Geneva rallies by St. Charles North

Consider the relative rest situations for Geneva and St. Charles North entering Thursday’s Upstate Eight Conference River match at Burgess Field.

Geneva played a full match, 20 minutes of overtime and then dropped a penalty kick shootout to Lake Zurich in the Naperville Invitational on Wednesday.

St. Charles North hadn’t played for more than a week since defeating Waubonsie Valley.

So which team ended the match with raucous on-field celebrations following a match-winning goal with 2 minutes to play? Geneva. The Vikings scored twice in the final 10 minutes to overturn a 1-0 halftime deficit and claim the match 2-1.

“I was a little concerned coming in because we didn’t get back last night until 11:15,” Geneva coach Megan Owens said. “We just played with tremendous heart and effort — everybody, everywhere on the field. They left it all on the field. They gave 110 percent.”

St. Charles North (7-3) played well through the first half but found the second half difficult against the resolute Vikings.

“We didn’t play well the whole game,” St. Charles North coach Ruth Vostal said. “We dominated but no one really possessed.”

After a mostly-even first half, St. Charles North grabbed a 1-0 lead with 1:25 left in the first half when Melissa Branke headed in a left wing cross. Branke, a sophomore recently moved up to the varsity team, sent the ball sharply into the net.

“The goal we scored was something we talked about, getting overlaps out of the back, so that was good,” Vostal said. “I thought the second half looked better, but I just told them we have to work on being more mentally tough.”

Geneva (6-3-4) found a spark at halftime and began to get chances in the second half. But with Kendall Karrr making strong saves, it appeared the visitors would hold their lead and claim the victory.

“The only really frustrating thing is that (Karr) made those two saves, and you know a team is going to have a momentum swing,” Vostal said. “Theirs came in under the last 10 minutes. Our girls on the field needed to recognize that and pick it up, and that didn’t happen.”

The opportunities were strong ones for the Vikings as well. Amanda Lulek was played in by Catherine Allon with 11 minutes left and Karr saved. One minute later, St. Charles North scrambled away an Allon free kick.

Then Lulek broke in alone and Karr saved, though the Vikings forced a corner kick in the ensuing play. Caitrin Griffin sent the ball in from the left wing and Allon hit a powerful header from 12 yards into the net.

Geneva pressed for another goal, and came close when Michaela Loebel flicked the ball wide with the outside of her foot from a Lulek cross.

Lulek won the match with 2:03 left from an Annie Waldoch leading pass.

“It’s the best feeling ever,” Lulek said. “We finally gained the respect that we need tonight. I was so pumped after that goal. Our whole team, as a team, we worked hard. We came back from losing and we got the goal, and that’s all that matters.”

At times through the second half, each of Geneva’s defenders had to make a key play. Waldoch, the creator of the winning goal, is a freshman right back for the Vikings.

“I think it was a matter of staying positive and not letting the goal get to us,” Waldoch said. “We make mistakes and our goal is to step it back up, and get the ball back up the field to our midfielders and forwards.”