Girls soccer: Conant stays perfect, downs St. Viator
Conant's girls soccer team stretched its perfect 2019 start to four games after a 2-1 victory over visiting St. Viator at Charles Feutz Field in Hoffman Estates Tuesday night.
The Cougars' dynamic scoring duo of Stephanie Mazurek and Jess Smeltzer were held scoreless by a relentless Lions (2-2-0) defensive effort but up stepped Neida Ocampo, who bagged the dramatic game-winner in the 79th minute.
"What an exciting game," said Conant head coach Jason Franco, who watched his club defeat Lake Park 1-0 in the final five minutes last time out.
"St. Viator is a good team, and even though they lost most of its starting lineup from a year ago their young players did a very good job, as did their center backs, who kept both Stephanie and Jess out of the back of their net."
The home side had most of the early play but the Lions played an efficient and sharp offside trap from the opening whistle to slow the Cougars' attack but were flagged offside six times in the first half.
"We defended a high-powered attack well tonight, with Bridget (Dezeller) doing a fantastic job on Mazurek," said Lions head coach Mike Taylor.
"We started a little slow, but got ourselves back into the game by moving the ball, using our team speed and with Megan Martin having a strong game in the middle of the park for us."
Martin took over for Payton McDonnell, who was away on a retreat, and the junior showed equal talent on both sides of the ball during an all-action effort in the nonconference match.
The Cougars would break the scoring deadlock in the 25th minute when Ocampo buried her curling 22-yard effort just over the gloves of keeper Lilly Collins.
Three minutes later, Emily Rasher would draw the Lions back level when she found a way to steer her close-range attempt through a maze of players after a corner.
Mary Ann Castelli, Caroline Sexton, Rasher and Martin were all key figures in the Lions' attack, which was slowly beginning to build a head of steam.
"We didn't defend that corner very well, and ended up giving up a soft goal because of it," lamented Franco.
"It was a very even first half, and one that we could have come out of with a 2-1 lead if not for a good save by their keeper against Claire Bottcher," said Taylor.
The Cougars had more pace and purpose in their attack after the intermission with Farrah Simpson and Maddie Celarek at the controls.
When it looked as if 80 minutes of soccer wouldn't decide the winner, Mazurek would take a ball from out of the back from Alyssa Brand, burst into the box, then connect with Ocampo.
"I got enough of the ball to get a little chip past the keeper and into the back of the net," said Ocampo. "It would have been a fair result if it ended 1-0, but I am glad we came out of it with a win."
"Tough one to lose, but I am not disappointed with our effort against one of the best (Class) 3A teams in the area," said Taylor. "We did a lot of things really well, but in the end, our fitness may have caught up to us, as well as our youth and inexperience but other than that I am real pleased with the girls."