Girls Soccer: O’Conner, Alsheikh lead Sandburg in conference-clinching win over Lockport
By Steve Millar
Correspondent
As a four-year starter at defender, Erin O’Connor has been a rock on the back line for Sandburg her entire high school career.
“She’s just so reliable,” Sandburg coach Tom Kubowicz said. “She’s a great leader back there, she’s dependable and she’s just so solid. We know what we’re going to get from her every game. We know she’s going to shut the other team down.”
O’Connor is also a standout basketball player for the Eagles.
“It’s good because I’m in shape already, but obviously they’re completely different sports, using my hands in one and my feet in the other,” O’Connor said. “It can be a hard adjustment. It was especially tough with the COVID season my sophomore year. I didn’t play soccer for two years, so it was hard getting back into it.
“I just like competing. I’m a very competitive person. I like to win. I like to be surrounded by my teammates.”
O’Connor helped Sandburg record another shutout May 5 and seal the SouthWest Suburban Blue championship with a win over Lockport. The host Eagles won the penalty-kick shootout 5-4 in six rounds to earn a 1-0 victory over the Porters.
Sandburg (10-8, 4-0) prevailed in unlikely circumstances, with multiple starters missing the game for various reasons and despite an 11-1 disadvantage in shots on goal.
“I was so proud of how we faced that adversity,” O’Connor said. “We’ve faced adversity all season long. We’ve had people in and out of the lineup. I was so happy with how we were able to adjust, shut them out, come out for PKs with people who don’t normally take PKs and find a way to win. I was so proud of the team.”
One of the players out was senior defender Rosie Richardson, another four-year starter and O’Connor’s defensive partner throughout her career.
“We had to switch up our whole defense without Rosie and girls stepped up so big to get this win,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor, Kayla Siefert, Sydney Gunkel and Grace Pittacora led the defense for the Eagles, with Siefert — a freshman — stepping into Richardson’s normal center back spot.
“It’s a testament to the team’s will to win,” Kubowicz said. “Kayla going into Rosie’s spot, those aren’t easy shoes to fill. She made some big plays.”
Senior goalkeeper Guevara Alsheikh also had a huge night, making 11 saves.
O’Connor made arguably the biggest play of the game when she got her body in the way of a shot that was ticketed for the back of the net in overtime.
After Alsheikh made a save on a shot from Lockport’s Anna Domina, the Porters’ Megan Posmer got the rebound and had a seemingly wide open chance for the game-winner with Alsheikh out of position.
O’Connor, though, blocked the shot.
“If someone makes a remarkable play out there, there’s a good chance it was Erin,” Kubowicz said. “That was another huge play from her.”
Lockport coach Todd Elkei agreed.
“That non-goalie save was the play of the game,” Elkei said. “That was one of the best plays I’ve seen all year.”
In the shootout, Gabby Dittmer, O’Connor, Maeve Durkin and Rudana Hamadeh converted penalty kicks for the Eagles before senior Mary Gallagher came through with the game-winner in the sixth round.
“Mary was feeling under the weather, so she wasn’t out there in the second half and overtime,” Kubowicz said. “The girls all wanted her to take the PK and she stepped up and buried it. She’s one of the nicest kids. She works so hard. No one deserves it more than her.”
Local News
Chicago Fire II to host Indy Eleven in U.S. Open Cup
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Chicago Fire II continue winning in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. They will be rewarded by hosting a third-round game against Indy Eleven at 7 p.m. April 17 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. Entry to Fire II games are usually free; but tickets for the Cup match…
Red Stars to play in Summer Cup
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent When the NWSL season started, there was a gap in the schedule — created to accommodate international play — that left the Chicago Red Stars without a league game for most of July. But some extra games have been added, as the NWSL and Liga MX are participating in…
College Sports | Sidney Lovitsch is officially women’s hoops coach at SXU
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Sidney Lovitsch was named interim women’s basketball coach at Saint Xavier shortly before the 2023-24 season opened and got a trial year to work with. The trial was successful, as the school announced the interim tag has been dropped and Lovitsch is officially the Cougars’ head coach. SXU finished…
Area natives Kendall Coyne Schofield, Abbey Murphy representing at Women’s World Championship
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Local hockey legends Kendall Coyne Schofield and Abbey Murphy are back with the U.S. women’s hockey team at the 2024 Women’s World Championship. Schofield, a Palos Heights native and Sandburg graduate, is playing in the Worlds for the 10th time. Murphy, an Evergreen Park native and Mother McAuley graduate,…
Hockey gold-medalist Abbey Murphy among college athletes to strike NIL deal with White Sox
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Four college athletes who attended area high schools have been named CHISOX Athletes for 2024, an NIL initiative created by the Chicago White Sox. Notre Dame offensive lineman Pat Coogan (Marist), Minnesota hockey forward Abbey Murphy (Mother McAuley) and Illinois soccer player Yulexi Diaz (Solorio) are among the athletes…
Swallow Cliff Chapter NSDAR awards students
Spread the loveAt its February meeting, Swallow Cliff Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, held its annual Youth Awards program to honor the DAR Good Citizens Award winners. Seven local high schools nominated outstanding seniors to be candidates for the DAR Good Citizens Award. To be eligible for this award, students had to…
Shepard welcomes alum as new band director
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Shepard High School welcomed on one of its own to fill the shoes of former band director, Christopher Pitlik. Kenneth George, a 2001 Shepard High School graduate, has been named the new Director of Bands at the high school, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights, upon the retirement of longtime…
Palos Heights considers TIF district for business corridor
Spread the loveBy Dermot Connolly The Palos Heights City Council is considering creating a tax-increment financing district to generate funding to update the Harlem Avenue business district. Mayor Bob Straz discussed that during a wide-ranging State of the City address to the Palos Area Chamber of Commerce on March 26 in the Palos Heights Recreation…
Green Team of Palos Heights plans Clean Up Day
Spread the loveBy Kelly White The Green Team of Palos Heights does just what its name implies and works hard to keep the city green and beautiful. “The mission of the Green Team is basically to raise awareness and educate the community about environmental efforts that protect and restore the environment in our community, recognizing…
Girls Soccer | Stagg, Reavis looking for more
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent The final match of March for both Reavis and Stagg ended in a 0-0 draw on March 28 in Burbank. The Rams (2-4-1 entering this week) are led by third-year head coach Konrad Dziedzic. This season’s team captains include seniors Alaina Hernandez and Olivia Smcyz. “The captains play a…
Neighbors
State Senate advances bill to ban food additives linked to health problems
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Senate passed a bill Thursday that would ban four food additives that are found in common products including candy, soda and baked goods. Senate Bill 2637, known as the Illinois Food Safety Act, passed on a 37-15 bipartisan vote and will head to the House for…
INVESTIGATE MIDWEST: Farmers have clamored for the Right to Repair for years. It’s getting little traction in John Deere’s home state
By Jennifer Bamberg, Investigate Midwest Originally published April 10, 2024 During the 2023 harvest season, one of Jake Lieb’s tractors quit working. A week later, his combine stopped working, too. Both were new — and he was locked out from making any repairs himself because of software restrictions embedded in the machines. Instead, a technician…
Education leaders seek added state funding to help districts accommodate influx of migrants
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The recent surge of international migrants arriving in Illinois has brought with it a host of new challenges for state and local officials. Those range from filling their most basic needs like emergency food, clothing and shelter, to more complex issues like lining them up with…
Capitol Briefs: Lawmakers, advocates again call for affordable housing tax credit
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com Housing advocates are renewing a push to fund a $20 million state affordable housing tax credit in the upcoming state budget. Supporters of the “Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit Act,” modeled after a federal tax credit program, claimed it would result in over 1,000 affordable housing units being…
Solar investments take center stage as questions loom on state’s renewable future
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com BOLINGBROOK – A manufacturer in the southwest suburbs of Chicago received $2.6 million from electric utility Commonwealth Edison this week as part of a state program for generating its own electricity using solar panels and storing it in one of the largest batteries in the country. But even…
Advocates renew push to tighten firearm laws aimed at protecting domestic violence victims
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Advocates for stricter gun laws rallied at the state Capitol Tuesday for a measure aimed at protecting domestic violence victims and two other criminal justice reforms. The bills are backed by organizations such as Moms Demand Action and One Aim Illinois among others. “These policies support…
Komatsu mining truck named 2024 ‘coolest thing made in Illinois’
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A mining truck manufactured by Komatsu was crowned the winner of the 2024 “Makers Madness” contest, earning the title of “the coolest thing made in Illinois” at the Governor’s Mansion Wednesday. The truck was one of more than 200 entries in the 5th annual contest hosted…
Capitol Briefs: Pritzker appoints first-ever Prisoner Review Board director; Chicago advances migrant funding
By JERRY NOWICKI & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Weeks after two high-profile resignations at the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday appointed the first-ever executive director to help lead the beleaguered agency. To fill the newly created position, the governor tapped Jim Montgomery, who most recently served as director of…
INVESTIGATE MIDWEST: Farmers have clamored for the Right to Repair for years. It’s getting little traction in John Deere’s home state
By Jennifer Bamberg, Investigate Midwest, Investigate Midwest Originally published April 10, 2024 During the 2023 harvest season, one of Jake Lieb’s tractors quit working. A week later, his combine stopped working, too. Both were new — and he was locked out from making any repairs himself because of software restrictions embedded in the machines. Instead,…
Illinois Senate advances changes to state’s biometric privacy law after business groups split
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – It’s been more than a year since the Illinois Supreme Court “respectfully suggest(ed)” state lawmakers clarify a law that’s led to several multi-million-dollar settlements with tech companies over the collection of Illinoisans’ biometric data. On Thursday, a bipartisan majority in the Illinois Senate did just that,…