Girls soccer notes: Crystal Lake Central regroups with conference win over Cary-Grove

Crystal Lake Central players knew winning the Fox Valley Conference wouldn’t be a cakewalk, and they got a firsthand experience of just how hard it would be when the Tigers lost, 1-0, to Jacobs on April 14.

Coach Sarah Fack realized just how tight the conference race would be just before the conference slate started when she looked at the other teams’ records and how similar they were.

That tight race is why wins like Crystal Lake Central’s 3-1 victory over Cary-Grove on Tuesday are important not only in order to win a title but also developing for later in the postseason.

“We knew it was kind of a must-win if we wanted to stay in the title [race] after not doing so great in our last game. It was nice to get back on track, get a nice win against Cary-Grove, who every year is a tough team,” Fack said. “I think everyone was happy and relieved to get back on track.”

Kaitlin Gaunaurd, Brooklynn Carlson and Olivia Anderson all scored for the Tigers as the offense got back into a groove after battling the wind against Jacobs. Fack said the Tigers have done a good job of moving the ball in space and playing quickly to switch the field position, which has led Crystal Lake Central to a 6-2-1 overall record and 2-1 conference record.

Fack was happy to see her team rebound after a tough loss.

“They know they’re a good team, they know they’re all great players, but we weren’t in that game and things didn’t happen,” Fack said. “I don’t think they felt pressure, they just wanted to have fun and play well and play together.”

Six teams were tied for first place in the Fox Valley Conference with 2-1 records going into Thursday’s action. The Tigers will keep the same mentality that each conference match will be a must-win.

“I think that they’re ready to keep going with the momentum that they have now,” Fack said. “They’ve gotten over a few speed bumps along the way, and I think we’re hoping from here on out mentally we can stick together and do what we’ve been doing. We have all the pieces, we just need to put it all together at the end here.”

Good loss for Richmond-Burton

It’s not often that Casey DeCaluwe is happy about a loss, but the Richmond-Burton coach knew there’s more to his team’s 6-2 loss to Neuqua Valley on Saturday.

DeCaluwe knew he needed to add Neuqua Valley, one of the better Class 3A teams in the state, to the Rockets’ schedule no matter what the outcome was.

“These bigger schools, you lose a game, it’s OK,” DeCaluwe said. “There’s lessons to be learned in it. I think moving forward, our message has been to play those games fearlessly and see where we are at the end of them.”

Richmond-Burton kept Neuqua Valley scoreless for the first 28 minutes of the match and trailed, 2-0, at the half. The Wildcats started taking advantage of the Rockets’ mistakes in the second half, scoring four goals.

DeCaluwe knows his players won’t see a team as physical, big and tall in the Class 1A postseason as Neuqua Valley. He’s created a schedule that has the Rockets playing against teams with a different makeup.

“It brought things into perspective for our girls,” DeCaluwe said. “It’s a different landscape.”

Richmond-Burton played Johnsburg on Tuesday and will play Marian Central on Thursday, both 1A teams. The Rockets also will play Woodstock on Wednesday, a 2A team, and end the week against Antioch on Friday, a 3A team.

DeCaluwe was proud of the way his team battled against a bigger squad, and he knows that a tough loss in April will pay dividends when it’s time for the biggest matches of the season.

“It really prepares you for that postseason,” DeCaluwe said. “You get down to a supersectional like we were last year, we’ve seen a team that would be able to be at that level.”

Dundee-Crown figures it out at Plainfield Classic

Dundee-Crown might’ve learned something from its two matches at the Plainfield Classic.

The Chargers lost, 5-0, to Plainfield North on April 14 and then rebounded with a 3-1 win over Willowbrook on Saturday. Coach Rob Moulton was proud of the way his players competed and the way they stepped up in critical moments against Willowbrook.

“We’re starting to learn from our mistakes, and it’s nice to see that happen, apply to the games,” Moulton said. “I thought it was a great experience for us.”

Moulton saw that growth against Willowbrook with three different players scoring. Opposing teams have locked in Berkley Menisk, who leads the team in goals and points, leading to opportunities for other players.

Emilia Arias, Lynette Morales and Ariana Hernandez all scored for the Chargers against Willowbrook and showed what Dundee-Crown will need to deal with when teams send four or five players to defend Mensik.

More responses like that will help the Chargers compete for a conference title and a deep postseason run.

“We just need more of those players to step up, because that’s going to be our season right there,” Moulton said. “How far we go in the playoffs really depends on other players around us stepping up.”

Hampshire finds cohesion against Crystal Lake South

Hampshire coach Kelly Madison didn’t feel like her team played together in tough circumstances in its two Hampshire Invite matches Friday and Saturday.

The Whips battled winds and tough fields in a 2-1 double overtime loss to Kaneland on Friday and a 2-0 loss to Mundelein on Saturday, but Madison watched her team start slow again, as it has for most of the season.

Madison and the Hampshire players talked about what they need to do to be prepared when a match starts and responded to a tough weekend with a 3-1 win over Crystal Lake South on Tuesday. The Whips focused more on their pregame routine and got into a zone, which helped the whole team work together and the players saw the benefits in a conference win.

“We talked with the team and decided that losses are going to happen. We’re going to have challenges, we’re going to have players get hurt, people moving positions, but at the end of the day we’re on our field, and we know what to do, we just have to put it into play,” Madison said.

Assignment time

The IHSA released assignments for the upcoming girls soccer postseason.

In Class 3A, Jacobs, Dundee-Crown, Hampshire, Huntley and McHenry will all play in the Round Lake Sectional, with Huntley and Hampshire hosting regionals.

In Class 2A, Burlington Central, Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South, Prairie Ridge, Harvard, Woodstock and Woodstock North will all play in the same subsectional in the Freeport Sectional. Burlington Central and Crystal Lake South will host regionals.

In Class 1A, Johnsburg, Richmond-Burton, Marian Central and Marengo will all play in a subsectional of a sectional that has not been given a location yet.

The Class 1A state final tournament will take place May 27-28 at North Central College in Naperville. The Class 2A and 3A tournaments will take place June 3-4 at North Central College.