Fremd takes out Palatine
Fremd’s girls soccer team advanced to its sixth consecutive sectional final after a 3-1 victory over Mid-Suburban League rival Palatine Tuesday afternoon in the opener of the Glenbrook South sectional.
The top-seeded Vikings owed their advancement to another 2-goal performance by Elise Kotsakis, and a dominant back line which allowed just a few quality chances in 80 minutes to help draw coach Steve Keller’s club one step closer to the Final Four of the state tournament.
“We did well not to allow too many dead-balls and corners,” said Keller, “and the defense really tightened up, especially in the second half, when I think the key to all of that was (putting Ashley McConnell) on Gabi McArtor, who helped slow her down after she gave us so much trouble in the first half.”
The Vikings (16-3-2) overcame the vibrant effort of McArtor on the outside in the early stages and their own sluggish start before slowly winning back the run of play from the upset-minded Pirates (14-10-2). Palatine applied offensive pressure while reducing the Fremd possession game to next to nothing in the first quarter hour.
McArtor and Morgan Radtke engaged in some wonderful work to force a save from Vikings keeper Shannon Norris. But the best from the No. 13 Pirates came at 27 minutes when, on the counter, Jessica Bachman connected with Amanda Filian, who in turn sent McArtor through, but the strike was stopped by Norris once again.
The Vikings finally made a breakthrough two minutes later when a brilliant early ball from McConnell down the right side was collected by Michelle Mottonen, who quickly unleashed a pace-filled strike the other way and past the outstretched reach of Meghan Ellis.
“It was important for us to keep things close, but we also knew we couldn’t allow ourselves to get behind to (Fremd) because we just do not have the firepower that they do,” said Palatine coach Willie Filian.
The Vikings got off to a rip-roaring start just after the break when Kotsakis cut across the face of the goal to redirect a nearly perfect ball to the spot from Kira Heggeland past Ellis.
“We got off to such a sluggish start today, but once we started to play, we were able to control most of the game,” said Vikings sweeper Jennifer Freeman, who along with teammates Emily Basten and Kristin Abruscato conceded little until very late, allowing Norris be more of a spectator than a shot-stopper during the second half.
“(Their) back four really performed at a very high level,” said coach Filian. “They tackled well, put a body on us all over the place, and really shut us down except for a few chances off corners and throws.”
An in-swinging corner by Radtke caused a bit of a scrum in the Vikings box just after Kotsakis scored her 32nd of the season. So did a well-struck free kick off the left foot of McKenzie Wiedemann at 67 minutes minutes. But as hard as the Pirates played, they still were unable to cut the lead in half.
Kotsakis somehow struck the post and the underside of the bar before Ellis finally smothered a third attempt. But the area’s leading scorer didn’t miss in the 72nd minute, when senior Alexis Tice sent a lovely ball over the top to her teammate.
McArtor was rewarded when she ended the Vikings’ hopes for a shutout at 76 minutes.
“We were all looking forward to playing Palatine — they’re our biggest rivals, and we knew it would be a tough match from start to finish,” said Tice, who battled her counterpart, Filian for every 50-50 and second ball, whether in the air or on the turf, with a tenacity that only the two best defensive midfielders in the area bring each and every time out.
“It was a bittersweet ending to our season, for obvious reasons, but also because it was the last time that I’ll be able to coach Amanda in a high school game,” said coach Filian. “I am sure there were times her and I didn’t see eye-to-eye, but I can tell you she plays the game the way you want anyone to play, and that’s one of the things that I am going to miss.”
Filian said the experience his younger players gained during the postseason run is invaluable. Palatine will return a solid core next spring, many of whom were starters this season.
Fremd will return to the field at 7 p.m. Friday for the sectional championship against Lake Forest, a 1-0 winner over Glenbrook North.
“It took this time to come together, and to trust each other, and now we’re beginning to see just what we are capable of doing,” said Tice, a senior.