Vostal's Stars tip Saints

Welcome back, Mrs. Vostal.

In her first game behind the bench as head coach this year, St. Charles North coach Ruth Vostal saw her team give the kind of battling performance it has become known for since the program began in 2001.

The North Stars, who have been coached by Vostal's sister and team assistant coach Anne Poulin while Vostal adjusted after giving birth to off-season twins, are off to a very good start this season.

With Vostal as head coach and sister Anne assisting, the North Stars battled their crosstown rivals from St. Charles East on Monday.

And on a night where goalmouth incidents were few in number, the North Stars (5-1, 2-0) benefited from the one ball that found the back of the net -- albeit off a Saints defender's leg -- for a 1-0 Upstate Eight Conference victory.

"I thought they did a pretty good job finishing," Vostal said. "I thought we pretty much dominated the first half and St. Charles East dominated the second. You're going to have those games."

Paige Dusek got credit for the game's only goal, scored 13 minutes into the match. Following a corner kick that wasn't cleared, both teams fought in the 6-yard box. Dusek got a leg to the ball in the scramble, and knocked it goalward.

"It was just a great ball in from Alyssa (Peterson)," Dusek said. "Then Leah (Demoss) flicked it out. I just got my foot on it and it hit one of the East players and went in."

As is almost always the case in these East-North battles in St. Charles, off-season friendships had to take an 80-minute hiatus for some very intense competition. At the end of the match, both teams shook hands or hugged their fellow competitors.

"We're all great friends," Dusek said. "It's just fun to compete against a rival, especially against some of your best friends and people some of us play with in clubs. It feels good to win, but it was a whole team effort."

The North Stars continued to have the edge in possession and St. Charles East (3-2, 2-1) struggled to string together passes as the half progressed. That changed in the final minute, when Ellen Bartindale got the ball 15 yards from goal on the right edge of the penalty area. Bartindale shot and narrowly missed the left post.

"It would have been nice to have had that, especially after an own goal," St. Charles East coach Pat Feulner said. "We talked at halftime and told them to settle down and not get into that 'rush, rush, rush' and look to play simple."

That chance carried into a second half largely dominated by St. Charles East. St. Charles North twice came close to scoring the clinching goal. First Shaylee Pedersen cleared a ball from the 6-yard box with North Stars players lining up to take a shot.

Then Leah DeMoss hit the post with 13 minutes left.

The other chances of the half belonged to the Saints. Ashley Miller had a shot saved with 10 minutes to go, as did Bartindale 1 minute later.

"I think they saw that when they settle down, they can play pretty well," Feulner said.

Benet 2, Wheaton Academy 0: Benet goalkeeper Rachel Resek spent some time launching herself from post to post on Monday, keeping the slate clean in a 2-0 Benet win over Wheaton Academy in girls soccer.

Goalkeepers would rather not have to make any saves, but they sure have fun when they're making big ones.

"It's just instinct, adrenaline, and the only thing in my mind is that they're not going to get anything past me," Resek said.

After Benet (7-3-2) built a lead on goals from Katie Graber and Amanda Berngard and held host Wheaton Academy (5-3) to 3 shots on frame through 60 minutes, the Warriors sent in a bevy of late hard-hit shots that Resek turned away to preserve the shutout.

"All the credit in the world to (Resek)," said Warriors coach Dave Underwood.

Benet has gone 7-0-1 since starting the season at 0-3-1, and the Redwings turned the early tide back on the Warriors thanks to one consistent quality.

"Our depth has made this team this year," said Benet coach Henry Wind. "We sent some subs in and they picked up the pace for us."

Wheaton Academy started fast and grabbed the game's early momentum, working the ball around and pressuring well. Resek went airborne to stop a Leah Fortune blast from 18 yards out in the 18th minute, and then left her line to stuff another shot after Fortune busted loose up the right side on the dribble just before halftime.

"Wheaton Academy's great, and they came out strong the first 15 minutes," Resek said. "But we settled down, got our defense organized, and we were able to shut down Fortune."

Fortune earned her share of looks on net, but couldn't get one to fall.

"She is going to beat you. Thank God she missed a couple times," Wind said.

Benet struck first in the 30th minute, after Joanna Janulis crossed a ball to the far post that Graber ran down, slid onto, and touched into net. Alli Diedrick crossed a ball that Berngard headed home in the 44th minute.

Janulis sparked the Redwings in the first half, and the Benet defense was stingy all night.

"(Sweeper) Kelly Diedrich stood out tonight," Wind said. "Every time we got in trouble, she banged the ball out for us. And Caytlin Lewin, Brynne Miller, and Maria Schwabe all did a nice job in back tonight."

Sweeper Christi Dithrich was similarly tough and on-the-spot throughout the contest for Wheaton Academy. "She reminds me of a young Stefanie Foley," said Underwood, referring to the former standout and current assistant coach at Benet.

"It's a funny game. You can feel like you've had the run of play, and you just come away empty," said Warriors coach Dave Underwood. "I felt like we did so many things right tonight, but couldn't find the back of the net."

-- Gary Larsen