Struwing, South Elgin capture tournament title
The South Elgin girls soccer team took the less-is-more approach in notching a 5-1 victory over West Chicago in the title game of its own season-opening tournament at Millennium Field on Friday.
The Storm offense, inconsistent through its first three matches, according to coach Tiffany Disher, benefitted from dropping a forward to the midfield against the Wildcats in the title game of the Storm Spring Fling.
"That gave us better control of the midfield," Disher said, and better midfield control led to a bevy of scoring opportunities for the team's lone attacking forward, Ella Struwing. The sophomore cashed in 4 chances overall, 3 in the first 28:03, to stake the Storm (4-0) to a 3-1 lead.
"I found out right before we started," Struwing said of the one-forward scheme. "I didn't think it would be this good. My teammates set me up and I was in the right place at the right time."
Struwing's second varsity hat trick - "what do you call 4 goals," Disher wondered, "a quad-trick?" - helped the Storm win the Spring Fling for the second straight year and the second time in its seven-year history.
The fireworks started just shy of 11 minutes into the contest as Struwing, standing 10-yards from the goal line, took a cross from sophomore Grace Franks and rolled it just inside the right post past surprised West Chicago sophomore goalkeeper Emma Gaggioli (6 saves).
West Chicago (2-4), seeking revenge for losing to South Elgin in the title game of the same tournament last year, evened the score with 22:18 left in the first half on a blast from forward Kayla Kirkwood. The junior settled a pass from sophomore Karen Ibarra at the right edge of the penalty area and right-footed a low shot past South Elgin goalkeeper Jourdan Valkner just inside the far post.
Kirkwood's next-best scoring chance came in the second half when she unsuccessfully tried to chip a rolling pass past a sliding Valkner (2 saves). Otherwise, scoring chances came few and far between for West Chicago.
"We all have to work together," Kirkwood said. "I can't do it all by myself. I need help."
The Storm took the lead for good eight minutes later. With possession near the end line to the left of the net, Sophomore Missy Greco sent a cross intended for Struwing. The pass was headed high into the air by one of the Wildcats and bounced once to Struwing, who kicked a volley inside the right post with 14:01 left in the half.
Just two minutes later Struwing knocked in a one-timer off an impressive cross from sophomore defender Alyssa Kalke, who did all the work. Kalke stutter-stepped near midfield, then turned on the speed to gain a step on her defender before she sent the cross.
Greco made it 3 South Elgin goals in a 2:33 span when she blasted a left-footed shot inside the right post.
After Valkner kept the score 4-1 with a pair of tremendous second-half saves against Kirkwood and sophomore Alli Oglanian, Struwing capped her 4-goal night by punching a volley out of the air with the sole of her shoe with 6:42 left.
"Throughout the tournament we worked hard and kept coming together," Greco said. "Overall, we've happy with the way we played."