Vernon Hills keeps hope alive by edging Antioch

With one match remaining, Vernon Hills' girls soccer team still has a place in the North Suburban Conference's Prairie Division championship race.

The Cougars got a penalty kick from Kaitlin Gramins, which proved to be just enough to ensure a victory on Saturday morning as Vernon Hills shut out visiting Antioch 1-0.

The Cougars improved to 11-7 overall and 4-1 in the Prairie Division with a remaining game at Grant on Tuesday evening.

Front runner Lakes (10-3-2) sits a half-game ahead of Vernon Hills with a 4-0-1 division record and will play Antioch on Tuesday in Lake Villa.

"Either way, we needed to get this one," Vernon Hill coach Vince DeLuca said. "A Saturday morning isn't a good time to play a game. We knew, though, (that Antioch) was excited to play because they were in the same situation as we were, coming in. We expected a good game. Antioch played well, but I thought we had the better of the play. I still applaud (Antioch) for their hard work. They did create some chances."

Vernon Hills and several of other teams in the Prairie Division have seen a competitive balance this season.

"I'm not surprised at all," DeLuca said. "I think a lot of that goes to the players doing work in the off-season. For those teams like Wauconda, they're working hard to get better. We also have some good wins and ties against the other side of the conference (in the Lake Division). Whoever represents us will do a good job in the championship game."

Gramins scored her penalty kick in the 41st minute after Kristen Guglielmi was knocked down in the penalty area.

"I think I do a good job practicing those type of kicks in practice," said Gramins, who now has 10 goals. "I was just glad to get that one in, and the team was supportive.

"You have it in your mind when you set it up. I just picture it and let it go."

Antioch (7-8-2) saw its division record fall to 3-2. The Sequoits were in it all the way, seeing a shot go off the post in the second half and missing on a couple other chances.

"It wasn't the result we wanted," Antioch coach Marni Polakow said. "We played with sustained pressure and show a lot of it in the second half. We did give ourselves chances to score. It was a good match our there."

Sequoits freshman keeper Monica Wilhelm made 9 stops, including a few to deny Vernon Hills on breakaways.

Cougars keeper Sydney Resnick made 5 saves and earned her eighth shutout.