Waubonsie Valley makes it look easy
Waubonsie Valley made a tough girls soccer sectional semifinal look downright easy.
The third-seeded Warriors scored three times in the first half and defeated No. 2 Plainfield North 4-0 Wednesday at Bolingbrook. They will meet defending Class 3A champion Naperville North in the sectional final at 4 p.m. Friday.
“It was just great because we played so well,” Warriors junior Kristen Dodson said, “and we just wanted to go out there and play as hard as we could because we don't want this to be our last game. We don't want any game to be our last game.”
Morgan Kemerling began the Warriors' onslaught with a header for a third-minute goal. In the 25th minute she assisted on Dodson's goal.
“It probably was one of our best games,” said Dodson, who severely sprained her foot last week but played through the pain until she was no longer needed in the game. “I thought our Neuqua game was a good game too, but this was a really good game.”
The Warriors (18-3-1) went into halftime leading 3-0 after Kristen Brots scored from 15 yards in the 37th minute.
“We wanted to get it done and we wanted to put it away fast,” Dodson said. “(Plainfield North) is a good team. I'm really happy, actually. It's really good to win, and it's even better when you play such a good team, such a talented team. To know you're at that level is amazing.”
Sarah Laws added the Warriors' fourth goal in the 46th minute, concluding an efficient night on which the Warriors took just 9 shots.
“We talked about in these kind of games both teams are going to have opportunities,” Plainfield North coach Jane Crowe said. “Who's going to finish them? They have a lot of experience. They've been in situations like this before. Their seniors won state as freshmen.”
By comparison the Tigers were very inexperienced. The program won its first regional title last week to advance to play at Bolingbrook.
“I think that showed today,” Crowe said. “The big difference was their experience and our lack of experience. The finished their opportunities and they didn't have a lot of them. A 4-0 game could be they had 25 shots, and they didn't. But we gave them good opportunities and they took advantage of them.”
Meanwhile, Plainfield North (21-4) could get nothing going against the stalwart Waubonsie Valley back line of Maddie Pokora, Jenna Romano, Rachele Armand and Rachael Brots. Goalkeeper Emma Rigby made 2 saves for the shutout.
“They're very solid in the back, and if you give up goals, you're not going to be able to just come back on them,” Crowe added.
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