Blackhawks fall to Glenbard East in DVC finale
By Gary Larsen

Senior Day was good to Glenbard East’s Veronica Fairbairn and Jess DeJong, and they were good right back.

Senior keeper Fairbairn tied the program record of 27 career shutouts in net in East’s 2-0 DVC win over West Aurora, and senior DeJong’s two goals gave her 13 on the year and 39 in her varsity career.

"We wanted to get our seniors as much time as possible to play and it was very fitting for Jess DeJong's career that she came out got those two goals today," East coach Kent Overbey said.

"We were only missing (senior) Kelly Ravenscraft to injury. She's our starting center back and she'll be back next week for the Downers North game.”

Glenbard East (10-5-4, 1-5-1 in DVC play) opens Class 3A regional play against DG North on May 14.

"They play a very strong possession style of soccer and work the give-and-go very well,” Overbey said. “I think we're strong on the outside mids and that's where they attack, so it should be a very good matchup."

With East ultimately striking twice in the contest, West Aurora (6-13-2, 0-7) coach Laura Wagley would have like to see her side finish on a few first-half chances.

“Our first half was better than our second half. We had opportunities in the first half that we just didn’t finish,” Wagley said. “Reilly Kulakowski, Sammy O’Brien, and Yulissa (Espino) had a couple chances and (Kulakowski) and Daniela (Bueno) created those chances out of our midfield.”

West Aurora senior defenders Catalina Campos and Shelby Zima thwarted runs and cleared dangerous balls throughout the contest.  Campos made a fine sliding tackle at 23 minutes on East’s Brittany Paganucci, when the Rams’ freshman broke in with only Campos to beat.

Both Campos and Zima were attacking players converted to defenders this season.

“I moved Catalina to outside defender a few games ago and she did fantastic,” Wagley said. “I told her I was going to keep her out there and she wasn’t too thrilled about it, but she has done an awesome job for us back there. And I moved Shelby to sweeper this year and just like Catalina, she hasn’t even skipped a beat.”

West Aurora kept Glenbard East out of net until the 36th minute, when DeJong buried a shot from 18 yards out. The Rams’ 1-0 lead held to halftime.

East defender Maria Berrum sent a shot from distance high of frame at 53 minutes before West Aurora applied some attacking pressure of its own.

Three deep flip-throws from Blackhawks junior Sam O’Brien punctuated that pressure, and junior Reilly Kulakowski found O’Brien deep on the left side at 57 minutes, but the Rams converged on her and refused to give up a dangerous shot.

Berrum, Corie Ewoldt, Taylor Hallcox, and KJ Nelson helped Fairbairn to her 9th shutout of the season and the defense will be bolstered further by Ravenscraft’s imminent return.

“(Ravenscraft) is very strong back there and directs our defense, and K.J.  Nelson was back today after being at a state band concert Saturday in Champaign,” Overbey said. “She did a great job of stepping up and breaking up (West Aurora’s) offense today. Bethany Wood was back today, too, and hopefully we'll all be healthy for the state playoffs.”

Junior midfielder Alex Ruffer was again prominent in East’s attack throughout, and is sitting on 8 goals and 16 assists this season.

"It starts to sound like a broken record but I just thought Alex Ruffer played an amazing game. She directs everything and we live and die with how our possession works with her, and both of our goals today were set up by her,” Overbey said.  “She didn't get the assists on those but she really creates out of the center and makes us a more dangerous team going forward. We're very lucky to have her for another year."

Ruffer fired wide of net at 58 minutes and Jessica Whipple put a shot on frame for East a minute later. Ruffer sent a strong serve in from the right side at 60 minutes that Zima headed out and Whipple found another shot near the goalmouth at 61 minutes that West goalkeeper Jasmine Meija slid out and stuffed.

DeJong struck for a second time when Wood sent a square pass across the top of the 18 from the right side and fired at 62 minutes to end the day’s scoring.

Afterwards, Wagley applauded the effort that Hannah Pealstrom has been giving her side on the outside at midfield.

“I moved her up five or six games ago from jayvee and she has done such an amazing job,” Wagley said. “She has been awesome for us, coming up against varsity competition and playing outstanding. I told her I wished I would have pulled her up in the beginning of the year.”

West Aurora will take on Neuqua Valley in a Class 3A regional opener at Bolingbrook on May 15, while a Rams team with no shortage of sophomores in its starting lineup plans to be ready for battle against DG North, at the Lyons Township regional on the 14th.

"Our biggest issue with so many young players is that we don't always bring the type of energy that we need to," Overbey said. "Against good teams, you can't afford to do that. Wheaton South and Lyons Township made us pay for doing that so our biggest challenge will be coming out and exerting our style of play on the game, and executing in front of the net.

"But with so many good things to say about our young players, I can't really fault them for not being as consistent as the older players. They’re having a very good season.”