On Tuesday, May 7, the varsity girls soccer team fought hard against the Stevenson Patriots, scoring a 3-0 victory in the process.
The Wildcats started out strong, immediately getting the ball down the field to attempt many shots. Senior Molly Koch (3) eventually scored the first goal for the home team to give Libertyville the 1-0 lead.
The first half started off slow as the Wildcats and Patriots fought for the ball, continuously coming to a standstill. There were many foul kicks as the visiting Patriots attacked very aggressively.
Senior goalies Kate Hopma (0) and Brianna Valdez (1) had a combined five saves throughout the game, blocking all of Stevenson’s shots.
As the first half progressed, the Wildcats gained more energy stemming from Koch’s goal.
“We did a good job assessing the ball and working under pressure,” Koch said.
The Wildcats adapted to the Patriot advances by becoming more diligent defensively, with strong plays from such defenders as freshman Lainey Chung (12).
As the first half neared the end, the Wildcats scored another goal, courtesy of sophomore Natalie Schmidt (9), and ended the first half with a 2-0 lead.
The second half started with a lot of energy from the Wildcats, especially thanks to their success in the first half.
Though the game progressed much more slowly, the Wildcats managed another goal with just over 10 minutes left in the game, scored by junior Bella Yarc (10).
“The energy on the field was my favorite part,” Yarc said. “It’s what helped me get the job done.”
Yarc’s goal was the game’s last, the Patriots becoming much more aggressive in the second half.
“[The Patriots] have a lot of skills and they know how to move the ball,” Koch said. “[The ball] was on our side in the second half. They put more pressure on our backs.”
Still, the Wildcats held their own on their home field.
“We decided to come out and play harder,” Yarc said. “This is our field so we [had to] win and play our game.”
The Wildcats will now face the Prospect Knights in their first playoff game on Tuesday, May 14.
