Mustangs shut out at York in regular season finale
By Gary Larsen

Goals from Jamie and Alyssa Kovatchis and a shutout by keeper Annabelle Lansdowne and her backline made for a happy team from York, despite the downpouring of rain that marked Thursday’s second half against visiting Downers Grove South.

“They knocked us out of the playoffs last year so we really wanted this game,” Lansdowne said.

York (12-4-2) got a goal in each half, as DG South (12-8-1) slugged it out with the Dukes but struggled to find truly dangerous scoring chances, as Lansdowne and her backline posted York’s 8th shutout of the season.

The Lady Dukes have given up 16 goals in 18 games for an average of only .88 goals-against per game.

“(Central defenders) Rachel Ogdon, Angela Guerino, and whoever is playing on the outsides – they’re all playing well,” Lansdowne said. “We don’t give up a lot of goals and we hang our hat on that. I feel really confident when we step on the field that no one is going to get by us.”

York’s outside players include Annalisa Lapo, Emily Mueller, Lizzy Akre, Judith Flores, and Madi Fafinski. “We have five or six girls that can play at midfield and can defend, and that’s a testament to them because their feet are good enough to play both positions,” York coach Krzysztof Halupka said.

A physical and hard-fought game from start to finish wasn’t conducive to multiple passes being strung together either way, but both teams spent time with the ball in the other’s defensive end.

For the Mustangs, however, it was a night of few dangerous balls put on frame.

“We just needed someone to step up and be selfish in the final third tonight,” Mustangs coach Abby Anderson said. "Players like Kelly Stapleton, Emily Wauer, Steph Zurales -- if those girls get a little seam they can put a good shot on frame but it didn't look like anyone wanted to take that opportunity tonight. Everyone seemed to be waiting for someone else to do it. I don't know if it was the rain or not feeling a ton of importance to the game."

York’s first goal came late in the first half when sophomore Jamie Kovatchis scalded a shot inside the right post from the center channel, 18 yards from goal.

“Jamie scored a great goal for us,” Halupka said. “She had two freekicks in the first half that went blistering right by the front post and on her goal, the way she made the run off the ball and held the (defender) off – and then it was a hard goal because they’ve got a good goalie, but she had no chance on Jamie’s ball. That was brilliant. Jamie has stepped in nicely into the center midfield and is helping us out a lot.”

The first half also featured a tremendous save from Lansdowne, when she leapt after a Stephanie Zurales rip headed for paydirt and swatted it around the post.

“(Zurales) went through a couple of people and she got a nice look on,” Lansdowne said. “I just tried to knock it away and not grab onto it. I just tried to hit it away.”

"Steph made a few great runs and we tried a few different formations and played with some things," Anderson said. "But (Lansdowne) made some nice saves."

Now in her fourth season as York’s starting varsity goalkeeper, Lansdowne is a far cry from the wet-behind-the-ears freshman she was three years ago. “I’m more confident, I know my teammates trust me to make the save, and I can come out and take care of some loose balls,” Lansdowne said.

Lansdowne will attend Marquette next year and leave soccer behind, and Halupka is happy to have had her in net.

“She made a tremendous save and I made sure she knew about it, because at that point we were at zero-zero and if they score that goal maybe it’s a different game,” Halupka said. “That was a huge save for us.”

Alyssa Kovatchis scored off a corner kick feed from Bryce Banuelos in the second half, pulling herself away from a defender and then running on to Banuelos’ serve and burying it. It was the skilled Banuelos’ second assist of the contest.

Banuelos started the game up top for York "but I was very happy with the job our defense did in shutting her down because she's so dangerous," Anderson said. "I thought Haley Holz and Lori Niehaus did a great job on her.

"Then they dropped (Banuelos) to the middle and she was able to find more space and create some things. I think that's what broke us down a little more, but I thought Kelly (Stapleton) did a good job in the middle, too, winning a lot of balls and being that physical presence for us and she was able to put a little bit of a body on (Banuelos) when she moved to the middle."

The Dukes are seeded third in the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional and host No. 14 Morton in a regional opener on May 15, with the winner playing for a regional title against the winner between No. 6 Wheaton Warrenville South and No. 11 Glenbard West.

As the No. 5 seed of the Hinsdale Central sectional, the Mustangs open regional play on their home field on May 15 against No. 12 Willowbrook, with the winner taking on the winner between No. 4 Benet and No. 13 Farragut in a regional title game.

Anderson was pleased with her side’s defensive effort against the Dukes but knows what will be needed if the Mustangs want to make a deep run in the postseason.

 “Lori Niehaus played well and Jamie Furio made some good saves and we shut down some of (York’s) strong players, who are very, very good,” Anderson said. “Our defense played amazing. But if we can’t turn and crack one and put it in the back of the net, we’ll be in trouble.”