Cary-Grove stops Lake Zurich in PK’s
Cary-Grove’s girls soccer team won its regional opener in dramatic fashion after outscoring host Lake Zurich 6-5 in shootout Wednesday night in a tight, tense 120-minute match to send the Trojans into the regional final Friday night against Barrington.
After it proved impossible to determine a winner through regulation and OT, both clubs continued to captivate the late-night crowd with plenty of thrills with 5 rounds of PK’s, followed by another 4 sudden-victory spot kicks before Hannah Weber gave the FVC champs a 6-5 lead when she drove the game-winner just under the bar.
“It was just a great game between two teams which fought hard the entire night, with each having a couple of good chances to score, but it’s always a tough way to decide a game like this,” said Cary-Grove coach Ray Krystal.
“I never gave it a thought that we would go into PK’s,” said Trojans keeper Paige Lincicum, who turned away two in the first round before watching Tara Kennedy’s attempt to draw the Bears (11-8-1) even at 6 go off of the post to start the celebration for Cary-Grove (13-5-1). “We had our chances in the second half and again in overtime, but nobody on this team gave in during the entire game, and everyone played so well in front of me all night.”
The action was fast and furious at times during regulation, and Trojans top-flight striker Korey Kronforst might have had the best opportunities of all to draw first blood near the hour mark. Megan Townsley sent a marvelous ball out of the back to put Kronforst through, and after a clever touch to get clear of her defender she had a good look at the goal — but Bears freshman keeper Eleanor Daleske took the ball off Kronforst’s shooting foot to deny the chance.
Minutes later, Kronforst collected a long throw and got to open space, but her shot veered wide to keep things goal-less at 62 minutes.
The hosts settled in after withstanding the threats and slowly grabbed back the run of play, thanks in part some terrific work by Meghan Gelinas, Danielle Tassi, Morgan Dakarian and Grace Eisenhuth, and the superb work of Katie McCullough, who began to take Kronforst out of her comfort zone and keep the senior standout from too many touches around the Bears’ area.
“We really started to come on with our play in the second half, with some good possession and combination(s) and just a great work rate to help keep the pressure on (Cary-Grove) all the way through regulation and into OT,” said Lake Zurich coach Mike Castronova, who led the Bears to an NSC title in his first year at the helm.
Both keepers were flawless with their work, and both were fearless in the air — particularly Lincicum, who stopped several quality chances for LZ.
Just off the opening whistle of the first 10-minute extra session, Kate Boyd was left alone long enough to send a header directly at Daleske. Later, LZ’s leading scorer Vanessa Abad (15 goals), who was slowed during the early stages with a leg injury, came alive to add pace and energy to the Bears’ attack to help keep the Trojans backline fully aware of her whereabouts.
The last two OT periods were played at a frantic pace, but neither side was able to get anything on frame, sending the match into shootout.
Once there, Jae Jay Usab, Beth Hughes and Sierra Romero were matched by the Bears’ trio of Gelinas, and Catalina and Vanessa Abad, with the two keepers stopping the next two chances to end the first round at 3-3.
After the Trojans’ duo Allison Budreck and Boyd successfully dispatched their spot kicks, followed by the same result by Dakarian and Tassi, the eighth round saw both sides miss. That set up Weber’s heroics.
“It’s always a tough way to go out, but the effort tonight was unbelievable, and we’re very proud of this team for tonight, and everything else they have accomplished this season,” said Castronova.