Girls soccer: Geneva, St. Charles East draw but Vikings win tournament
Geneva didn't win its girls soccer game against St. Charles East in the final round of the Rose Augsburg Drach Tournament on Saturday, but the Vikings still won the tournament.
The Vikings surrendered a goal late in the second half and settled for a 1-1 tie against the Saints, but still were awarded the tournament championship, as they were the only team to not lose a game. It was the second straight year the Vikings have won it and third time in tournament history.
"It was nice to win it again," Geneva coach Megan Owens said. "I think it was definitely hard to adjust to this surface. It was the first time we've played on grass this year and it showed with all the slipping and sliding."
Geneva (3-2-1) broke the scoreless tie with 16:43 remaining when Jenna Dominguez redirected a cross from Jade Ciesielski with a header.
"We didn't have a lot of chances so we needed to take every chance we got," Dominguez said. "That's what happened when we scored."
Dominguez had a huge tournament, scoring 3 goals in the Vikings' 5-2 win against Schaumburg on Thursday. The Vikings were scheduled to open against Naperville Central on Wednesday but the Redhawks elected not to play so the Vikings were awarded a forfeit victory.
"It's too bad we couldn't play Naperville Central in the first game, but I think we showed we could compete against all the teams in the tournament," Dominguez said. "Overall, this last game was probably the best one we've played. If we continue to work really hard together and keep connecting like this we should be in good shape."
St. Charles East (5-2-3) didn't go away quietly, earning the 1-1 tie after it drew even on Alessia D'Argento's goal with 8:45 remaining.
"In the second half our legs may have gotten a bit heavy, but I thought we did well after conceding that goal," Saints coach Vince DiNuzzo said. "We're not celebrating a tie, but for the circumstances we were in, we played pretty well."
The Saints, who were playing without Chantel Carranza and Kat Hill due to ACL injuries, have reason to want to get back at the Vikings too. Geneva beat them three times last spring and have ended their season the past two years in regional play, including a heartbreaking 1-0, double OT game last year.
"I know they've knocked us out of the playoffs the last couple years," DiNuzzo said. "So it's nice to show we can play with them."
After netting the equalizer, the Saints didn't kick back and settle. Rather, they continued to attack. They got a shot from Kayla Villa, earned a corner kick and fought for a loose ball in the penalty area and nearly snuck in a shot during the final five minutes of play.
"I think my team still needs to work on putting a complete game together and to keep the intensity level throughout the game," Owens said. "We've done some things well this season, but this is something I'd like to see us work on improving."