BC, Kaneland play to a 0-0 tie
If there is such a thing as being a difference-maker in a scoreless tie, Kyle DeRaedt was it.
Both coaches agreed that Burlington Central's junior goalkeeper was the key player as the Rockets and Kaneland played to a 0-0 tie in the Central boys soccer tournament Thursday.
The Rockets will play Genoa-Kingston for third place at 11 a.m. Saturday by virtue of scoring more goals in the tournament. Kaneland will play for fifth place at 9 a.m.
In Thursday's early game, South Elgin downed Genoa-Kingston, 4-1. The Storm will play Elgin for the tournament championship tonight at 4:30.
In the second game, Kaneland began to slowly build momentum as the game went on. The Knights kept the ball in the Burlington end for much of the second half, but DeRaedt and the Rocket defense kept Kaneland off the scoreboard.
DeRaedt made a diving save of a header by Ken Poczekaj in the first half. After the break, he went high in the air to grab a shot from the deep corner by Mitch Webster.
"Their goalie did very well," said Kaneland coach Scott Parillo. "He saved them. We had a lot of scoring opportunities on them, and we just couldn't get it in the back of the net."
Ably assisted by Mike Jenny and the rest of the Knight defense, Kaneland keeper Austin Park wasn't so bad, either. He stopped Enrique Alvarado's shot in the waning minutes to preserve the shutout.
But the story for Burlington was goalkeeping and defense.
"The defense did well, and my goalkeeper played really well tonight," said Central coach Mike Gecan. "The offense started clicking in the second half. Unfortunately, we couldn't capitalize on any of those opportunities.
"I think an even score is pretty accurate. Hopefully, we can continue to improve on this. It's a lot better than our first game, and hopefully we're going to have a great season if we can get that offense going."
Girls tennis
St. Charles North 7, Larkin 0:ŒThe North Stars made Larkin's courts feel like home, as they swept all seven matches on Thursday.
In the four doubles matches, St. Charles North won 48 games and lost just two. Annemijn Koenen took first singles 6-1, 6-0 and second singles Megan Gow shut out her opponent out.
West Aurora 4, Lockport 3: With three wins in four singles matches, the Blackhawks edged Lockport in Aurora. Brooke Henry won first singles 6-4, 6-2 and Lauren Henry took second singles 6-2, 6-1.
Kaneland 8, Lisle 0: The Knights swept Lisle at home, evening their record at 2-2. Olivia Emmanuel won third singles 6-0, 6-0 and first doubles and Emma Anderson took their match 6-1, 6-0.
Boys golf
Geneva 157, Kaneland 169: Grant Douglas and Braden Dalton tied for low score with 37s as they led the Vikings to a win. John Linden shot a 38, Kaneland's best score.
Marmion 150, Driscoll 158: One day after placing second at the Geneva Invite, the Cadets defeated Driscoll at Glendale Lakes. Bryce Emory tied for medalist honors with a 36 and Luke Kolquist finished at 37.
Girls volleyball
Mooseheart d. Alden-Hebron:ŒIt was hard to predict how Mooseheart's volleyball team would fare in Thursday's season opener with Alden-Hebron.
But Ramblers coach Cindy Klimczyk was certain of the manner in which her team would compete.
"We had a talk (Wednesday) and I told them that it was the first time I'd seen them play with such heart and tenacity," Klimczyk said. "I wasn't sure how we'd do (Thursday.) But I was absolutely certain they'd play with tenacity and heart."
At key moments, those traits surfaced and buoyed the Ramblers, who defeated Alden-Hebron 26-24, 25-19 at the Mooseheart Field House.
One of the keys to a scrambling victory for the Ramblers was their floor play. Through a number of long rallies, Mooseheart managed to keep the ball off the floor, putting pressure on the Giants not to make mistakes. That persistence was rewarded many times.
"The one thing that really surprised me, especially in the second game, was the back row play," Klimczyk said. "I saw players coming back from last year, like Jessica Vasquez, who have totally grown as a player from last year."
Senior Carmen Avila provided a vocal presence on the court whenever the match became tight, such as the 24-24 tie from which the Ramblers jumped to take the first game victory.
"She's always had that ability," Klimczyk said. "I expected it from her, as she's a senior. I'm grateful she came and showed us that today."
Mooseheart jumped to a lead in the second game and keep Alden-Hebron at bay through a series of attempted comebacks.
"For us to not have to go to a third game was awesome," Klimczyk.
-- Darryl Mellema
Newark d. Aurora Christian 25-22, 25-19:ŒTara Thomalla had 6 digs and 6 kills for the Eagles (1-1) and Amanda Beebe added 15 digs.
Girls golf
St. Charles East 185, Geneva 203: Jenny Niemiec shot 44 and Rachael Edwards scored a 45 in the Saints' win at Eagle Brook. Kim Connor shot 47 for Geneva and Shannon Delaney finished at 48.
Women's volleyball
Waubonsee d. Morton 24-30, 30-20, 30-20, 30-19:ŒThe Chiefs won their first match of the season against three defeats. Audrey Feltz recorded 16 kills and Amy Mrazek had 11 kills while Betsy Temple set 38 assists.