Fremd's season starts with shutout win over Lake Zurich

Sunshine and warmer temperatures finally green-lighted the girls soccer teams from Lake Zurich and Fremd, as they got their seasons started Thursday afternoon.

The Vikings ended up enjoying the result a bit more, as host Fremd earned a 2-0 victory in nonconference play.

Julia Szylke had a goal and an assist to lead Fremd, and Butler-bound Julia Leonard had the other Vikings goal.

Marta Cholewa picked up the assist on the second goal, as both strikes came on corner kicks. Cholewa also cleared a ball off the line, saving what looked like a goal for Lake Zurich.

Vikings keeper Kelsey Stone, an all-stater last year who's headed to Drake next fall, made 4 of her 6 stops in the second half to get the shutout.

"To be honest, I expected more, with a little more sharpness and possession," Fremd coach Steve Keller said. "I thought we fought through it, and the first half was definitely ugly. The second half we played better - but we still have a long way to go.

"We did salvage 2 goals but we let (Lake Zurich) have too many opportunities. We just have to create more scoring opportunities for ourselves. We passed up on some shots at times. We also didn't connect as well as we can."

The first half was a bit sluggish on both sides seemed to be figuring out what it was like to be outdoors again.

In the second half, the Vikings were the aggressor, getting on the scoreboard in the 56th minute for a 1-0 advantage. Cholewa sent a corner kick into the middle of the box, and Szylke converted on a header.

"I do like taking corners, but I also like getting into the box," Cholewa said. "I thought my first few corners were off a bit, because they were back and I was trying to get them more into the middle toward the goal so it's easier for someone to get to it."

Lake Zurich tried to respond about five minutes later, off their own corner. Rebecca Kubin sent a header back toward the goal, headed for the near post. But Cholewa was stationed there and headed the ball away.

"I was just trying to get in front of it," said Cholewa, who started the match as a defender before being moved to the midfield.

Stone, meanwhile, was rock solid in goal. She saved a couple of breakaways, then had both hands raised to deny a point-blank shot.

Fremd scored its second goal in the 78th minute when Cholewa sent a corner kick that was flicked back to the middle by Szylke for a finish from Leonard.

Lake Zurich saw a lot of good things against a very competitive side.

"It was nice to get outside, we haven't been out in a week," Lake Zurich coach Michael Castronova said. "Overall, I thought we did pretty well and it was an evenly matched game. (Fremd) finished their chances on set pieces. I thought we had more of the shots, but it was two good teams.

"At the beginning of the season, we have some new players that have to get used to playing together. The girls worked hard and competed."