout of the season.
Congratulations Team Xplosion. You're off to a good start!
Spartans Rule Session 2
Team Xplosion concluded their 2nd Indoor Session with a 5-1 loss to the Spartans (U9 Boys). This was their second loss of the season to the 1st Place and undefeated Spartans. Once again the Spartans dominated play with outstanding quickness, ball-handling, and passing. Although our girls gave it their all and demonstrated some good passing of their own, they just couldn't keep up with the smaller and faster boys.
Team Xplosion's only goal was scored by Elizabeth Wrobel who banged home a rebound midway through the 2nd half. That cut the score to 3-1, but the Spartans quickly added two more goals to put the game out of reach.
Overall for Session 2, Team Xplosion finished with a record of 4 Wins, 3 Losses, and 1 Tie. Two of the three losses were to the champion Spartans. They scored a total of 34 goals (4+ goals per game) and gave up only 21 for the season.
With one outdoor and two indoor seasons now completed, our girls have come a long way from when they first started out. Their dribbling, passing, and shooting skills, along with their knowledge and awareness of the game have improved significantly. They have also played hard and worked well together as a team. Coach Gerry and I are both extremely optimistic about the future for Team Xplosion and are looking forward to Spring.
Wednesday, February 19
Can You Top This?
Last week Team Xplosion defeated the Red Devils 7-0. This week they went one better, winning 8-0 against the Fire Power. Overall, the team has scored a total of 21 goals over their last three Indoor Session 2 games! Hopefully, this trend will carryover to the Spring Outdoor Season.
The Xplosion were already leading 2-0 when the opposing keeper was injured on a third score. After that, the goals came fast and furious. It was difficult to keep track of who all scored, but my best guess is Iris Casler (2), Anne Chimienti (2), Jamie Thauer (2), Shannon Clark (1), and Jaime Ebeling (1). (If anyone has knows differently, please let me know.) Even with the eight goals, there were several more near misses. Jamie Thauer and Elizabeth Wrobel each played one half in goal to combine for the shutout.
Xplosion Finishes 2nd in Valentine's Tournament
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| 2nd Place Finish | |
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The Xplosion opened the tournament with a 1-1 tie against Darien, and followed that up with a 2-0 victory over Hinsdale. The team then played a strong game against the tough Lemont Raiders and only lost 1-0 on a "screened shot". The 1-1-1 record was enough to earn Team Xplosion a rematch against Lemont in the championship game. Although the Xplosion jumped out to a 1-0 lead, Lemont responded with two unanswered goals to win the championship match 2-1.
Overall, our girls played with a lot of aggressiveness, heart, and composure. The team was led in scoring by Annie Chimienti who scored goals in three of the four games played. Ashely Noreen add the team's other goal. Ashley and Kerri Slawik played two games each in goal, and gave their team an opportunity to win in all four games.
Wednesday, February 12
Xplosion Routs Red Devils
Team Xplosion...well, exploded for seven goals and routed the H-F Red Devils by the score of 7-0. Ashley Noreen and Iris Casler led the attack with two goals each, while Becca Evans, Shannon Clark, and Victoria Kappel each scored once. Kappel also had a couple of nice assists with some beautiful passes. Elizabeth Wrobel and Jamie Thauer split the game in goal behind a strong defense to earn the shutout.
Saturday, February 8
That's More Like It!
Team Xplosion played their most complete game of the 2nd Indoor Session and routed the H-F Valkyfries by a score of 6-2. Kerri Slawik and Jaime Ebeling each scored twice to lead the offensive atack. Shannon Clark and Jamie Thauer also scored, with Shannon's goal coming off a beautiful cross-field pass from Victoria Kappel.
Hallie Prokaski and Kerri Slawik split the game in goal, each giving up only one score to the tough Valkyfries. But this game was a total team effort. All of the girls had opportunities to play offense and defense, and each and every one gave 150 percent on both ends. It's games like this when Team Xplosion puts it all together that you begin to sense that this is truly a special group of girls with the potential to become a very good team.
Saturday, February 1
Heart-Breaker!
Team Xplosion gave up the winning goal with only 2.5 seconds left in the game and suffered a heart-breaking 3-2 loss to the Bombers. What made this loss even tougher was that the Xplosion clearly dominated play for the first 34 minutes, only to let the game slip away by giving up three goals in the final six minutes.
Team Xplosion led 2-0 at the half behind goals by Jaime Ebeling and Iris Casler, but the score could easily have been 5-0. They could not convert on either of two penalty kicks and had several other good scoring chances rejected by the Bomber keeper.
The Xplosion continued their strong play throughout the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half, but the momentum clearly changed when the Bombers scored their first goal with just under six minutes to play. The Bombers then tied the game with under two minutes left, and finally capped their furious rally with only seconds remaining.
Saturday, January 25
Special Thanks To Our "Guest Keepers"
Special thanks to Jessica Choragwicki and Becca Evans for splitting Keeper duty during the 2nd half against the U-9 Spartans (Boys). Although they were somewhat "reluctant" volunteers, they both did a great job and were able to give some of our regular Keepers a little break.
As for the game, Team Xplosion lost 6-2. Although they played fairly well, the smaller Spartan boys were a bit quicker and consistently able to slip behind the Xplosion defense to get off good shots on goal. Anne Chimienti and Kerri Slawik each scored to account for the Xplosion offense.
Saturday, January 18
Too Much or Not Enough Fire Power???
Victoria Kappel scored two goals in the last five minutes, the second coming with just under one minute to play, to help Team Xplosion salvage a 2-2 tie against Team Fire Power. After just missing a goal in the game's first minute, the Xplosion couldn't buy a score until late in the game. But it wasn't for lack of effort or shots on goal.
The Xplosion threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Fire Power keepers, but they were big, active, and just good enough to keep the ball out of the net. Although almost everyone had their chances, both Jaime Ebeling and Iris Casler especially have to be wondering how their shots didn't go in.
In the meantime, the undersized Fire Power continued to hustle and beat our players to loose balls. Although they didn't even come close to scoring in the 1st half, their hustle finally paid off with two goals midway through the 2nd half. For awhile it looked like their lead would hold up, but the Xplosion never gave up and rallied back strongly at the end to earn the tie.
Saturday, January 11
Xplosion Rallies for Late Tie
Team Xplosion roared back from a 3-1 deficit late in the 2nd half to earn a 3-3 tie against the 1st Place TP Bobcats U11 SC Girls Mathews. The Xplosion were down 2-0 at the half, but trimmed the lead on a goal by Jessica Choragwicki five minutes into the 2nd half. They gave that goal back with about 10 minutes to go, but then climbed back into the game when Jamie Thauer scored on a direct kick. That set the stage for some late game heroics by Elizabeth Wrobel as she tied the score with only four minutes to play. That's the way it ended as the Xplosion defense withheld a late flurry to maintain the tie.
This game was the last of Indoor Session 1 and Team Xplosion finished with a record of 4 wins, 3 losses, and 3 ties. Although they finished in 4th Place, the Xplosion did manage to defeat both the 2nd and 3rd Place Teams, and tie the 1st Place finishers. All in all, our girls played great and continued to improve throughout Session 1.
Saturday, January 11
Xplosion Wins Session 2 Opener
Team Xplosion kicked off their 2nd Indoor Session at the new Lynwood Soccer facility with an impressive 6-3 victory over the Red Devils. The Xplosion used a well-balanced attack, scoring three goals in each half, all by different players! Goals scorers included: Ashley Noreen, Iris Casler, Jaime Ebeling, Anne Chimienti, Becca Evans and Hallie Prokaski. Jamie Thauer and Elizabeth Wrobel split the game as Keeper to shut down the Red Devils and help seal the victory.
Lightning "Blue Light Special"
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Team Xplosion concluded its Fall 2002 regular season outdoor schedule with a 2-0 victory over Naperville Lightning Blue. Our girls definitely brought their "A Game" to this match and played well throughout on offense, defense, and in goal.
Goal scorers for the Xplosion included Jessica Choragwicki and Ashley Noreen, but the entire front line and mid-field, including Anne Chiminenti, Becca Evans, Jaime Ebeling, and Iris Casler applied strong offensive pressure throughout. With Jamie Thauer missing, Shannon Clark and Hallie Prokaski combined at keeper for the shutout, but were well protected by a solid defense anchored by Kerri Slawik, Lauren Mrozek, and Liz Wrobel.
With this win, the Xplosion finished their inaugual season with a record of 4-4-2 (.500), which was the goal established by Coach's Gerry and Tom back in August. To have met that goal is a great testament to our girls' hard work and dedication. Congratulations Xplosion on a tremendous first season! We are very proud of you and look forward to even more success in the future.
Wednesday, August 3
Fall Pre-Season Camp Begins on Sunday August 7th
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Camp beginning on Sunday, August 7th. The camp will run from Sunday through Thursday with the Xplosion scheduled for the 6:00 pm to 7:45 time slot. Regular practices will begin the following week of August 15th with days and times to be announced.
As a reminder, if you are unable to make it to any of the days of camp or any of the other seasonal practices, please contact Coach Gerry by phone or email to let him know of your situation. As the Prokaski's will be on vacation through August 7th, please contact Coach Tom if you cannot make it to Sunday's first day of camp.
A few other reminders, this season we move into the U13 age group and we will begin playing with a size 5 ball. If you don't already have one, make sure you go out and purchase one before the season begins. Also, we will be purchasing warm-ups for the girls and Sue Prokaski needs to confirm sizes for each of the team members next week. If you will be out of town for the entire week of camp, please leave a message on the Prokaski's answering machine confirming the size to be ordered for your daughter.
We hope everyone has been having an enjoyable summer and break from soccer. We are looking forward to another successful season ahead.