Grens fall to Prospect in MSL showdown
By Mike Garofola

When the stars, Mother Nature and your Thor-Guard are all in alignment, then maybe the soccer galaxy is ready to shine for you.

Such was the case with Prospect on Friday night.

The Lady Knights withstood yet another bizarre night of weather, including several outbursts of snow showers, rain, strong winds, and two unexpected delays when the school’s Thor-Guard lightning detection system sounded.

Prospect also withstood Elk Grove to come away with three vital MSL points after defeating the visiting Grens 3-1 on Friday evening.

Emily Novak's second-half double and some courageous defending by the home side kept Tom Froats' club within striking distance of MSL power Buffalo Grove, making Monday’s MSL East match with the Bison a monumental one in the conference.

Froats will take his club into Monday's MSL match at home with 13 points to BG's 18 at kick-off.

"In a way it's hard to think that we would be 9-1-2 this year after losing ten seniors,” Froats said. “But this is a real team, one that plays and gets together, and certainly plays hard for 80 minutes with real effort and energy."

"It's what all of us have been looking forward to,” Prospect’s Rosie Pettenuzzo said. “We know that Buffalo Grove is a great team but we also feel we’ll be ready physically and mentally for them."

Pettenuzzo was moved from her customary spot at midfield to the backline to take over for injured mate Trisha Benson.

"It's all about helping and doing what's good for the team, so the move back was no big deal,” Pettenuzzo said. “Besides, that's the position I play in club so I was very comfortable in that role.”

Prospect wasn’t the only team on Friday with future ramifications tied to the contest. Elk Grove had an eye on Buffalo Grove as well, in addition to the upcoming sectional seeding process, which begins on Wednesday.

"This was a big game for us on several fronts," Grens coach Dan Klaus said. "It was a given that St. Charles North and South were the 1-2 seeds in our sectional (at Hoffman Estates) but numbers three and four were up for grabs.

"We had a win over Conant (1-0) and they have been playing very well, and obviously so has Prospect. A win tonight would have gone a long way towards a higher (sectional) seed, in addition to keeping close in the (MSL) table."

The early signs were good for the Grens, who looked impressive playing in the cold and wind, and playing through Sarah Stram and Kelly Naughton, who were both dangerous and able to target Nikki Zaino up top on a regular basis.

Zaino ran freely through to head a Jocelyn Potratz freekick wide at 10 minutes, then veered an attempt wide when she took in a Stram helper minutes later.

"Jocelyn's play in the back as a first-year starter has really allowed us to do a lot of different things with our lineup and formation," Klaus said.

Stram nearly found the back of the net at 13 minutes, and would have done so if not for a nicely-timed leap and punch from Prospect keeper Eileen McTigue, who elevated to push the Stram shot up and over from in close.

The Lady Knights would continue to escape damage, despite having their guests in their end for most of the first half hour.

"I really like what Dan does with the way his club attacks, and they really have a couple of players like (Zaino) and (Naughton) on the outside that get their attack up and going," Froats said.

With Pettenuzzo and backline mates Elena Cukurs, Jenny Novak, and Hannah Trezise defending like crazy, the Grens poured forward and put Zaino and Stram in position once again to strike on three more occasions.

But unfortunately for the Grens, no goals were forthcoming.

"I would have liked to see what the outcome would have been if we put one of those into the back of the net during that first half," Klaus said.

The home side fought back when Novak battled her way through a crowd and fired on frame, forcing a save from Elk Grove keeper Melissa Solorio at 31 minutes.

That shot and save signaled a frantic final 10 minutes before intermission, with plenty of up-and-down play that saw Prospect become more dangerous than its visiting opponent.

"It took us awhile to get going and when we did, we were able to create some chances and keep (Elk Grove) back in its own end a little more," Novak said.

Kim Welk, Rachel Suarez and Andi Marfilius had something to do with the resurgence, along with Allison McCabe, who tricked her way in close before having a go at Solorio.

Halfway through the break, the Thor-Guard alarm shrieked and sent everyone to the usual lightning delay before the second half began.

"After that first delay, we didn't come out very strong at all," admitted Novak.

Elk Grove’s Potratz, Stephanie Solis, Emily Wary and Alyson Czyzewski helped make sure of that with strong tackling and man-marking skills, keeping Prospect without a goal.

Elk Grove broke the ice when the speedy Naughton dis-possessed her opponent and then raced up the left side from the mid-line.

At the corner flag, Naughton turned her marker inside out, roared up the endline, and curved her angled shot past McTigue just inside the near post. "That goal gave us so much momentum and confidence, but as quick as we had all of that we gave it away," Naughton said.

"I made a mistake with a foul at the top of the box, and No. 10 (Novak) hit a great shot. You can't take that away from her."

That foul came after a second lightning delay. From the edge, Novak curled home her 20-yard freekick to draw her club even at 64 minutes.

"I saw where Melissa (Solorio) lined up and there was an opening for me to go for, and I did," said Novak.

It wouldn't be long before the junior would put her club up for good, once again with her powerful and accurate left foot.

The Prospect midfielder drilled a 22-yarder just inside the far post after having enough time and space to turn and fire, giving the Lady Knights one-goal advantage at 74 minutes.

"We were an entirely different team after that second delay. We played the way we all know that we can," offered Pettenuzzo.

Sarah LaCost would ensure safe passage for the Lady Knights when she headed over Solorio three minutes from time after Cukurs and Suarez initiated the play.

“I thought for the first 15 to 20 minutes we dominated play like no other time this season, but (Prospect) responded to our first goal very well,” Klaus said. “In fact, I would say all four goals tonight were very good goals to watch and see finished.

"But we didn't do very well after that second delay, and they did. We played hard, and did what we could do, but lost to the better team tonight."

The Grens (5-3-0, 3-2-0) will have a trio of MSL clubs this week, beginning with Schaumburg at home on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Prospect will ready itself for an unbeaten Buffalo Grove team on Monday.

"To have the chance to play maybe the best team in the MSL, and one of the best in the state, in a meaningful game at our place is something all of us really have wanted for some time,” Froats said. “I know I’m looking forward to Monday just as much as the girls.”