Bustos’ big comeback helps Wauconda claim share of NSC Prairie crown

Junior midifielder Ahissa Bustos has engineered a remarkable comeback season for the Wauconda girls soccer team.

Bustos missed all of last year after suffering an ACL tear in her knee playing club soccer before the high school season even started.

But Bustos has returned in a big way, and Wauconda is certainly glad to have her back. Bustos scored a pair of goals Tuesday — her ninth and 10th of the season — to help lift the host Bulldogs to a 5-1 victory over Grant.

Wauconda (5-0-1) is co-champion with Vernon Hills in the North Suburban Prairie Division.

Wauconda’s Maggie Sarich scoring twice and Tammy Ellis added another goal.

“It was awful to see everyone else play,” Bustos said. “I thought our team could’ve had something good happen (last year). But it’s good to come back this year and we’re making big things happen.

“This is definitely my comeback year and the rest of the team is counting on me. It also helps that a lot of us have played together since we’ve been younger.”

Wauconda (13-2-3) scored three times in the first half, starting when Ellis converted a shot in the eighth minute that deflected off a Grant defender.

Bustos netted her first goal with a left-footed shot into the near corner off an Alicia Knight long service down the left sideline in the 12th minute.

Grant got a goal back in the 28th minute when Kassie Stimpson knocked in a header off Trisha Palmieri’s corner kick.

But Wauconda responded with a goal just a minute later, as Sarich scored off a cross from Melanie Prudhomme.

Wauconda added 2 more goals in the second half, as Bustos scored on an assist by Emily Baird and Sarich drilled her second goal.

“This group of girls, there’s a number of them that have played for a long time,” said Wauconda coach Terry Stevig. “It’s their last chance of playing together. It’s a good team and it’s nice for them to be division co-champs.”

Grant (6-8, 3-3) tried to stay with Wauconda for the entire match.

“A loss is never OK,” said Grant coach Michael Kennedy. “The effort was there, we did play the full 80 minutes. But they took advantage of some of our mistakes. We just can’t afford to give some of those goals up. For the youth of our team, it’s a good learning experience.”