Girls soccer draw vs. Barrington feels like win to Naperville North
Having combined for 44 shutouts the last spring, it wasn't surprising to see Barrington and Naperville North scoreless 15 minutes into the second half during Monday night's season opener.
What was surprising was for the Fillies to score twice in about a two-minute span to take a 2-0 lead.
Even more shocking was the Huskies then answering with a pair of goals of their own to rally for a 2-2 tie.
"It went from 0-0 to 2-2 in a blink of an eye," Huskies coach Steve Goletz said. "I thought the first half it was a very even game, a little bit ugly, but a typical first game. I was super happy with our seniors and their leadership and how they responded from 2-0 to rally the troops and keep battling."
Barrington broke the scoreless tie with 24:18 remaining when Christine Batliner curled in a beautiful corner kick that nicked off the crossbar.
The Fillies extended their lead on a corner kick from Madi Rosen that Tina Teik headed in for the 2-0 advantage with 22:08 left.
"The first one is a dream ball that they curl in and you tip your hat," Goletz said. "The second one was a great ball that they whipped in, but we have to make it harder on them. It was too easy for her to get on it."
Momentum and a sudden 2-goal lead had things looking good for the Fillies, but it didn't last long.
"It's just frustrating when you get a 2-0 lead and you throw it away because you're not being smart and doing things the right way," Barrington coach Ryan Stengren said. "You took your foot off the gas pedal and that's what happens against a very good team."
Naperville North finally got on the scoreboard midway through the second half when sophomore Reilly Riggs showed off her athleticism. Riggs took a free kick from Shaina Dudas and redirected it with a header, which allowed Megan Benmore to finish.
The Huskies tied the game for good with 10:09 remaining when Katelyn Buescher followed in her penalty kick, which was denied by goalkeeper Samantha Schmitz. but it bounded forward and Buescher pounced on it and sent in the rebound.
"I just got lucky," Buescher said. "That's a really good goalie and that was a great save by her. I was just lucky enough for it to bounce out. My eyes zeroed in on the ball and I said this is going in, I have to put it away."
Buescher wouldn't go as far as to call the 2-2 a win, but it kind of felt that way.
"We're always gunning for a win, but to go down 2-0 and fight back and especially in Game 1, we all rallied together which I was really happy about," she said. "This team came together which is really good for our first game. I wish we would've won but I'm happy with the way it ended."
The teams split last season with the Huskies handing the defending Class 3A champs their lone loss. The Fillies did see their 20-game winning streak end. It was also their first tie since a 0-0 decision against Neuqua Valley on March 17, 2016. Coincidentally, the Fillies play the Wildcats on Thursday.
"I think (Naperville North) fought back well," Teik said. "It was just a very even game overall and that's how it turned out."