Mustangs cruise to season-opening win in Downers Grove
By Gary Larsen

Downers Grove South may not have the explosive, ODP, pre-season all-American player that every team would love to have this year, but the Mustangs are fixing to find out how far a team full of hard-working players can get them.

“I think the girls have an awesome work ethic and that shows on the field,” Mustangs senior Jessica Pikul said. “We also have a core of very strong players and returning veterans to help the younger girls this year.”

The Mustangs opened the season with a 5-0 win over visiting Lincoln-Way East, getting goals from Flo Beshiri, Jessica Bronke, Haley Holz, Sarrah Ludwig, and Kelly Stapleton. DGS took control fast, scoring just 19 seconds into the game when Emily Wauer took a ball to the end line on the left side and served a ball that Beshiri buried at the goalmouth.

At seven minutes, Bronke teed up a shot from 35 yards and sent it under the crossbar, and from there South played with energy and good cohesion for a season-opener.

“We haven’t even trained as well as we played today,” said Mustangs coach Barry Jacobson, who coached his 470th career win on Thursday. “Players that haven’t practiced all that well were outstanding today. They’re gamers. They clicked and now hopefully they have some confidence.”

Two minutes before halftime, South’s Brittany Dietz sent in a corner kick that was cleared out to Holz, who ripped a shot to the back netting from 18 yards out to make it 3-0 before halftime. Ludwig was tripped in the box and converted a penalty kick in the second half, and Stapleton scored in the game’s waning moments.

Goalkeepers Cassidy Herrmann and Amanda Meyers shared halves of play to earn the shutout.

Central defender Pikul was flanked by sophomore Lori Niehaus and junior Dietz, while Bronke and freshman Ava Porlier provided a strong physical presence defensively as well.

“We have some new girls in the back but so far they’re stepping up real well,” Pikul said. “We have a certain formation that we follow and we just have to stick to that formation and really make sure to communicate and not jump in on people, and hold our ground. We just have to play smart, calm defense.”

“We have quality kids in quality positions,” Jacobson said. “Pikul is tough, Bronke’s tough, Beshiri’s tough, Ludwig, and Ava (Porlier) is a freshman that played outstanding today. “If the other kids can come around we should be okay.”

Miami of Ohio-bound Bronke is now in her fourth season as a varsity player for Jacobson.

“She just runs the show and she has learned the game more every year,” Jacobson said. “She’s better-conditioned, she’s smart, she made a few beautiful runs for us tonight, and I just think the world of her. She’s played four years and she’s a leader for us.”

Pikul sees differences between this year’s team and last year’s version, but she likes what she’s seeing.

“Last year we had a really, really strong team, skill-wise. We don’t have as much of that skill this year but everyone is so positive on the field,” Pikul said. “When something goes wrong the older girls are there to pick up the younger girls, we’re patient with each other, and we work really work well together.”

Ludwig is recovering from wrist surgery and Wauer is still getting her legs under her after an injury, and the Mustangs will look to them to provide offense through another rock-solid schedule.

“Ludwig, Emily Wauer, Beshiri – those are the kids that are going to have to help us score,” Jacobson said. “It will be a process.  We’ll play hard and we have a big, strong, physical team that can defend. If we play our game, we’ll see if we can stay in games.

“We’ve got a long way to go. We’re not as explosive or deep as we were last year but we’ll see. The next couple weeks will show us where we need to go.”