Grens post 8th shutout in win over Schaumburg
By Gary Larsen

Sixty minutes of active but scoreless soccer fell by the wayside before Elk Grove defender Stephanie Solis was finally able to kick-start a play that produced a goal on Saturday.

Playing in their third game in four days, the Grens were locked in a hard-fought, back-and-forth MSL game against visiting Schaumburg when Solis sent a long ball up the right side.

“We practiced hitting those balls in practice because (Schaumburg’s) defense moves up high,” Solis said. “And I always know Nikki is up there.”

Grens junior forward Nikki Zaino hadn’t shied away from making a run all day so she made yet another one, running onto Solis’ pass ahead and taking it to the endline.  “I just saw the net. I knew Emily (Wary), (Sarah) Stram, and Kelly (Naughton) would all be in there so I just crossed it,” Zaino said. “I saw Stram running in I just crossed it to her, and she made a perfect touch into the goal.”

Wary added another goal before the final buzzer to give Elk Grove (8-3-0, 6-2 in MSL play) its third shutout win in four days. The Grens won 1-0 games over Palatine and Hoffman Estates before winning 2-0 over Schaumburg (6-7-1, 3-4-1).

Saturday's win also marked the Grens' third consecutive shutout and their eighth of the season.

“I’m really proud of the girls, to play Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday the way they have,” Elk Grove coach Dan Klaus said. “Palatine’s a tough team, Schaumburg’s a tough team, and Hoffman (Estates) played phenomenally well against us last night. I’m just proud of their determination and hard work this week.”

It’s more of the same for the Grens in the coming week, with Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday games ahead.

Saturday’s game began with the two teams trading corner kicks through five minutes. Naughton turned the corner deep on the left side at 12 minutes and forced a save at the near post by Schaumburg keeper Tressa Palcheck.

Grens keeper Melissa Solorio saved at the post on a Kayla Kowal shot at 13 minutes and Palcheck cut off a Naughton cross at 15 minutes.  Solorio fielded an easy one-hopper from distance a minute later and the game’s best scoring chance came next, when Zaino hit the crossbar from 18 yards out.

Eight minutes later it was Wary with a great chance on her foot but with Palcheck charging out, Wary’s shot flew high. Schaumburg ‘s Brittany Reinhart sent a quality chance wide of the far post at 30 minutes and Elk Grove’s Kelly Regan nearly got onto a Jocelyn Potratz freekick in the box but Schaumburg’s Sarah Kozlowski cleared it out.

The back-and-forth nature of the game had been established, but the Grens found more quality chances through 40 minutes.

Zaino flew up the left flank at 43 minutes, turned the corner and served a ball to the goalmouth to no avail, and a minute later Zaino received a ball in the post, turned, and hit her second crossbar of the game.

“That can be frustrating but you just have to go in and play the next play,” Zaino said.

Solorio saved at the near post on a Kowal shot taken from the left side at 45 minutes and Naughton hustled to the left corner after a ball and earned a corner kick at 49 minutes.  Wary raced after a Stram pass sent wide on the right side and took a touch up the endline at 54 minutes but Palcheck cut off her attempted serve across.

Schaumburg’s Emily Waterloo centered a pass from the left side that Amanda Haaland fired on net at 59 minutes but Solorio was on the spot to snare the shot attempt, just before converted defender Solis sent the ball ahead that led to the game-winning goal.

“This is my first year playing back there but they’ve helped me (acclimate) and we all help each other out,” Solis said. “I used to play outside mid and forward, and then I got moved to the back. As a forward you have to make a lot of runs but defensively you just have to send the ball up and find players. I like it back there. Now I can watch the entire field and see what’s going on.”

After Stram scored, she moved to the backline for the remainder of the game, just as she did after posting the game-winning assist in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Palatine.

“She used to be a defender but (Stram) can play anywhere, wherever we put her,” Zaino said. “I love working with her (up top). She’s a good, technical player and she’s fast,” Zaino said.

Naughton earned another corner at 67 minutes and used another burst of pure hustle up the left side to turn the corner and serve a ball that Wary deposited inside the far post.

“(Naughton) is constant hustle. I never see anyone hustle more than her,” Zaino said, and Solis agreed.

“Kelly is just a beast,” Solis said. “That’s how she scores most of the time. She could probably beat any player on the field with her speed.”

Elk Grove hosts Barrington Monday and Hersey on Wednesday, before hitting the road for a Friday game at Fremd and hosting Rockton-Hononegah on Saturday.