Girls soccer: Mazurek, Conant down Buffalo Grove
Stephanie Mazurek's double-goal game and two second half dead-ball goals helped Conant (6-0-1, 3-0-0) claim a 5-1 girls soccer victory Monday night over Buffalo Grove.
The Bison found out what others have thus far.
The Bison, like so many others this season, were unable to tame the Cougars and Mazurek, who now has 10 goals on the season, plus 7 assists after adding one to her stat list during this Mid-Suburban League contest.
"When I'm watching our attack from my position along the back all I'm thinking is I'm glad I do not have to defend Stephanie," said Cougars center-back Delaney Hoye, who would add one last goal to the score line at 80 minutes on a Jess Smeltzer corner.
"Mazurek is a real handful, and that first goal of hers was an All-State finish in my opinion," said BG head coach Pat Dudle.
Mazurek earned All-State honors last season, and her third appearance on the Daily Herald All-Area team as well.
The Bison (1-3-2, 1-1-1) would stun the home side faithful at Charles Feutz Field when Pam Bolis struck the opener with a sensational run past a pair of defenders before driving her low drive in just six minutes into the match.
The Cougars would need an immediate response to dash the hopes of the visitors and it came as Neida Ocampo got things started on the left side by finding Smeltzer.
Smeltzer would cross to an unmarked Mazurek at the back post, who easily steered in the equalizer into the back of the net at 12 minutes.
Mazurek, on the turn, would find space and enough time to smash home from 22 yards to double the advantage for the Cougars.
"Buffalo Grove surprised us with that early goal, and they proved to be a real feisty side who made us work for what we got, which eventually came from the plays we've counted on to score thus far," said Conant coach Jason Franco, whose club is at Prospect on Wednesday.
Smeltzer made it 3-1 after the break when she ran onto a corner from Ocampo in the 47th minute, but with 29 minutes gone in the second half, Ocampo got the goal that effectively settled the win.
Montse Saldivar sent a nice early ball down the right side to Mazurek, who turned her mark around before going end line.
From there, she crossed a wonderful ball to the spot for Ocampo to one-time past keeper Zugey Olvera who, despite watching five go into the back of her net, made a handful of quality stops on the night.
"We're playing much better than we were at the start, but as you can see, it's still a work in progress and we'll continue to move some players around in order to find out what will best use their talents," said Dudle, who deployed Macy Floro, Quinlan Libit and central-defender Bridget Reynolds at various attacking positions all throughout.