Stevenson goes on the offensive

After a season-opening scoreless tie with New Trier last week, Stevenson's girls soccer team had been working hard to find its offense.

Mission accomplished.

Katie Krejsa scored twice and Olivia Whalen had the other goal plus an assist as Stevenson skipped past visiting Evanston 3-0 in a nonconference match in Lincolnshire on Tuesday night.

“Olivia and Katie combined on a lot of good stuff,”said Stevenson coach Mark Schartner, whose team is 1-0-1. “The fact that they got goals and assists — they were just all over the place.

“We worked for several days in practice on making better runs, and it paid off. They were working on their angles, and it was so much better.”

Whalen got the Patriots on the board with 14 seconds left in the first half. She scored after a dead-ball kick from keeper Lizzy Sanscrainte.

Krejsa scored the other two goals five minutes apart in the second half. She got her first in the 59th minute with an assist from Megan Patrick.

Whalen set up the other with a cross, and Krejsa finished it.

“We pulled together more in the second half,” said Krejsa, a junior who had 11 goals last year. “We were able to connect a lot more passes.

“Both goals that I had were more from hard work and scrapping it out. It wasn't necessary a perfect through-ball. It was more persistence and going at it.”

Sanscrainte earned her second straight shutout. She made 4 stops against Evanston (1-2-1).

“The last minute that (Stevenson) got a goal on us (first half) took the wind out of our sails,” Evanston coach Tasha Nemo said. “I think we gave them their confidence. I don't think Stevenson was a bad team. But we lost things mentally.”