Gators post 5th shutout in 6 games vs. Woodstock

 

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By Jonathan Jones

Although Crystal Lake South lost 11 seniors to graduation this season, they are only two wins behind the 2009-10 showing at 5-4-2.

On a cold and blustery day, the Gators shut out Fox Valley Conference foe Woodstock 2-0 to notch another conference victory Thursday.

What’s the recipe for success adding so many underclassmen to the nucleus of this roster?

“Keep staying organized and work as a unit,” said Gators senior defender Vivian Qian. “We’ve had good chemistry this season. The freshmen and sophomores are adapting very well. They just came in ready to go (at the start of the season).”

Qian and the defense are making huge strides since the beginning of the season. Since 4-0 losses to Schaumburg and Conant, the Gators have only allowed a total of four goals in their last seven games. They also pieced together a pair of two-game winning streaks with the win against Woodstock. Crystal Lake South stands at 4-2 in the Fox Valley.

The Gators played the first half trudging against a strong wind. Gators senior forward Kali Loescher netted both Crystal Lake South goals in the first half to lead them to victory.

“The crosses were really working for me today,” Loescher said. “Carly (Schumaker) gave me a good ball, and Alex (Romano) gave me a through. I’m very happy we could come in rebounding after the (Huntley) loss and win two in a row.”

Romano assisted Loescher on the first goal.

In the first half alone, the Gators out-shot Woodstock 13-2. Multiple balls were intercepted by the Gator defense off of keeper punts from Woodstock junior Grace Flavin.

“It’s nice to see us get back and rebound from the Huntley loss,” Gators head coach Brian Allen said. “We knew against Dundee-Crown and Woodstock, we needed to get these conference wins. We controlled the tempo all game.”

After a foul at 9:45 in the first half, Gator junior defender Emily Hamrick put a charge into a free kick around midfield. Romano chased down the Hamrick kick and found Loescher in front of the net. Loescher managed to get a head on Romano’s cross, and bounced the ball past a diving Flavin.

It was smooth sailing for the Gators beyond that point. The Gators kept the ball in their Woodstock’s territory for most of the second half as they finally had the wind advantage. This success held the Blue Streaks to only attempting one shot on goal in the second half.

The Gators attempted 21 shots over Woodstock’s three overall. The Gators flirted with extending the lead as Loescher ricocheted a ball off the post, while sophomore midfielder Faith Brunner knocked one of her shots off the cross bar.

While content with the ‘W,’ Allen felt the Gators should have connected on more opportunities. Woodstock’s Flavin saved ten balls in the loss.

“The passing was great (Thursday), but we’re not going to get that many chances against every team,” Allen said. “We need more execution in the final third, and need to be more dangerous.”

“(Kali) Loescher has the capability to be dangerous. With her I’m like a basketball coach; keep shooting your way out of it. Vivian (Qian) solidified her role as a leader early on, not only on defense but for the team as well. We need to focus our pieces on attacking the third, and then I think we should be good.”

The Gators return to action in the Pepsi Tournament at Olympic Park in Schaumburg Saturday, while Tuesday is another Fox Valley Conference foe in Woodstock North at home.