Redhawks blank Knights to close out play in Naperville Invite

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By Darryl Mellema

While the IHSA Tournament doesn't start for two weeks, Naperville Central coach Ed Watson wants his team to start playing every match with postseason intensity.

As a result, he was somewhat displeased by the team's attacking approach in the first half of its Saturday match against Lincoln-Way Central.

The Redhawks held a vast majority in possession but failed to turn all that time with the ball in the attacking third of play into shots on goal, let alone goals.

But as the teams returned to the field following their halftime talk in a 0-0 match, Naperville Central put in its dentures, the ones that resemble Tyrannosaurus Rex teeth.

Showing much more bite in the final 40 minutes, the Redhawks put together a 3-0 victory in their final match at the Naperville Invitational.

"At halftime, (Watson) was talking, telling us that we need to make every game like it's a single-elimination game," Naperville Central's Krissy Many said.

"We could play in a game like that and it could be 0-0 at halftime and we need to be able to go out and finish off the game. To come out and put three goals away in the second half was really good."

In one sense, Saturday's game had very little riding on it. But the Redhawks turned the game into a classroom experience and seemed to have benefited from the experience.

"We changed our formation and maybe that helped us get the ball forward more," Watson said. "Some times kids possess and think they're doing a good job.

"That is a part of the game but it's not the most important part of the game. The most important part of the game is putting the ball in the net. And we didn't create enough shots in the first half."

The win was Naperville Central's third in a row and fifth in six matches. But the loss, to Downers Grove South, eliminated the Redhawks from the championship bracket of the tournament.

Scoring goals has been a bit of a struggle this year as well. Coming into Saturday's match, the Redhawks had scored three or more goals four times in 16 matches.

"We weren't going to stand for a tie or anything and this game wasn't going to go into overtime," Many said. "We knew we had to get it all over them quickly and we really wanted to test their keeper."

That renewed attacking vigor paid almost immediate dividends two minutes into the half when Many shot wide.

Then six minutes into the half, Many aimed for goal again and this time she did not miss with a curling shot from the left wing into the right side netting.

"I had a few shots that I had been shanking," Many said. "I talked to (Naperville Central assistant coach Barry Baldwin) and he said just pass it into the net, you don't have to kill it. So I did."

With the lead, the chances began to flow even more freely for the Redhawks. Hillary Scott just missed the net and Veronica Ellis forced a save.

With 15 minutes left in the match, the Redhawks doubled their lead as the culmination to one of their best passing moves of the match.

Scott began the move by knocking the ball to Alex Coon, who returned the ball to Scott, who slid a through pass that isolated four Knight defenders and left Gina Maddi alone with the goalie to beat.

"I was kind of scared because it was just me and the goalie," Maddi said. "I looked up and saw the opening."

Maddi shot low to the right and scored to put the Redhawks in a 2-0 lead. Watson said Maddi's goal was the best "team goal" of the season for his squad.

"We had multiple one-time passes in the midfield to break a girl free," Watson said. "(Maddi's) goal, by itself, wasn't too difficult.

"It was one of those where you can't give multiple assists. But multiple girls deserve credit on the goal."

As the half wore on, Watson moved some players around and played some reserves.

"It was fun to see some of our defenders try to score," Maddi said.

There was a serious point to the lineup shuffling, however.

"We've got girls who have been working very hard and their playing time has not been as much as the starting group," Watson said.

"Some of these games are good for keeping players fresh, limiting the minutes of the girls who have played a lot down the stretch and rewarding the girls who have been there as solid practice participants to keep them involved in the flow.

"Injuries can happen at any point. If you go to a kid who has been sitting for three weeks, that's unfair."

In the middle of that shuffling senior defender Chelsea Porter scored Naperville Central's third goal following a goalmouth scramble.

That goal came with two minutes to play and sealed an emphatic Redhawks victory.

Naperville Central has four games remaining and three of those are nonconference contests, starting with Tuesday's game at Plainfield North.

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