Lions fall on late goal by Cougars in Naperville Invite

 

By Kevin McGavin

The specter of penalty kicks was looming.

But Leah Celarek had other ideas as the Naperville Invite consolation match between Conant and Saint Viator reached its conclusion in regulation play.

The Conant sophomore picked up a loose ball in traffic and drove home her second score of the match at Wheaton North on Thursday afternoon with eight minutes and 16 seconds remaining to give the Cougars a 2-1 victory.

“(The game-winner) was kind of fluky,” Celarek said of her low runner from 14 yards out that glanced off the Viator keeper. “I was lucky to have (the first shot) bounce off a couple of their defenders.”

The Cougars’ winning score originally derived from a corner kick that Alyssa Altosino centered to midfielder Bianca Madonia.

The junior, who was conspicuously active the entire match, had her shot deflected, only to have Celarek drive home the match-winner.

Madonia epitomized the Cougars’ degree of spirited play with her all-consuming drive.

“I always bring a lot of energy,” Madonia said. “Last year I tore my ACL, and that is the only way I know how to play.”

The match began in most promising directions for Conant (8-3-3) as there was a sense of inevitability with its early chances.

Less than two minutes into the match, Kayla Severinsen had a free kick from just inside 30 yards from the right hash.

The senior hit a blistering kick that caromed harmlessly off the Lions’ left post.

“I did think it was in,” Severinsen said. “When it hit the post, I was like, ‘Aw, shoot.’”

The Cougars had another quality chance less than three minutes later, but Saint Viator keeper Samantha Stanley had a diving save to deny a 15-yarder from Celarek.

The first 12 minutes of the match was completely dominated by Conant, yet the squad had nothing to show for it.

“I thought it was a matter of time (until we scored),” Conant coach Jason Franco said.

Instead, it would be Saint Viator (5-5) which drew first blood in the 13th minute of play.

In its first true offensive surge, the Lions’ Maria Petrillo, picking up a defected shot from 18 yards out on the right wing, fired a perfectly placed shot that found its desired destination just inside the Cougars’ left post.

It was the first score of the year for Petrillo, recently converted to center mid from her defensive back position.

“I have a lot of speed, and (coach Mike Taylor) thought I could take advantage of it and get some more opportunities,” Petrillo said. “(The initial shot) went through the other team, and I just kind of hit it.”

The flow of the match had changed dramatically, and Saint Viator maintained its momentum for the remainder of the half.

“I thought (Saint Viator) had the best of it for the rest of the half (after the goal),” Franco said.

Trailing 1-0 at the intermission, Conant would swing the tide back to its favor early in the second half.

In an eerily similar situation to the first score, Celarek, from a near-identical position, fired home a brilliant score from the right wing four and half minutes into second-half play to tie the match at 1-1.

“I got it at centerfield,” Celarek said. “(Madonia) got through a lot of people to get (the initial shot).”

Only moments later, Madonia fired a drive from 25 yards out that Stanley stopped with a quality save.

Each team had its chances over the next 25 minutes of play; Saint Viator had a golden opportunity when keeper Hailey Anderson found herself in a vulnerable position trying to cut down the angle on a Viator shot.

The Lions’ Erin Renee Murphy had an open net, but her blast from 25 yards out sailed inches above the crossbar.

Altosino and Madonia were denied by Stanley two minutes apart as the clocked neared single digits, but Celarek scored her fourth goal in her last two matches three minutes after the Madonia near-miss to put the Cougars ahead for good.

“It was backwards and forwards,” Taylor said of the shifts in momentum. “We made two silly plays. We’re still young. We’re going to make some mistakes.”

The Cougars conclude invite play on Saturday against Waubonsie Valley at Naperville Central at 10 am.

Meanwhile, the Lions meet up with Rockford Boylan on Saturday at 2 pm at Naperville North.