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Girls soccer: CL Central wins physical game over Dundee-Crown

Brooklynn Carlson screamed when she scored her second goal against Dundee-Crown on Tuesday.

Not only did the Crystal Lake Central forward's goal give her team a two-goal lead with under two minutes left in the match, it sealed a 3-1 win in a critical Fox Valley Conference matchup where there were three yellow cards in the second half.

After going through a battle like the one the Tigers had on Tuesday, Carlson couldn't help but scream.

"I was so happy," Carlson said. "I remember after I scored I screamed 'let's go.' It felt good to be on top 3-1."

Crystal Lake Central (9-2, 4-1 FVC) and Dundee-Crown (8-4, 3-2) entered Tuesday's match tied at the top of the FVC with McHenry. While players and coaches from both teams knew each conference match was important, they also knew a key win toward a conference title was at stake Tuesday.

The two teams moved the ball around the field as they tried to get a feel for the match for the first 10 minutes, but the Tigers struck first when Carlson scored her first goal of the match off of a free kick pass from Sam Sander with 30:16 left in the first half.

Central kept up the pressure for much of the first half and scored again when Lizzie Gray scored off of a rebound from D-C goalkeeper Giselle Mata with 14:01 left in the first half.

D-C turned it around in the second half, switching top-scorer Berkley Mensik from the top of the Chargers formation to the middle since the team struggled to get the ball to her in the first half. Menisk started to create more chances in the second half, and hit a corner kick that Katherine Raby headed in to make it 2-1 with 36:43 left in the match.

The two teams continued to battle as the Chargers kept up their intensity and got good looks that Tigers goalkeeper Addison Cleary kept knocking away.

Central earned a free kick after Mensik picked up a yellow card for a hit and Carlson knocked in her second goal from a free kick pass from Katilin Gaunaurd with 1:57 left in the match.

"The girls showed their mental toughness and ability to not get down no matter what's going on on the field," Central coach Sarah Fack said. "No matter the circumstances, they're able to stick with it as a team, stay positive and find a way, and they found a way to get three goals. It was a nice result for them."

The Chargers showed a different intensity in the second half after not looking sharp for much of the first. Mensik created different opportunities, but the Tigers made sure to take her out of the match as much as possible by shifting the defense so they could limit the passing limits for the Chargers star player.

Ultimately, a 2-0 hole was too much to overcome.

"I thought we were a totally different team in the second half, so for us, it's stacking two halves together and not being down," D-C coach Rob Moulton said. "It's hard to be down 2-0 and start to play."

D-C will host McHenry on Thursday while Central will host Crystal Lake South on the same day.

With Tuesday's win and McHenry's overtime loss to Hampshire on Tuesday, the Tigers are alone in first place in the conference standings with four matches left to play.

While Tuesday's win was a big step for the Tigers as they try to win a conference title, they know there's still work left to be done before they can celebrate.

"It was nice to get the win," Fack said. "We still have plenty of games left, but we knew it was important."

Dundee-Crown's Berkley Mensik controls the ball in front of Crystal Lake Central's Sadie Quinn, left, and Maddie Gray, right, during a Fox Valley Conference soccer match Tuesday April 26, 2022, between Crystal Lake Central and Dundee-Crown at Dundee-Crown High School. Gregory Shaver/for Shaw Media
Dundee-Crown's Ashley McAtee dives after the ball in Crystal Lake Central's Carter Thompson tries to score during a Fox Valley Conference soccer match Tuesday April 26, 2022, between Crystal Lake Central and Dundee-Crown at Dundee-Crown High School. Gregory Shaver/for Shaw Media
Crystal Lake Central's Carter Thompson congratulates her teammate, Lizzie Gray, after Gray scored a goal during a Fox Valley Conference soccer match Tuesday April 26, 2022, between Crystal Lake Central and Dundee-Crown at Dundee-Crown High School. Gregory Shaver/for Shaw Media
Crystal Lake Central's Maddie Gray and Dundee-Crown's Emilia Arias battle for the ball during a Fox Valley Conference soccer match Tuesday April 26, 2022, between Crystal Lake Central and Dundee-Crown at Dundee-Crown High School. Gregory Shaver/for Shaw Media
Dundee-Crown's Berkley Mensik tries to get to the ball in front of Crystal Lake Central's Chelsea Iles during a Fox Valley Conference soccer match Tuesday April 26, 2022, between Crystal Lake Central and Dundee-Crown at Dundee-Crown High School. Gregory Shaver/for Shaw Media
Crystal Lake Central's Olivia Anderson tries to control the ball as it falls between her and Dundee-Crown's Alejandra Melo during a Fox Valley Conference soccer match Tuesday April 26, 2022, between Crystal Lake Central and Dundee-Crown at Dundee-Crown High School. Gregory Shaver/for Shaw Media
Crystal Lake Central's Olivia Anderson kicks the ball as Dundee-Crown's Giselle Farias grabs her during a Fox Valley Conference soccer match Tuesday April 26, 2022, between Crystal Lake Central and Dundee-Crown at Dundee-Crown High School. Gregory Shaver/for Shaw Media
Crystal Lake Central's Sadie Quinn heads the ball in front of Dundee-Crown's Berkley Mensik during a Fox Valley Conference soccer match Tuesday April 26, 2022, between Crystal Lake Central and Dundee-Crown at Dundee-Crown High School. Gregory Shaver/for Shaw Media
Dundee-Crown's Kate Raby, left, heads the ball over the defense of Crystal Lake Central's Olivia Anderson, center, and Shaylee Gough, right, for a goal during a Fox Valley Conference soccer match Tuesday April 26, 2022, between Crystal Lake Central and Dundee-Crown at Dundee-Crown High School. Gregory Shaver/for Shaw Media
Crystal Lake Central's Sam Sander tries to keep Dundee-Crown's Berkley Mensik off the ball during a Fox Valley Conference soccer match Tuesday April 26, 2022, between Crystal Lake Central and Dundee-Crown at Dundee-Crown High School. Gregory Shaver/for Shaw Media
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