Knights fighting well at season's end

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By Gary Larsen

Prospect may have lost its final two games of the season, a pair of 1-0 games to Fremd and Lyons Township, but the young Knights are playing well with the postseason now arrived.

Coach Tom Froats’ squad put forth an outstanding effort at home on Saturday against the Lions, before an LT goal from Hope Spangler in the 79th minute spelled doom.

“I’m real pleased,” Froats said. “I know LT is a tough and physical team and they were today, and we were willing to battle with every one-vee-one opportunity. We were strong.”

The Knights straggled off the field after the defeat in Mt. Prospect, but their heads were held high.

“I told them it was a terrific effort and that the result on the board wasn’t really fair, as far as how they played,” Froats said. “Soccer is a game you have to love to hate sometimes, and today was a hating day just because of the result.”

Against an LT possession game that stayed in high gear for most of the contest, the Knights defended well all over the pitch and got an exceptional effort from goalkeeper Megan McCabe.

Outside defender Taylor Smith’s play was an exclamation point on a fine day’s work put in by the girls in back.

“I think we put it all out there against them,” Smith said. “We didn’t let them get many good shots. We wanted to put pressure on the ball so they couldn’t shoot and get on them as fast as we can.”

“(Froats) was happy that we stuck it out against a team that’s this good. They’re a really good team.”

Froats knew his squad would have to slow two of LT’s most dangerous players in Kelsey Holbert and Katie Nasenbenny

“I thought Lizzie Robinson up top played very physical and aggressive today, and Lexi Glennon did a great job on (Holbert),” Froats said. “I thought we did a nice job of keeping both her and Nasenbenny off the board, and keeping them largely in check.”

“They had their opportunities but Megan (McCabe) came up big for us. She’s the real deal, a terrific player, and she’s fearless.”

Prospect was mainly dangerous on the counterattack on Saturday, and Knights’ forward Susie Lello was a threat throughout. Lello sent the second of two good shots in the first half on Lions keeper Renata Butikas, who handled them both in helping the Lions to their 9th shutout in 19 games.

After a scoreless first half, LT’s Lauren Grissim tested McCabe in the 55th minute, and Nasenbenny streaked in up the left side on the dribble but McCabe took the shot off her foot.

Lello fired on Butikas late in the contest, and Prospect’s Jessie Petrovski sent a follow-up shot just high of net, before Spangler finally made her side’s effort pay off.

Spangler’s shot from 23 yards out floated high in the air before falling under the crossbar at the post. “They hit a beautiful shot to win but Megan did a great job back there,” Smith said. “We always appreciate her hard work.”

Lello also did whatever she could to help her squad on Saturday.

“She’s working extremely hard, both offensively and defensively,” Froats said. “Unfortunately for her she’s not going in one-vee-one. She’s going in one-vee-two or one-vee-three. So we have to get her in a better position to score because she is extremely dangerous for us.”

Froats has been happy with the progress this year of a Prospect (12-7-2) team that is painfully young.

“I think we’ve gotten a lot better. When you’re on the wrong side of the score sometimes it’s hard for them to see that, but hopefully they’re keeping the faith,” he said.

“But all you want to see as a coach is that your kids are fighting hard, and see improvement throughout the season, and that’s what we’ve done. We’re looking for great things in the postseason, so hopefully we’ll get some rest and come out battling on Tuesday.”
 
The ninth-seeded Knights take on No. 8 Warren in a Class 3A regional opener on Tuesday at Libertyville. A win would likely pit them in a regional final against the top seed of the Palatine sectional, Glenbrook South.

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