Girls soccer: Crystal Lake Central takes down Lakes in 2-0 shutout

CRYSTAL LAKE – Crystal Lake Central players kept coming close to scoring in the first half against Lakes on Thursday afternoon, but the Tigers left empty-handed after each attempt.

The Tigers didn’t give up after each close call and continued to fire at the net until Jillian Mueller finally scored the go-ahead goal with 28 seconds left in the first half in Central’s 2-0 win.

“We played our way, and we want to get what we deserve,” Mueller said. “I felt like we deserved that at the end. It was rewarding as a team.”

Central (2-0-0) controlled the pace of play for much of the first half, keeping pressure on Lakes goalkeeper Caitlin Pron with each attempt at the net. The Tigers had different chances either on fastbreaks or designed crosses but couldn’t connect.

Mueller finally broke the tie when she scored on a penalty kick after a Lakes player pushed her to the ground as they battled for the ball.

Although Mueller didn’t want to get pushed, the goal was rewarding for a team that kept coming close to scoring.

“I think we earned a chance at that penalty,” Central coach Sarah Fack said. “It was nice to have that going into the half, a little confidence boost to go into the second half.”

The Tigers kept up the pressure in the second half and were rewarded when Brooklynn Carlson scored off a rebound with a little less than 33 minutes left to make it 2-0 game. Central eased up toward the final 20 minutes of the game but continued to get quality looks at the net.

Goalkeeper Addison Cleary recorded her second shutout in as many games. She stopped five shots on goal, and her defense limited many chances for the Eagles.

“Having a shutout against the quality teams that we’ve been playing has been awesome seeing them do that,” Fack said. “We’re looking forward throughout the season to keep getting better, but they’ve done great.”

Central players did a good job of pressing together as a team and communicating, which helped them win 50-50 balls. The Tigers kept possession because they knew it was important to avoid scrambles.

Lakes (0-2-0) had some chances late in the second half and in the final third of the match, but the Eagles couldn’t do what the Tigers did.

Finish.

“We were there, we just didn’t make anything happen,” Lakes coach Kevin Kullby said. “It’s early in the season, and it’s going to take awhile before we find ourselves, but I still think we’re a good team.”

The Eagles will have a tough test when they take on Libertyville on Saturday. The Tigers will have some rest before they host Marian Central on Monday.

Fack has enjoyed trying some different rotations and lineups during the first two matches to see who plays well together and how each player needs to be used for the team to succeed. She still wants her players to work through the basics during the nonconference season as they prepare for a battle for the Fox Valley Conference title.

Through two games, Central players are showing their coach they’re going to keep working until they succeed.

“It’s been great,” Fack said. “These kids love playing together, and I think each game, each half, we’ve seen improvements.”