Fremd extends strong response against BG
The response from Fremd's girls soccer team following a one-sided loss nine days ago to Hersey has been swift and determined.
Since their 3-0 loss to the defending Mid-Suburban League champs, the Vikings have gone on a 5-0 run, including a well-deserved 3-1 victory over visiting Buffalo Grove (4-3-3, 1-2-1) Monday evening to set up an important match Wednesday night at Barrington.
Elise Kotsakis opened the scoring at nine minutes, and shortly thereafter the home side took control of the match with some lively play in its attack, and air-tight defense along the back led by junior Danielle Romano.
"We've been getting better ever since (our) loss to Hersey, and everyone is beginning to understand their role on the team and what is expected of us, and it's starting to show in the way we're playing," said Romano, who, along with her mates in the back and in the middle were fierce ball-winners and tacklers, which helped confound the Bison attack and coach Pat Dudle.
"Especially in that first half, we rarely won a first or second ball, and in order for us to be able to possess and attack, we have to do that. We just didn't do a very good job of that from the very start," said Dudle.
Romano initiated the first goal for the Vikings (7-1-1, 5-1-0, 10 points) by finding Laura Mayer. The senior striker sent a dangerous ball forward to create a 50-50 situation between Bison keeper Jordyn Lucas and Kotsakis, which Kotsakis won before scoring with a chip on the charging Lucas.
Despite the strike, Lucas turned in a quality 80 minutes of soccer with a handful of good stops and some fearless work in the air in and around the 6-yard box.
The Bison would have trouble scaring up any type of attack in the Vikings' end, but not for lack of effort from Kim Gerling and Carolyn Wieland up top, who each ran hard from touchline-to-touchline with the hope of turning nothing into something.
"I thought we played a strong match in the back tonight," said Romano, who with the help of Lisa Christ, Natalie Kirchner and Kristin Kupstys gave keeper Allison Norenberg a fairly easy night.
The Vikings comfortably opened up a 3-goal lead when Crystal Rohan struck a superb ball from 30 yards just under the bar at 63 minutes. That was followed by Kristin Abruscato, who on the turn from 30-plus yards found the back of the net in the 78th minute.
Moments later, BG's Alyssa Andreasik was rewarded for her terrific work rate on this night in the middle when the senior scored from nearly the same spot as Abruscato.
"Tonight wasn't our best effort of our last five matches, but we didn't have our legs, which was likely due to us playing our fifth match in eight days," said Fremd coach Steve Keller. "We can see the girls starting to get more comfortable (out) there with each match, and the hope is for that to continue in yet another busy week of soccer for us."