Posted Wednesday, May 17, 2006, The OG, sports

The girls varsity soccer team ended its season Tuesday with a 3-0 loss to Decatur Lutheran in the first round of the Class A playoffs. The Illineks had fallen to the Lady Lions 2-0 on May 8. The loss puts the season record at 4-15 against all opponents (3-15 against varsity foes).

Uni was seeded sixth in the seven-team Decatur (St. Teresa) sectional. Host Decatur Lutheran was seeded third.

Although Tuesday's defeat marked the 12th time the Illineks were shut out this year, the team displayed improvement in their ball movement and exerted more control over the center of the field.

“We really seemed to feel better than we had all season,” said sophomore defender Sarah Pfander. “We were moving the ball really well and connecting up more passes.”

Junior goalie Mandy Grill continued her outstanding play, making 24 saves.

Besides Grill's solid goal-keeping, another bright spot this year was the emergence of underclassmen such as Pfander and fellow sophomores Suran Yoo, Shara Esbenshade, and Zoë Schein as important contributors. Yoo led the team with seven goals.

“Because there were so many injuries this year and a small group of seniors, that allowed a lot of underclassmen to step up and get a lot better, which has put us in a position to do really well next year,” said Pfander.

— Gargoyle staff