Jacobs blanks Cary-Grove
On a cold day in March which was more conducive for dog sled racing, Cary-Grove opened Fox Valley Conference play with a 2-0 win over Jacobs in Cary.
What a difference 2 months makes.
Led by a goal off a free kick by Margaret Rivera and outstanding goalkeeping by Monica Orjuela, third-seeded Jacobs avenged the earlier loss to second-seeded Cary-Grove with a 1-0 win in semifinal action of the Class 4A Barrington regional Wednesday night.
“We were excited when we saw we were going to play Cary-Grove in the first game,” said Jacobs coach AJ Cappello, a Cary-Grove graduate. “We wanted a chance at redemption. These seniors have never beaten Cary-Grove and I am very happy for them. We showed up tonight and played with great intensity.”
The Golden Eagles (20-6) will play the host Fillies for the regional crown Friday at 6 p.m. Barrington knocked off fourth-seeded Lake Zurich 4-2 in Wednesday’s first game.
After a scoreless first half, Jacobs finally got on the scoreboard with 24:08 left in the game. Rivera lined up the free kick from 20 yards out and promptly lofted the ball over the outstretched arms of Cary-Grove goalkeeper Krystal Felderman for the game’s only goal.
“Those type of shots I don’t really think about,” said Rivera. “I just shoot the ball to a certain spot. I was glad to help the team. It was exciting to beat Cary-Grove.”
While Rivera provided the offensive firepower, Orjuela excelled in the nets.
With 10:33 left in the game, Cary-Grove standout Korey Kronforst broke through the Jacobs’ defense and blasted a shot on goal from 5 yards out. Orjuela dove for the shot and poked the ball over the goal.
“Being a midfielder I was thinking where I would have shot the ball in that situation and I guessed right,” said the Jacobs senior goalkeeper. “The defense behind me was outstanding. This was an exciting win for the seniors since we have never beaten Cary-Grove.”
Jacobs outshot Cary-Grove (12-8-1) 7-6. Felderman had 4 saves for the Trojans while Orjuela turned back 3 shots.
“We had some chances,” said Cary-Grove coach Ray Krystal. “We just didn’t have enough consistent chances. We had a young team. This was a learning experience for them.”