Girls soccer: Fremd edges Buffalo Grove on late goal
MSL West leading Fremd stunned visiting Buffalo Grove with a late own goal to claim a hard-fought 1-0 victory Monday night at Hildebrandt Field in Palatine.
With this contest drawing closer to overtime, junior Anna Schmitt unleashed a well struck attempt on frame -- only to see her effort redirected off a Bison player and past keeper Sophie Veystman, who had no chance to stop the 77th minute game-winner.
"When I looked up at the clock and saw there were just 5 minutes to go, I figured the way the game was going, we were headed into overtime, until Anna, who played a great second half for us, sent her shot in, and off one of their players, and into the back of the net," said Ashley Scesniak.
Scesniak, along with teammate Gemma Gillespie, gave the Vikings (6-1-0, 5-0-0) a solid night's work in the center of the park.
The three points earned by the home side keeps them atop the division with 15 points, with another key matchup Wednesday at reigning league champion Barrington.
"With three big games this week, it was important for us to do everything we could to get three points tonight," said Schmitt, who celebrated her game-winner with several flips in the air before being mobbed by her teammates following the own goal.
"It was a tough way to lose a game. Fremd is a solid team, but the girls played hard all throughout the night, but things just didn't go for us at the end," said BG coach, Pat Dudle, whose club is now 2-2-2 in the MSL East, and 5-4-3 overall with Palatine up next on Wednesday.
With both sides having outstanding back line units, quality chances would be few on this chilly evening. The best came in the 68th minute from the Vikings' Caeleigh Stone whose 20-yard blast was turned up and over the bar by Veytsman, who elevated at the last moment to take a sure goal out of the back of the net.
The senior keeper, who will play next fall at Illinois State University, was terrific in and around her box, communicating well with her back line mates, as well as providing strong distribution.
When the Bison were most dangerous, they would target forward Pam Bolis, whose speed and strength kept the Vikings on high alert in its own end.
"This was a game quite honestly could have gone either way," said Fremd coach Steve Keller. "Buffalo Grove has a lot of talent. But for us, I felt we had most of the play during the last 15 minutes leading up to that own goal which is always a disappointing way to lose a game."