Spartans tested by Trinity, post a 2-0 win

By Gary Larsen

St. Francis has never been this ready to make a run at a sectional title in girls’ soccer.

All that stands in the Spartans’ way is defending Class 2A state champion Wheaton Academy, after the Spartans’ 2-0 win over Trinity in a sectional semifinal game on Wednesday.

“Trinity definitely gave us a run for our money,” Spartans’ sophomore Sydney Fox said. “And in this game, playing as strong as we did, we proved ourselves and it got us so much more pumped for Wheaton Academy.”

Spartans’ first-year coach Meg Boler was happy to see her second-seeded squad tested by No. 3 Trinity, which came out hard and applied good pressure to St. Francis early on.

“Sectional games should be the best of the best. I want to play and the girls want to play, and having someone that steps up our intensity – that’s a sectional game. I love these types of games,” Boler said.

“I was nervous those first couple of minutes, but then we stepped up.”

One ongoing problem for the Spartans was a Trinity back line that played up high all night long. There were 15 offside calls against St. Francis for the night, and Boler pulled Fox and Andi Matichak out of the game to

“All season we’ve been playing over the top and using Andi’s speed, and Syd’s speed,” Boler said. “We’re so used to that and not having teams push up on us, we had to adjust.”

“We had to make sure we were making switching runs, going side-to-side, instead of just going straight when the ball was played,” Fox said. “Because we were getting caught, every time. Coach Boler talked to us and told us to make sure we kept a straight line, and kept switching.”

Fox broke behind the Trinity defense on the dribble in the 23rd minute but was turned away with a diving save at the post. Three minutes later, Matichak sent a ball forward that Fox ran down, took to the end line, and crossed perfectly to the far post.

The Spartans’ Sarah Rahman was there to bury it for the 1-0 lead.

The game’s second goal came five minutes before halftime. Fox fought for a ball near the flag in the left-side corner, and with her back to the goal she popped up a sky-high serve that teammate Anna Vonderhaar got onto and finished at the far post.

“There was obviously some luck involved with that one,” Fox said.
“I’m proud of all my girls today,” Boler said. “They did an excellent job. Everyone came together and did their part, and those goals were beautiful – cross, header, a volley – they were gorgeous.

Getting ready for Wheaton Academy, this was the perfect game for us to play. For Friday I am more than excited to go into that game.”

“I think that’s the most Jenna has had to sprint in a very long time,” Boler said of her freshman central defender. “The speed on (Trinity) – they were a tough team and it was a sectional game the way it should be.”

The Spartans (15-8-1) gave top-seeded Wheaton Academy (17-3-1) all it could handle in a Suburban Christian Conference game on May 13, which the Warriors won in a shootout. Meagan Gitchell scored for the Spartans, while Crystal Thomas tallied for the Warriors.

“We’ve pushed so hard as a team, and to make it this far and to play this well – that makes us want to play even better in the Wheaton Academy game,” Fox said of the rematch. “We’re having so much fun. I don’t want the season to end yet.”

The rematch will carry with it a sectional title, at 4:00 at Elmwood Park on Friday. The winner there will advance to a Class 2A Super-Sectional at Benedictine College on Tuesday, against the winner between Nazareth Academy and University High.