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By Darryl Mellema

Strong winds on Saturday vibrated the straps that attached the goal nets at Lake Park's varsity soccer field to their support posts – making for a constant buzzing sound at either end of the field.

Unfortunately Oswego East was unable to trouble those goals and make them vibrate from the impact of a soccer ball during 80 minutes of action in the Lake Park Invitational. Dundee-Crown failed to score as well and the teams left the field with a 0-0 draw.

Although neither team scored, the difference between the two squads' performances was the manner in which Oswego East controlled the match. The Wolves did everything but score, marking the fourth time in nine matches this year they have not scored.

“I think we were doing everything right,” Oswego East's Katie Ross said. “We were connecting passes and we got crosses off. We've got to finish and then we've got it.”

The Wolves (3-4-2) increasingly put a stranglehold on the game. And they did come close throughout the second half—the retelling of which is an Oswegian offensive litany. Taken together with a strong first half, there were a number of frustrated players walking off the field when the match ended.

“We're in a (scoring) slump,” Oswego East coach Lauren Anderson said. “Especially with a game like this where you do control a majority of the game and you go home and it's 0-0 and it's a tie. We all know that if you can't score, you can't win.”

Seven minutes into the half, Ross had a long, dipping shot tipped over the crossbar for a corner kick. From that kick, Ross had a half-chance that missed.

Sixteen minutes into the half, Anida Phetchanpheng made a strong run from defense that created a chance for Lauren Hoppensteadt, who shot over the crossbar. Five minutes after that, Ross had a sharp shot saved. Ross again forced a save with 17 minutes to play in the match. And one minute after that chance, Megan Ross sent a leading pass to Hoppensteadt, who shot over the crossbar.

The key to the Wolves' dominance was their ability to play the ball on the ground and to connect passes on a very windy morning.

“In the first half, when we had the wind, we were looking over the top and we were playing good balls,” Katie Ross said. “Definitely in the second half, we needed to win balls out of the air and we did.”

The Wolves' chances began to disappear later in the half and Dundee-Crown began to pressure some. There was still time for Brittany Brewer to shoot over the bar and for Carli Schlaker to create well on the left wing and to send a ball to Ross, who shot just wide.

“We're getting a little bit frustrated,” Ross said. “We just need to start scoring goals. Everything else looks pretty good. We worked well as a team. We communicated. We played good soccer.”

The chance to score and to win presents itself quickly as Oswego East travels to Plainfield North on Monday afternoon.

“Overall, the girls played great soccer today,” Anderson said. “Everything we've been trying to work on and to get them to do, they did – besides finishing. We're struggling with finishing the ball.”

Oswego East can then take advantage of a pair of practices before returning to action with a Thursday home match with Plainfield Central. Ross said some personal work may pay dividends for the Wolves' attacking players.

“I think we've got to get out there and work on our own and get some balls in the back of the net,” she said.

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