Vernon Hill scores a win against Grayslake North
Finding the back of the net is becoming an expectation for Vernon Hills' girls soccer team, and why not? The Cougars have scored 12 goals over their last four games and are unbeaten in that stretch.
Haley Lieberman knocked in two and assisted on another during a 4-goal outburst for the Cougars on Wednesday night, and Kaitlin Gramins and Katherine Koczwara had the other two goals. That was more than enough for Vernon Hills to bounce host Grayslake North 4-2 in a nonconference match in Grayslake.
"We just have such a good team at getting the ball down the field," Lieberman said. "This year, we've clicked together. I think a lot of it is that we have some quick girls with some good legs. They can get the ball down the field really far. It also helps that we have a lot of speed on this team."
The Cougars improved to 3-1-1 after getting past Lake Park 2-1 Sunday at Toyota Park. Other recent outcomes include a 4-1 win against Glenbrook North and a 2-2 tie with Deerfield. Vernon Hills suffered a 7-0 season-opening loss to powerful Buffalo Grove.
"Every year, we like to start with Buffalo Grove, Deerfield and Lake Park for a reason," Vernon Hills coach Vince Deluca said. "It tells us where we are at and if we have to get better.
"This game (against Grayslake North) was a good one too, because they're a good program. We do have a young team but we're learning to play better."
DeLuca said he appreciates the self-motivating players that help define this year's team.
"I'm not surprised of what these girls can do," DeLuca said. "In the off-season, these girls work hard. We do have a lot of players that know how to step in. A lot of credit goes to them - they got together to train, worked out, ran and conditioned. I didn't organize it. They did it themselves and ther are some great leaders on this team."
On Wednesday, Grayslake North (3-2) opened the scoring five minutes into the match as . Kelly O'Brien scored her first goal of two off an assist from Kelly Meyer. Gramins evened the score at 1-1 in the 11th minute with a 25-yard shot into a top corner.
On Lieberman's first goal, she took advantage of a ball that wasn't cleared by Grayslake North for a 2-1 VH advantage in the 27th minute.
"Kelly Hull hit the ball hard at the goal," said Lieberman, who got the loose ball. "I just saw the ball and decided I was going to go for it. I just put it towards the corner."
Lieberman added her other goal in the 42nd minute, placing it in the lower left corner to make it 3-1. The other Cougars tally went to Koczwara, assisted by Lieberman in the 47th minute.
O'Brien scored the Knights' second goal in the 78th minute.
"We got goals at the start and the finish," Grayslake North coach Adam DeCaluwe said. "In the middle there, we didn't play as well as the team we played against. Vernon Hills was a strong team. They took their chances and put us under pressure a bit. I still thought we responded well.
"We were coming off a game that was a little disappointing (a 1-0 loss to Jacobs on Tuesday night). We didn't get the result we wanted. We wanted to come out here and get a good response. I thought Vernon Hills had a tough defense for the 80 minutes."
Vernon Hills opens North Suburban Prairie Division play hosting Lakes on Thursday evening, when Grayslake North will host Dundee-Crown.