North Stars enjoy the wide open spaces in a 6-0 win

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By Gary Larsen
Story photos courtesy of Chris Manski

Saint Charles North practices on a field that’s two parts hardened mud and one part grass, where true rolls and bounces are hard to come by.

Sending the North Stars out onto the artificial turf of Streamwood’s Millennium Field on Tuesday was like turning a bunch of kids loose in a candy store.

“It’s wide and flat and our practice field is neither,” North Stars coach Ruth Vostal. “It was nice to get them spread out and see what we can do, and I thought the first 25 minutes in we knocked the ball around really well. We had some great combinations.”

North’s 6-0 win over South Elgin showcased its speed and attacking promise throughout. The North Stars’ attack carried the day and barely allowed the Storm a legitimate shot on frame.

“When we get the opportunity to play on turf, everyone gets so excited,” North Stars senior Paige Dusek said. “So everyone was pumped for this and I think that played a big role in why we were successful today.”

The stats from Tuesday’s game read a lot like the stats from North’s 6-0 win over Lockport on Saturday. Both games featured goals by Dusek, Leah DeMoss, and Alyssa Peterson, and both games saw goalkeeper Kristen Manski post a shutout.

Dusek converted a penalty kick and ran onto a DeMoss through-ball in scoring twice, DeMoss and Peterson scored a goal each before halftime, and Kirsten Brown and Alecia Natale also scored in the win.

There was a difference between the two 6-0 wins, however.

“We had goals coming here today after our first game. We wanted to have tighter marks on the outside, so we were a little more disciplined,” Vostal said. “Finding feet and having better all-team defense – those were our goals, and I thought we did them ten times better than we did against Lockport.”

The North Stars’ attacking players will doubtlessly get their share of attention this season, but as their schedule gets tougher they’ll need the girls in back to show their stuff.

Keeper Manski and defender Maryl Behm are North’s lone returning back-line players this season. “Manski’s a great goalkeeper,” Dusek said. “We have a tough time against her in practice. We can’t score on her sometimes. She’s always prepared and she’s one of the best players on the team.”

Behm’s veteran leadership as a central defender will also key the back line this season.

“I think we have some strong people in front of me,” Manski said. “Maryl Behm is really good in the middle and Kara Miller is really good out wide. We just need to work on our consistency because we really haven’t seen much yet, so we don’t really know how things will go until we’re under more pressure.”

Vostal also likes the potential she sees in back. “Kara Miller is tough. She’ll be able to mark the big gun on the other team,” she said. “And both KK (Barr) and Kaitlyn Batka are playing well right now.”

“When we went into tryouts I think we picked up nine or ten defenders. When we split and work on offense-defense, I only have nine girls on offense.”

There is also a second Manski on the North Stars’ roster that Vostal was particularly pleased with on Tuesday.

“Lisa Manski,” Vostal said. “She’s a sophomore and she was playing stopper today. We told her the ball can’t bounce. She wasn’t heading it perfectly but she was getting herself in position to head it, so she’s listening and picking up what we want her to do.”

The North Stars’ hard play was also evident throughout the contest.

“We’re not cocky but you have to go into every game confident that you’re going to outwork your opponent, outrun them, and play tougher than them. I think everyone on the team is confident that we can beat any team,” Dusek said. “We know we have to work harder, and we’re willing to put the effort in.”

“In the end it pays off, as it did today.”