Girls soccer: Barrington takes key MSL game over Fremd
Fans of the great soccer rivalry between Barrington and Fremd have witnessed some emotionally charged and classic games over the years.
Friday night was not one of those. However, for the Barrington faithful, their favorite side delivered a hard-fought 2-1 victory over host Fremd in a key MSL West contest at Hildebrandt Field.
"Soccer is not always pretty, but tonight, it did not matter because we all showed up to play, and with a lot of heart, fight and a desire which helped us get a big win," said junior Maddie Martin-Johnston.
The Filles junior scored the all-important opener, then provided a marvelous helper on the eventual game-winner fired in by Skye Lundy.
"Scoring the first goal tonight really helped set the tone, and it gave us all the confidence needed to play hard for 80 minutes against such a great team like Fremd," added Dominique Klujian.
The Fillies keeper was magnificent on this night making a couple of brave goal-saving stops, being active all around her box, and perhaps just as importantly, driving her punts, and free kicks into a roaring wind nearly 40 yards to force the Vikings (5-2-1, 4-1-1, 12 points) to start their attack near the midline.
"We were a little lucky tonight, and we lost so many 50-50 balls tonight, but our energy, spirit, and will to win is what I am so proud of," said Fillies coach Ryan Stengren, whose team is now 6-2, 5-1 with 15 points.
When the home side failed to clear the area, the aforementioned Martin-Johnston made them pay for it when her close-range effort rattled off the bar and over the end line in the 11th minute.
The opener was all possible thanks to the fine work by Olivia Otto, who kept the ball alive deep in the Vikings end.
It would become a tactical battle all throughout, with both coaches moving players in and around as they changed formations on the fly depending on what each side was looking to do.
Without question, the most dangerous player for the Vikings was senior Sami Serpico, whose blend of power, high motor, and a lethal left-foot would test Klujian on a couple of occasions.
Klujian would stop Serpico's point-blank effort in the 20th minute, watch Sophia Kennedy rattle the bar minutes later, then turn away Serpico, who was sent through by Gwen Zimmerman just before the intermission.
"Dom (Dominique Klujian) was terrific tonight in goal for us. She helped keep us in the game when we really needed her to," said Stengren.
Martin-Johnston would play a lovely ball to Lundy, who was left along from 22 yards away, and the one-timer from the senior was driven with pinpoint accuracy high into the upper right corner at 52 minutes.
Serpico would pull one back in the 61st minute when she curled her inward swinging corner into the far inside netting.
Both sides had chances during the final quarter hour: Martin-Johnston through AJ Sanchez, and Zimmerman who attempted to chip Klujian with a nifty touch from in close.
The Fillies would prevail down the stretch to claim three points, and the lead in the MSL West over the Vikings.
"Obviously, It was a big win for us, but we've got to get better in a lot of areas of our game, especially the little things if we want to compete at a high level from here on out," said Stengren.
The Fillies will play Wednesday at Prospect, while the Vikings entertain Elk Grove on the same night.
"The things we lacked tonight: energy, spirit, communication, urgency, purpose — are all things that Barrington would display," said a disappointed Vikings coach Steve Keller.