Girls soccer: Deerfield handles wind, Lake Zurich
Deerfield would shine in the rain and wind Tuesday night at Adams Stadium, with sophomore Emily Fox and teammate Riley Schimanski providing the inspiration in the Warriors' 4-1 nonconference victory over visiting Lake Zurich.
Strong winds greeted both clubs followed by a steady rain after the break in which the Warriors (8-1-1) played as if it were dry conditions. Fox and Schimanski each scored to dash the hopes of a Bears (5-3-1) comeback.
"We had to chase two first-half goals heading into the half, and then No. 8 (Fox) made it 3-0 just minutes into the second half (but) when Riley (Irvin) scored our first, I really felt like the momentum of the game was going to shift in our direction. But their back line, keeper, and their work up top never really allowed us to create enough chances with the wind at our backs," said Bears coach Mike Castronova.
"They are a very good 2A team, and should go far. We overcame a tough start, had a few chances for ourselves in the first half, hit the post in the second half, and played with a lot of heart right up until the end. (So) we'll look at the film tomorrow, and see what we need to correct."
Senior Ally Linn gave the home side the perfect start in the 11th minute with her angled shot that landed in the far inside netting. Then it was Ryanne Emory who doubled the Warriors' advantage at 27 minutes with a sublime chip over Bears keeper Paige Grossenbacher with the help of a strong breeze.
Sophomore Lauren Bailey, who turned in a solid effort up top for the visitors, came close to pulling a goal back just after the Emory goal. And if not for a valiant save off the line by Emma Gassman, the Bears would have made it a 2-1 contest at the break.
Castronova would go to three forwards to begin the second period. With Bailey, Sam Keating and Kaylie Piggott more active up top, it looked as if the switch may pay dividends until Fox stunned the Bears with a sensational finish - into the wind - from 20 yards.
"That goal by Emily was a big one for us because it gave us a lot of confidence, plus a three-goal advantage, (and) for us we played more possession soccer after her early goal," said Warriors senior Holly Deutsch, who last season led her club with 23 assists.
Irvin unloaded a long-range free kick that exploded into the net in just 60 seconds after the Fox goal. But Schimanski restored the three-goal lead thanks to a wonderful helper by Deutsch in the 72nd minute.
Irvin rattled the back post moments later with another free kick blast.
"That first goal they scored was a wake-up call for us, and I thought after that we began to slowly get into the game, defended much better, won more balls in the midfield, played under control better, and just played better overall soccer," said senior Karlee Walsh, who will attend the University of Illinois in the fall, where she hopes to study finance and international business.
Next up for the Bears will be its NSC opener against Warren, while the Warriors host Grayslake North this Saturday morning.