HERALD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: GLENBROOK SOUTH'S EVA VAN DER GOES
On an assist from her twin sister, Sanne, senior midfielder Eva van der Goes scored the lone goal on a penalty corner, on an untimed play at the end of the third quarter in Glenbrook South's 1-0 field hockey victory over the Latin School of Chicago on Oct. 22 in Glenview.
The victory was the Titans' 10th by shutout.
Eva van der Goes' goal, followed by rugged fourth-quarter defense and ball possession, sent No. 2 seed Glenbrook South (18-3) into the Illinois High School Field Hockey semifinals for the first time.
The Titans face No. 3 New Trier, featuring star Honor Roberts, at 7 p.m. Thursday in Winnetka.
The winner of that game will advance to Saturday's 1 p.m. championship at New Trier against the winner between No. 1 Lake Forest and No. 4 Oak Park. The loser of each semifinal plays in the third-place game at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Eva van der Goes, a four-year varsity player and two-year team captain, has scored 16 goals with 16 assists entering Thursday's match.
"She's our rock," said Titans coach Tom Rosenbaum.
Headed to play field hockey at Villanova and a member of Windy City Field Hockey's elite-level Under-19 Fire team, van der Goes is a positive leader who can use even nonverbal communication to get teammates in the proper position on the field, Rosenbaum said.
Using field hockey intelligence that "is off-the-charts," the coach said, van der Goes shows smart movement without the ball, and is an outstanding stick-handler while she has it.
She's one of those rare players who has a sixth sense of knowing where the ball will be and how a play will unfold before it actually happens.
"She dictates to the defender rather than the defender dictating to her what she's going to do," Rosenbaum said.