Weary Vikings get it done vs. weary Falcons

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By Gary Larsen

Both Geneva and Wheaton North needed something that they’ll both get on Saturday.

A day away from soccer.

After Geneva topped the host Falcons 1-0 in Naperville Invitational play on Friday, prom will give the Vikings’ girls a much-needed day of rest. Geneva played its 18th match in five and a half weeks on Friday, and Wheaton North posted its 17th result of the year.

Credit went to both teams afterwards, for lacing them up and getting after it in the face of physical and mental fatigue.

“We had three (consecutive) games this week and three last week, so we got slammed,” Geneva coach Megan Owens said. “We got the job done. You could tell both teams were tired.”

“(Wheaton North) came out and fought hard, and we were able to put pressure on them in the second half. It was a solid game for us.”

And after a formidable four-game stretch against New Trier, Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley, and Geneva, Wheaton North was also looking forward to a day of rest.

“This weekend we’re skipping practice because after this week, we need a mental break,” the Falcons’ Kate Wiegman said. “Coach (Tim) McEvilly just talked about how we need to refresh ourselves.”

Geneva spent much of the first half staving off a Wheaton North attack that enjoyed a stiff wind at its back. The Falcons spent considerable time on the Vikings half of midfield, and earned several restarts and corner kicks through 40 minutes.

No goals were forthcoming, however, leaving Geneva in a good spot after halftime. The Vikings enjoyed the wind advantage in the second half but as the 70th minute of play ticked past, the game seemed destined for a scoreless tie.

Until the 72nd minute.

That’s when Sammi Hill lined up her fourth prime free kick chance of Geneva’s last two games, and made sure she didn’t go 0-for-4. Hill’s boot from 25 yards out went around the Falcons’ defensive wall, carried under the crossbar, and found nothing but back netting.

“They all went over,” Hill said of her three previous attempts. “I finally got it done this time. The wall was on the left side and the keeper lined up right. I saw that (the kick) wasn’t going over, so then you just hope she can’t get to it.”

Geneva (10-5-3) posted its 10th shutout of the year with Friday’s win. The girls in back are never given the attention they’re due on any team, and the Vikings’ defenders are no exception.

The return of Stephanie Davison will only bolster Geneva’s defensive play. While Davison was absent from the lineup, sophomore Caitrin Griffin held down her defensive stopper spot. Demi Miller has swept all year, Peri has been on the outside, while Alex Loebel has nursed an injury and shared time with Amanda Lulek.

The Vikings’ back four and goalkeepers Jenny Lienau and Victoria Fortney have only given up 16 goals in 18 games. Senior defender Gina Peri echoed the reasons always cited a team’s defensive success.

“Communication and aggression,” Peri said. “Both of those are really important. And we have a lot of speed in back, and I think it’s really important that we’re not afraid to head the ball out of the air.”

Kailey Rote joined Davison in returning to the field on Friday, as the Vikings are slowly getting healthy for the late-season run.

“We’ve lost so many players to injuries just because of the stretch of games we’ve played,” Peri said. “It’s definitely been exhausting but I think it has built us up, mentally.”

“It was tough coming here expecting to be up with tons of energy, ready to go. So we just kind of look to the end goal, and think about the playoffs, and how the things we work on in this game can make us better.”

Friday marked the fourth consecutive game in which the Falcons were kept out of net, and the sixth time this season they’ve lost a 1-0 game.

Wheaton North got solid midfield play throughout from players like Wiegman, Kelsey Tharnstrom, Erin Karner, Chelsea Hupp, and Rebekah Marquez.

“We’ve been able to knock it around in the middle of the field more, and we get it to the final third,” Wiegman said. “But we’ve had trouble possessing it there.”

“I think we had enough chances that we should have (finished). We haven’t scored in a while and it’s getting really frustrating. And now we’re trying to score all the time, which makes for poor play.”

“We need to find that person who can consistently put it on (frame).”

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