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Chicago Tribune
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
After four years away, Quinn Arundel scores 25 goals for Mother McAuley. In the regional? ‘Just had to finish.'
Quinn Arundel quit playing soccer in seventh grade, deciding to put all her athletic focus into basketball. That has paid off for Arundel, who has been a three-year varsity starter for Mother McAuley and topped 1,000 career points during her junior season over the winter. But Arundel missed soccer and longed to experience the feeling of scoring goals again. So, she decided to make a comeback this spring. 'I didn't want to have any regrets about not playing soccer,' Arundel said. 'I only had two years left of high school so I decided I should just try it my last two years. 'I just like being outside. It's a lot different from basketball. I kind of like playing offense and not really defense and in basketball you have to do both.' One thing is the same in both sports — Arundel knows how to score. The junior forward came through with two goals and an assist Tuesday night as the host Mighty Macs rolled to a 5-0 win over Bloom in a Class 3A Mother McAuley Regional semifinal in Chicago. Abigail Covarrubias, Gabriella Del Bosque and Avery Wiselogel each added goals for sixth-seeded McAuley (10-11-2), which will play at 5 p.m. Friday in the regional final against second-seeded Lincoln-Way Central (15-3), a 9-0 winner over Shepard. Peyton Wagner and Liliana Almanza each contributed an assist for the Mighty Macs. Lucy Gray made three saves for the shutout, getting plenty of help from a defense led by Angie Marquez, Valerie Hernandez, Jane Jacobsen and Olivia Martin. Raquel Cisneros made two saves and Josie Ayala had two shots on goal for 10th-seeded Bloom (20-3). Less than 50 seconds after Covarrubias put the Mighty Macs ahead on a free kick in the 12th minute, Arundel got behind the defense on a breakaway off a pass from Wagner and finished with a goal for a 2-0 lead. 'Peyton really stepped up and I think she's doing a really good job playing through balls,' Arundel said. 'She got that ball to me and then I just had to finish.' Arundel later made a nice pass to set up Del Bosque's goal. Arundel scored her second goal of the game — and 25th of the season — in the second half. Not bad for someone who took four years off from soccer. McAuley coach Megan McCauley, though, had no doubt Arundel could make a difference on the soccer field. 'Quinn's just a gamer,' McCauley said. 'On the first day of tryouts, probably in the first two minutes, she scored a goal. Everything she does is just all effort. She's somebody you'd want to be a part of any team you have.' Arundel said there have been obstacles, however. She still does not think her form with the ball is the finest. 'The footwork definitely was a challenge,' she said. 'I feel like I forgot how to do it all. 'After our first couple games, I kind of got it. But I don't really do any moves and I don't really dribble that much. I kind of kick it in front of me and run.' It sure has been effective, though. 'She's just a competitor and she knows what it's like to be a part of a team,' McCauley said. 'She's going to work hard for anybody next to her.' Jacobsen, meanwhile, one-ups Arundel in one way. She had never played soccer before this season. But the junior defender did her job shutting down Zenaida Esquivel, Bloom's 40-goal scoring freshman. 'She's really fast and she's really good,' Jacobsen said. 'I just had to keep up with her.' As for McAuley's opponents, keeping up with Arundel is easier said than done. 'The season's gone better than I expected,' Arundel said. 'I was kind of nervous about playing at first, but the team is really fun to be a part of and we get along really well.'
Chicago Tribune
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Hits, runs, RBIs. Tinley Park's Lilia Flores checks off boxes, but stealing home tops them all. ‘I trust my speed.'
On a career-best day at the plate, junior infielder Lilia Flores actually made the play of the game for Tinley Park with her speed on the bases during the sixth inning. Flores saw her chance with the Titans trying to hold onto a two-run lead. 'I know I'm very fast and I trust my speed,' she said. 'I was watching the pitcher very carefully. 'I just took advantage of what she was doing.' Flores drove in five runs and stole home for a vital insurance run Friday afternoon, lifting host Tinley Park to a wild 12-11 nonconference victory over Mother McAuley. Loyola-bound senior outfielder Megan Piotrowski went 4-for-4 and scored four runs for the Titans (14-10). Senior outfielder Emily Nuskiewicz was 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs. Sophomore outfielder Lily Schwartz went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for McAuley (7-11). Senior shortstop Abbey Williams staged a late rally with a two-out, two-run double in the seventh. The Mighty Macs' late sequence amplified the value of Flores' gutsy move to steal home after she drove in Piotrowski with her second double, which expanded the lead to 12-9. 'She's such a smart player,' Tinley Park coach Annalisse Scott said of Flores. 'My first base coach asked me if I sent her, and I said it was all her. 'She came on varsity as a very athletic player but a very quiet one. Now at the end of her junior season, she is such a loud voice for our team. She has taken on a leadership role.' Piotrowski said Flores' open and exuberant nature is like a shot of adrenaline for the team. 'On the field, she has that serious character,' Piotrowski said. 'Outside the game, she makes it fun. The game is so mental and it's nice to have somebody who's different. 'She's a big personality and we love having her.' Flores finished 3-for-3 with a walk and scored four runs. Swiping home was her sixth steal of the game. She bookended her best-ever day with RBI doubles in her first and last at-bats. 'When I go up to the plate, I have that attitude that I want to hit,' Flores said. 'With my runners in scoring position, I want to make sure they score.' 'After that first double, I just wanted to carry that energy and really help my team out.' In her third season on the varsity, Flores has come into her own, hitting .353 with 24 hits, 27 runs and 21 RBIs. Eight of her hits have gone for extra bases. After a broken finger marred her sophomore year, Flores dedicated the offseason to improving her hitting. She's detailed and meticulous on game days, going through rigorous warm-ups. She also plays the song 'KYLIE!!!' by Chicago rap artist Lucki, which contains the opening lyrics, 'We play whatever time the championship is.' The song puts her in the right frame of mind and also relieves any stress. 'I'm big on listening to music, especially when we have serious games with big competition,' Flores said. 'That's how I create energy and get hyped for the game. 'I make sure to play that specific song before going out on the field.' Flores first started playing softball at age 6. The game has transformed her personality. 'I was very shy when I was younger and I wanted to change that,' Flores said. 'Now, I'm a very energetic and competitive person. That's what my coach says is the biggest difference in me.' Scott has watched Flores expand all facets of her game. 'She's constantly talking to people in the dugout or at practices and is encouraging everyone,' Scott said, praising Flores. 'It's not just what you do on the field, it's what you do off of it. 'Lilia is such a positive force for us.' Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. Originally Published: May 2, 2025 at 10:47 PM CDT
