Tigers end skid against Falcons
It had sure been a while, and that made the win taste all the sweeter.
"We haven't beaten Wheaton North in three years," said WW South's Lauren Livingston. "For me and the rest of the seniors, we had never beaten them."
The Tigers' 4-0 win over the Falcons in girls soccer on Thursday ended that drought. The Tigers got 2 goals from Lexi Peterson and 1 each from Laine Jackson and Liz Ciesielski.
The Tigers (5-0, 2-0) scored once at the very end of the first half and finished on three second-half chances against visiting Wheaton North (3-4-1, 1-1) in the DuPage Valley Conference contest.
"They've been quite the nemesis," Tigers coach Guy Callipari said of Wheaton North. "They've had a great run against us for three seasons.
"And it doesn't matter if they're reloading this year. This game will always be in the balance, just because of the rivalry that it is."
A scoreless and typically physical DVC game played out through almost 40 minutes, and with both teams playing with three forwards there were dangerous romps into the attacking thirds on both ends.
Falcons goalkeeper Shannon Malahy made an exceptional point-blank save in the 37th minute off the foot of Mary Heaton. The Tigers struck with less than a minute to play before halftime when Jackson sent a corner cross toward the goal line, where it went in off a Falcons defender.
"I thought through the first 60 minutes of play it was very even," said Falcons coach Tim McEvilly. "And we ran out of bodies in the second half."
Starters Erin Karner and Rebekah Marquez both left the game due to injuries and never returned for the Falcons.
Two minutes into the second half, Tigers keeper Katlyn Barnes dove at the post to swat away a free kick shot by the Falcons' Caroline Love. Twenty minutes went by before another dangerous shot was sent on frame either way, with Peterson stepping onto a Ciesielski cross and burying it in the back netting.
Ciesielski finished a cross from Nicole La Petina two minutes later, and Peterson scored the game's final goal in the waning moments of play. The freshman Peterson now has 6 goals and 3 assists in five games.
"Our chemistry has gotten better, and everybody is working together really hard," Peterson said.
"Lexi makes the best runs. She's always there," Ciesielski said. "She knows right where to go, and everyone knows where she is."
Callipari applauded the play of outside mids Livingston and La Petina, and defenders Love and Chelsea Hupp posted solid games for Wheaton North. The Falcons also found dangerous space in the attacking third but were unable to capitalize.
"We're creating chances and getting behind people," McEvilly said, "but we're still learning how to finish."