Daleske’s divine finish helps LZ edge VH

Going 5-for-5 in baseball is a standout performance.

Doing it in the penalty kick round of a North Suburban Conference girls soccer championship game? Well, that’s simply outstanding.

Bears freshman keeper Eleanor Daleske demonstrated as much, making 5 saves in 5 chances during shootout at Vernon Hills.

Daleske led Lake Zurich past host Vernon Hills 1-0 on Thursday night in the longest NSC title game in history.

The game went scoreless through regulation and four 10-minute overtimes before it was decided by kicks.

Daleske had a negative experience last month in a penalty kick loss to Lockport in a game that was part of the Pepsi Showdown.

“I only saved one in that one and I was very disappointed,” Daleske said. “I knew in this game I needed to pick this up for the rest of team.

“I’ve never done something like that before. When I made the first save, I knew that I could carry it over and keep it going.”

Meaghen Galinas scored the only penalty kick needed for the Bears (11-7-1).

Lake Zurich battled through growing pains as a team early this season but started playing its best soccer during the Lake Division race over the last month.

“The girls fought for 120 minutes and Elly (Daleske) came through for us in the PK’s,” Lake Zurich coach Michael Castronova said. “The girls fought, fought, fought the entire game.

“Hats off to Vernon Hills — they are a great team and fought hard the entire game. It was a shame that the game had to be decided on PK’s.”

Vernon Hills keeper Iris Ostrovsky made 16 saves and kept the Cougars (11-8-2) in the big game all the way through the kicks.

“It was intense, and I couldn’t have done it without my defense the entire way,” Ostrovsky said. “We expected a game like this one, and (Lake Zurich) gave us some good competition. We came ready to play.”

Vernon Hills won the NSC title in 2004 and wanted to get another.

“I’m not disappointed with the outcome,” Vernon Hills coach Vince DeLuca said. “We played well enough, but we didn’t get it.

“We had some chances and (Lake Zurich) had chances. We wanted to be in this game and get an opportunity to win it, and we did that.”