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Girls soccer: WW South gets busy early to oust Schaumburg

What's the key to building momentum early in any sport, but especially soccer?

A sense of urgency.

That's what the Wheaton Warrenville South girls soccer team had plenty of in its Class 3A regional final against Schaumburg on Friday night at Lake Park.

And the Tigers were justly rewarded with a 4-1 victory over the Saxons to advance to Tuesday's sectional semifinal at Geneva against Conant, which beat Batavia 2-1 in overtime.

Junior midfielder Allie Anderson did all the damage the Tigers needed in the first half-hour of the contest, played under a miserable driving mist.

Anderson connected in the 10th minute, hitting fellow junior teammate Molly Fank with a corner kick that Fank buried into the center of the net.

In the 29th minute Anderson dialed long distance, slamming home a goal from about 40 yards out dead center. Suddenly, Wheaton Warrenville South was up 2-0.

"We wanted to come out fast and strong and we did that," said Anderson, who has 11 goals this season and saw her team take 23 shots, 16 on goal. "That's what helped us control the game. Adding onto that after (the corner kick), we got our confidence up.

"We didn't know what we were going to face, and we wanted to come out strong, because if we come out fast and strong, it's going to be hard coming back for the other team."

En route to improving to 14-7, the Tigers held Schaumburg to just 5 total shots, 3 on goal and just one tally, in the 67th minute by senior forward Emma Aguilar.

By then it was too late for the Saxons, who completed their season at 9-9.

"They are a very athletic team with a lot of speed and we knew it was going to be tough to contain their potent offense," Schaumburg coach Greg Charvat said. "We had a few chances early and didn't convert on any of those, and once Wheaton Warrenville South scored they kind of took over the game offensively."

Early on it looked like it might be Schaumburg that would build the momentum. Junior defender Savannah Morini blasted a free kick from 30 yards out that bounced loudly off the left post in the fifth minute.

But five minutes later Anderson connected with Fank and the Tigers let loose.

"I thought that maybe we were a little too overzealous in the first 10 minutes or so," Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari said. "We didn't really settle in and develop a sense of rhythm in our game. We needed a little bit of time to figure things out."

The Tigers put the game away for good with an odd goal in the 53rd minute. Junior midfielder Evelyn Demsher got loose in the midfield with the ball and scampered all the way down to the crease. She shot a ball that Schaumburg junior goalkeeper Livvy Masi blocked, but Demsher managed to get the side of her foot on the ball and trickle it into the net to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.

"It was a long run, and I wanted it to be worth it," Demsher said of her mad dash.

Masi finished with 10 saves for the Saxons.

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