Warriors top Lions on late goal from DiBernardo

By Matt LeCren

With the graduation of Division I players like Bri Rodriguez and Rachel Bostick, Waubonsie Valley’s Vanessa DiBernardo is shouldering much more of a leadership role this year.

“It’s different this year and I like it so far, so it’s fun,” DiBernardo said. “We have [a lot] of new starters so this first couple games we’re trying to get it together and it’s slowly coming together.

Our expectation is to just play well and play hard every game and hopefully that will take us far.”

By now it should come as no surprise when DiBernardo scores a big goal, even when people least expect it, and she did it again Thursday night. The senior stunned Lyons Township with two goals, including yet another game-winner, to lift the Warriors to a 2-1 victory at Metea Valley.

The two sides appeared headed for a tie when DiBernardo suddenly flicked a 22-yard shot inside the left post with 2:58 remaining in the second half to give Waubonsie (2-0) the lead. Goalie Kylie Morgan made it stand up by making two saves in the final 22 seconds.

“It’s always fun [to score game-winners],” DiBernardo said. “I had it at the top of the box and I turned and I saw a little gap and I took a shot far post.”

It wasn’t the first time DiBernardo had created havoc for an otherwise solid LT defense. The Lions (0-1) arguably had the better of the play in a scoreless first half and grabbed a 1-0 lead with 32:56 left in the second half on Katie Nasenbenny’s 15-yard shot from the left side of the penalty area.

But just 1:05 later, DiBernardo and Megan Green worked a give-and-go up the middle. The two were so close to one another when they reached the top of the circle that the Lions appeared confused on how to defend the play and DiBernardo rushed in and sent a 15-yard shot inside the right post for the equalizer.

“That’s always the first thing you want to do is go for the goal if you get scored on,” DiBernardo said. “We just kept our heads high. It was still early in the game so we still had a good chance of coming back and we did. Our team is very good with the quick little touches, so me and Megan just combined and it worked.”

“She’s good on the ball, but even off the ball she puts herself in the right spot, gives the ball up and then is good about where’s she going to get it back and that’s what happened on the first one,” LT coach Bill Lanspeary said. “She gave it up and we lost track of her. We did a pretty good job on her all game long, [but on the second goal] we gave her too much space and she found the opening.”

Even in defeat, Nasenbenny gave DiBernardo her due.

“It was a really exciting game to play in,” she said. “It’s always great to play against teams like Waubonsie. They’ve had a great history over the past five years or so and I really thought it was an evenly matched game.

“Obviously, Vanessa is a great kid, she’s a great player. She has a strong shot, it’s really accurate and she can get it off pretty quickly, so she’s always dangerous. She’s great on the ball. She works really well with her teammates. If you have to lose by someone’s foot, it would be her.”

Two freshmen, defender Rachele Armand and midfielder Jenna Romano, figure prominently in the game plan and have already made an impact. Armand, who along with junior Hannah Klancic and sophomore Michelle Filipek scored in the Warriors’ season-opening 3-0 victory at South Elgin on Wednesday, was denied on a great save by LT keeper Renata Butikas in the first half, and Romano was solid in the midfield and the back against the Lions.

Both are O.D.P. players. Romano will miss the Warriors’ game next Wednesday against Naperville Central at North Central College because of a trip to Costa Rico with the ODP team.

“They have helped us a lot,” DiBernardo said. “They have the speed and they have the soccer mind, so they can understand the game and they fit [in] well with us, with their passing ability.”

Starting goalie Allison Fox was another bright spot. The senior made four saves in the first half, including two tough ones on Nasenbenny.

“It was a fun game,” Waubonsie coach Julie Bergstrom said. “I think at the beginning of the season you’re more worried about sorting yourself out than the score, so it is what it is. I was glad to see the kids respond, though. To go down and respond like that is a huge thing to have in your back pocket.”