Grens shut out at Fremd
By Gary Larsen

With outside mids Jessa Rizzo and Hannah Burton making penetrating runs up each flank, and center mids Bri Frys and Michelle Mottonen combining well along with forwards Caroline Wagner and Allison Wade, Fremd coach Steve Keller is a happy man.

Add an airtight defensive effort spearheaded by defender Katherine Ernst, and the Vikings’ 4-0 win over visiting Elk Grove sent Fremd’s Senior Night crowd home happy, too.

"I thought we played some nice soccer tonight, which -- for a long portion of the year -- we hadn't done that," Keller said. "The girls were being a little patient and they were trying to play, and trying to connect."

Mottonen struck twice and Fremd (9-5-2, 6-3-1 in MSL play) got goals from Wagner and Allison Wade in the victory, while Elk Grove fell to 8-6-0 overall and 6-5 in the conference.  The two are a safe bet to meet again in Tuesday’s MSL crossover game.

And where Keller was pleased with his side's play, Elk Grove coach Dan Klaus didn't get what he needed from his girls on Friday.

"We didn't show up and we need to change up what we're doing a little bit as far as what we're focusing on," Klaus said. "I think you'll see that moving forward. Maybe not necessarily tomorrow (vs. Rockton-Hononegah) or in the crossover, but definitely for the playoffs."

Friday’s game was six minutes old when Fremd was awarded a penalty kick on a handball call and Mottonen buried it.

Throughout the first half, Rizzo was busy reaching the endline on the left side and serving in dangerous balls, while Burton was doing the same on the right side of the field.

Two minutes after Mottonen's PK conversion, Rizzo turned the corner on the left side and served a ball to Ashley McConnell inside the penalty area. McConnell slid a pass to Wagner, whose shot went wide. Burton broke up the right flank one minute later and served to the near post, where Grens' goalkeeper Melissa Solorio gathered it up.

Fremd's second goal came at 15 minutes when Burton got deep on the right side and crossed to Wagner, whose low shot from 8 yards out beat Solorio.

"Our outside mids have been doing a nice job lately," Keller said. "And we've played physical, too, which is what you've got to have because that's what it's going to take in the playoffs."

That physicality also served Fremd well defensively and through 40 minutes, the Vikings didn't allow Elk Grove a legitimate shot on frame.

"I think after we lost to Lyons Township we said 'we're done with that half of our season, let's prepare for the playoffs', and our goal in this game was to get a shutout," Ernst said. "The scoring part will come but if we stop (our opponent) from scoring, they can't win.

"Cassie (Etelemaki), Courtney (Norenberg), Claire (Mitzner), Meredith (Mottonen) -- they've been doing such a great job and I'm so proud of them. They've all stepped up and taken charge in back, we've all been talking and talking a lot in back and understanding better what we need to do,"

Fremd was on its way to its 8th shutout of the season.

"It was effective defending," Keller said. "Throughout the year we've given up opportunities but tonight we didn't really do that. We've clamped down a little bit."

Solorio snared a Michelle Mottonen corner kick out of the air at 23 minutes and saved a Wagner head shot off a Rizzo serve at 34 minutes. But every time Elk Grove managed to get the ball across midfield, Fremd's back line was there to thwart.

"I think we've all been anticipating better, progressively we've all been stepping to the ball better and realizing when passes will be made, and stopping it before the other team gets it," Ernst said.

Senior Rachel Tenuta took over in net for starting senior Christine Piasecki after halftime, and Tenuta made the first Fremd save of the night at 44 minutes on a long, arcing shot taken from well outside the box.

Rizzo threaded a nice diagonal through-ball ahead at 45 minutes that had just a bit too much pace, and Michelle Mottonen hit a free kick off a wall of Elk Grove defenders from 20 yards out at 51 minutes.

The Grens countered off the clear, with Kelly Naughton reaching the end line on the right side before a final touch betrayed her.

Mottonen made it 3-0 with a shot from distance at 56 minutes. "Michelle has stepped up her game," Keller said.

Fremd senior Abby Gary replaced Tenuta in net down the stretch and saw the most action of the night among the Vikings' three goalkeepers. Gary made a nice save of a Naughton shot at 69 minutes and handled a freekick taken by the Grens' Sarah Stram taken from 28 yards out a minute later.

"I love our goalkeepers," Ernst said. "No matter what goalkeeper is in I know they'll make the saves and I have no problem playing the ball back to them. They're all very talented."

Wade ran down a through-ball and got behind the Grens' backline at 74 minutes to finish the day's scoring. Elk Grove was awarded a penalty kick at 76 minutes but Naughton's conversion attempt sailed high.

Fremd had a shutout win on Senior Night in the bag.

"We started all our seniors, they played most of the first half, and I thought they did a great job," Keller said. "Then everybody got to play and they were having fun. Hopefully they're starting to click a little bit.

"Ernst is playing very well right now, very strong and very tough and Wade did a nice job out there, too. Our two wide mids are playing well and our back line is doing a decent job."

Ernst's hard-nosed play punctuated the Vikings' win.

"I just try to mentally prepare and win balls first," Ernst said. "I've always tried to have that mental toughness and I've started to really understand my role on the team. I've started to step in, win balls, and maybe knock a couple people off the ball."