Girls soccer: Stevenson, Metea Valley earn key conference wins
Host Stevenson stunned its undefeated guest from Libertyville with a three-goal second half salvo to claim a 3-1 victory Tuesday night in a NSC contest in Lincolnshire.
Libertyville (7-1-2, 0-1-0), looking to open its NSC title defense with a victory, went out on its front foot with an early goal from freshman Danica Miller in the 8th minute off a superb cross field serve by teammate Tess McGormley. The Wildcats would then proceed most of the play into the intermission before the Patriots took control after the break.
"We all knew how good of a team Libertyville is, and how important this game was in the conference," said Patriots senior Madison Olsen.
"The key for us was not conceding a second goal to them before the half, and when we came out — got that early PK — and after that we played with a lot of confidence, and great team play."
The Patriots (5-3-2, 1-0-0) were thrown a lifeline of sorts when Morgan McKelvey was brought down in the box in the 48th minute followed by a composed spot-kick finish from Grace Harper to equalize for the home side.
"That PK really lifted our spirits, and after that our pressure and work rate was so strong right until the very end of the game," added Harper.
The visitors had a lot of success building out of the back with both Shannon Phillips and Lainey Chung at the heart of it all. However in the second half, the Patriots, by keeping fresh legs up top, allowed its forwards to press the Wildcats in their own end, slowing an attack that was rampant at times in the opening period.
"(We) created chances in the first half, and if we had made it (2-0) maybe the result might have been different," said Chung.
Freshman Sydney An ran on a superb early ball from Abby Samson at the back post to give the Patriots the lead for good.
Olsen would break the hearts of the Wildcats faithful when her powerful one-timer from in close at 61 minutes made it 3-1.
Wildcats keeper Audrey Amyot made the initial save on a wicked McKelvey effort. But in doing so, she had the ball spill free to the ever present Olsen.
"We had to defend a lot more in the first half than I would have liked us to, but we kept our heads, kept it a one-goal game, then played an almost perfect second half against a great Libertyville team to get a big win for ourselves," said Patriots coach Jay Bulev.
Next up for the Patriots is undefeated Mundelein on Thursday while Libertyville will host Lake Zurich for its senior night on Thursday.
METEA VALLEY 3, NEUQUA VALLEY 1:
Metea Valley continues to roll past its opponents after its 3-1 victory Tuesday night at Neuqua Valley (7-2-0, 1-1-0) in an important DVC contest in Naperville.
After dropping its season opening contest 1-0 to Oswego, the Mustangs have reeled off eight consecutive victories, including Tuesday when Isabelle Leofanti, Chloe Birch and Jessica Terada all bagged goals.
Birch, who is on her way to North Dakota State University in the fall, added a pair of helpers.
Metea Valley is away at Batavia on Thursday for a nonconference affair before taking on Wheaton Warrenville South on Friday in third round play at the BodyArmor Series tournament at Lyons Township.
Neuqua Valley will begin group play at the prestigious Ed Watson Naperville Invite on Friday against Downers Grove South, then MSL power Fremd on Saturday in Naperville.