Friday, May 16, 2008

Morton 6, Pekin 0

MORTON - Pekin was a decided underdog in the Class AA Morton Regional girls soccer championship game Friday night against the host Lady Potters.

So perennial power Morton's 6-0 victory at McClellan Park didn't come as a shock to anyone. What was a surprise was how well Pekin played in the game's first 15 minutes.

Less than 48 hours after playing 120 minutes of soccer and winning a five-round penalty kick shootout against Limestone in the regional semifinals, the Lady Dragons had to step on the field against Morton, which hardly broke a sweat in an 8-0 semifinal shellacking of East Peoria.

Despite several good scoring chances, it took 15 minutes for the Lady Potters to register their first goal against Pekin on a header by Meagan Reitz.

“Our girls are exhausted mentally and physically. (The Limestone game) took a lot out of them,” said Pekin coach Edgar Sandoval. “Keeping Morton off the scoreboard for 15 minutes was phenomenal. You could feel the frustration on their bench.”

Morton led only 2-0 at halftime. The Lady Potters scored their last three goals in the final 20 minutes, when Pekin (11-7-3) had no gas left in the tank at all.

No. 2 seed Morton (18-4-1) advances to the Peoria Notre Dame Sectional, where it'll face Geneseo Regional champion Geneseo at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Despite Friday's loss, Pekin ended the season on an upbeat note.

“Five years from now, our girls won't even remember the Morton regional game,” Sandoval said. “They'll remember the Limestone regional game Š the highs, the lows, the elation.”

No. 4 seed Pekin led No. 6 seed Limestone 2-0 early in the second half, then saw the Lady Rockets tie the score 2-2 on a goal with 1:25 remaining.

Four 10-minute sudden-death overtime periods didn't produce a winner, so the teams went to a shootout.

Nearly three hours after the opening kickoff, Pekin won the shootout 2-1. It's the longest high school game played at Rotary Field in McClellan Park, and the longest game in Pekin's 12-year history.

The victory over Limestone gave Pekin 11 wins, tying the team record for victories in a season set by the 2005 squad, which finished 11-7-1.

The Lady Dragons set another team record earlier this year when they won six straight games, recording shutouts in the final five games of the stretch.

Pekin has had just two winning seasons in its history - 2005 and this year.

Morton beat Pekin three times this season by a combined 14-0.

The first two victories came in Mid-Illini Conference play. The Lady Potters have won six consecutive Mid-Illini championships, are 73-1-3 in conference games since 2000, and have won six straight regional titles.

Despite the disparity in the success of the two programs, Morton coach Brian Deters has a lot of respect for Sandoval and the Lady Dragons.

“Edgar does a good job with his team,” Deters said. “He played a lot of people back (Friday), which was the correct tactical move. I thought we played well. We passed well, moved into space well, and our defense was crisp.”

Morton forced busy Pekin goalie Lindsay Coffey to make 24 saves. Lady Potters goalie Brooke Bisping didn't have a save.

Rachael Payne and Reitz each scored twice for Morton. Maci Hatch and Amy Unzicker had the other goals. Holly Bennett and Unzicker each had two assists.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Pekin 2, Limestone 2 (Pekin wins 2-1 in penalty kicks)

MORTON - May Madness infected McClellan Park on Wednesday night.

In what's believed to be the longest high school soccer game played at Rotary Field, Pekin beat Limestone 2-1 in a five-round penalty kick shootout in the semifinals of the Class AA Morton Regional.

The nearly three-hour game went to a shootout because 120 minutes of soccer weren't enough to decide a winner. The teams were tied 2-2 after 80 minutes of regulation time and four 10-minute sudden-death overtime periods.

Thanks to the marathon victory, No. 4 seed Pekin (11-6-3) will face No. 2 seed Morton (17-4-1) in the regional finals at 7 p.m. Friday.

Pekin junior goalie Lindsay Coffey was the star of Wednesday's shootout. Besides allowing just one Limestone goal in five rounds, Coffey scored the eventual winning goal.

“I saw that she (Limestone goalie Carli Light) was coming out to challenge our shooters, so I put a chip shot over her,'' Coffey said about her third-round goal.

Jakki Johnson scored for Pekin in the first round. Lauren Cash and Allie Zuercher shot high in the second and fourth rounds.

Only Aliex Bullock was able to put a shot past Coffey in the shootout. That came in the third round, just before Coffey scored.

Coffey made a save on Kyrstin Smith in the second round, and Rachel Kyle (first round), Ashley Schultz (fourth round) and Amanda Hurst (fifth round) missed the net.

“I was nervous,'' Coffey said. “I was involved in shootouts in grade school soccer, but this was the first time in high school.''

Pekin coach Edgar Sandoval had a sneaking suspicion that No. 6 seed Limestone (3-12-2) would play defensively and take the game into a shootout.

That's why he had his team work on shootouts in the final 15 minutes of practice for the past week.

“I think we were more at ease than Limestone during the shootout because of the experience in practice,'' Sandoval said. “But the game really shouldn't have gone that far. We had so many chances to score. Carli Light played a fantastic game, but we didn't finish very well.''

Light made 15 saves. Coffey had three saves.

It was Pekin's third victory over Mid-Illini rival Limestone this season, and each game was a struggle.

The Lady Dragons won the previous encounters 2-1 and 2-0.

It looked like Pekin was in control Wednesday after breakaway goals by Shawna Swisher with 31:38 left in the first half and Cash with 34:53 remaining in the second half gave the Lady Dragons a 2-0 lead.

Long passes by Haley Lower and Zuercher sent the speedy Swisher and Cash on the way to their goals.

Limestone got back into the game in a hurry after Cash scored. A goal by Kayla Bredernitz just 1:46 after Cash's goal made it 2-1.

The Lady Rockets tied the game with 1:25 remaining in regulation when Schultz collected a misplayed ball and banged a shot off the post and into the net.

“Limestone seemed to want to win the game more than we did in the second half, and their first goal really gave them momentum,'' Sandoval said.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

One more time: Dragons expect tough game from Limestone

MORTON - On the surface, it looks like a mismatch.

Pekin (10-6-3), one victory away from tying the team record for victories in a season, faces Limestone (3-11-2) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in a semifinal game of the Morton Class AA Regional girls soccer tournament at McClellan Park.

Despite the disparity in the teams' records, Lady Dragons coach Edgar Sandoval and his players aren't taking the Rockets lightly.

Especially after hard-fought 2-1 and 2-0 Pekin victories when the squads met in Mid-Illini Conference competition earlier this spring.

“It's always difficult to beat a team three times in a season, and Limestone will be ready for us,'' Sandoval said. “They know our strengths.''

Limestone's strength is its aggressive play.

“They win a lot of 50-50 balls,'' Sandoval said. “There's no doubt we're a better team when we win those. We can't be lackadaisical about that against Limestone.''

Sandoval says goalie Carli Light and sweeper Rachel Kyle, who can be a factor at both ends of the field, are Limestone's best players.

Pekin counters with top scorers Shawna Swisher (nine goals) and Lauren Cash (four goals), and a sturdy defense led by goalie Lindsay Coffey.

“We have a lot of speed. Shawna, Lauren and Emily LaBanca are dangerous, especially on a big field like they have in Morton,'' Sandoval said. “It wouldn't surprise me if Limestone dropped back a couple of extra defenders.''

Two key Pekin injuries might become a factor in Wednesday's game.

Defender Jessica Allen is out with an illness, and sweeper Marissa McGurr is battling a knee injury suffered on a vicious tackle late in the Lady Dragons' 1-1 tie with East Peoria last week.

Pekin's 2-1 win over Limestone on March 25 was the Lady Dragons' first victory in a season opener in the program's 11-year history.

If Pekin wins Wednesday, it'll make history again by matching the 11 victories racked up by the 2005 squad, which finished 11-7-1.

The winner of the Pekin-Limestone regional semifinal will most likely meet perennial power Morton for the regional championship at 7 p.m. Friday.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Pekin 2, Peoria Christian 2

PEKIN - Host Pekin was looking to tie a program record with its 11th girls' soccer victory in a season, but was forced to settle for a 2-2 tie with Peoria Christian Tuesday at Coal Miners Park.

The Chargers struck quickly, scoring just 40 seconds into the game when Amber Christ found Kelli Dixon wide open just outside the 18. Dixon hit a perfect shot over the outstretched arm of Dragons keeper Morgan Lynn for the 1-0 lead.

“It was a good shot, but she was totally unchallenged,” said Pekin coach Edgar Sandoval. “We can't let that happen.”

Pekin struggled to get anything going on the offensive end until five minutes left in the half. A Peoria Christian foul led to a Pekin free kick. Lindsay Coffey played a ball across the front of the goal where senior Rebecca Anderson was able to send home her first career goal.

“I think for Becca to score on senior night was pretty special,” Sandoval said. “I couldn't have written the script for a better performance in her last home game.”

The Dragons couldn't keep it tied for long as the Chargers' Megan Stuff scored just two minutes later, sending Peoria Christian into halftime with a 2-1 advantage.

The second half was a much different story. Pekin outshot Peoria Christian 8-1 with the most important shot coming three minutes into the half.

Shawna Swisher lofted a ball from the left side where Lauren Cash was able to get a head on it for the equalizer.

“It was a much better second half,” Sandoval said. “We kept the ball in their end for most of it and got several chances.”

Pekin's first-round game at the Morton Regional is May 14 vs. Limestone.

The Dragons go into the playoffs bitten by the injury bug, with McGurr and Emily LaBanca unable to play more than a few minutes Tuesday night and junior defender Jessica Allen's status in doubt as well.

“Hopefully we can use the next week to get healthy and rested,” Sandoval said. “While we went 3-0-2 in our last five, we only played really well in one of those games. We need to rediscover our midseason form.”

The Dragons finish the regular season 10-6-3 (4-6-2 in conference, 6-0-1 in non-conference matches). It is the second most wins in a season ever by a Pekin girls soccer team and just the second winning season in the program's 12 years.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Pekin 1, Macomb 0

MACOMB - The Pekin girls' soccer team reached a rare milestone Monday night.

With their 1-0 win over Macomb, the Lady Dragons guaranteed only the second winning season in the program's history.

It wasn't easy though. Despite outshooting the host Bombers 16-4, Pekin struggled to finish for the second game in a row. Emily LaBanca scored the game's only goal 28 minutes into the first half.

“A win is a win, but I honestly think our girls just took them too lightly, much like the Galesburg game,” said Pekin coach Edgar Sandoval. “We just weren't taking advantage of our chances in the final third. We were dribbling when we should have passed and passing when we should have dribbled to set up a shot.”

Darsie Hacker had a chance to make it 2-0, but her penalty kick attempt hit the crossbar.

The Pekin defense played well once again, limiting Macomb to five shots. Morgan Lynn and Lindsay Coffey combined for a school-record eighth shutout on the season.

The Dragons host Peoria Christian today, as Pekin honors Hacker, Rebecca Anderson and Michelle Feicke on Senior Night. Pekin will be looking to tie the program record for wins in a season with 11, which would equal the 11-7-1 effort of the 2005 squad.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Pekin 1, East Peoria 1

EAST PEORIA - Pekin was two minutes away from a third straight girls' soccer victory Thursday night, but a goal by East Peoria forced the Lady Dragons to settle for a 1-1 Mid-Illini Conference tie at EastSide Centre.

Pekin coach Edgar Sandoval said the match was pretty even in the first half with the Lady Dragons still managing several shots while playing into a strong wind. About 10 minutes before halftime, Pekin's Colleen Quilty got the ball on the left side and switched strong across the center where Jakki Johnson, celebrating her 18th birthday, was able to run onto it and strike it home for Pekin's only goal.

"Coach (Michelle) Bodily and I have been preaching all season the value of switching fields and Colleen and Jakki really came through," Sandoval said.

The score remained 1-0 until the 78th minute. Pekin goal keeper Lindsay Coffey was able to deflect a cross, but the Raiders' Becca Britton followed it in for the equalizer.

The last two minutes of the game saw two East Peoria yellow cards, the second coming with nine seconds left. After Pekin's Marissa McGurr passed the ball, an East Peoria player slid in hard, crushing her leg.

"The ref sent their girl off, but the damage was done," Sandoval said. "Hopefully it doesn't cost Marissa the rest of her season."

The Dragons move to 9-6-2 on the season and finish 4-6-2 in conference heading into Monday's non-conference match at Macomb.