Maine S. hands Larkin defeat

Larkin girls soccer coach Ken Hall doesn't mind losing to a better team.

That is what the Royals faced Thursday night against Maine South. What Hall didn't like was the effort.

The Hawks scored 5 first-half goals, including scoring just 1:40 into the match, en route to a 7-0 victory at Millenium Field at Streamwood.

"We seemed to lose our confidence with the early one," Hall said. "When you're playing a team that is better than you, the longer the game goes holding them scoreless you gain confidence. That kind of broke our spirits."

Maine South (2-0) grabbed the lead in the 2nd minute as Jenna Shemky took a pass from Elyssa Kulas and found herself wide open down the middle of the field. Shemky calmly hit a low shot past a charging Larkin goalkeeper Anna Goodlove.

"It's nice to get rolling like that," Hawks coach JJ Crawford said. "That really helps to reduce the nerves a little bit."

That goal took its toll on the Royals (1-1). Gabby Whittinghill and Shemky combined for a perfect give-and-go as Whittinghill beat Goodlove in 9th minute. Whittinghill added another goal in the 12th minute as Maine South took a 3-0 lead.

Kelly Kohlndorfer added to the Hawks lead by scoring in the 29th minute and again in the 31st minute.

The score might have been worse if Goodlove didn't make 10 saves in the first half. Goodlove, who is coming back from a broken leg, was replaced by Morgan Smith in the second half.

"Other than (the fourth goal) she played the goals perfectly, their players just made great shots," Hall said of Goodlove.

Hall was happier with the Royals performance in the second half as they held Maine South scoreless for nearly 34 minutes before Shemky scored twice against most of Larkin's bench.

"I thought the effort was better in the second half," Hall said. "We have to come and play hard every game and giving it full effort. If we win it's great. If we lose and give full effort we can accept that."