Joliet Central nets back-to-back wins with 7-0 shutout against Richards

OAK LAWN – It was a rough pair of games to open the season for Joliet Central.

A 7-0 loss to Stagg and a 1-0 defeat to Leyden certainly was humbling for the Steelmen, especially after going 3-15 a year ago.

They haven’t let that start determine what kind of team they are, however, and rebounded with a 5-3 win over Shepard on Saturday while earning their first goals of the year.

On Monday morning, Joliet Central appeared to reach a new level.

The Steelmen scored three goals in the first half against Richards and wound up flipping the score of their season opener, taking a 7-0 victory over the Bulldogs. After winning three games a year ago, the Steelmen are 2-2 on the young season.

“I think we learned a lot from our game on Saturday against Shepard,” coach Stephanie Phillips said. “We were good about being in the correct position, making those triangles and finally clicking. Once we got one [in] the net, it was one after another.”

Victoria Davila got things started with a goal 10 minutes in on an assist from Ari Arciniega. Camilla Jacobo and Juli Calderon each scored goals in the final 10 minutes of the half on assists from Calderon and Victoria Serna. That gave the Steelmen a 3-0 edge entering halftime.

The Steelmen didn’t take their foot off the gas. Davila and Jacobo each scored goals in the first five minutes of the second half on assists from Izabel Barrera and Davila, respectively. Kaylen Hernandez scored a pair of goals in the final nine minutes of play with Arciniega contributing assists on both plays.

“We had a pretty slow start,” Davila said. “I felt like once we got some goals in we had the confidence to start connecting more and playing together.”

While last year’s group won just three games, there was talent on the roster just as there is on this one. Davila is a four-year starter, while Calderon is a Joliet Junior College commit. There are seven seniors on the roster and an experienced junior in Arciniega. The Steelmen also have junior Daniela Moreno back after she missed last year with an ACL injury.

All of that is to say there’s potential for this year’s group to do far better than 2024.

“I think our vibes are unmatched compared to any of the other seasons that I’ve had here,” Davila said. “I feel like everybody just connects well together. There’s just a lot of laughter and having fun together all of the time.”

Three players scoring two goals apiece also shows that this group is unselfish. They won’t lean on any one girl to carry the load, which will be imperative to their success. Phillips believes this team has the work ethic and spirit to make a lot of strides this year.

“I really like that this group of young women are very hard workers,” Phillips said. “They’re very motivated and here to compete while having fun. They’re all about our motto, which is, ‘We learn, and we grow.’ Each day we’re looking to do that.”