Girls Soccer: Shepard wins seventh straight

Neither poor conditions nor an Evergreen Park team celebrating Senior Night could slow down the surging Shepard girls soccer team Tuesday.

Kathryn Hermanas had a hat trick and the visiting Astros won for the seventh straight time with a 7-0 South Suburban Red victory over the Mustangs.

“I’m coming back from an ACL tear (in the first game of the 2011 season) and it feels like I’m finally starting to get going,” said Hermanas, who had one prior hat trick this year. “It feels good.”

Alyssa Braun had two goals and an assist for the Astros (11-8, 9-1). Aubrey Quick added a goal and an assist and Christina Kotas scored once.

Playing in pouring rain throughout the first half and on a sloppy field the whole match, Shepard didn’t seem bothered, keeping the ball in the Mustangs’ defensive zone most of the night.

Kotas got the Astros on the board eight minutes in, poking in a rebound after Braun’s shot was saved by the Mustangs’ Jaynell Sheppard (four saves).

Quick found the net four minutes later before Hermanas closed the first-half scoring.

“It was definitely hard to adjust to the weather and balls skipping all over, but I thought we did a good job,” Hermanas said. “We played our hearts out.”

The best scoring chance for Evergreen Park (4-11-1 overall) came when Molly Moran made a rush down the right side and just missed Claritza Garcia in the box with a cross.

Hermanas and Braun each scored twice in the second half.

“We have a young team with three freshmen and three sophomores,” Shepard coach Scott Wilkins said. “It took us awhile to get going, but we’re playing well now.”

The Astros clinched their first Red title last week.

“We set our goals high and our first goal was conference,” Hermanas said. “Everyone’s really proud of each other and we’re really excited.”

Samantha Schickle had six saves for the Mustangs.

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