Spartans hang tough vs. Falcons

A 1-goal lead can be unnerving in girls soccer, and it wasn't until Michelle Scandora's goal in the game's 70th minute Wednesday that Wheaton North finally put its win over visiting St. Francis to bed.

"I never feel comfortable when we're up 1-0," Scandora said. "You still feel a lot of pressure, and we just try to stay composed as much as we can.

"Once we got the second goal, we finally felt like we could move on."

Wheaton North (5-1) carried the attack through most of its 2-0 win over St. Francis (2-1) in Wheaton, but a physical and intense Spartans squad made the Falcons earn it.

"I was real pleased," said St. Francis coach Tim Dailey. "Wheaton North is always good, and this year they're even a step better, but our girls really fought hard the whole game, for 80 minutes."

Scandora, Brittany Sorensen, Jaime Orewiler, and Erin Strom helped lead a Falcons attack that put 11 shots on net, sent another 10 wide and forced 9 saves from Spartans goalkeeper Kate Dorman.

Scandora ripped a ball to the post that Dorman snared in the 16th minute, Strom sent in a few hard-hit long balls that Dorman collected, and the Falcons' Allie Cerone sent a good look just high on a head shot in the 29th minute.

Sorensen scored the game's first goal on a chip shot over Dorman that hit the crossbar and ricocheted over the line in the 34th minute, on an assist from Scandora, and the Falcons led 1-0 at the break. But between chances gone awry and the solid play of Dorman and the Spartans' back line, Wheaton North had its hands full with a feisty effort from St. Francis.

The Spartans' Kristin Ricondo and Lauren Szalach defended well, and Crossley Simmons played a central defensive spot as well as you're likely to see it played.

"Everyone played with all their heart, and that's all we can ask for," Simmons said. "They're a very good team, and we played them with heart."

"They were a better team than we expected they were going to be," Scandora said. "I give them credit for fighting strong, the whole game."

The Falcons continued to press into their attacking third in the second half, reaching the end line for crosses and earning 8 corner kicks on the night. Scandora closed the deal by taking a Sorensen feed in the box, beating a defender around the left side and scoring her first goal of the year from 10 yards out.

"I played more of an attacking mid tonight," Scandora said. "It definitely feels good to get that first goal."