Hornets blank Blazers to capture WSC Gold road victory

By Dave Owen

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Inexperience and injuries have combined to dampen Hinsdale South’s hopes this season.

But when things literally got damp in Tuesday's West Suburban Conference Gold match at Addison Trail, the Hornets were at the top of their game.

Steady rains began just before the start of the second half and Hinsdale South proceeded to make a splash with two goals in the final 24 minutes to claim a 2-0 win.

“I think we just got more aggressive,” Hornets’ sophomore Jessica Koziol said. “That’s our problem, that when the ball is in the offensive end we just slow down a little bit and think someone else is going to get it. We all just started pushing and pushing because we wanted to score, and I think that’s what did it for us.

“I feel (the rain) was only a small factor. There were times when the ball would slip and we would just miss it, but I thought we played good in the rain. We do good in bad conditions.”

Shifting Brenda Maugeri from defender to forward after the break was a big catalyst in turning Hinsdale South’s control of the first half to offensive domination.

“Brenda will sometimes play stopper, but today we needed a goal so we put her up front,” Hinsdale South coach Pat Wolf said. “She’s got wheels, she’s got touch and she wanted the ball. If you’re up front you’ve got to want the ball and go to the goal.”

One of Maugeri’s sprints to the net had unexpected results with 23:54 left for the Hornets (4-10-2, 3-2).

Breaking in on left wing, Maugeri sent a cross into the crease. The rain-soaked ball slipped through the Addison Trail goalkeeper’s hands and the ensuing attempt to clear by a Blazer defender hit off the goalkeeper and into the net for an own goal and 1-0 Hornet lead.

That lucky turn for the Hornets followed a strong defensive stand against an Addison Trail attack. Colleen McPherson blocked a 30-yard shot in the 10th minute of the half.

And lone senior starter Carolanne Pilch made one of her many strong plays on the day when she made a nice clear of the box of an Addison Trail attack just 30 seconds before the own goal.

“You watch Carolanne play and you know she’s in charge out there,” Wolf said. “She’s definitely the player I hoped she would be. I knew she would probably be our only senior, and she just stepped up and took to being in charge.”

Pilch’s role took on added importance Tuesday as the Hornets rebounded from a 7-0 loss at York in their previous game.

Hinsdale South had allowed just 12 goals in its 12 games prior to facing the high-scoring Lady Dukes.

“I think our defense has been pretty solid, unfortunately not against York,” Wolf said. We weren’t marking in the box. (Pilch) was yelling to the girls ‘mark your players, come on,’ and we gave up a lot of easy goals. But they’re a good team.”

Tuesday was a different story, however.

“We connected passes, and on defense we marked up which didn’t help us last game,” Koziol said. “We improved that and marked up better this game.”

Elisabetta Bifero, Mary Claire Ladd and Maugeri (in the first half before her move upfield) joined Pilch and McPherson as defensive standouts Tuesday in front of goalkeeper Vanessa Niestrom.

“Betta (Bifero) is a dance line girl who came a little late this season, but she’s stellar there (at defender),” Wolf said. “And our goalie is stellar – Nessy is going to keep us in games.”

With the Hornets up 1-0 after the own goal, the offense continued on the attack with a wave of close calls.

Maugeri broke free off a long pass from Bifero midway through the half. She chipped the ball around the Blazers’ goalkeeper at the top of the box, but was unable to reach the ball before it crossed the end line just right of the net.

The heat continued with 12 minutes left when Alissa Lokanic took a nice drop pass from Kerry Just and blasted a 25-yard shot barely wide of the net.

A better chance followed two minutes later when Maugeri broke in on the wing and was robbed at the left post on a 10-yard shot. But a beautifully-executed restart would later bring game-clinching results.

On a 30-yard free kick set up by an Addison Trail hand ball, Koziol perfectly placed a shot into the upper left corner of the net to make the lead to 2-0 with just 5:59 left.

Koziol (who also excels on corner kicks) credited her perfect strike to Maugeri and Sarah Leganski running past the ball and faking the free kick.

“I don’t know what it is, but every single time on set plays when we have two people fake and run over the ball, we score off of it,” Koziol said. “Every time it’s been a regular free kick, we haven’t. I don’t really know what’s going on there, but it works.”

Midfielder Koziol has been one of many Hornets showing versatility due to a wave of injuries this season.

“Some of the girls are playing out of position,” Wolf said. “Jess Koz would be better suited for us as a forward, but Maggie (Nicosia) and Stephanie (Chew), our center mids, are hurt. Koz has been put out of position almost the whole year, and it’s a credit to her that she just keeps playing and working hard.”

Cassie Jensen was also sidelined with a knee injury and defender Ladd returned after missing several games with a hamstring injury.

“We’re in a tournament this weekend (at Lemont), so we’ll see if we have the bodies to last three games in a couple of days,” Wolf said.

Injuries aside, Wolf has been impressed with his young team’s play.

“We have one senior out there and have some freshmen playing,” Wolf said. “The girl on the outside, Kelly Flemm, is working hard trying to get it in, and another freshman on the outside Sarah (Leganski) made some nice plays at the end.

“In spurts we look like we know what we’re doing, and other times it’s the other way. But that’s OK with one senior. The kids are playing hard.”