April Soccer
- acphoto22
- Apr 6
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 7
March soccer is a special kind of torture. Snow, sleet, frozen rain, frozen fields, thirty mile per hour wind, all of it can make the beautiful game ugly. April soccer can be muddy, but at least the mud is warmer than March mud.
Half of the games I saw this week were played on real, live grass. The game is not completely different, but a soggy field slows the movement of the ball and the players. A natural field truly gives the home team an advantage. Players used to pushing a ball on sod develop more steel in their legs than players who spend their practices chasing a ball as it rolls across fieldturf.
It was kind of fun seeing players slipping and sliding, though it also meant I spent a chunk of Saturday cleaning cameras and monopods.
The week started for me in Park Ridge watching the Maine South Redhawks (2-2-1) host New Trier (7-0-1). It was the kind of game you would expect when two teams really want to beat one another.
New Trier came away with the win , 3-0, but the competitive play showed neither team is going to back down against a tough opponent.
Seeing the Trevians for the second time gave me a better understanding of their success. First, they attack the ball. Someone has convinced them a 50-50 ball is not to be shared. It's theirs--only theirs--100% theirs, and sharing is bad, very bad. Second, they communicate. No, they COMMUNICATE. Locations, runs, defenders, movement, offense, defense, a Trevian player is never alone. If you can hear the players' voices, you can close your eyes and you'll still know what's happening on the field.
Out in Oswego the Panthers (6-1) defeated Plainfield Central (4-2-2) by a score of 3-0. Several players on the field demonstrated a high level of skill.
Jordyn Washington scored two of the Panthers' three goals. The second goal was a shot near the eighteen from a lengthy angle.
On the other side of the ball, the Wildcats' Ava Lambert (19) showed amazing control of the ball as she made a deep run which ended with her passing to a teammate.
It was a beautiful run, and one of the few offensive threats by the Wildcats.
Saturday morning I was up early and headed to Willow Springs to watch the Lincoln-Way East Griffins (5-1) take on Lyons Township (0-2-1).
Lyons came out and scored a couple of goals early in the first half. Claire Parkhill scored the first one on a corner kick, and Caroline Mortonson scored the second with a strong shot.
The second half continued the intensity of the first half, but the Griffins kept finding ways to get to the net.
When the Griffins pulled even at 2-2, they played with confidence and kept the pressure up until they scored again.
Lyons Township has a challenging schedule and a number of talented players, so I expect to check back for another of their games.
After a hard-nosed game in Willow Springs, I headed to Lisle to watch Nazareth Academy (2-2-1) take on Benet (3-2-1).
The Redwings took a two goal lead only a few minutes into the game, and they possessed the ball for the majority of the half. By halftime, they were up 3-0.
In the second half, Benet had control of the game, but Nazareth was possessing the ball and moving into the offensive end of the field. With about fifteen minutes left on the clock, Nazareth freshman Daniella Berruti scored for the Roadrunners. Berruti was one of several young players on both sides making an impact for their team.
Spring break over for most schools, the week ahead includes some interesting games.
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