Pouse's long shot lifts Schaumburg past Elk Grove

Stephanie Pouse has been letting her kicks fly from all over the field.

The Schaumburg junior defender let one loose from midfield, and with a little bounce, it found the back of the net Friday.

"Taking far shots are my thing," she said. "I wanted to get (the shot) up as much as possible because I knew the ball would slide."

Pouse thought Elk Grove goalie Missy Regan had made the save, as evidenced by Pouse's delayed reaction to the goal.

"I thought she had it and (when I realized it went in) I went into complete shock," she said.

Pouse's goal proved to be enough for her and the rest of her teammates as they captured the West Chicago regional crown with a 1-0 victory over their Mid-Suburban League rival. The Saxons will meet the winner of today's Conant-St. Charles East game on Tuesday.

"We played awesome defense," Schaumburg goalie Brooke Schocker said. "I trust them, but I always have to be on my toes."

The Saxons (15-2-3) earned themselves a sectional game that will be played at a familiar site: Their home field.

"We're happy for the opportunity," said Schaumburg coach Greg Charvat. "It's the first sectional at our school."

The Grens (12-7-3) stuck around all game and made things interesting, looking as if they could tie the game at any moment.

"We played a little better in the second half," said Elk Grove coach Dan Klaus. "We forced some free kicks and got some opportunities, but their defense did a great job.

"It's hard to find satisfaction when you don't win a regional, but we will take a lot from this season. The second half of the season we found ourselves and played well. I'm proud of our season."

Klaus and the Grens have much to look forward to, as they return every starting field player.