Girls soccer: Crystal Lake Central earns Fox Valley Conference win over Huntley

HUNTLEY – Crystal Lake Central players haven’t shied away from the fact that they want to win a Fox Valley Conference title this season after winning the conference tournament last season.

The Tigers overcame strong winds Tuesday to win their FVC opener against Huntley, 3-1.

“It feels really good,” Brooklynn Carlson said. “Our whole team has been wanting this for a while, so we knew from the start that we were going to come out strong and score right away.”

Central (5-1-1, 1-0 FVC) players had 20 mph winds at their backs and made sure to take advantage right from the start. Carlson scored the match’s first goal when Huntley goalkeeper Nova Rothlisberger came out too far from the net and Carlson lofted in a shot with 30:35 left in the first half.

Carlson knocked in her second goal of the match when she scored on a contested ball with Rothlisberger at the net with 25:22 left in the first half. Katie Barth added a third goal for the Tigers inside the box with 12:37 left in the first.

Central coach Sarah Fack emphasized the importance of taking advantage of the wind in the first half because she knew Huntley would have the advantage in the second. She was proud of the way her players clicked together to get off to a fast start.

“They stuck together as a team and stayed positive despite the stuff that was going on with weird placed balls and flying down the field,” Fack said. “They worked really well together staying compact when we needed to. They were smart.”

Huntley (2-2-1, 0-1 FVC) didn’t have a shot on goal in the first half as the Red Raiders struggled to move the ball down the field against the wind. The team held more possession in the second half, but didn’t convert on many chances until Gabriella Farraj scored with 1:57 left in the match.

Red Raiders coach Matt Lewandowski thought his players battled well in another tough weather game early in the season, but he wants his players to play together with the talent they have.

“Through the first couple games of the season, I think we’ve proven that we have the pieces, we just need to make the puzzle out of it,” Lewandowski said.

The Red Raiders will travel to McHenry on Thursday, while the Tigers will host Jacobs.

Central has big dreams of winning a conference championship, but the players know every game is important since there won’t be a special tournament like there was last season.

One loss could determine whether the Tigers reach their goal, and there are plenty of teams to watch out for as they navigate through the schedule.

“Every single game we’re looking as an important one,” Fack said. “We know that all the teams in the conference are looking good, especially some of the ones that haven’t contended for the title recently. They’re doing well this year and they have to be on our radar and the girls need to bring really good energy.”