Wildcats get it done in a shootout over Glenbard East

By Gary Larsen

Kelsey Myers reacted to stopping two kicks in a shootout like it wasn’t all that big of a deal, but her teammates felt differently.

West Chicago’s players raced onto the field and mobbed Myers after she secured Saturday’s win over Glenbard East.

The Wildcats and Rams are DuPage Valley Conference rivals, and they tied 1-1 previously this year. It took a Meagan Radloff goal in the second half to force the tie before Myers came up big in the shootout.

Myers’ calmness after the fact reflected the calm she felt going into the shootout at Streamwood’s Millennium Field.

“Usually I’m really nervous, but the last two shootouts I was just pumped,” Myers said. “I got my head into it and just focused on the ball.”

“We saw (Glenbard East) in a shootout and we knew they went right, so I just kind of went with that.”

For Wildcats’ coach Cesar Gomez, Saturday’s game was a farewell of sorts. As a member of the Wheaton College coaching staff, he’ll head to Senegal on a mission until May 25.

“They’re peaking at the right time,” Gomez said of his Wildcats. “The girls have been working very hard.”

The philosophy Gomez has implemented since he took over at West Chicago is fueled, first and foremost, by the desire to move the ball around and attack the opponent. You won’t find his girls packing it in defensively and playing for the counter, no matter what.

“I don’t care if we get scored on – let the girls play soccer,” Gomez said. “I just want them to play the game.”

The challenge at West Chicago has been getting players to believe in the system of play he preaches.

“As a coach I think they believe what I say, but when you’re not getting the (wins) then they might lose a little faith. But I think they’re getting it,” Gomez said. “Now all they need is a little inspiration.”

“We just got two wins in a row and now we’re working for regionals,” Radloff said. “I think it’s just our confidence. We need the confidence to know that we can hang with teams and I think we’re starting to get it.”

The junior Radloff is West Chicago’s most dangerous player, and after receiving a pass she picked her way around a few defenders and pulled the trigger from 18 yards out, sending a left-footed shot to the upper ninety.

“I saw the goalie was going one way and I think I might have caught her off-guard a little,” Radloff said. “But we tied (Glenbard East) in the DVC and we just really wanted to get this one. They pack in their defense and we had a hard time getting around that.”

Glenbard East took a 1-0 lead on a counterattack, breaking in and finishing in the first half while playing into a strong wind. Radloff’s goal came while the Wildcats attacked into that same wind in the second half.

Gomez applauded the play of Anna Mercaldo in back, and pointed to the strong play of Jenny Amaro throughout the game despite being banged up. “It’s all heart with her,” Gomez said of Amaro. “And Sarah Opel’s heart is humongous. She was flying all over the field.”

The Wildcats finished second behind host Bartlett in the tournament. The Hawks pasted West Chicago 6-1 on March 26, but the rematch on Wednesday ended in a 2-2 tie before Bartlett won in an shootout.

“Meagan didn’t play the first time we played (Bartlett), and she scored both of our goals against them on Wednesday,” Gomez said. “But again, we know we can play. We made four mistakes the first time we played them.”

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