Lake Zurich gets back to it, shuts out Carmel
Returning from spring break and a layoff of almost two weeks didn't bother one of the better girls soccer teams in Lake County.
Lake Zurich started its season with a loss to the defending Class 3A state champion, New Trier. But after that, the Bears had won two straight, against Prospect and Fremd.
Make it three wins in a row after a 2-0 shutout of previously unbeaten Carmel Catholic in a nonconference match in Mundelein on Wednesday.
Nicole Rasiarmos netted a pair of goals and Bears keeper Elly Daleske posted her second straight shutout.
"It was a good game and that's why we wanted to get (Carmel Catholic) on our schedule," said Lake Zurich coach Michael Castronova, whose team improved to 3-1. "It was a hard-fought game out there. It was an even game, and then we picked things up a bit. Once we got through the first half, we played some defense and Elly made some great saves. Second half, we turned things up a bit with the wind. Both teams really had some good chances out there.
"From our first game, we've picked up our intensity. We're trying a different formation this year and it's taking while to get used to it. As we move along we're figuring it out more. These last three games they're feeling a lot more comfortable with it as a team."
Lake Zurich and host Carmel Catholic (3-1-1) played through a scoreless first half.
In the second half, the Corsairs had a shot at taking the lead but saw an attempt go just wide. The Bears countered the other way in the 48th minute, as Rasiarmos finished a cross from Blair Coughenour at the back post for a 1-0 lead.
Rasiarmos scored her second goal with an assist from Madeline Blasko in the 66th minute.
"You definitely have an advantage being a forward," said Rasiarmos, who has 3 goals in four games. "You can see where the defenders are, so you can predict where the players are going to go. I just got to make that run.
"Sometimes I look for the pass as a forward, you just have to take it yourself. I'm trying to do a little more this season."
On the other side of the field, Daleske made seven quality stops. She had some help in the back as Meagan Bens, Coughenour, Lexi Miranda, Kyra Ripoli, Siena Robertson, Maggie Tuckey and Natalie Young slowed Carmel's attack.
Carmel off to a great start this season, but falling behind for the first time in five games put the team in a new situation.
"I thought we played very well in the first half," Carmel Catholic coach John Halloran said. "We controlled a lot of the play and created chances. In the second half we got a little disjointed and we gave up that goal. Our players were just kicking the ball around and not connecting their passes. It was a lot of sloppiness, and I think we panicked.
"(Daleske) was outstanding in goal, but I thought we had at least 2 goals. She found a way to stop them."