Girls Soccer: Underclassmen lead Waubonsie past Oswego East
Mary Beth Nolan~For Sun-Times Media
Updated: May 15, 2012 9:44PM
So much for senior leadership.
Waubonsie Valley rolled to a 5-0, lightning-shortened win Tuesday in its Class 3A Waubonsie Valley Regional opener against Oswego East behind the talents of numerous underclassmen. The Warriors, seeded sixth in the 16-team Naperville North Sectional, played the 12th-seeded Wolves in Aurora.
Sophomores Kristen Dodson and Kristen Brots hooked up for game’s first goal 13:06 seconds into the action, with Brots finishing the play. Next, sophomore Mackenzie Fuller made it 2-0 with the help of an assist by freshman Maddie Pokora with 19:25 to go in the half.
Still not done, the Warriors would add three more goals in the first half.
Junior Jenna Romano took a pass off a corner kick from classmate Rachele Armand and scored for a 3-0 lead at the 18:11 mark. Romano scored again with 7:48 left in the first, this time on an assist by freshman Tori Christiansen.
Freshman Zasha Gazder tallied perhaps the most impressive goal of the evening, just 1:49 before halftime. Gazder put on a dribbling clinic, faking out her defender and going first toward the midfield line, then motoring back toward the Wolves’ goal. She capped the ballhandling exhibition by maneuvering past an Oswego East defender one final time, then breaking free for a 25-yard shot that found the net.
Wolves goalkeeper Alysen Newton, a junior, made six saves among the 11 shots-on-goal she faced. Waubonsie Valley freshman Emma Rigby showed no signs of postseason nerves, stopping the only two shots she had to defend.
Just 50 seconds into the second half, the game was called due to lightning being spotted in the area. By that point, the game was official.
The Warriors play fourth-seeded Neuqua Valley Friday in the regional championship. The Wildcats defeated No. 13 seed Plainfield South 8-0 in Tuesday’s first match.
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