Huskies search for cohesion in a 2-0 loss to Fremd

By Eddie Burns

Naperville North’s players are not on the same page and they better get there quickly since the postseason looms on the horizon.

The Huskies were out of sorts during their 2-0 loss to Fremd in a quarterfinal match of the 13th annual Naperville Invite played on Thursday night in Naperville.

North has spent a good portion of the past few weeks working in new players at different positions, but something is still missing.

“We’re changing everything up,” said North senior Kristina Dolak, who has moved from defense to offense. “I’ve been forward for two to three games and it is something I have to get back into.

I’m used to looking for a different kind of a ball as a defender, but now I have to learn what the midfielders want out of me right now. I also have to communicate and work with (fellow forward) Zoe Swift and see what she’s looking for up top with me. I have to look more into give-and-go’s instead of the long balls.”

It was evident – especially in the first half when the Huskies had the win at their back – that North was not in sync. The Huskies failed to put together many dangerous threats on Fremd goalie Allison Norenberg.

“We got too direct,” North coach Brent Terada said. “The plan was to play to feet and try to turn and combine down wind, but it didn’t happen.”

Dolak said a big reason the strategy wasn’t followed through was because the players were not operating as a unit.

“We have to learn how to talk with each other because our communication is down and messed up right now,” Dolak said. “We were on different pages. Zoe and I thought everyone was doing one thing, but that wasn’t the case. The forwards thought we were trying to look for feet and the midfielders thought we were looking for the over the top ball. We just weren’t communicating and that is one thing we have to work on.”

Terada agreed to a certain point.

“That could have been the case and is something we’ll try to fix,” said Terada about the lack of dialogue between his players. “Zoe and Kristina haven’t figured out how to work together yet and hopefully it will come.”

One thing the Huskies definitely must correct is their ability to defend restarts because an all too familiar scene broke out as the Huskies allowed a goal off a restart.

“We gave up a goal on a restart – again,” Terada said. “We’ve been terrible on restarts. Ultimately, in the losses that we’ve had, we’ve given up one goal in the run of play and the rest have come off restarts.”

Fremd’s Danielle Romano played a restart from 45 yards out and a North player won the ball, but the Huskies failed to reinforce their attempt to clear, which allowed Fremd’s Elise Kotsakis a chance to recover. Kotsakis gained possession with her back the North goal, turned and fired a shot past Huskies’ goalie Allison Hitchcock to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead in the 47th minute.

“We won the first ball, but we didn’t bring pressure to that second and it cost us,” Terada said. 

North’s best scoring chance came in the first half when Jamie Meno sent a ball in high with the wind and the ball bounced off the turf and it went off the crossbar.

Outside of Meno’s chance and a quick rush before halftime, the Huskies did not do a good job of utilizing the wind at their back.

“Anytime you don’t get a goal you are never really all that excited,” Terada said.

Dolak said the Huskies lack the energy and excitement they had earlier this season.

“It is weird right now because coming into the year we were going in harder than we are now and we have to get that mentality back,” Dolak said. “I don’t know if we were playing hard, but everyone seemed more excited earlier this season and now the season is getting longer.”

North (8-3-2) was held without a goal for the fourth time this season and has been outscored 8-0 in its three losses to Waubonsie Valley, Naperville Central and Fremd (10-2-1).

“We’ve lost in the big games,” Dolak said. “It just seems like if we get unfocused for a minute that the opponent takes that opportunity and seizes it and capitalizes on it.  We have to stay focused for 80 minutes and we’re not doing that right now.”

North concludes the tournament with an 8 a.m. home match against St. Viator on Saturday. Fremd moves into the semifinals where it faces New Trier at 7 p.m. Friday at Naperville Central.