Girls soccer: Alba-Lyjak duo lifts Bartlett over South Elgin

Sometimes when things are working, you just go with it.

In the second half Tuesday, the connection of Mariela Alba-to-Shelley Lyjak was definitely working for the Bartlett girls soccer team in its Upstate Eight Valley opener against South Elgin at Streamwood's Millennium Field.

The pair combined for three second-half goals - all against the wind - to propel the visiting Hawks to a 5-0 victory over the rival Storm to improve to 5-2-1 ahead of a trip to St. Louis this weekend to participate in the St. Louis Soccer Classic.

Alba and Lyjak, both seniors, turned a slim 2-0 halftime lead into a rout, combining to score goals in the 45th, 69th and 70th minute. Lyjak, who came off the bench, earlier had scored in the 27th minute on an assist from sophomore Jessica Mirsky.

"Mariela Alba just has a knack for finding players in space," Bartlett coach Vince DiNuzzo said. "But Shelley Lyjak, I think, was kind of driven by the fact that she has been away a bit from the team. Tabitha Evans stepped into Lyjak's role and scored 6 goals in 3 games, so that kind of motivated Shelley a little bit to perform and finish the ball."

Staying on the move was the key to success Tuesday, Alba and Lyjak concurred.

"I feel like I just knew Shelley has a lot of pace off the ball and on the ball," Alba said, "and I recognized that their defense didn't have as much pace as Shelley did, so I just slotted some balls in where I knew she would be able to get them and shoot them in."

"I think it was just movement off the ball," Lyjak added. "We were all moving, so it gave us slots to shoot."

The most impressive of Lyjak's 3 second-half goals may have been the last, a laser-shot from about 30 yards out. A minute earlier, she drove down the left side of the 18-yard box and dropped the ball into the right corner of the net past diving South Elgin freshman goalkeeper Ashley Kopczyk.

The Alba-to-Lyjak show translated into a rough day for South Elgin, which got outshot 16-7. Still, there were some positive takeaways for coach Tiffany Disher.

"We came out a little rusty, having that week off from spring break," said Disher, whose squad fell to 2-4. "What the players did accomplish with getting some shots on goal and working together throughout the field with combination play was excellent. It would have been great if we could have capitalized on those shots."

Kopczyk relieved Jackelyn De La Mora early in the second half and finished with 4 saves, the same as De La Mora. Freshman keeper Teagan Noesen had 6 for Bartlett.