You are here: Home / Archives for Girls Field Hockey

Titans’ fall in first round of playoffs

October 26, 2011 By

(Glenview Lantern) The Glenbrook South field Hockey team was haunted by the same problem it faced all season long in its playoff-opening loss to Lake Forest Academy.

The Titans couldn’t put the ball in the goal.

“It just didn’t go our way today.,” GBS coach Tom Rosenbaum said of the 1-0 loss on Oct. 21. “The ball didn’t bounce our way. They tried hard, they worked hard. The second half was really awesome. It just didn’t work.”

The Caxys controlled the game for the majority of the first half, taking a 1-0 lead on a goal from Margaux Boles.

With a cluster of players from each team in front of the net, Boles was somehow able to come away with the ball and sneak it past the GBS goaltender.

“We’ve always had an issue where the ball gets on the side and it comes more up to the center, then we get stuck a little bit and they have a better angle to shoot at,” GBS senior Kelsey Byers said. “I think that’s kind of what happened there. It’s happened a lot this season.”

Lake Forest Academy dominated the time of possession early on, which kept the Titans’ from establishing a rhythm.

GBS was able to play to their style in the second half, which allowed them to control the ball more often and create more opportunities.

“I felt like in the first half we were playing on one side and kind of letting them tell us what to do,” Byers said. “It changed a little in the second half, we were more assertive, we were really kind of dictating. ”

The Titans came out with intensity in the second half. The played small-ball, controlled the pace and created opportunities.

But GBS couldn’t seem to finish, a trait that has doomed the team more than a few times this season.

Rosenbaum said the second half was reflective of his team’s season, which came to an end after the game.

“It was amazing,” he said. They did great. They learned a lot and they did a nice job. At the same time it was a struggle all year. We couldn’t get it in the net. We got in a position to be successful and it just didn’t go in.”

The GBS field hockey program – which earned a ninth seed in the 19-team tournament – took a step forward this season, according to Rosenbaum.

Byers was just one senior who will leave the program in a better position than when she joined it her freshman year.

“It’s hard because I played with a lot of people for four years,” she said. “It’s kind of sad, but we did well.”

Original article here

Filed Under: All, Girls Field Hockey Tagged With:

Titans try for another taste of playoff success

October 18, 2011 By

(Glenview Announcements) Glenbrook South is banking on the cliché that defense wins championships.

The Titans’ ability to limit opposing attacks has set them up for a more memorable playoff run than the one they experienced last season.

On Monday night, GBS (13-9, 9-4) was announced as the No. 9 seed among the 19 teams in the state playoffs.

The Titans will go on the road for their first-round game against No. 8 Lake Forest Academy at 3:30 p.m. Friday.

Last season, GBS won for the first time in the playoffs, before being knocked out of the quarterfinals by Loyola, 5-0.

The road to a state championship is rough for the Titans. The carry a 1-7 record against teams seeded above them. The good news is that it was against Lake Forest Academy, 2-1 on Sept. 30.

“Every team we play we’re going to treat like a brand new game and not focus on how we played against them before,” said senior defender Jessica Dickman. “The playoffs are a chance for us to prove ourselves and it’s time to show all the hard work we have put in this season.”

If GBS can bypass the Caxys, it likely will move on to a quarterfinal matchup with No. 1 New Trier at 3 p.m. Tuesday. The Trevians open against the winner of No. 15 Homewood-Flossmoor vs. No. 18 Antioch/No. 19 Elgin.

When it comes to facing the top teams such as a New Trier or Loyola, the Titans aren’t scared and know what they will have to do to pick up the victory.

“We really need to focus when we play teams like these because every little thing that happens matters,” Dickman said. “There’s no time to be tired and stop running your hardest and I think if we can keep our intensity up the whole game we can beat anyone.”

While GBS is likely to play all its games on the road, the Titans have proved better away from home this season.

The Titans are 6-3 on the road and outscored their opposition 13-8. At home, GBS is 7-6 and has been outscored 18-17.

They have been solid defensively all season, with seven shutouts and just five goals allowed in their last seven games.

“Our defense is really strong and I think part of the reason is because we get to practice on our offense, which always gives us a challenge,” said Dickman. “We work really hard to be the best we can be at clearing the ball and communicating. It’s very important for a team to communicate especially on defense and I’ve really seen us get a lot better at that this year.”

GBS was shut out 1-0 by Glenbard West in its final match of the regular season on Friday.

The defense allowed just three shots on goal, but the offense could not hit the back of the net, even with more than 20 shots on goal.

“One thing we have tried working on this year is finishing near the goal because we have had trouble scoring,” Dickman said. “I think if we focus on keeping our sticks down and being ready for crosses we can accomplish this and hopefully score a lot more.”

Senior keeper Allyson Cunningham has played a big part of the team’s success, allowing 26 goals in 22 games, which is eighth best in the state.

Alli Mack has pushed herself to the forefront with a team-leading six goals and four assists.

“Being 13-9, I don’t think there’s been one team that has stopped Alli,” said head coach Tom Rosenbaum. “The only team that has stopped Alli has been us. I think she’s one of the top two or three kids in the state.” The team is still missing Jessica Galemore, who suffered a concussion, and will be without Cathryn Radlein, who is out with a hip pointer.

Sam Bielanski also will miss the first game to travel with the GBS horticulture team to nationals.

“We have had a lot of setbacks this year due to injuries and from that we have all learned how to play new positions and fill in needed spots,” said Dickman. “I feel like this is going to help us a lot in the playoffs because we have become such a well-rounded team. Most of our players can play any position and be comfortable in it so it really helps us play together well.”

Original article here

Filed Under: All, Girls Field Hockey Tagged With:

Mack On A Mission

September 22, 2011 By

(Journal Online) As a senior at Glenbrook South, 17-year-old Alli Mack does not have much time. If she is not in class, she is on the Titan field hockey field helping her team to victory. The Titans currently sport an 8-5 record after having recently defeated Homewood-Flossmoor 1-0 on Sept. 19.

Then again, you may even find her in the gym after field hockey practice working on her karate skills. She has a lot to live up to in terms of those skills, especially being a second-degree black belt.

“I have been doing karate since I was 4 years old,” Mack said. “So, it’s been pretty much a part of my life for the last 13 years.”

Her love of field hockey came a little bit later in life as she was playing soccer in eighth grade, which led to her trying out for South’s field hockey team when she was a freshman. While she made the team, her secret desire was to play ice hockey for the Titan girls high school team.

“My parents sort of put the kibosh on that plan because they did not want me getting hurt,” Mack said.

While her parents may not have wanted her to get hurt playing ice hockey, Mack has been putting the hurt on many opponents as a member of the U.S. National Karate Team. She has silver medals from the U.S. Junior Olympics and other various national championships and is a three-time national champion. The journey to become a black belt has taken the better part of the last seven years for Mack to achieve. And that is before an additional two years to become a second-degree back belt.

“I really want to get to a third degree black belt,” she said. “I think I can because of my sensei I have. He is a sixth degree black belt.”

Her journey thus far has taken her to such places as North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Nevada and has given her three national titles and nine state championships and even a third place finish at the world championships.

“It even floors me sometimes I guess,” Mack said. “You really don’t know sometimes, what it feels like to be as successful as I have been until you stand up on a podium next to people from other countries and receive a medal.”

Mack said her life is not easy at times balancing karate, field hockey and schoolwork. And that is before being treasurer of the Spanish National Honors Society club and the Key Club at Glenbrook South.

“I am just determined to get my school work done to make sure I can do the other things in my life,” she said. “It can be very stressful at times. But I am very grateful to coach (Tom) Rosenbaum and my teachers for working with me. I just find a lot of joy in sports and competing in karate is just awesome for me.”

Mack said she is looking forward to pursuing karate and field hockey when she gets to college. Her next karate competition is slated for Oct. 23 in Palatine at the American Cup with the Junior Olympics next spring.
Original article here

Filed Under: All, Girls Field Hockey Tagged With:

Seniors putting Glenbrook South on field hockey map

September 13, 2011 By

(Glenview Announcements)  Glenbrook South nearly added another big win to its ledger Friday when the Titans lost in overtime to North Shore Country Day.

Already armed with wins against Antioch, Highland Park and St. Ignatius, the Titans were looking to knock off the Raiders, a team that finished fifth in the state a year ago.

But North Shore Country Day edged Glenbrook South for the 2-1 victory in extra time.

“We’re very competitive,” said Titans coach Tom Rosenbaum, whose team came into this week 5-5. “We’re not a blip on the screen. Our expectation always is to win and to be competitive. That’s something we’ve been working hard on.”

Senior Grace O’Gara, one of several varsity veterans, scored the lone goal against the Raiders last week.

Others back to the lineup with experience include seniors Stephanie Leinbach, Alli Mack, Kelsey Byers, Jessie Dickman, Jennifer Fox, Natalie Sampson and Cathryn Radlein, and sophomore Greer Heinzen.

“We’ve molded nicely the kids with experience with the new kids,” said Rosenbaum, who carries 11 seniors. “Even the brand-new kids are used to a high level of competition.”

Among the newcomers to the lineup, Rachel Mann is making an early impression. She’s one of the team leaders in goals scored, along with Mack.

Senior goalie Allyson Cunningham anchors the defense.

“Kids like Rachel have played a lot, so that’s really helped us,” the coach said.

Sophomore Shannon Garden is also new to the varsity and has contributed through the first 10 games.

“It’s just a nice bunch of kids that have the same goal and same purpose,” Rosenbaum said. “They’ve worked hard and ready to go.”

Glenbrook South was scheduled to play Highland Park on Tuesday and Elgin Academy on Thursday.

 

Original article here

Filed Under: Girls Field Hockey Tagged With:

Glenbrook South Girls Field Hockey Team Enjoys Success Away From Spotlight Of Other School Sports

October 6, 2010 By

Clearing the ball upfield against a Highland Park opponent is Glenbrook South defenseman Cathryn Radlein. (Nicole Michelotti/The Journal)

The sport of field hockey lives in relative obscurity. It is truly not the flavor of the moment like perhaps lacrosse or ice hockey or even football. But it is a sport which is played by the Glenbrook South Titans as they are enjoying a 2010 campaign that includes wins thus far over teams such as Deerfield and Stevenson and Highland Park.

“We lost a lot of seniors from last year’s team,” senior captain and goalie Beth Ridge said. “So, I was a little nervous coming into this year as to what to expect. We have four new seniors on this team. I thought it was going to be a rebuilding year which is usually never a good thing.”

Ridge said after the Titans defeated Stevenson 2-1, she realized this year was not going to be a rebuilding year but a really great year with potential, she feels, to make it past the first round of the post season.

“At least that is our goal this year,” she said. “I have a lot more confidence in my game this year than last. I feel like I am more willing to dive for a lose ball. If we get scored on I am not as hard on myself like I would have been last year.”

To start off the season, the Titans were led in scoring by junior midfielder Kelsey Byers with four goals, junior forward Stephanie Leinbach with five goals, and seniors Taylor Rech and Alli Mack with three assists each.

“I think one of the reasons we have been so good this year is the team chemistry we have developed through the season so far,” Leinbach said. “I was intimidated coming into this year because I was on JV last year. But it’s been real positive so far. We have, as a team, been real positive towards each other.”

Leinbach said the recognition for her and the rest of her teammates has not been there as much as she would like. However, based on the some 80 female athletes who tried out for this year’s team, the popularity of the sport is still there.

“I guess kinda we suffer from the poor step child syndrome because we play during volleyball season and football season,” Leinbach said. “So we do not get a lot of people coming out to our games.”

Both Ridge and Leinbach agreed the team has a realistic chance to advance past the opening round of the Illinois High School Field Hockey Association state tournament being played this month in Oak Park. Field hockey is currently not sanctioned by the IHSA.

“It does not bother me as much that it is not a sanctioned sport,” Ridge said. “We will still be successful as a team.”

http://www.journal-topics.com/sports/10/sp101006.4.htmlBy STEPHEN GORDON Special to the Journal

Filed Under: All, Girls Field Hockey, News