Antioch 3, Lakes 1
Two key pieces were added to Antioch's girls soccer team this spring, and they've fit in quite well.
Kia Miller and DePaul-bound Suzie O'Connor have completed a puzzle which has landed the Sequoits a North Suburban Prairie Division title.
Miller contributed with 2 goals and assisted on another and O'Connor also picked up an assist as Antioch rolled to a 3-1 victory over District 117 rival Lakes on Monday night in Antioch.
The Sequoits (11-3-2, 5-0-1) next take on the NSC Lake Champion Lake Forest (12-2) for the North Suburban Conference championship on Thursday afternoon 4:30 p.m. at Lakes high school. The game was changed to accommodate the NSC boys conference track meet being held at Antioch on the same day.
O'Connor had played club soccer only the last couple of seasons. And Miller is playing her first year at Antioch after being home-schooled the last three years, but she has become one of the team leaders in scoring with 12 goals.
"It's my first year playing forward -- I've been playing sweeper for my travel teams," Miller said. "We got eight seniors, Suzie and I are the new editions this year. We've been getting better throughout the year.
"We just all put it together here tonight. It was the biggest game of the season. We picked it up and showed that we've got the talent and played together as a team."
Lakes (11-8, 5-1) took a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute when Ashley Chernich scored on rebound after Alex Neal sent a shot on goal.
Antioch recovered to tie the game almost the same way. Miller scored on a rebound of her own right after O'Connor was turned away on a breakaway as Lakes keeper Sarah Fitzpatrick deflected the shot.
The Sequoits scored its other goals in the second half, both off corner kicks. Miller set up Christine Kwilosz for one of them in the 48th minute.
Miller scored her second goal on a header from a Kalli Krumpos corner kick seven minutes later for the 3-1 advantage.
"I thought if we could attack the corners, we would be able to score goals," Antioch coach Charlie Trout said. "We've been pretty good and successful on corner kicks this year."
The Sequoits are 8-0 at home and have given up just 2 goals.
"I knew we had a chance of winning this game," Trout said. "Every second half we've been able to score goals. I felt it in my heart we could do it."
Lakes had an early lead but couldn't hold it.
"We started out jittery and we got a nice goal," Lakes coach Kevin Kullby said. "Then we had three or four other chances like that in the first half where we didn't capitalize. When you don't capitalize on them, it gives them (Antioch) more energy.
"Antioch had more energy and played harder to the ball. They wanted to protect their own field."