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Girls soccer: Encouraging season ends with shutout loss
Freshman Michelle Wong launches a shot Friday against Monticello as teammate Suran Yoo gets out of the way. The Illineks lost the playoff game 2-0. Juniors Zoë Schein (19) and Sarah Pfander (4) look on. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
By Michael Belmont
Gargoyle sports editor
Posted Sunday, May 13, 2007, The OG, girls soccer & sports
Freshman Erika Belmont, left, collides with
Monticello goalie Colleen Donohue during Friday's
playoff game. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
URBANA — The visiting Monticello Sages upset Uni 2-0 Friday in the first round of Class A sectionals.
With the loss, the Illineks finished the year 7-8-2, a major improvement over the team's 2006 record of 4-15.
“The end of this season was kind of sad,” junior midfielder Sarah Pfander said. “We were expecting to win that game against Monticello, and it was hard to see us fall short. However, it's really hard for me to feel that much remorse because I feel like we have so much to look forward to next season.”
Uni entered the game seeded eighth in the 10-team Williamsville sectional, while Monticello was ninth. The teams deadlocked 2-2 when they played on April 5 at Monticello.
The Sages opened the scoring two minutes into the match when Brittany Gallivan scored an easy header goal off an assist from Lindsey Cresap.
Though the Illineks displayed a lot of heart for the rest of the game as they tried to come back, they seemed shaken by the early deficit and never really regained their composure.
Uni outshot Monticello 3-2 in the first half, with all shots from both teams on goal.
The Sages assumed offensive dominance in a much more attack-oriented second half, putting up 8 shots to the Illineks' 4.
Six of Monticello's second half shots were on goal, compared to 2 Uni shots on target.
Throughout the last 40 minutes, both teams had sequences that came agonizingly close to ending in the back of the net.
The Sages hit the crossbar once, and both teams just missed capitalizing on easy rebound chances in the 18-yard box.
GAME AT A GLANCE
- Score: Monticello 2, Uni 0
- Final varsity record: 7-8-2 overall, 4-0-1 ECIC
- Summary: The visiting Sages grabbed control early by scoring two minutes into the first half. The Illineks had some chances, especially in the second half, but couldn't capitalize.
- Next game: The season is over. See you in 2008.
Cresap clinched the game for the Sages with an unassisted goal with about 10 minutes left in the game.
Senior goalkeeper Mandy Grill recorded 6 saves for the Illineks. Her counterpart for Monticello, Colleen Donohue, made 3 saves.
The Sages are now 4-8-3. They will play top-seeded Williamsville on Monday.
“We've had some incredible positive things from this season,” head coach Phil Anders said. “This game wasn't one of our best. I told them at halftime we could only beat ourselves, and I think that's what we did.”
Highlights for the Illineks this year included winning the East Central Illinois Conference title with a 4-0-1 record and defeating Class AA Mattoon 1-0.
Friday's shutout loss was Uni's fifth of the year, a significant decrease from last season's 12 shutout defeats.
Conversely, the Illineks' 23 goals in 17 games represented an almost 50 percent increase in scoring compared to last season's 16 goals in 19 games.
Though the team graduates Grill, defenders Amelia Breault and Bethany Hutchens, midfielder Krista Olson, and forwards Dana Al-Qadi and Emily Rosengren, it will return a strong core of key players.
The returning varsity regulars include freshmen Michelle Wong and Erika Belmont, sophomores Jessi Sullivan, Joy Shapley and Annie Machesky, and juniors Pfander, Suran Yoo, Shara Esbenshade, Zoë Schein, Chelsea Freeland, and Jessica Stark.
Belmont led the team in scoring this season with 8 goals; Yoo was second with 6.
“I think we have a good outlook for next year,” Anders said.
Added Pfander: “We will definitely miss the seniors, but I think we are poised to be very successful next year. I really think we can only go up from here.”
Senior Krista Olson (17) chases down a ball Friday during Uni's 2-0 loss to Monticello. Teammate Michelle Wong is in the background. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
Senior Dana Al-Qadi, right, squares off with a Monticello midfielder late in the second half of the Illineks' playoff loss Friday. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
FINAL VARSITY RECORD: 7-8-2 overall, 4-0-1 East Central Illinois Conference
(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: Pfander's goal lifts Uni over Meridian for first win
April 14: Normal Calvary Baptist, W 3-2 *
— Illinek scoring recap: Suran Yoo (2 goals, both first half); Sarah Pfander (first half)
— story: Illineks ignore rain, mud to win second straight
April 17: St. Thomas More, L 4-1
— Illinek scoring recap: Suran Yoo (second half)
— story: Illineks fall again to St. Thomas More
April 19: Decatur Christian, W 3-0 *
— Illinek scoring recap: Erika Belmont (second half); Joy Shapley (second half); Chelsea Freeland (second half)
— story: Uni shuts out Decatur Christian
April 24: at Mahomet-Seymour, L 2-0
— Illinek scoring recap: no goals
— story: Illineks fall to Mahomet-Seymour 2-0
April 26: Mattoon, W 1-0
— Illinek scoring recap: Erika Belmont (first half)
— story: Uni downs Mattoon in lightning-shortened game
April 28: at Normal Calvary Baptist, T 1-1 *
— Illinek scoring recap: Joy Shapley (second half)
— story: Uni ties Calvary Baptist in road match
May 1: at Danville, L 6-0
— Illinek scoring recap: no goals
— story: Danville defeats visiting Illineks 6-0
May 3: at Warrensburg-Latham, L 3-0
— Illinek scoring recap: no goals
— story: May 3 game: Uni loses to Warrensburg-Latham in second consecutive shutout
May 5: Judah Christian, W 3-0 *
— Illinek scoring recap: Suran Yoo (2 goals, both in first half); Joy Shapley (second half)
— story: Illineks get back on winning track with 3-0 victory over Judah Christian
May 7: Decatur Lutheran, W 4-2 *
— Illinek scoring recap: Erika Belmont (2 goals, first half & second half); Suran Yoo (first half); Sarah Pfander (second half)
— story: Uni defeats Decatur Lutheran for conference title
May 9: Champaign Central JV, W 2-1
— Illinek scoring recap: Erika Belmont (2 goals, first half & second half)
— story: Seniors go out with victory in last regular-season game
May 11: Sectionals: Monticello, L 2-0
— Illinek scoring recap: no goals
— story: see above
*East Central Illinois Conference opponent
