Midfield leaders key for Libertyville

A lot of the success for Libertyville’s girls soccer team centers around its midfield.

Sam Marsh leads by example for the Wildcats and receives plenty of help from help seniors Greta Gustafson, Kat Keefe, Sydney Mudd and Annie Rigali.

Another senior, Gen Kapecki, scored the game-winning goal for the second time in less than a week, as Libertyville shut out host Mundelein 1-0 in a North Suburban Lake Division contest Thursday night.

“In the midfield, we all don’t have set positions,” Marsh said. “We just switch around and we make runs in different areas. We just want to keep our marks straight and know where everybody is on the field.”

Libertyville (5-2, 1-1) continues to see progress in its entire game as the season has progressed.

“We’re definitely doing better now than we were in the beginning because we’re playing together a lot more,” Marsh said. “We work at it a lot in practice. We get a feel for how each other plays.”

Marsh and her midfield ’mates focus on distributing the ball to create scoring chances up top, and that tactic has been working for the Wildcats.

“We have more control in the center of the field,” Marsh said. “In the center of the field is where you need the control the ball. If you can’t, then you can’t distribute balls out to the forwards.”

Kapecki scored the game’s only goal in the 53rd minute off a cross from Mudd. Mundelein’s Ball State-bound goalkeeper Brooke Dennis (9 saves) got a hand on the ball, but it came to Kapecki, who buried her third goal of the season.

“I was surprised that she got to the ball,” Kapecki said of Dennis. “I really wasn’t ready for it, at first. I was able to get a shot in there.”

Libertyville keeper Elaine Sundberg recorded the clean sheet, making 4 saves.

Both Mundelein (6-2-2, 1-1-1) and Libertyville played in heavy winds and rain, particularly in the second half.

“We were never ever able to get into our rhythm,” Mundelein coach Ernie Billittier said. “We were struggling to get our passes going and it put us in a tough spot.

“Libertyville caused a lot of problems and we had a lot of turnovers. Their midfield took control of the ball most of the game and the ball stayed in the middle of the field. We just didn’t challenge their keeper with too many shots.”