Vikings tie with visiting Elk Grove on Senior Night

 

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By Dan Santaromita

Both Elk Grove and Fremd are out of the running for the MSL Cup, but at this time of year the focus has shifted to improving things ahead of the playoffs.

The teams played to a 2-2 draw in Palatine Friday night for the Vikings’ Senior Night. Elise Kotsakis scored two goals for Fremd, including an equalizer with less than four minutes left.

For Elk Grove (7-6-4, 3-4-3), it was a step in the right direction. The Grenadiers have been looking for more consistent play and an attacking presence in the box. Coach Dan Klaus saw improvement in both areas.

“Of our seven wins, five of them had been shutouts,” Klaus said. “It was nice to see, even though it’s a tie, that we did score two goals.”

The Vikings (12-3-1, 7-2-1) struggled for much of Friday’s game after losing to Hersey on Wednesday.

“I told the girls after the game last game we had a poor performance,” Fremd coach Steve Keller said. “This game, same thing. We just looked not into it, unenthusiastic, lethargic. The overtimes and I’d say the last 15 minutes of the game we took a step in the right direction, which I told them to think about, keep it positive.”

Fremd’s defense struggled to contain Elk Grove’s attack early on and it didn’t take long for the Grens to take advantage.

In the second minute Carin Fearing got on the end of a Rachel Pruim corner to put a shot on goal that Shannon Norris got a hand on, but couldn’t keep out of the net.

However, Kotsakis leveled before ten minutes when a low cross from Michelle Mottonen got through the defense and left the prolific scorer with an easy finish.

Despite the early goals, neither team would have a good look at goal the rest of the half.

Elk Grove started the second half well with Fearing hitting the crossbar soon after the break and Michelle Calmeyn scoring an impressive goal before the hour mark. Calmeyn lofted a ball across the goal with her left foot and it landed in the far side netting.

“The second goal by Michelle was a nice shot,” Klaus said. “I don’t know if she’s scored a goal in four years of high school with her left foot.”

“Coach was telling us to take some shots because we hadn’t really tested the keeper and then I saw an opening and took it,” Calmeyn said.

Falling behind a second time seemed to invigorate the Vikings, who controlled the play the rest of the match.
The offensive pressure was rewarded when Kotsakis played a bouncing ball in the box perfectly to shed a Grens defender and set up a shot from close.

“We did go a little bit more defensive once we got the 2-1 lead,” Klaus said. “Their second goal was something that we had been defending all night and then Kotsakis is dangerous obviously any time she’s near the ball.”

Believe it or not, Keller said Kotsakis didn’t have a good game by her standards despite scoring twice.

“Even though she scored two tonight she looks off a little bit,” Keller said. “We’ve got to get her straightened out because she’s got to be a threat for us to do some damage.”

The Vikings had most of the shots in overtime, but couldn’t beat Melissa Solorio (9 saves) again. Norris had six saves for Fremd before a second half collision knocked her out of the game.

All six Fremd seniors, Kotsakis, Alexis Tice, Bri Nishibun, Jennifer Freeman, Kristin Abruscato and the injured Nicole Leginski, started the game. Vikings, the top seed in the Glenbrook South Sectional, have big aspirations for the playoffs, but Keller expects better from his team.

So what’s wrong with the Vikings lately?

“I wish I knew,” the Vikings’ coach said. “Their minds are elsewhere. Hopefully each of them figures it out and regains their confidence and regains their passion. They just look disinterested almost and I don’t know how to deal with that. It’s got to come from within them.”

Meanwhile, Elk Grove tried a few different things and is hoping to finally string together some wins together and create more offensively. The Grens have three games left before heading to the St. Charles North Regional.

With Kelli Hubly gradually returning to form, they have another attacking option that can ease the load on Calmeyn up top.

“We’re playing two forwards so we connected very well together and we have very good chemistry,” Calmeyn said.