Freshman Kellett sparks Rosary
First to the ball and first onto the scoreboard was a deadly double-threat for Rosary’s girls soccer team on Wednesday, and visiting Kaneland had no answer to either in a 2-0 nonconference matchup.
“I think that’s something that a lot of the returning girls were doing last season,” Rosary coach Kristy Kane said. “But there are girls who were maybe a little too offensively focused or not going to the ball hard when they did not have it, are going to the ball hard — and that’s really good.”
Freshman Quincy Kellett scored both Rosary goals and was a threat throughout the game as the Royals surged forward toward the Knights goal.
“We have definitely have some great chemistry with the freshmen,” Kane said. “They haven’t played on the same team before, but it feels like they have.”
Kellett put her team ahead when she split the defense with 18 minutes left in the first half and chipped the ball over Kaneland keeper Jordan Ginther.
Molly Piech started the sequence that led to the Royals second goal with just over 1 minute left in the opening half. Piech sent a cross from the right wing that Ginther was able to get a hand to, but not stop. The ball came straight to Kellett, who tapped in from inside the six-yard box.
“The second one was all luck — being in the right place at the right time,” Kellett scored.
“It’s our second game and our first home game and it’s good to come out with the win,” Kellett said. “I don’t know. I make my runs and the team puts the ball on my feet. That’s pretty much all that goes on.”
Kellett also credited strong midfield play by Sam Duarte and Kaitlin Johnson as another reason she received the ball in so many dangerous positions.
“We practice our runs a lot,” Kellett said. “It felt more comfortable now that we were on our home grass. I’m just lucky to be there because they give me good passes. I just want to take advantage of them.”
Two matches is hardly a season, but the Royals (2-0) have clearly found a level of familiarity on the field quickly this season.
“I think team chemistry is really great,” Kane said. “All the girls are really positive about the season. I think that they’re just excited to play. I think that they’re growing with each practice, and now in each game. We know where we need to make little adjustments, we’re making.”
With Rosary winning most 50-50 balls, the frustration level was high on the Kaneland sideline.
“We didn’t come out to play today,” Kaneland coach Scott Parillo said. “We didn’t match their intensity. That’s unfortunate because I think we’re better than what we showed. But my hat’s off to Rosary. They out-hustled us, and when you out-hustle a team, you’ve got a great chance of winning.”
Rosary-Kaneland is a rivalry game, with the Royals having knocked the Knights (2-2) from the Class 2A postseason the last two seasons. Rosary also defeated Kaneland during the 2011 regular season.
“I’m tired of losing to them,” Parillo said. “I wish the girls would match that attitude. But we’ll see what happens. Last year, they beat us 3-0 in the regular season and then in the regional championship, we went to overtime. We will improve — that I know. We are going to improve.”