Posted Wednesday, April 12, 2006, The OG, sports

The Uni girls varsity soccer team fell to Charleston 5-0 on Tuesday, the sixth time in seven games the Illineks have failed to score this season. The defeat drops Uni's record to 1-6.

The host Illineks had no shots on goal during the first half. Illinek goalie Mandy Grill kept the game close by making 10 saves, despite Charleston's wind advantage. The visitors went into halftime ahead 2-0.

In the second half Uni managed three shots on goal, but Charleston countered with 14, adding three more goals.

Grill's 21-save performance was the latest in a series of strong performances by the junior.

“She's had a lot of tough shots fired at her, and she's had a lot of really impressive saves,” said senior co-captain Roveiza Irfan. “Today she was particularly impressive saving shots that were on the rebound and getting back up and adjusting her position quickly.”

But even with Grill's best efforts, the 2006 campaign has been frustrating for the team. In recent years the Illineks could count on plenty of offensive firepower from the likes of 2005 graduate Lauren Wingo, one of the area's top scorers. The loss of Wingo has been one of several obstacles the girls have faced.

“I think overall our season has been pretty erratic,” commented Irfan. “It's been difficult for us to establish a consistent lineup due to all the injuries facing members of our team, especially the seniors. If there's anything that would greatly improve how we play in the upcoming games, it would be a healthy team. Not having enough bodies on the bench ends up affecting the morale of the healthy players because they're aware that they're not going to be getting many breaks.”

Irfan noted that the schedule has posed its own problems for the team.

“We've been playing the tougher opponents early on,” she said. “Our first few games included two games over spring break with only four returning varsity players present and games against Centennial and Urbana. In some ways playing the tougher teams early in the season is good for us
because we're able to learn how to play at a faster pace, and the underclassmen, like Suran Yoo, get the chance to tweak their skills to match up with the speed of the faster, taller, and older players.”

Despite the setbacks, Irfan said she likes the way the team has been progressing.

“Anyone who's been watching our skill level the past few games can see that our level of play is improving quickly. We've been connecting a lot more passes and taking better shots. Hopefully next week when we take on Decatur St. Teresa and Decatur Christian we'll be displaying a more consistent style of play.”

Next up: Uni travels to Macon Meridian on Thursday for a 4:30 p.m. game. Visit the team's home page for a complete schedule.

— Gargoyle staff