Schools
Heads Held High on York Girls Soccer Team
Squad that posted best postseason run in program history faces changes next season.
Even when the York girls soccer team trailed Naperville North in the first half at the Class 3A Lisle Super-Sectional Tuesday, the Dukes kept coming.
After all, they had rallied from one-goal deficits in their previous two playoff games to capture the first sectional championship in program history.
Despite key injuries and a 2-3 start under first-year coach Krzysztof Halupka, the Dukes had learned to rise to the occasion throughout an historic season.
“If you play as a team, you win as a team and I think that’s how we progressed. In the beginning of the season, we did a lot of individual work and we just weren’t clicking,” said York senior co-captain Mary Kate Cicinelli. “It was a new coach in the beginning of the year. It kind of threw us all off a little bit.
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"As captains, (senior Danielle Vujovic and I) had to put all trust in our new coach. We just had to keep our heads up and as we started trusting him more, we started winning more,” Cicinelli said.
Heading into Tuesday's season-ending loss to Naperville North, the Dukes (21-5-1) won 11 straight. That streak included their second straight West Suburban Conference Silver Division title and second regional in three years and just the third regional title ever.
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“I’m satisfied with the effort from my girls. I think they left it all on the field. It was a second-half game where it was 40 minutes and both teams wanted to do their best and they scored and we didn’t,” Halupka said. “For me coming in as a new head coach, it was kind of like a transition time.
"I want to thank all of the girls for believing in me and trusting me to be their leader. I’m extremely proud. This is obviously a huge moment for our program in the sense that it’s a step forward. And to come so close here and not get further, it leaves kind of a sour taste in your mouth,” Halupka added.
Allie Whitcomb, who scored York's goal in its super-sectional loss, exemplified the spirit of this season’s Dukes.
Starting senior sweeper Meryl Cripe was lost for the rest of the season to injury in late April, and Whitcomb and sophomore Angela Guerino became key components of the defensive group along with seniors Taylor Navarro and Megan LeDonne, junior Abbey Wilkins, sophomore Edith Flores and sophomore goalie Anna Bell Lansdowne.
Whitcomb, who returned to the program after not playing in 2010, initially replaced Cripe but then had to overcome an injury herself to rejoin the lineup.
“I think her confidence was down at one point in the season (after the injury). I knew she had it in her to score. She has a great kick,” Cicinelli said. “I believe in her 100 percent. In fact, before the goal, I was like, ‘Guys I’m feeling this one.’ No matter what, it went in.”
The Dukes say goodbye to 10 seniors (Angela Bianchi, Kelly Boots, Cicinelli, Cripe, LeDonne, Sam Luke, Navarro, Lauren Scalise, Vujovic and Whitcomb). Cicinelli, Luke, Navarro, Vujovic and Whitcomb started Tuesday.
Cicinelli will play next season at DePaul University and Vujovic at Loras College (Dubuque, Iowa). Besides helping the team accomplish so much, they were appreciative that the success was shared with a strong fan base.
“We definitely had a bunch of people come and support us. Out there I heard, ‘Let’s go Dukes,’ and it just made me fight harder,” Cicinelli said. “I felt like I had to be a role model to whoever else is going to step into our shoes. Everyone needs to work as a team and I feel like everyone will. All of our coaching staff is very supportive and family oriented and I think in years to come we will be a very strong girls soccer program.”
