Girls soccer: WW South denies Wauconda in Showdown semifinal
Wheaton Warrenville South's girls soccer team dashed Wauconda's dream of PepsiCo Showdown glory with a 2-0 win Thursday afternoon at Red Grange Field in Wheaton.
The victory advances the Tigers (6-1-0) into the final against the winner of the St. Charles North/Libertyville semifinal, on a day and time yet to be determined.
"Most of our players are from a team that a year ago went 9-10-1, so I wasn't sure what to expect from them this season," said Tigers coach Guy Callipari, who at the start of this tournament collected his 350th career victory as the girls team's coach. "But it's a hard working group that has improved each time out thus far."
Callipari is just one of four coaches in Illinois high school history to win 300 or more victories in both the boys and girls soccer.
"We did a good job, especially in the first half, of taking control of the midfield, and then using that advantage to create chances for Paige (Miller) and Morgan (Schwerin)," Callipari said. "And a lot of credit for that goes to both JJ (Jennifer Aalbue) and Allie Anderson."
The Aalbue-Anderson duo, stationed just in front the Tigers' back-four, allowed few balls to get past them, winning nearly every 50-50 ball that came their way.
"That was easily the best team we've played when it comes to playing quick balls with one-two combinations, or with balls over the top," said Wauconda coach Beau Shogren, who awaits his fourth and final opponent in this tournament. "And we had our trouble with that, especially in the first half."
The fifth-seeded Bulldogs (7-1-0) had enjoyed a wonderful tournament run until Thursday. Shogren and his players intend to put their experience to good use in a quest to reach the final weekend of the Class 2A state tournament in late May.
"We've played three terrific opponents in the Pepsi," Shogren said. "Each has presented a lot of different styles and types of players for us, which in the end will help us prepare for what lies ahead come playoff time."
The Bulldogs were without one of their top players, Kayla Wisniewski, who was nursing an injured hamstring. Teammate Megan Sinnott did her best to pick up the slack of the senior, who recently signed to play at Fort Wayne University.
Despite the effort from the Sinnott, a junior, the first 40 minutes of play belonged to the Tigers, who got the first goal when Miller steered in the eventual game-winner at 14 minutes.
On the tail end of a counter, Miller unloaded a wicked blast that rattled the back post. Later, just ahead of the break, Aalbue and Evelyn Demsher combined on another chance.
Wauconda came alive after the intermission, thanks in part to Sinnott, Morgan Lung, Rosalie Wisniewski and Abigail McHugh. But the quartet was only able to deliver a couple of half-chances on frame at keeper Abbie Brennan.
Brennan's counterpart, Jill Rejczyk, made a brilliant save on a missile off the foot of Miller in the 64th minute.
Moments later, Maria Dohse doubled the advanced with a thundering header off an Aalbue corner.
"It's nice to be in the final of the top bracket of the Pepsi," said Aalbue with a smile.
The 10th-seeded Tigers have so far defeated teams seeded No. 7 (Maine South), No. 2 (Metea Valley) and No. 6 on their way to the championship match.