Titans get hot, close out Warriors in girls lacrosse
If you can't stand the heat, consider that last Saturday, May 7, the day started with temperatures in the 40s.
That was the last game for the Deerfield girls lacrosse team before Tuesday's contest against Glenbrook South - which previously played a varsity match on May 5, also no picnic weather.
The temperature at game time Tuesday, Deerfield's senior night, was 92.
"It was really steamy. Everyone was sweating. One of our players threw up," said Deerfield senior co-captain Bri Gagerman.
"When it's really hot everyone gets really tired running back and forth, so you have to slow the pace of the game so you can breathe," said another Warriors senior co-captain, Tess Billings.
Instead, Glenbrook South (6-9, 4-2 Central Suburban League) picked it up. The Titans rallied from a 3-0 first-half deficit, down 4-3 at halftime, to win the conference contest 9-8.
"The effort that the ladies put in is, day after day, unmatched," said Titans coach Devin McCue.
"I always tell them that. Even if we end up losing, there's never someone that could be watching any of our games and think, wow, they didn't even try. Their ability to dig deep when they need to dig deep and come up with a goal or come up with a caused turnover, (they) never stop pushing," McCue said.
Glenbrook South did all of the above during a decisive stretch that saw the Titans draw even, go ahead and hold on.
Trailing Deerfield 7-6 after the second of Dylan Zimberoff's 2 goals, Glenbrook South's Kiley Kozak picked up a ground ball that translated to a goal by Sarah John for the 7-7 tie with 6:50 left to play.
Twenty-nine seconds later, after the Titans controlled the draw, Kozak circled in from the right behind Deerfield goalie Stefanie Weyhmueller, then passed to John, positioned on the left post. The attack slammed her fourth goal of the match into the net for an 8-7 lead, Glenbrook South's first.
Kozak scored the eventual game-winner with 1:41 to play, running in space to receive Eileen Quinn's pass and converting the shot for a 9-7 Titans lead.
"My teammate was open in the transition and I back-cutted. It was a good, clean play," said Kozak, who previously assisted on the Titans' first goal of the game, from Quinn, at 8:36 of the first half.
"We got exhausted, I think," Gagerman said. "I think both sides got exhausted, and I think they ended up being the better team in the second half."
Deerfield (7-9, 3-4) took a 3-0 first-half lead on goals by Billings and 2 from Ava Gurvey. Deerfield coach Florin Mitran called "Ohio" from the sidelines, which early in Tuesday's game translated to goals after running offense from behind the net.
"It just creates more space in front of the net," said the Warriors' Lindsey Budge, a senior co-captain with Gurvey, Billings and Gagerman.
Glenbrook South goals by Quinn, Caroline Weasler and John tied the score 3-3, before Budge gave Deerfield a 4-3 halftime lead.
Glenbrook South goalie Kate Kim stopped several point-blank scoring attempts when Deerfield controlled the action early in the game.
"I would say their goalie was their best player on the field," said Billings, on her way to the lacrosse team at Vassar.
"Kate's an incredible goalie," McCue said. "She can match up with any team in the state. Her quick-snap reflexes at point-blank (range) are unmatched."
Weyhmueller, who will play at DePauw, also provided some amazing stops, including two quick, consecutive kick saves from within 5 yards.
Glenbrook South forged its second-half push after Hannah Stettler consistently won draws and gained ball possession for her team.
"You get a lot more momentum if you get the ball right from the start," said Titans midfielder Bella Chiarieri. "Getting it from the draw just helps you calm down, look at what you're up against with the defenders, and then be able to take it from there."
Glenbrook South did, in fact, take this one, a feather in its cap against sectional foe Deerfield with playoff seeding on Wednesday.
"You're not going to win every one," Billings said, "but we had fun."