Flaws, Glenbrook South stop Fremd

The girls soccer season came to a quiet end for Fremd on Friday night.

All-state striker Jannelle Flaws produced her 41st goal of the season, and her Glenbrook South (23-4-4) teammates dominated the middle of the park and along the back to limit the Vikings (16-5-2) to just a few scoring chances in a 1-0 victory to claim the sectional title at Palatine.

The Titans move on to meet top-rated rival New Trier on Tuesday in the Niles North supersectional.

"We were outworked and out-fought for most of a night in which we lacked a sense of urgency and passion to compete like we needed to against a very good opponent," said Fremd coach Steve Keller.

In a rematch of the 2009 sectional final, which the Vikings won 4-3 in penalty-kicks, this match didn't feature quite the same intensity. Last season, the fierce play for 120-plus minutes kept fans on edge until Fremd keeper Allison Norenberg stopped Flaws in the fifth round to give the Vikings the victory and an eventual place in the final four a week later.

"We didn't want this night to be anything like last year," said Flaws, who stayed quiet until the opportunity arose to find the back of the net.

"Eleni (Haramaras) did all of the work on the goal to put the ball into the area, and I just kept running until I ran onto the ball and put it in," said Flaws of her 143rd career goal.

"(They) really had one good chance," said Keller, "and they finished it. We had one as well, and didn't, and in a game like this, that is and can be the difference."

With Kelly Brait, Geena Campobasso and Colleen McDonagh winning nearly every ball on the ground and in the air at midfield, the Vikings rarely played through their own midfield. As a consequence, Fremd was unable to possess or attack with any real bite for the first 40 minutes.

Flaws struck the game-winner just seconds before intermission, and it held up the entire second half even after Keller, looking to add numbers and pace, moved all-state sweeper Danielle Romano into the role of attacking midfielder near the hour mark.

"I don't know if we were tired physically or emotionally, but we rarely won any 50-50 balls tonight, and didn't have the energy needed to play with (them) for 80 minutes," said Romano.

The Vikings' best chance of the evening came after a nice build-up following a corner from Michelle Mottonen from the far flag. Romano sent it back to an unmarked Mottonen at the far post, whose shot went high from 16 yards out.