Larkin handles Elgin
The Larkin girls soccer team is all of sudden on a winning streak.
After going winless in their first 14 matches, the Royals won their second consecutive match Tuesday night, beating crosstown rival Elgin 5-1 at Memorial Field.
“As the season has gone on, we’ve just gotten better,” Royals coach Ken Hall said. “We’ve improved. At the beginning of the year, we had a long way to go. They’ve worked very hard. They’re getting better and now we’re beginning to see a little bit of benefit from that.”
Larkin (2-12-2, 1-3-1) defeated Wheeling 2-1 on Saturday and followed that with a dominant performance against the short-handed Maroons.
“It feels good to get back to our winning ways,” said Royals sophomore Amanda Lane, who had a hat trick. “It’s at the end of the season and everything we’ve been practicing is finally starting to come together.”
Kaylee Sullivan got the Royals started just 4:36 into the match. Leslie Avalos was onside chasing a long ball from Abby Alvarez. Avalos put a ball across the penalty area to Sullivan, who finished near post for a 1-0 lead.
Larkin increased the lead 4 minutes later as Avalos dispossessed an Elgin defender near midfield. Avalos, who Hall said played her best match, ran past a defender to get to the loose ball for a breakaway. The junior’s shot went over Elgin goalkeeper Marisela Mascote and just under the crossbar for a 2-0 lead.
Lane made it 3-0 as she stole the ball 30 yards out and was alone on Mascote. Kane scored low to the far post with 28:33 left in the first half as the Royals scored three times in less than 7 minutes.
“There’s no doubt about it, we circled this game on the schedule,” Hall said. “They beat us last year for the first time so we wanted to get a little payback today.”
Lane added a pair of goals in the second half to complete her hat trick.
Elgin was without three starters because of injuries or suspension. Goalkeeper Kayla Rodriguez and forward Amani Salinas were injured in a collision at practice Monday and sweeper Mokena Heffernan received a red card in the Maroons last match, forcing her to miss Tuesday’s match. Maroons coach Sarah Marks said Rodriguez needed eight stitches on her knee and found out just before game time she would not be cleared to play. Salinas suffer a broken left leg and will miss the rest of the season.
Marks had to dress four players, including Mascote, from the junior varsity team to have a few substitutes on the bench. Mascote, who Elgin coach Sarah Marks said was playing in just her second match in goal at any level, finished with eight saves.
The lone Maroons goal came on a 20-yard free kick from Jennifer Lopez with 25:35 remaining in the second half. Elgin had only 1 shot on goal in the first half, but was much more aggressive in the second.
“This is a big rivalry for them. They know a lot of the girls. They look forward to this,” Marks said. “They just had to be reminded (at halftime) that this is their game and what they been working for and looking forward to all season and not to let it go so easily.”
Larkin’s Diana Hernandez made 10 saves, including 9 in the second half.
“I felt so excited and ready,” Hernandez said. “It’s our rival and I know their coach and Elgin players. It’s just exciting.”