Freshmen score for Spartans

The challenge was given at the season's start by St. Francis coach Tim Dailey, and the freshmen he pulled up to play varsity soccer rose to meet it.

"It made me want to work so hard in practice, put myself out there and prove I can go and be strong against big defenders," said Spartans freshman Sydney Fox. "I had to learn to take it, and I had to learn to push back."

Fox proved it twice on Wednesday, scoring 2 goals in a 3-0 Spartans win over Suburban Catholic Conference foe Immaculate Conception in a game played on West Chicago's artificial turf.

It was another freshman, Andi Matichak, who scored the Spartans' other goal on the night. All she's done this year is lead the team in scoring by burying 23 goals in 19 games.

"Sydney and Andi have gotten so much confidence, and it really shows in their play," Dailey said. "We didn't see that a month ago. They've done a great job."

Matichak scored the lone goal of the first half, poking a ball past charging Knights goalkeeper Kelly Mulligan, who was steady in net throughout the game.

"We had a lot of nice play and good opportunities in the first half. We just didn't finish," Dailey said. "In the first half I was very pleased with the way we started. We start out slow sometimes, but tonight wasn't one of those nights."

Mulligan turned the Spartans away time and again, keeping her squad within one goal of tying the contest for much of the night.

"Kelly did a very nice job," said Knights coach Brian Frank. "I lost track of how many saves she made for us. She did an outstanding job."

The Knights came out hard after the break, and Rocky Salinas twice tested Spartans keeper Kim Gianos in the second half.

Fox made it 2-0 in the 62nd minute, taking a cross from sister Lindsay Fox and finishing it near the goalmouth. She scored again with two minutes left in the game, busting behind the defense and beating a charging Mulligan to a through ball.

"I was just thinking 'score,' " Fox said of her ninth goal of the year. "That's all I wanted."

Dailey applauded the controlling play at midfield of Meagan Gitchell, while Frank was pleased with the middle play of Catherine Guido, "and Cassie Vail always does a wonderful job for us," he said.

"That's probably the best team we've faced all season. When we played them last year it was 8-1," Frank said. "We played them tough, and gave them 80 minutes of soccer tonight."

St. Francis improved to 17-2 overall and 5-0 in SCC play, and Immaculate Conception is now 9-3-2, 4-3 in the conference.