Falcons can't finish in loss to West Chicago
By Eddie Burns

 

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One message West Chicago coach J. Cesar Gomez had for his team at halftime was to earn a corner kick situation.

It the Wildcats some time, but they finally managed to do so in the 67th minute and it led to the winning goal during a 1-0 victory against Wheaton North on Thursday night in West Chicago.

Cassie Thill took the corner attempt and she sent the ball into the penalty area. The Falcons’ defense quickly cleared the ball back out, but the ball bounced to Thill who resent the ball in toward the Wheaton North goal.

The ball sailed just beyond the reach of Wheaton North goalie Jessica Kiely and into the goal.

“I don’t know,” said Thill when asked if her attempt on goal was a crossing attempt or a shot. “It was kind of a mixture between both of them. I was just trying to get the ball on net because good things can happen when that occurs. We worked very hard the last 40 minutes. You just don’t get the results of all the time.”

Wheaton North coach Tim McEvilly said it was one of those plays that occur in soccer.

“The ball just drifted and it was hard to defend – there was really nothing (Kiely) could do,” McEvilly said.

In the early stages of the second half, the Falcons (3-4, 1-3 DuPage Valley Conference), had their best scoring chance when Sydney Sharkey slipped the ball past goalie Cat Canestrelli, but West Chicago (4-5-1, 2-0) freshman defender Stephanie Mata raced back and cleared the ball off the line to keep the game scoreless.

“It was a good shot, but it wasn’t hard it enough,” Sharkey said.

Gomez pointed to Mata’s effort.

“We need people to make plays like that,” Gomez said. “Our motto this year is, ‘Don’t just try to survive, but try to make a difference.’ Mata’s play was someone who was trying to make a difference.” 

The Falcons have yet to score in their first two matches since they returned from playing matches in South Carolina and Georgia during their spring break.

“We played our best two games of our entire lives (during spring break) and we’ve not followed it up,” Sharkey said. “It is hard to see that we have not come back and played all that well – it is a bit discouraging, but I have faith in our team.”

There were positives the Falcons took away from the match as sophomore defender Lyndi Armstrong continues to develop at the outside back position while holding midfielders Lauren Szumski and Allison Martinez are really playing into and learning to identify their roles.

“We just have to be more consistent, maintain possession and not allow things to get through along the back,” McEvilly said.

Gomez also like a lot about what he saw from his side, and Canestrelli’s solid effort in goal was where he started.

“She was huge,” Gomez said. “She had been struggling as of late and it was big for her to play well.”

Junior Shanda Maldonado also continues to grow into her role at sweeper. Maldonado’s emergence has allowed Shelly Molskow move from the back to the forward position.

“Shanda is starting to believe that she belongs (at the varsity level) and she is really establishing herself,” said Gomez, who played 18 players in the first half. “Shelly is playing forward and she is really coming around.”

The Wildcats also welcomed back Jenny Amaro, who had been away on a family vacation.