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46 | March 9, 2017 | The orland park prairie sports opprairie.com Lemont rains on Eagles’ playoff run hopes During severe storms, Sandburg’s offensive dry spell continues Randy Whalen Freelance Reporter Unfortunately for the Sandburg boys basketball team, its final game turned out to be a reflection of its season — not enough offense. The Eagles never led and had no players in double digits, as their season came to an end in a 51-35 loss to Lemont Feb. 28 in the second semifinal of the Class 4A Sandburg Regional. Sandburg (13-14), which was seeded No. 8 in the Lincoln-Way East Sectional, had 15 games this season in which it scored 43 or fewer points. No. 9-seeded Lemont (16-11) advanced to the regional title game. “It was the story of the year,” Sandburg coach Todd Allen said of the loss. “Our defense was good all year; we just struggled to score. The kids battled and played hard. They do everything we ask, but this [game] was a microcosm of the season.” The Indians, who were led by a game-high 15 points from senior guard P.J. Pipes, jumped out to leads of 4-0 and 10-2 with 2 minutes and 52 seconds left in the first quarter. Barlow Alleruzzo, who finished with a team-high nine points, hit a 3-pointer to help draw the gap for Sandburg to 10-7 after one quarter. In the second quarter, the Eagles cut the lead to one on three occasions. The second time was on a steal and a layup by senior guard Grant Glover to close the gap to 12-11 with 4:53 left Sandburg’s Jack McNulty drives to the hoop against Lemont Feb. 28 during a regional semifinal matchup. in the first half. The final time came on a 3-pointer by senior forward Jack Witt to make it 15-14 midway through the period. But Sandburg did not score again the rest of the quarter, and the Indians pulled out to a 21-14 halftime advantage. “I thought the turning point was that 3-pointer by Barlow that went halfway down and spun back out,” Allen said of Alleruzzo’s shot late in the first half. “Then, Lemont came down and scored.” Alleruzzo, a 6-foot-8 junior center who is versatile enough to play inside and out, was frustrated, as were his teammates. “We just couldn’t hit shots,” Alleruzzo said. “We had a lot of games like that this season. We had our ups and downs, but we just couldn’t maintain consistency. We couldn’t muster confidence. “We got down, but I love my guys. I thought we’d make a run, but it didn’t happen.” Junior center Paul O’Leary (9 points) scored four straight points for the Indians to start the second half. Sandburg never got closer than eight points the rest of the way. Leading 30- 21, Lemont ended the third quarter on a 6-0 run to go ahead 36-21 after three. After scoring seven points in each of the first three quarters, the Eagles tallied eight in the first 1:37 of the fourth quarter. A 3-pointer by Alleruzzo with 6:23 to play in the game capped that and made the score 38- 29. But that is as close as it would get. Pipes scored all nine points in a 9-0 run, as the Indians pulled out to a 47-29 lead with 3:29 to play in the game. Sophomore forward Nate Ferguson (9 points) and junior forward Jerry Radomski (7 points) also contributed for Lemont. “Give Lemont credit,” Allen said. “They have a D-I talent in Pipes. We just didn’t make enough shots.” Junior guard Sami Ismail added six points for Sandburg. The Eagles only graduated four seniors, and all of them scored in the game. They are Glover (4 points), Witt (3), Edmond Mila (5) and Chris Toth (2). The loss was one of five straight to end the season Sandburg’s Edmond Mila (left) defends against Lemont Feb. 28, during a regional semifinal game in Orland Park. photos by Adam Jomant/22nd Century Media Sandburg’s Grant Glover takes a shot during the game Feb. 28 in Orland Park. for the Eagles, who fell below .500 for the only time all year. They had started the season with records of 3-0, 5-1 and 8-2. Included in that stretch was a 54-48 win at Lemont Nov. 29. They also had victories over a 20-win Lincoln-Way East squad and at 18-game winner Stagg. “We have a lot of kids coming back,” Allen said. “Our sophomore team went 13-10, and our freshman team was 17-8, so there’s talent coming up. I don’t think there was a game this season that we didn’t lose to a good team. I told the kids not to hang their heads, it was still a good year.”
opprairie.com sports The orland park prairie | March 9, 2017 | 47 fastbreak Girls Soccer Eagles looking to continue tradition of success 22nd Century Media File Photo 1st and 3 More Sandburg sports starting soon 1. Badminton After a year of second-place finishes in conference and sectional, the Eagles badminton squad is looking to use this past season’s experiences to excel on the court in 2017. 2. Girls Water Polo While this week’s issues features a preview of the Sandburg boys water polo team on Page 45, the girls also start soon, though on the road in dangerous waters at New Trier for an invitational. 3. On deck Despite tryouts having passed for both, baseball and softball start later in March than many of their spring sport counterparts. Fans can expect more preview coverage in next week’s edition of The Prairie. Jon DePaolis Freelance Reporter Katie O’Connell is entering her third season as coach of the Sandburg girls soccer team. And to say the Eagles have been successful under her leadership would be underselling it. Sandburg, which is slated to open the season Monday, March 13, on the road against Plainfield East, is 29-9-5 over the past two seasons, a .726 winning percentage. “We’ve been very fortunate, and I have to give so much credit to these players,” O’Connell said. “They come in after working super-hard in the offseason. They are playing tons of club soccer, and they come in ready and excited for the Sandburg season.” In 2016, the Eagles went 18-2-3, including 6-0 in the SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue, before falling in penalty kicks (2-1 recorded score) to Lincoln-Way North in the sectional title game. “I think anytime you lose a heartbreaker like that, it just motivates you more to get to that next level,” O’Connell said of this past year’s seasonending loss. “Give credit to North; they were a great team last year. [The Eagles] have kept working hard, and these seniors, I think, would like to go to the super-sectional [this season]. That’s always your goal every season — to make it one step further.” The Eagles lost nine players from that squad to graduation, but they are returning 10 — the type of program depth that many teams covet. Chief among the returning players are senior midfielder and Purdue University recruit Kylie Hase (9 goals, 5 assists this past season) and senior defender Sydney Rudny (1 goal, 1 assist in 2016). Hase was an All-State selection this past season, while Rudny earned All-Sectional honors. O’Connell said Rudny will be “the anchor” of Sandburg’s defense. “We have a lot of seniors this year, and most of them have played on varsity since at least their sophomore year,” O’Connell said. “They are an amazing group of kids, and we have an amazing group of parents who have been very supportive of the program.” Isabella Strolia, a junior, also will be returning this season on the back line. “We couldn’t have been happier with [Strolia] last year as a sophomore,” O’Connell said. “This year, with her being a year older, she’s taking on a little bit more of a leadership role. She will be a big asset for us.” Up top, returning players Paige Pappanastos (senior) and Maddie Manzke (sophomore) will lead the forwards. “We’re excited for Manzke this year,” O’Connell said. “She’s a year older, and she started [this past year] as a Five to Watch A closer look at five key matchups for Sandburg girls soccer 4:30 p.m. Monday, March 13 – at Plainfield East The 2017 season kicks off with a nonconference clash, as the Eagles head northwest. 6:15 p.m. Thursday, March 23 – hosts Tinley Park The Eagles return to Orland Park for their first home game of 2017, squaring off against a team that advanced to a Class 2A sectional final this past season. Noon Saturday, March 25 – hosts Wheaton North The Eagles host to a program that always is in the mix at the end of the year. 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 4 – at Lincoln-Way East This conference clash is certain to be one of the most anticipated games of the season. 6:15 p.m. Monday, April 17 – hosts Andrew In a Consolidated High School District 230 rivalry game, the Eagles take on an Andrew program that has been on a roll. freshman. Hopefully, she will have a very successful season for us.” Meanwhile, after losing two senior goalkeepers from this past season’s squad to graduation, a new duo has emerged: sophomore Courtney Hiler and senior Maria Marzullo. “It’s very nice to have these two coming in,” O’Connell said. “These two are battling every day for the starting spot.” O’Connell said she hopes her squad grows as a team each day. “We have 10 returning players, but that also means we have half of a new team coming in,” she said. “So, each day, we will be working on team bonding. By the end of the season, hopefully we will all be on the same cylinders, ready to go.” Competition should surely help the team grow, as well. In the past, O’Connell has scheduled perennial power Plainfield North early in the season. This year, the scheduling did not work out. But she still wanted to find a competitive team to play early. “We added Wheaton North at their place,” she said. “They are always a very strong team, so we’ll get a challenge right away, which I love. It will help us see where we’re at, what we need to improve on and things that are working for us.” The Eagles also are slated to play in the Naperville North Invite, which will pit them against the likes of Neuqua Valley. O’Connell said she thinks that by playing tough teams early, it helps prepare the Eagles for the level of competition they will see in the postseason. “You always want to see how you match up against some of the best teams in the state,” she said. “You also get to see what needs to be improved upon. Some of the things you may think are working, all of a sudden you see that you may need to switch some things up here or there. We do love playing the top teams. They give us a challenge.” And SWSC play should be competitive this year, as well. “I think it is up for grabs in this area,” she said. “I think anyone can take the sectional. Obviously, Lincoln-Way East will be a great team to watch, because now they have those North girls who were on a great team last year. I feel like Stagg and Andrew always come out strong. And you can never forget about Lockport. I think it’s a pretty equal playing field this year, so it will be an exciting season.” LISTEN UP “It was the story of the year. Our defense was good all year; we just struggled to score. The kids battled and played hard. They do everything we ask, but this [game] was a microcosm of the season.” Todd Allen — Sandburg boys basketball coach, on his team’s struggles in the regional semifinal What 2 Watch Badminton — 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16 • The Eagles open their 2017 season on the road, but they are slated to return to Orland Park next week to face Joliet Central. INDEX 43 - Athlete of the Week 43 - This Week In Compiled by Editor Bill Jones, bill@opprairie.com.
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