The final Chicago Stars game at Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium provided a special moment between two icons.
Retiring Angel City forward Christen Press, a former member of the Stars, came into the Nov. 2 game in the second half. In the 81st minute, Press took a shot and former Stars and U.S. Women’s National Team teammate Alyssa Naeher dove and deflected it. The Stars went on to win 2-1.
Naeher was recognized for the NWSL’s Save of the Week award for the stop.
With the team moving to Evanston next year, it was another memory of SeatGeek, formerly Toyota Park, that Naeher could enjoy.
“I think playing against Christen here kind of makes it full circle, for sure,” Naeher said. “I didn’t want her last goal to come against me.”
Naeher, 37, joined the Stars in 2016 and has just about seen it all at the venue.
“I’ve seen a lot of incredible goals get scored on this field,” she said. “I’ve been a part of a number of celebrations, different milestones that have been celebrated over the years.
“A lot of those have happened here on this field. We’ve gone through some hard times on this field, too, that I think has helped the team grow.”
One of Naeher’s top memories in Bridgeview was in Oct. 20, 2019, when the team beat Portland 1-0 in the NWSL semifinals to advance to the title game.
Neher has retired from USWNT play and is not talking about her NWSL future. She became a free agent after the 2025 season.
The Stars played at SeatGeek Stadium in 2009-2010 and from 2016 to 2025. Some of the best players in the world used it as their home field including Naeher, Press, Mallory Swanson, Julie Ertz, Samantha Kerr and Jen Hoy. Megan Rapinoe played with the team in 2009 and 2010.
SXU football hangs on
St. Xavier’s football team kept its playoff hopes alive by surviving a 21-14 win over Olivet Nazarene Saturday in a Mid-States Football Association Midwest game Nov. 8 at Deaton Field in Chicago.
In the closing seconds, Olivet’s Kaleb Garner was stopped by SXU’s David Burton at the Cougars 2. There was also an unnecessary roughness penalty called on Olivet and a 10-second runoff to complete the game.
The Cougars (7-3, 3-1) were led by Mario Price, who had three catches for 74 yards and a touchdown plus 19 carries for 58 yards. Former Andrew quarterback Dominic D’Ambrosio threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
The Cougars close out the regular season at noon Nov. 15 against seventh-ranked Marian (Indiana) at Deaton Field. Marian is 4-0 in the conference while SXU and St. Francis (Indiana) are 3-1. The league champion gets an automatic bid to the NAIA playoffs and the other two teams will cross their fingers for an at-large selection.
Running at nationals
Moraine Valley’s women’s cross country team finished 25th in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II national meet on Nov. 8 in Fort Dodge Iowa. Eva Zimmerman led the Cyclones with a 39th-place finish with a time of 20 minutes, 42.3 seconds over 5,000 meters.
The men’s team finished 34th as Angelo Esparza finished 135th in the 8,000-meter race with a 29:46.9.