Girls Soccer: Morton starts strong, but falls just short of Windy City Ram Classic semifinals
By Steve Millar
Correspondent
Morton’s girls soccer team fell just short of a 3-0 week and a spot in the Final Four of the Windy City Ram Classic.
But the Mustangs put up a strong fight against host Lincoln-Way East on the morning of March 19, and they saw no reason to be discouraged after a 2-1 loss in the quarterfinals of the 32-team tournament.
“We played good,” Morton coach Jim Bageanis said. “We’ve been moving the ball. Even though we lost this game, I think we moved the ball better than we did the first two games.
“I like that we’re being creative with the ball. We’re able to hold it and create. We’re not just kicking it up forward or just playing long ball. We’re creating our own chances. Defensively, I think we’re getting better every game. We just have to keep improving from week to week.”
Morton (2-1) created some good chances early, using its speed to test the defense of the Griffins (3-0).
The Mustangs put four shots on goal in the first half, but all were stopped by Lincoln-Way East goalkeeper Lindsay Fortier.
They also had three other shots go just wide or high of the net.
“We knew they were a good team coming in,” Bageanis said of Lincoln-Way East. “They’re a very fundamentally sound team. We hung on in the first half and we actually had a few good chances.
“We’ve got to take our chances as gold because we don’t get them very often like that. Charisma (Rosales) had a couple times where she got in but, unfortunately, we didn’t put any away. We’ve got to put those on net.”
Rosales had a couple good looks from inside 25 yards in the first half but fired wide on both shots.
Andrea Aguirre tested Fortier with a pair of shots on goal from distance, Fortier stopping both attempts from beyond 35 yards.
Rosales and Mayte Gongora also had shots on goal in the half.
“The first half we played really good,” senior midfielder Esmeralda Bautista said. “It was 0-0, it was a really good game. Our defense was going good, and our forwards and middles, too. We were communicating really well.”
After going to halftime scoreless, Lincoln-Way East picked things up in the second half.
Freshman Kara Waishwell scored in the opening minute of the half and Bre Herlihy made it 2-0 with 20:13 to play.
“In the second half, we were a little more gassed,” Bageanis said. “We were just trying to keep up with them. We gave up that goal right at the beginning of the half, but we didn’t quit. We were playing hard the whole time. We got lucky to get that PK at the end and that made it interesting.”
The penalty kick came with 4:35 to go when the Griffins were called for a handball in the box.
Bautista stepped up and buried a line drive inside the left post.
“I was really scared,” Bautista said. “I’m not going to lie. Me and the goalie were looking right at each other’s eyes. I heard my teammates saying, ‘Just calm down, calm down.’ I just focused on the game and did what I had to do.”
The Mustangs could not find the equalizing goal in the final four minutes but were happy with how they battled until the end.
The loss followed a pair of 4-0 wins.
Aguirre, Bautista, Gongora and Aaliyah Leanos scored in the tournament-opening victory over Joliet West, while Rosales had two goals with Aguirre and Leanos one each in a win over Tinley Park.
“Our first game, we were really nervous because it was our first time playing together, but we did good,” Bautista said. “The second game, we played good again and communicated more and more. This game, I think we played even better.
“I think these next games up, we’ll keep getting better as a team.”
Local News
Summit native marks decade with the Harlem Globetrotters
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Saul White Jr., better known as Flip White to basketball fans, has been with the famed Harlem Globetrotters for just over 10 years, and has no intention of stopping the entertainment he provides for his fans. White, who grew up in Summit, attended Wharton School and Graves Junior High (now…
College Report: McAuley grad Swiatek plays hero for St. Francis
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Hannah Swiatek comes off the bench for the University of St. Francis and is averaging 3.1 points per game. But when called on for the biggest shot of her college career, the 5-foot-8 junior guard from Oak Lawn delivered. Swiatek scored the winning basket in a wild 99-97…
Evans, Adams lead Argo past Shepard on Alumni Night
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Corrspondent Argo’s Davonte Evans and Will Adams both knew it was just a matter of time before the Argonauts would find a way to beat Shepard. That time came in the third quarter of a South Suburban Red matchup, when Argo outscored Shepard en rout to a 61-52 on Jan.…
Cruz booted from SD 229 school board in Oak Lawn
Spread the loveBy Dermot Connolly There is a vacancy on the Oak Lawn Community High School District 229 School Board, after members voted 6-1 last week to remove Robert Cruz for allegedly violating his oath of office, school board policy and state statutes. Cruz, a property developer, was elected to the District 229 board in…
Hog Wild to open Monday in Oak Lawn
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Dining choices will get a boost in Oak Lawn with the arrival of Hog Wild. The restaurant is scheduled to open Monday, January 17, at 4040 W. 111th St. That’s a week later than originally scheduled. “We are very fortunate here in Oak Lawn to have attracted Hog Wild,” Oak…
$1 million Lucky Day Lotto jackpot won in Bridgeview
Spread the loveFrom staff reports If you bought a Lucky Day Lotto ticket in Bridgeview for Thursday night’s drawing, you may want to check it right away – that’s because you might be a newly-minted millionaire! Circle K gas station, located at 7050 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview, sold a $1 million winning Lucky Day…
Poisoned bald eagle found in Lyons woods
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Bald eagles are becoming increasingly more common in the Chicagoland area, and avid bird enthusiasts said this is no surprise. “I have been watching the same pair of bald eagles and their offspring for 12 years now,” Sue Delfiacco said. To Delfiacco, the pair of birds are like family. Every…
Neighbors
Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions
By JERRY NOWICKI HANNAH MEISEL & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Supermajority Democrats in the Illinois House moved quickly Wednesday to push through a change to state election laws that partially limits ballot access and adds three nonbinding referendums to the 2024 general election ballot. It’s a move that caused minority party…
After 3 years, state poised to enforce law aiming to end lending discrimination
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that sought to wipe away the last vestiges of racial discrimination and redlining in America’s home mortgage industry. The idea was simple. By requiring lenders – primarily banks – to make…
Capitol News Illinois partners with ‘Illinois Lawmakers’ program to bring it back to air
Capitol News Illinois announced today it will produce the long-running “Illinois Lawmakers” program this spring, in partnership with longtime host and producer Jak Tichenor. “This new partnership is absolutely critical to providing Illinois residents with reliable, independent, in-depth, up to date coverage from the Illinois Capitol after many newspapers and broadcasters shuttered their Statehouse bureaus over…
Election officials to weigh whether Darren Bailey and GOP operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated
By ANDREW ADAMS & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A year and a half after Republican Darren Bailey lost his campaign to challenge Gov. JB Pritzker, state election officials are weighing whether he illegally colluded with conservative radio show host and political operative Dan Proft in the 2022 campaign. The State Board…
Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans
By PETER HANCOCK and JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Immigrant rights advocates on Friday continued to push for one of their top budget priorities: full funding for state-run health care programs that benefit noncitizens, regardless of their immigration status. Those programs offer health coverage for low-income individuals who would otherwise qualify for…
As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois. The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…
Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…
Bears pitch $3.2B stadium plan, but Pritzker still ‘skeptical’ despite team’s $2B pledge
By DILPREET RAJU & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Chicago Bears laid out a $3.2 billion plan for a new domed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront on Wednesday afternoon, painting pictures of future Super Bowls and other major public events while pinning their hopes on yet-to-be-had conversations with the governor and lawmakers. The Bears…
Regulators weigh future of gas industry in Illinois, while clamping down on Chicago utility
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Natural gas is fueling a fight between consumer advocates, a powerful utility company and the state. Amid competing advertising campaigns, accusations of mismanagement and state decarbonization efforts, the Illinois Commerce Commission is starting a process that will shape how the state regulates the increasingly controversial industry. …