Girls soccer: Hersey meets the challenge at Schaumburg

With Hersey's girls soccer team entering its Monday night contest against host Schaumburg, it was clear the visitors would need a big performance in order to win its first game of the season against the undefeated Saxons.

Schaumburg had outscored its opponents 14-2.

But the Huskies met their challenge.

Avery Larson's early strike, along with stealthy work from their Hersey backline and keeper Emma Hager, helped the Huskies (1-5-0, 1-0-0) secure 3 points in the Mid-Suburban League standings with a 1-0 victory at Gary Scholz Stadium.

"It was a very good win for the girls tonight," said Hersey coach Darren Llewellyn, whose club bounced back from a disappointing 4-0 loss on the Friday spring break began for Laura Burckhardt and her teammates.

"That week off really helped because we all needed some time to collect ourselves after losing our first five games of the season against some pretty solid opponents," said Hersey's junior co-captain, who produced a strong box-to-box midfield effort. "We're a really young team, but tonight we got that first goal, and after that we really did a good job defending against such a good attacking team to help us get a win that we all needed so badly."

After struggling to find the back of the net in the first two-plus weeks of the season, the visitors struck gold at four minutes when Larson finished what Burckhardt and Chloe Sena started.

An early through ball from Burckhardt broke the Saxons (3-1-0, 1-1-0) open in their own end before a terrific first-step burst from Sena allowed the speedy sophomore to get a step on her mark before unloading a wicked blast on frame.

Sena's angled attempt was turned away by Saxons keeper Livvy Masi. But the ball spilled free to Larson, who'd never stopped running into the box, and she finished the chance.

"Before we left for this game, I wrote on the board that we needed to defend Schaumburg by forcing them into the middle," said Llewellyn, "and when we scored that early goal, it allowed us to play with a little more confidence, yet still pinching as much of the play into the middle."

"Burckhardt had a great game on both sides of the ball, but our young backline, plus (Emma) Hager, were all just as terrific."

Schaumburg was left to come to terms with a disappointing outcome.

"That was not one of our best efforts of the season - we came out so flat, especially in the first 15-20 minutes, but you to credit Hersey for some of that as well," said Saxons coach Greg Charvat.

Krista Thuer, one of the few seniors on the Huskies roster, joined freshmen Maddy Kim, Olivia Mrowicki and Jane Stefaniak in winning their fair share of 50-50 tackles in front of Hager. Thuer did so from her defensive midfield position as part of the Huskies' 3-1-4-2 formation, while the rookie trio did their part along the back.

And Hager shone when called upon.

The sophomore was fearless when her point-blank reaction save stopped Melissa Schneider in the 26th minute. Later, Hager did well to stay with a nasty strike from Dana Kiszkowski which was redirected on the way in.

Hager would turn away Michelle Candotti, Al Schaar and Kiszkowski one more time before the final whistle.

"We've been very good in the attacking third up until tonight, and in all three games prior, there was more urgency, effort and purpose when we got into the final third," said Charvat.

Kiszkowski, Schneider and Schaar had accounted for 11 of the Saxons' 14 goals scored prior to this contest.

The week ahead for the Saxons is a busy one, as they make their annual visit to the Augsburg-Drach Invite in St. Charles. Schaumburg is scheduled to play three games in four days, beginnig with host St. Charles East on Wednesday.

Hersey next hosts division rival Wheeling on Friday.