By Gargoyle sports staff
Posted Thursday, April 12, 2007, The OG, girls soccer & sports

URBANA — What a turnaround.

A year ago, the Uni girls soccer team visited Macon Meridian and came away with an 8-0 loss, one of the Illineks' worst defeats of the 2006 season. (Mattoon also beat Uni 8-0 last year.)

Today, controlling the game on their home field, the Uni girls defeated the visiting Hawks 1-0.

Junior Sarah Pfander scored the only goal, launching a shot from the top of the 18-yard box with 14 minutes, 41 seconds left in the contest.

The win, Uni's first of the season, raises the team's record to 1-3-1.

The Illinek defense played tough all game, limiting the Hawks to 4 shots on goal and 5 shots overall.

Senior goalkeeper Mandy Grill's 4 saves included one directly in front of her net with only 5:38 left to play. As Grill cradled the ball, her teammates cheered loudly, sensing that Meridian had literally taken its best shot.

In fact, that was the closest the Hawks would come to scoring for the rest of the match.

With 2:19 left, Uni threatened to extend its lead with a shot by junior Suran Yoo. Meridian's keeper made an excellent save, but the visitors couldn't regroup for another attack before time ran out.

Both teams contended with wintry conditions: 38 degrees, 22 mph winds, 27-degree wind chill.

Defensively, Meridian also limited Uni to 4 shots on goal, but the Illineks recorded 13 shots overall, reflecting the pressure they put on the Hawks throughout most of the game.

The key to the game, according to head coach Phil Anders, was Uni's ability to apply pressure everywhere on the field.

“We've been talking about that,” he said. “Everyone on the field was running to the ball today. It came together really well.”

Freshman Erika Belmont fights off Meridian defenders.

(Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)

In their five games this season, the Illineks have scored 5 goals, a big improvement over last year's 0-5 start, in which the team went scoreless.

“We've proven we can put the ball in the back of the net,” Anders said. “There was only one game where we didn't score [a 3-0 loss to Centennial on March 30].”

Today's game was also a major turnaround from how Uni fared only two days ago, when Class AA Charleston beat the Illineks 7-1.

“We played our best half of the season against the best team we've faced all year,” Anders said of the Charleston match, in which the teams went into halftime tied 1-1.

After the host Lady Trojans outscored Uni 6-0 in the second half, it would have been easy for the Illineks to enter today's game down and dejected. But the opposite happened.

“They were playing with a fire I haven't seen,” Anders said of his team's performance.

Some new faces in the lineup helped the cause. Sophomore Jessi Sullivan, a standout in basketball but a novice at soccer, started at sweeper, where her speed and athleticism made a big impact, according to Anders.

As for the veterans, Grill as always was solid in goal.

“She's a given,” Anders said. “She's back there as a team leader, keeping morale up. She's the loudest one on the field.”

Shortly before Grill made her big save with 5:38 left, senior defender Amelia Breault also made an important play, blocking a Meridian shot that would have been trouble if it had gone past her.

“Amelia's experience and maturity have been important to us,” said Anders, who felt confident with the talented but inexperienced Sullivan on the field because he knew Breault would be out there to help.

The Illineks won't have much time to savor their victory. The team will play again Saturday at DCR Fields, where they will host Normal Calvary Baptist in a match that starts at 11 a.m.

[UPDATE: The starting time for Saturday's game has been changed to 2 p.m. Thanks to Annie Machesky for the information.]

VARSITY RECORD: 1-3-1 overall

(Games at DCR Fields are in bold)

Season Preview: Illineks look for improvement as season begins today

March 28: St. Thomas More, L 2-1

— Illinek scoring recap: Michelle Wong (penalty kick, first half)

— story: Uni drops season opener

March 30: Centennial, L 3-0

— Illinek scoring recap: no goals

— story: History is repeated in 3-0 loss to Centennial

April 3: Urbana, game canceled because of wet field conditions (will not be rescheduled)

April 5: at Monticello, T 2-2

— Illinek scoring recap: Erika Belmont (first half); Joy Shapley (second half)

— story: Illineks come back to tie Monticello

April 10: at Charleston, L 7-1

— Illinek scoring recap: Erika Belmont (first half)

— story: Close game turns into lopsided loss to Charleston

April 12: Macon Meridian, W 1-0

— Illinek scoring recap: Sarah Pfander (second half)

— story: see above

Remaining games: see schedule