Girls soccer notes: Downers Grove South celebrates coach Chris Hernandez’s 100th win in sweet fashion

Cool tricks can leave defenders in the dust.

Freshly baked goods and a surprise party can leave a coach blessed and searching for words of thanks.

Congratulations to the Downers Grove South girls soccer team for stunning coach Chris Hernandez with a surprise party at the school after the Mustangs went on the road to beat Proviso East 8-0 on April 2.

Isa Okuku, Grace Stapleton, Marifer Duran, Ashley Molinari, Mallory Crowley and Jordan Reynolds were among the Mustangs who scored in Hernandez’s 100th victory at Downers Grove South.

“I am very fortunate to be a part of a great soccer and coaches community,” Hernandez said. “They surprised me. They swiped out a ball from the game and had all the girls sign it and then when we came back to the building, I walked in and they had banners and cupcakes. It was all very humbling.”

Downers Grove South (2-3) hasn’t scored in its three losses this season, but the Mustangs have challenged themselves with two of those losses coming against two of the state’s best squads in Naperville North (5-1-2) and York (7-0).

With only three starters returning and almost half the team consisting of underclassmen, the Mustangs are trying to adapt quickly.

“This is a big transition where we’re going through the growing pains of developing players,” Hernandez said. “And we’ve got a lot of good kids who are coachable.”

Molinari and senior defender Micah Olson are coming off all-conference seasons and leading the young group. Hernandez said freshman midfielder Hannah Hake, freshman defender Kendall Kuntz and sophomore defenders Megan Pogolorec and Crowley are some of the young starters who are making an impact.

Drye is the guy at Timothy Christian

After a 17-year run as the boys basketball coach at Aurora Central Catholic, Nate Drye has returned to coaching this spring at Timothy Christian, but it’s on a turf soccer field in Elmhurst.

Drye and the Trojans have gotten off to a 2-2 start.

“We’re playing decently. We’re getting better,” Drye said. “It’s my first year and we replaced six starters so there are a lot of new people in new places.”

That includes sophomore Emily White taking over in goal and changes with the team’s strikers.

Hope Huizenga leads the Trojans with four goals, scoring the game-winners in their victories against Lisle and Francis Parker.

“She is a senior who had 17 goals last year and is transitioning from playing the 10 in the midfield to the 9 and our primary striker,” Drye said. “She also has an assist. Hope has been our leader and a tireless worker all year.”

Drye said fellow seniors Chloe Leppink and Lauren Wiegers have been strong while providing good cover and helping the team build from the back.

His daughter, junior Samantha Drye, is playing an offensive midfielder role and has taken on the key task of distributing the ball while freshmen Mia Schilf and Avery Croff have stepped in and are contributing.

“It’s a much different group than before, but we have some pretty talented people and are really starting to figure out possession,” Nate Drye said. “We played IC [Catholic Prep] and got down 2-0 within the first 20 minutes of the game, but righted the ship in the second half of the first half and then played great in the second half, possessed a lot, got a goal. We didn’t end up coming all the way back but it was a pretty good sign to turn around a bad situation. We needed to pass more but I was encouraged by how we learned and we’ll keep improving.”

Emphasizing strong starts rather than having to fight back after sluggish ones has become a key focus.

“I told the girls we need to do better at the beginning of game play,” Drye said. “You can play really good soccer, but in no other sport does the best team always win. So it’s important to focus on the process, to do the right things and move the ball, create passing lanes and touch. I think if we keep focusing on that and keep getting better, we’ll be fine.”

As for Drye’s return to coaching, he’s certainly enjoying the new experience.

“It’s been a lot of fun so far with my daughter Sam in her third year playing,” he said. “It’s fun being around her and the team and I think our team has potential. I think we’re going to be pretty decent at the end of the year.”

Lyons’ shutout streak ends

It’s been said that all good things come to an end and that would include Lyons’ streak of seven consecutive shutouts to open the season. Lyons (7-0-1) remains undefeated, but surrendered a pair of goals against Glenbrook South and tied 2-2.

York (7-0) almost matched the start by Lyons, shutting out its first six opponents before yielding a pair of goals in a 5-2 win over South Elgin on April 4.

Lyons and York, who will face each other May 7, have combined to outscore their opponents 64-4 through 15 games.

Around the area

Glenbard South junior Brooklynn Moore has six goals this season after scoring only twice a season ago. Teammate Lauren Price, a senior, led the Raiders with nine goals last spring. She already has seven goals this season. The Raiders are 6-4.

Lemont (8-3) posted a 4-0 shutout over Joliet Catholic on April 6.

Wheaton North (7-2-1) tied St. Charles North 1-1 in its DuKane Conference opener April 4 before cruising past Streamwood 9-1 on April 6. The Falcons beat Lemont 5-1 on April 9 and Batavia 5-0 on April 16.