Girls soccer: Olson, Libertyville shut out Buffalo Grove
Maddie Olson helped No. 6 seed Libertyville get off to a perfect postseason start as the Wildcats knocked Mid-Suburban East champion Buffalo Grove out of the picture with a 4-0 victory in the Fremd regional Tuesday in Palatine.
The Eastern Michigan-bound Olson helped put the No. 10 Bison (6-7-1) under pressure in the fourth minute when the senior scored after some creative playmaking with teammate Makenna Yoor.
"That first goal was big for us, and when Makenna gave me that great ball, I was lucky enough to be in position to score," said Olson.
The Wildcats (10-4-1) face No. 3 Fremd (15-4-1) in the regional final at Hildebrandt Field at 6 p.m. Friday.
"Maddie had a great game for us tonight, and when a senior and one of our leaders like Maddie scores a goal like she did, it had a calming effect on our young team, and you saw our play just grow with confidence from that point forward," said Libertyville coach Kevin Thunholm. "We had a lot of strong efforts from several of our players, but when Maddie plays at the level she did tonight, it's clear she's one of the best in the state."
The Wildcats' attack provided plenty of industry, pace and creativity. With Olson, Taylor Underwood, Natalie Jaroch and Sammit Burket at the controls, Buffalo Grove coach Pat Dudle's club found itself in trouble early.
"We played one of our best games of the season against the No. 1-rated team in the state last week (Barrington) in the MSL Soccer Bowl, but tonight, we just didn't have the energy to match a very good opponent who was clearly better than us," Dudle said.
Bryn Miller helped ensure the Bison would not venture into the Wildcats area with some sharp tackling, and on the other side of the ball, the 'Cats sophomore did well with her quick distribution, which sparked several counters into the final third.
Jaroch made it 2-0 just before the intermission after Buffalo Grove cleared one off the endline.
Despite the 2-goal advantage Libertyville remained on the offensive, and it was just after the break that it became 3-0 after a brilliant individual effort by Underwood resulted in the Wildcats' third goal of the night.
The senior recorded her double in the 52nd minute, with assists from Yoor and Jaroch.
The loss marked the end of the careers of five seniors from Buffalo Grove, including captains Georgette Topalis, Courtney Lee and Danielle Allaire, all key figures in the back-to-back division championships.
"It's tough to see it end like this for our seniors," said Dudle. "They have not only been great players while here, but even better young adults, and they will leave a legacy they should be proud of."