Downers Grove South 1, Glenbard West 0

Wednesday's girls soccer game between Downers Grove South and Glenbard West played like a broken faucet.

No flow.

"It was ugly," Mustangs coach Barry Jacobson said of his squad's 1-0 win over the Hilltoppers in Glen Ellyn. "We did what we needed to do to get through the game."

There was hard play all over the field in the West Suburban Conference crossover game and players battling for every ball, but fluid play and good scoring chances were scarce throughout.

"Both teams put pressure on each other, and everyone was on each other, all the time," said Hilltoppers midfielder Kristen Papierski. "There wasn't much space."

The Mustangs effectively won the game early in the second half, when Danielle Janowiak slid a ball to Keri Kujawa in a crowd near the goalmouth.

The freshman Kujawa was asked afterward what the key is with a ball at your feet in tight space, surrounded by defenders.

"Don't lose it," said Kujawa, who settled Janowiak's feed and calmly scored inside the far post.

"We came out a little lackadaisical," Jacobson said. "It was nice to get the goal, and we held them out."

With a solid veteran goalkeeper in Kelly Kubal in net and a defense that battled well, the best scoring chances the Mustangs (11-3) allowed the Hilltoppers (7-3-1) came from long range.

"I thought Brittany Larson and Kim Grimmer did a nice job in back today, and I thought Jessica Jaime had a real nice game," Jacobson said.

"If we play this hard defensively, we'll be OK. We just need to do a little bit better job offensively."

Papierski sent 5 shots in from outside the top of the penalty area over the course of the game, and Haverly Snyder nearly tied the game in the 70th minute with a shot from 18 yards out that hit the crossbar.

The Hilltoppers hit a quick follow-up shot, but Kubal hit the ground at the post to smother it.

"It was a close game. We just needed a little more luck," said Hilltoppers coach Maciek Kusmierz. "In the past few games we've been able to find that luck, but not today."

"We're playing tough against the good teams. That was a tough game with no real flow, but any time our players give me their best, that's all I can ask."