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Girls soccer: Heads-up effort powers Wauconda

It was another test for Wauconda's girls soccer team - and another test passed.

The challenge came in the opener of the PepsiCo Showdown, and sixth-seeded Wauconda got past No. 11 seed York 1-0 at Olympic Park in Schaumburg on Saturday afternoon.

"We got exactly what we wanted out of this one," Wauconda coach Beau Shogren said. "We came to this tournament to battle-test ourselves. It worked out. We had a really tough, physical match. We had to match up with the size and speed of a really good team, and we held them off. We were able to get one off a set piece. So we're happy."

The Bulldogs remain unbeaten at 6-0 and will host St. Viator (4-2-1) in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at 5 p.m. The Lions won their opener over Downers Grove North 1-0 in a match decided by penalty kicks.

Wauconda's Savannah Johnson had the game-winning goal off a corner kick in the 20th minute. She's scored 4 goals this season - 3 of them off headers.

"She can jump out of the stadium if she wants to," Shogren said. "She got up there for yet another header goal."

Lung struck a well-placed kick against a brisk wind for her seventh assist of the season.

"We have set plays that we like to run on corners, depending on the team," Lung said. "I just wanted to serve the ball over the goalie toward the middle. I got it in and (Johnson) was able to finish it. It was tough with the wind - you had to aim the ball out more."

Lung had to take on a very different role in the second half after Bulldogs keeper Jill Rejczyk (6 saves) was shaken up on a play and left the game for about 10 minutes. Lung took the place of Rejczyk and had no problems filling in.

"I have played goalie for my club outside of school," Lung added. "It's a different experience because you get to see, back from the goal, a different view."

York (4-2) is a generally young team, with just four players bringing back significant varsity experience from last year. So the Dukes are looking to get better each time out against good competition.

"I thought it was a wind-aided game," York coach RJ Meade said. "(Wauconda) by all means, had the better of us in the first half, scoring a goal. In the second half, we looked a little bit better because we had the wind at our back.

"So as we keep going and playing in these close games, it will make us a lot better - stronger by the end of the season. I did like the effort with the kids learning and picking up more."

• Libertyville took on the role of underdog, at least based on the seeds for the tournament. When the match wrapped up, the 13th-seeded Wildcats had topped No. 4 Wheaton Academy 2-1, decided 3-2 on penalty kicks.

"It was a well-played game out there," Libertyville coach Shannon Etnyre said. "I was pleased with the effort, but we have a few things to work on to be successful for (the next round of games). I thought Kendall (Edwards) was phenomenal in the shootout. You can't do anything better than 2 saves from your keeper."

Edwards made a total of 5 stops for the Wildcats (3-0). It really back and forth in the kicks, tied up until the final one. Savanna Winiecki finished her chance, while York had its kick go off the crossbar.

"It's very stressful to go through PKs," Edwards said. "You can't put too much pressure on yourself because you can choose where you want to go."

Libertyville opened the scoring in the eighth minute as Morgan Verbeten found the back of the net off a pass from Jada Higgens.

Wheaton Academy (4-1) evened it up in the 30th minute as Maggie Bailey scored off a pass from Sophia Lindquist.

"The 80 minutes was great, and it was good for us to battle against the most physical team we've played," Wheaton Academy coach Jeff Brooke said. "I thought we responded well after going down a goal. We fought, and that was good. I'm still proud of the girls at this point of the season. It's good to go through (the PKs). Nobody likes it, but if we get it in the playoffs then it won't be the first time."

Libertyville next meets No. 12 seed Minooka on Tuesday in the quarterfinals. Minooka got past fifth-seeded Deerfield 2-1 via penalty kicks.

• Ninth-seeded Warren got off to a great start behind a pair of goals from Emily Soriaga in the first half, but No. 8 Plainfield North scored 2 late goals in the first half and two more in the second half in a 4-2 victory over the Blue Devils.

Victoria Thornton had a hat trick for Plainfield North (6-1-1) and Molly Grant had the other goal. Warren (2-4) lost its fourth straight match after opening the season with two victories.

"We had a lot of positives based on our recent trip to St. Louis," Warren coach Ryan McCabe said. "We've played really good teams like this for a reason - so we can test ourselves during the season, and get all of our kinks worked out. Then we can be ready down the stretch."

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