Warriors' 9-game win streak snapped by Fremd
By Matt Le Cren
Aside from a season-opening 1-0 win over St. Charles East, Fremd has not had much luck against winning teams this spring, dropping three one-goal decisions to quality opponents.
That changed Friday night.
Michelle Mottonen bent in a corner kick for the game’s only goal and goalie Christine Piasecki turned in her best performance of the season as the Vikings upset Waubonsie Valley 1-0 on the opening night of the Naperville Invitational.
“I think this is a huge win,” Mottonen said. “We were coming out expecting the harder conditions playing in this weather but we knew this would be a huge win for us because we haven’t had the best track record so far in conference.
“I think this will be a big boost in confidence for our team. We played really well and it’s a good learning experience.”
The weather couldn’t have been much worse, as steady snow showers exacerbated the frigid temperatures that have been the norm this season. But both sides played well, producing quality soccer with few mistakes.
As these matches often do, it came down to which team would get the break and the Vikings (4-3-2) got it with 11:11 remaining in the second half.
Mottonen, who hit the crossbar with a 19-yard free kick in the first half, takes all of Fremd’s corner kicks and usually tries to get the ball up in the air and find a teammate’s head, but before this serve from the left side she heard assistant coach Joe Zimka yelling at her to “whip it in.”
The TCU recruit did just that, sending a low liner in tight. The ball somehow made it through four players without being touched before spinning off the inside of the far post and into the back of the net.
The goal was Fremd’s 14th of the season, but eight of those came in a win over Wheeling. Conversely, it was just the sixth score allowed by Waubonsie Valley (8-2-1), which had its nine-game unbeaten streak snapped.
“I was on the back post,” Waubonsie Valley senior defender Rachele Armand said. “I didn’t see it too well, but what I think happened was it curled in between our two players and then by time [goalie] Emma [Rigby] was able to get to see it, it had snuck in there. I guess that’s why [most] of our goals [against] are against set plays.”
Rigby had another stellar effort for the Warriors, making three saves, including a great diving stop on Caroline Wagner’s eight-yard shot, in the first half. Between Rigby and the efforts of Armand, Jenna Romano, Rachel Brots and Maddie Pokora, Waubonsie didn’t give the Vikings much room to work with.
The Louisville-bound Armand showed her skill 10 minutes into the second half when Fremd forward Mary-Kate Schiffer sped into the left side of the box on a partial breakaway. Before Schiffer could shoot, Armand rubbed her off the ball and knocked it over the end line.
Waubonsie also looked good offensively, outshooting Fremd 10-2 in the second half. But the Warriors couldn’t get anything past Piasecki, a senior who made eight saves.
Piasecki’s first tough save came midway through the first half. Morgan Kemerling stole the ball in the midfield and raced 40 yards up the middle but Piasecki dove to stop the 17-yard shot.
Piasecki got even better as the weather conditions got worse in the second half. She dove to tip a 25-yard shot from Kristen Brots around the left post with 33:50 remaining and then came up with the play of the game at the 22:05 mark.
The Warriors appeared poised to break the ice when Kristen Brots sent a perfect lead pass into the box to Kemerling, who ran onto the ball behind the defense and fired from eight yards out. Piasecki, though, made a kick save to keep the match scoreless.
“She had an awesome game today,” Mottonen said of Piasecki. “She’s a really skilled keeper; very, very smart. We’re very lucky to have her. She’s a warrior in back.”
Fremd’s back line led by seniors Cassie Etelemaki, Courtney Norenberg and Katherine Ernst also did its part in keeping the Warriors at bay, but it was Piasecki who had the toughest task trying to stay ready while turning into a popsicle in the cold wind.
“You try to stay warm while you’re just standing there but you’ve got to be mentally into it,” Piasecki said. “And I think that keeps you warm the whole game, just having your mind in the game.
“I think every game you’ve got to be ready to play and I think we were ready to play at the beginning of this game and it turned out great.”
The result gives Fremd a leg up in its quest to reach the tournament quarterfinals, but the psychological aspect of beating a top team like Waubonsie is even more important.
“This is a huge win against Waubonsie,” Piasecki said. “They’re a great team and we’ve been struggling a lot to score goals so it feels good to finally get a 1-0 victory tonight.”
Despite the loss, the Warriors know they had more of the run of play and are still having an excellent season.
“We’ve been playing great,” Armand said. “Every game we get better and better and I really think we have a good shot this year.
“Our team is really, really coming together this season and I’m really excited to see what we have to offer. Obviously we’re going to have our off games. I just can’t wait until we get our bounce-back game. We’ll be back.”
Both teams will finish group play against Hinsdale Central on Saturday at Naperville North. Fremd will face Hinsdale Central at 11 a.m. while the Warriors play the Red Devils at 5 p.m.
