North Stars fall 2-0 at Waubonsie Valley
By Chris Walker

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Waubonsie Valley and St. Charles North might have fell short of a conference title this spring, but both teams should be tough teams to beat once the IHSA Class 3A girls’ soccer playoffs begin next week.

The two teams met up on Thursday night in a match that would serve as a great tune-up for the post-season. Waubonsie Valley will not play again until it begins the playoffs, while St Charles North will invite a team in from Wisconsin on Saturday before its playoff drive begins. Both squads will host regionals.

Now to the action.

Both teams had little luck in figuring each other out, especially in the first half. It extended well into the second half until the Warriors were finally able to break a scoreless drought with just 11:30 remaining before the end of regulation.

Kristen Brots proved fortunate when she sent in a cross that Mackenzie Fuller was able to catch up with and capture the back of the net. Suddenly, zeroes on both sides of the scoreboard were a thing of the past.

"She sent it in and there was a scrum in the box," Fuller said. "All I had to do was toe-poke it in."

The goal was a long time coming for a Warriors squad that was confident that it would prevail.

"It was an even game and very physical," Fuller said. "We just had the confidence we needed. At halftime, we felt if we continued with the same energy, we could win."

On the flip side, it was a devastating blow for a North Stars squad which was playing well and then suddenly found itself in a 1-0 hole.

"We just need to keep the full focus for 80 minutes and not give up silly things like that," North Stars defender Jorie Clawson said. "It was a lack of communication. Sometimes with the backs those things happen. We'll work harder on them and passing off markers like we normally do and just focus more."

Fuller's goal might not have entirely deflated the North Stars, but less than a minute later, Tori Christensen did.

Christensen took advantage of an opportunity that opened up right in front of her. Fuller's shot was deflected to Christensen who blasted it into the net to put the Warriors ahead 2-0 with only 10:30 left.

"After the first goal, I could feel like we were pushing them," Fuller said. "We were having more opportunities and they didn't know how to respond."

St. Charles North (12-5-2) never did answer the Warriors, but it challenged them throughout the contest.

"It was a good game back and forth and I thought we created good chances but we just didn't find the back of the net," St. Charles North coach Ruth Vostal said. "There weren't major defensive breakdowns. I'll have to look at the tape to see what happened there, but it can go either way. I'm not disappointed."

The North Stars' early chances were all but forgotten once Fuller put the Warriors ahead, but it shouldn't deny the fact that Sophie Pohl and Lauren Koehl kept busy on the offensive side, doing their part to challenge the Warriors.

"I got around them a couple of times," Koehl said. "We had a couple of passes where I thought I could finish them. We just need to keep working on that. We have to find the net especially heading into the playoffs."

St. Charles North will look to rebound on Saturday when it hosts Divine Savior Holy Angels (Wisconsin). The North Stars are also being cautious with their roster which is filled with players who are battling through injuries.

"We're doing some different things to get ready for the post-season and to make sure everyone's healthy," Vostal said. "We need to make sure we're ready for next week."

Waubonsie Valley (15-4-3) could not have finished its season any better as it'll ride a seven-game winning streak into the state series. The Warriors are averaging nearly 3.75 goals during their great stretch and have only surrendered two goals while scoring 26 of their own.

"We're a young team but we've played the top teams in the state all season," Fuller said. "It's given us confidence, but we've also learned from our mistakes and moved on. Hopefully we can carry the momentum."