Girls soccer: St. Charles North tops Saints to win Drach invite

St. Charles North battled both the weather and crosstown rival St. Charles East to win Saturday's Rose Augsburg-Drach Invitational championship match, 2-1 at Norris Field.

Rain, snow and at one point, ice pellets fell during the contest.

North (5-0) took the lead on a Bella Najera goal in the 32nd minute. The North Stars' lead was brief. St. Charles East's Kara Machala tied the game with a score three minutes before halftime.

The game remained tied until the 5:13 mark of the second half when St. Charles North retook the lead on an own goal. East goalkeeper Sidney Lazenby stopped a North Star shot but before she could clear the ball, it rolled into the net.

"An own goal with five minutes left was how the game was dictated. You are happy to make a mistake like that this early in the season rather than in the postseason," said Saints coach Vince DiNuzzo. "Hopefully, we are able to learn from it and move on."

St. Charles North coach Brian Harks thought the game was won by the North Stars' midfield play.

"The game was back and forth - exactly what you would expect from a St. Charles crosstown game," Harks said. "Kayla Floyd stepping up in the middle of the field and winning the air game was the turning point for us."

DiNuzzo agreed play in the middle of the pitch was key.

"The midfield battle between the six girls, three from East and three from North, was a grind," the East coach said. "But I think we created enough chances to win."

Najera scored on a shot in front of the net on a cross from teammate Sophia Hein.

"Hein made a great run down the line and she's good at crossing it in, so I just put myself in a good place," Najera, a junior midfielder said. "The ball bobbled around. I saw an opening in the corner and passed it in."

"We struggled defending the cross, that's how the two goals were scored," said DiNuzzo. "We need to work on our ability to track marks on that first ball. That's something we have been talking about."

Najera, Hein and teammate Martina Nava were named to the All-Tournament team.

Machala's equalizer came on a kick from 25 yards out that passed just under the cross bar.

"Both teams had quality scoring opportunities. It could have gone either way," said Harks. "I was proud of the way our girls battled."

Najera had two clear shots on goal stopped by Lazenby in the second half.

St. Charles East (5-2) had two good scoring opportunities in the first half. A McKenna Gahagan free kick hit the cross bar, dropped to the ground and was pounced on by North keeper Hannah Lehmann before the Saints could finish the attack. And just before halftime, a Gahagan header on a Yazmin Martinez corner kick went over the cross bar.

Gahagan, Grace Williams and Anna Champine represented St. Charles East on the All-Tournament Team.