Lynch helps Meadows edge Schaumburg in OT
Freshman Ann Marie Lynch stunned host Schaumburg with a strike in the 89th minute to help visiting Rolling Meadows (4-1-1, 1-0-0) defeat the host Saxons 3-2 in a Mid-Suburban League crossover Friday night.
The game-winner from well behind 25 yards gave Meadows coach Jeff Adkins his 100th career victory over long-time friend and Saxons coach Greg Charvat, for whom Adkins served as an assistant in 1994 while student teaching at Schaumburg.
"Obviously I am happy to get to get (the) win tonight, and my 100th victory, but I also know that we cannot play the type of match we did tonight and expect to have a result like we were able to get tonight against other opponents," said Adkins, who helped turn around a program which struggled to reach 10 wins in a season before he arrived.
Up until Lynch ended things on this bone-chilling night, the Saxons (4-3-0, 0-2-0) appeared poised to come all the way back from a 2-0 deficit. Meadows' defense bent several times but did not break under a blistering pace that seemed to favor Charvat's young team.
"It was great to see the team get back into the match after falling behind by 2 goals," said Charvat, "but I have to wonder if we put so much into getting back that we might have lost our energy (there) at the end when their player scored on that great shot."
The Mustangs had the run of play for the first half hour as its midfield was winning nearly every 50-50 ball, while effectively taking its counterpart out of the match.
If not for the solid play of sophomore sweeper Sam Halter, the Mustangs likely would have found the back of the net before intermission.
Just before the break, the visitors had their best chance when Saxons keeper Katie Stachula was far off her line to open up her net to both Alex Partipillo and Taylor Fritz, but neither striker could take advantage.
However, just after the break, Fritz score her sixth goal of the season went Casey Ryan sent her through on a quickly developing counter, then six minutes later Ryan made it 2-0 when she one-timed a blast past Strachula, who made the initial stop on a Lynch drive.
At 54 minutes, and three minutes after the Ryan goal, the Saxons cut into the lead when a patient Sarah Christy finished a terrific serve from the right side, as Stephanie Pouse split a pair of Mustangs defenders long enough to give Christy the space needed to strike.
Schaumburg upped the tempo as the hour mark neared, and with the help of freshmen Teagan Eberle running the attack out of the middle, and teammates Rachel Zolper, Becky Sneddon, Rachel Kahan and others, the Saxons continued to cause problems at the heart of the Mustangs defense and keeper Kelly Zahorski.
"We struggled just before Schaumburg drew even and all the way up until the end of regulation," admitted Adkins, "but fortunately Kelly made some great saves for us."
Zahorski could not stop Sarah Seyffert's equalizer at 66 minutes after a wonderful build-up and Sneddon helper, but the senior was front and center on several other chances down the stretch.
As the first 10-minute extra period neared completion, the Saxons allowed Lynch to carry deep into their end, then watch her left-footed shot find the back of the net after going well over the out-streched gloves of Stachula.
"Coach has been telling me that I have the leg to shoot (long) and that I should be shooting more, so when I had the chance to do so tonight I did," said Lynch.