Falcons bounce back with DVC victory over Blackhawks

 

 

By Bill Stone

Senior forward Brittany Norris re-entered the Wheaton North lineup Monday trying to make something happen.

Less than two minutes upon returning, she broke free to the right of the goal and crossed the ball through the crease to find senior Alyssa Berry. She then decided to make a move to the post.

“You’ve got to follow your shots because anything can happen, if it dinks off or anything,” Norris said.

When Berry put the ball back across, Norris was there and connected for what proved to be a pivotal goal in the Falcons’ 5-0 victory over visiting West Aurora in DuPage Valley Conference action at a rainy Rexilius Field.

The goal, just 4:50 before halftime, gave the Falcons (5-3-1, 2-1 in DVC) a 2-0 cushion.

After surviving a flurry by the Blackhawks (4-8-1, 0-5) at the outset of the second half, Wheaton North pulled away with goals by freshman Clare Kocher and juniors HB Rowland and Lyndi Armstrong.

For Norris, Rowland and Armstrong, it was their first goals this season.

“It was an important goal, I guess, to get our team ahead (by two goals). It just kind of came out to me so I just kind of stepped to it because any ball, kind of, in that area is dangerous,” Norris said.

“I feel like success (for our team). I think we kind of figured things out right now and we’re kind of positive now with each other as a team. We’re starting to kind of get things going.”

As good as the feeling was afterwards, the Falcons’ thoughts were primarily focused on standout sophomore midfielder Lexi Pelafas, who was helped off the field with 18:57 remaining while hobbling on her left leg.

Pelafas, who scored the Falcons’ first goal with an assist by freshman Gracie Klatt, headed for X-rays following the game.

“We’re just hoping for the best. We know it’s not a knee,” Wheaton North coach Tim McEvilly said. “If we’re going to play against and have a chance to beat the top teams in the state consistently, we need Lexi Pelafas on the field for us.”

An invigorated outlook also will help. Although McEvilly said he thought his team played well Saturday, the Falcons lost to Maine South 2-1 in their final game of the Pepsi Showdown with their lone goal from Kocher.

“It’s really refreshing (to win) and it’s just kind of like a new start to the season. We’re hoping that we’ll keep it going,” Armstrong said.

Although the Falcons led 29-2 in shots, they did not strike until after a roughly 30-minute delay when lightning was spotted in the area with 22:19 left in the half.

Only 1:58 after play resumed, Klatt dug out the ball down the left wing and crossed to Pelafas, whose one-timer went off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net.

“(Before the delay), we put great pressure on them but with nothing to show it. Part of the discussion (in returning) was if the game ends and it’s halftime, if somebody’s up 1-0 and you can’t go back out, the game’s official,” McEvilly said.

Norris’ goal provided an emotional effect upon both teams heading into halftime. West Aurora not only had lost its previous four games to Rosary and DVC foes Naperville North, Naperville Central and Glenbard North but had allowed a combined 18 goals.

“Going down (only) 1-0, I think, would have helped our girls out quite a bit with confidence going into halftime for the second half,” West Aurora assistant coach Kevin Briars said.

“We got a little lazy getting back on defense, which happens, and we lost a mark. Then the second goal right before half just kind of snuck in that near post from about 25 yards out.”

Wheaton North senior goalie Jessica Kiely had a relatively easy night thanks to the starting defense of senior Linnae Giuliano and junior Emily Barry on the interior and Armstrong and Rowland on the outside and senior reserve outside defenders Kelsey Sorensen and Madie Fagan. Four of the Falcons’ five victories are shutouts.

After the Falcons nearly scored in the opening minute of the second half, the Blackhawks became rejuvenated moments after pouring rain resumed.

In the 48th minute, freshman Mariyah Zeitz’s throw-in from the left sidelines skipped into the crease and was trapped by a Wheaton North defender. Junior Reilly Kulakowski pounced on the loose ball and put a shot just over the crossbar.

Less than a minute later, Kulakowski delivered another dangerous ball that was headed out by Pelafas. The Blackhawks earned their only corner kick soon afterward, but Sam O’Brien’s strike from the left went through the crease untouched.

“When we play hard like that, we come out that aggressive, we can play with teams and really stick with them,” Briars said. “But we’ve got to play 80 minutes. We’ll play 20 minutes at a time and put them under pressure, but it’s got to be a full 80.”

“They came out fired up and ready to go. They gave us a little run but we just fought and gave it right back to them and kind of took the momentum right from them,” Rowland said. “It was a great win after a couple of harsh losses and confusion at the beginning of the season.”

When the Blackhawks couldn’t clear Lauren Szumski’s corner kick, Kocher got another chance to score during the melee in the crease and converted for a 3-0 lead with 19:57 to play.

In the first minute of the second half, Kocher received a lead pass from Pelafas but pushed her shot past charging goalie Jasmine Meija wide right of the net.

The Falcons’ final two goals came off interesting misdirection plays. When Rowland crossed from her outside left defender position into the crease, the ball deflected off a West Aurora defender and trickled into the near-left corner of the net with 17:46 remaining.

“I really was just crossing in the middle, hoping to find a foot or anything from my team. Fortunately enough, I found a foot from a girl on the other team and it bounced right in,” Rowland said.

Armstrong scored with 11:15 to go as she stood unmarked in the center of the crease for Szumski’s corner kick. The ball came straight to Armstrong, and she caromed it home with her left thigh.

“It was kind of about being at the right place at the right time. I just stood there and it came to me,” Armstrong said.

This was West Aurora’s eighth game over the last 14 days and Wheaton North’s seventh. The Blackhawks haven’t had two days off between any games in the stretch and the Falcons have only once. On Monday, West Aurora used only three substitutes.

“We’ve had a little rough patch with some injuries, but it’s something every team has to deal with. We’re dealing with it the best we can and we’re taking it day by day,” Briars said.

While the Blackhawks now are off from action until Saturday, the Falcons’ craziness continues. They have a rescheduled DVC game Wednesday at Glenbard North, a 3-0 winner over West Aurora April 11, followed by home games Thursday and Friday against Conant and Geneva.

“I think if we play as a team, it’ll be a lot easier,” Armstrong said. “It’s when we start to play separately and go for ourselves, everything falls apart. I think we really played like a team today.”