Harrington helps lift DuPage past Harper

The Harper College women’s soccer team opened up its season Wednesday afternoon by hosting hosted sixth-ranked College of DuPage in a North Central Community College Conference matchup.

A less powerful foe might have been preferable for the Hawks.

“I didn’t want to play them first,” said Harper coach Dwayne Cruz.

Still, the Hawks showed well in a 3-1 loss to the Chaparrals. It was tied in the second half before Kierstyn Harrington’s 2 goals gave DuPage some separation.

Harper took the opening kickoff down the heart of the DuPage defense for its best scoring chance of the first half. But the shot went wide left of keeper Katherine McEvoy.

With about 35 minutes leff in the first half, the Chaparrals (2-0 overall, 1-0 N4C) were able to calm down and get their counter-attack on track.

That limited Harper’s opportunities, and DuPage goalkeeper Katherinde McEvoy needed to make only 1 save in the first half.

Defenders Anne Dziak and Isabella Parilli were able to keep the DuPage offsides-trap defense organized, effectively stifling the Hawks’ wide attack.

“It hurt us today,” Cruz said of the trap defense. “It only hurt us because we were a little lazy today.”

With the the clock running down in the first half, the Chaparrals ran out on the counter-attack and found Ashley Honore, who scored past Elyse Dye (Hersey) with 35.8 seconds left to go in the first half to give DuPage a 1-0 lead going into intermission.

Eleven minutes into the second half, Leah Tednes (Hoffman Estates) was able to dribble from deep in her own defensive side of the field and score past the extended right arm of McEvoy in the uper left-hand corner with the equalizer.

“They like to work the left side,” DuPage coach William Fajkus said of the Tednes strike.

Once again the Chaps’ counter-attack was effective as Kierstyn Harrington (Downers Grove North) scored her first goal of the game.

“I got lucky on that one,” Harrington said.

She struck again, this time on a high shot from midfield that floated into the back for the game’s final goal.

“Every conference game is important to us,” Harrington said.

Harper (0-1), meanwhile, is encouraged that it can face a team of the Chaps’ caliber and compete evenly for most of the match. The rival squads will play again in league action in October.

“I think we can beat them,” Cruz said.