Girls Soccer: For starters, Lincoln-Way North blanks Lincoln-Way East
By Tim O’Brien For Sun-Times Media March 16, 2013 9:54PM
Updated: May 16, 2013 2:23AM
Above all else, Lincoln-Way North coach Mike Murphy had one worry about this season.
Losing four-year starters Rita Craven and Jessica Bean and their 22 goals each from last season, who would score?
North gave Murphy a good answer to start the 2013 campaign with a convincing 4-0 win over rival and host Lincoln-Way East Saturday afternoon.
“We didn’t know who would score, and it was really nice to see a whole bunch of people step up and have opportunities to score,” Murphy said. “I would never have thought we’d score four goals in our first game.”
Lexi Cesario scored two goals for Lincoln-Way North (1-0) with Unique Manns and Grace Sheetz tallying a goal apiece.
“We all need to step up and play our best,” Cesario said. “If we play together, we can be pretty good.”
Called for three offsides calls through 25 minutes Saturday, Manns finally got a clean chance. Running past the East defense on a long North pass, the senior fielded the ball and drilled an uncontested shot into the net.
“That whole half I kept wandering offsides, and it was so frustrating,” Manns said. “I was going to let them play the ball first, and once they played it, I saw I could get it. I took my time and scored.”
Manns’ goal with 14:48 opened things up with Cesario scoring just six minutes later when East back-up goalie Kelsey Elam (4 saves) couldn’t bring down a free ball. Cesario corralled the ball in the air and scored.
Sheetz and Cesario scored goals in the second half.
Lincoln-Way East (0-2) never managed much offense, Elam’s free kick with 3:40 remaining in the game sailing high over the crossbar. Griffins goalie Katie Kazmierczak (2 saves) left the game in the first half with an injury but returned in the second.
“We lost our keeper and had to switch our defense,” East coach Brian Papa said. “We had a breakdown on the (Manns) sprint, and it should have never come to that.”
