Girls soccer: Downers North wins a third time against York
It was a destructive 124 seconds for the York girls soccer team Wednesday afternoon in Downers Grove.
Meeting West Suburban Silver rival Downers Grove North for a third time, the Dukes suffered the same fate as their two regular-season encounters.
The Trojans' Olivia Bull and Carli Nehls scored two minutes and four seconds apart in the latter stages of the first half to give host Downers North a 2-0 victory in the first semifinal of its Class 3A sectional.
"We don't have the skill level that they have at this moment," York coach Don Vana said after concluding the Dukes' season with a 12-9 record. "They have nine girls who are faster than any girl we have. That's why they are as good as they are. The speed was the big difference."
The Trojans (18-2-2) advanced to only their second sectional final in program history and will face another league foe, Lyons Twp., on Friday.
Lyons handed Downers North its only conference loss to win the league championship.
Twenty-five minutes into the match, Bull lined up for a corner kick.
The junior miraculously hooked the ball under the upper reaches of the right-hand post and crossbar to give Downers North a 1-0 lead.
"I couldn't tell how (it went in), except for the wind," Bull said. "Then we got another (goal) right away. We play really well together."
Two-plus-minutes later, the Trojans doubled their advantage on the Dukes.
Downers North junior Abby Swanson put on a dribbling clinic before passing the ball to Nehls.
The Dukes' goalkeeper had no chance of denying Nehls on her point-blank shot.
"Abby dribbled it more to the left side, and I went to the middle," Nehls said. "York is a good team, regardless of how many times we have beat them this season."
The spread could have been far worse during the match had Downers North not hit either the posts or crossbar four times.
"We were fortunate to be down 2 (at halftime)," Vana said.
The Dukes were without the services of senior captain Jenna Lundgren.
Elizabeth Kowalski, Maddy Schiller, Gaby Uribe, Whitney Wood, Ashley Los, Bri Suchy Jenna Dvorak played their final matches for York.