2006 (19U) Girls State Premiership I

They Meet Again

The Fall 2023 Presidents Cup finalists face off in this week’s State Premiership Game of the Week! Champions, Northwind SC visit Tinley Park Bobcats in what will be an unmissable matchup. A matchup that has history, as they played each other three times in the Fall of 2023, they know each other well. The hosts, Bobcats won two out of the three confrontations, losing only the Presidents Cup Final to Northwind SC.

Both sides come into the game after a rough start to the Premiership however, this division has each team play each other twice, which means there’s still a lot to play for. In a game where there is history involved, can be a momentum shift for the winner.

Tinley Park Bobcats come into the Game of the Week having lost twice and won once so far but each game has had a difference of only a goal. The Tinley Park side knows that any small difference could have changed those results, and they will be ready to showcase what they can do. They did so in the Fall 2023 season, placing second in the USYS Midwest Conference and second in the Presidents Cup. Their Game of the Week rivals were foes in both competitions, as they played them three times. They managed a 4-2 win in the Midwest Conference and the first game of the Presidents Cup. They fell short in the Presidents Cup Final to them however, and two second places will surely give them the determination needed to make the final step and get their own silverware.

Northwind SC has not had the start they were hoping for, losing in their first two games. They came into this season as Presidents Cup Champions of the Fall 2023 season, and they know what it takes to reach the summit and won’t let the rough start stop them. As previously mentioned, they were able to get the better of the Bobcats to get their Championship but they finished below them in the Midwest Conference and finished mid-table. They will be looking to turn this season around as their Championship will surely act as determination to do it again.

Coaches’ Pre-Game Interviews

How do you prepare your team mentally to treat this game like any other, when it is a rematch of very big Presidents Cup Final?

Brian Waishwell – Tinley Park Bobcats
Northwind is a very well coached team, with players that are excellent at soccer, and are real difference makers on the field. Our team knows this well, and we strive to have the players show up with the same intensity no matter whom is our opponent. Our Bobcats players come ready each and every game to do their best, taking each game as an opportunity to get better individually, and as a team.

Tom Roe – Northwind SC
To focus on the controllables and go out and implement what we have focused on in practice. We have a lot of new players who will be introduced to this friendly rivalry but the focus will be on implementing our own game plan.

It is still early in the season, a tough start but it is very competitive. Can this game be a momentum shift for your side?

Brian Waishwell – Tinley Park Bobcats
Having 5 players going off to college, we lost great long time teammates and friends. We have added new faces that makes Antonio and myself job exciting. Seeing not only the new players step up to the challenges given to them, but also the leadership from our returning players, the start of the season is not as important as the ending. Playing Northwind and the excellent team they have, beating them would be a huge step in the right direction and a confidence boost we can all build on.

Tom Roe – Northwind SC
If the result matches the performance it will hopefully boost the players confidence and we can hopefully use it as a building block for future games knowing that we can continue to compete at this level.

What are you most excited to see out of your team come the weekend?

Brian Waishwell – Tinley Park Bobcats
After losing a few players last season to other clubs I am definitely seeing a more tight knit group of girls who want to play with each other. It’s been a wonderful pre-season and we have started off really well in cup and state premiership games so far. Looking forward to seeing the girls continue to gel on and off the field and hoping to put them in a position going into HIGH SCHOOL seasons at the best level they can be for their respective schools.

Tom Roe – Northwind SC
I’m excited to see how the leaders on our team can help the new younger players continue to adapt to the level of State Premiership against a consistently strong opponent.

Final Thoughts

Both teams have entered the competition with new and young players compared to previous years and they are both eager to see them continue to adapt to the competition. The friendly rivalry that these two teams now have is accompanied by respect for each other. They both know that it does not matter how they have started but where they go from here. Only problem is they have each other as adversaries to their end goal. Tinley Park Bobcats host Northwind SC in the Game of the Week on September 22nd.