Tigers top Lake Forest at Toyota Park

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By Gary Larsen

Plainfield North and Lake Forest put a bow on this year’s Pepsi Showdown on Wednesday, squaring off in a tournament bonus game on the wide expanse of Toyota Park in Bridgeview.

The very wide expanse of Toyota Park, which can potentially wreak havoc on a team’s defensive shape.

“It was tough,” Plainfield North defender Hayley Wegrzyn said. “It took a lot of communicating, more running, and I know I found myself out wide a little bit too much. But it was exciting to play on this field.”

Plainfield North (15-2-2) withstood a strong attacking push from Lake Forest (12-4-4) in the second half, making first-half goals from Callie O’Donnell and Ashley Handwork stand up in a 2-0 Tigers win.

Wednesday’s friendly also couldn’t have been friendlier, as Tigers coach Jane Crowe and Scouts coach Ty Stuckslager agreed before the match to give everyone on their rosters a chance to play on the pitch of the Chicago Fire’s home field.

“No one will remember the loss as much as they’ll remember that they got to play on this field,” Stuckslager said. “We told our girls that the girls that don’t usually start were going to start the second half, so it was a great experience for them just to be here. When they see the 22,000 here on TV during a Fire game they can say ‘I played there’.”

Crowe considered Wednesday’s win a bonus, beyond the primary goal heading into the game.

“We just told everyone to have fun,” she said. “Everyone gets a chance to play and if we win, we win. But we wanted everyone to have the chance to get on the field. They were all so excited to be out here. They walked out here and were in awe of the field.”

O’Donnell (20 goals) and Handwork (18 goals) have received much of the attention this year for a Tigers team that has scored 73 goals in 19 games. So it’s easy to overlook the fact that North’s defense has only given up 9 goals, for a goals-against average of .47 through Wednesday’s game.

The win over Lake Forest also marked the team’s 12th shutout of the season, and the eighth consecutive goose egg put on the board by defenders Angie Dziedzic, Bri Buckley, Anna O’Donnell, Hayley Wegrzyn, Kelsey Gill, and goalkeepers Emily Brodict and Paige Polonus.

“Paige and Emily each play a half, every game, and both do a great job,” Crowe said. “And our defenders just do a great job. They don’t get a lot of credit because we score a lot of goals.”

Team unity is vital in girls’ soccer and never any more vital than for a team’s defenders. The Tigers’ back line has enjoyed that unity since Day One.

“We have a really strong bond back there,” Wegrzyn said. “At indoor practice before the season we had a really good time. It’s been easy to connect and talk to each other, and whenever there’s a problem we’ve been able to work it out. We all know it’s okay to yell at each other during games. We have really clicked this year.”

O’Donnell, who netted her goal from distance, mid-way through the first half, also appreciates what the girls in back have done for this year’s Tigers.

“We know they don’t get a lot of credit but we also know it’s a defense that makes or breaks a team,” she said. “They do a great job and they deserve to get some credit for it.”

After O’Donnell’s score, Handwork took a sweet feed from Ashley Auble late in the first half, raced up the right side of the penalty area and let fly inside the far post for what turned out to be the game’s final tally.

The Scouts played without three starting defenders against a Tigers team known for its scoring threats. They pushed hard for a goal in the second half, earning 6 corner kicks thanks to frequent attacking pressure.

“We did much better in the second half and it’s great to know we can play teams like this and compete,” Stuckslager said. “We’re not there yet but can compete. We hit the post a couple times and we played well and we’ve got a couple girls that can finish.”

Wegrzyn almost got her name listed in the box score late in the contest, sending in a shot on net that barely missed the mark.

“I made a run up and I was working with Heather (Handwork),” Wegrzyn said. “We were passing back and forth, she dropped it, and I hit it. It was literally a centimeter over the crossbar. I was very upset, because I usually get one goal each season and I don’t have one yet this year.”

Crowe was happy with her side’s play up and down the lineup, heading into a its final home game against Minooka on Thursday.

“Our regular goalscorers stepped up but I think people coming off the bench did a good job,” Crowe said. “Allie Kightly played in the back and did a good job, Carlie Corrigan came in off the bench and played well – really, all of them did a good job.”