Wheaton N. enjoys getting outside against Hilltoppers

For March 11 and possibly the earliest season game in Illinois girls soccer history, the weather for Tuesday's game between host Wheaton North and Glenbard West was a downright balmy 48 degrees.

The Falcons' early play was pretty hot, too.

"We had a lot of energy," said Falcons senior Jaime Orewiler. "Everyone was passing the ball, and everyone was looking to possess."

Wheaton North (1-0) used a pair of Orewiler goals in the first half to win 2-1 over Glenbard West (0-1), as both sides acclimated to their first real chance this year to play soccer outdoors.

"We haven't been outside much, but we've worked on putting (defensive) pressure on the ball in our offensive half of the field," said Falcons coach Tim McEvilly. "We were doing a good job of not letting them get the ball out of the back."

Orewiler was there to finish with a header on a ball that popped up near the Hilltoppers' goalmouth in the game's ninth minute, as the Falcons' early play suffocated the Hilltoppers' back line.

The Falcons' Allie Cerone nearly scored in the 25th minute, busting in on the dribble and firing at point-blank range, but Hilltoppers goalkeeper Mallory Livingston came up big with the stop.

Orewiler made it 2-0 when she settled a pass from Maura Antas, took a touch to her right and blistered a ball to the back netting from 20 yards out, one minute before halftime.

"I just had a little space, so I took the shot," Orewiler said. "On the first goal I was just being aggressive, seeing the ball and trying to get to it first."

"Jaime played extraordinarily well today, and Meredith Chase did a great job defensively for us," McEvilly said.

A different Hilltoppers team took to the pitch in the second half, keeping the Falcons without a shot on net after halftime until the 71st minute and finding some beginning chemistry in their play.

"In the second half I can't say anything against my team. They played their best and put a lot of effort into it," said first-year Hilltoppers coach Maciek Kumierz. "It's our first time outside. We haven't even had a chance to practice on a regular-sized field."

"We hadn't played on a big field yet. We weren't putting passes together, and our touch was off in the first half," added Hilltoppers junior Kristen Papierski. "In the second half we settled down and got into our rhythm."

Papierski got her squad on the scoreboard in the 66th minute, beating a defender, spotting a seam and ripping a ball in from 30 yards out.

"Most high school girls are not going to be able to get that ball there on a rope like that," McEvilly said. "Kristen is a real player. We limited her almost the entire game, but she had one shot on goal and she buried it."