Girls Soccer
Most coaches knew Crystal Lake South’s girls soccer team would be solid this season.
Aimee Wronski will tell you it was a complete team effort, and it was to a large degree. No team finishes 21-4-1 without 11 players contributing.
Cary-Grove girls soccer coach Ray Krystal emphasized the importance of building the Trojans program, one win at a time, and C-G took another huge leap toward that with its success this year.
ROCKFORD – Saturday afternoon, most Cary-Grove seniors walked in a graduation ceremony to receive their diplomas.
Crystal Lake Central varsity girls soccer coach Josef Schroeder has resigned.
The Rant knows it's always a good feelin' to be the last one standin'.
HAMPSHIRE – Marian Central girls soccer coach Jose Arias wanted to shut down Freeport forward Julia Luecke.
ROCKFORD – As Beth Hughes chased down the slow-rolling soccer ball bound for the right corner of Cary-Grove’s net Tuesday, she worried about inadvertently knocking the ball in herself.
After an eventful weekend that ended regular season play, it’s time for the playoffs.
Three local soccer teams won regional titles and advanced to sectional semifinals taking place today.
LAKE VILLA – When Richmond-Burton’s girls soccer team was staring at a two-goal deficit late in the first half of the IHSA Class 2A Lakes Regional championship game Saturday against the host Eagles, Rockets coach Sina Vidic believed his team was in a good spot.
ROCKFORD – Huntley girls soccer coach Kris Grabner thought his team could have been a bit more patient with its shots Friday in the IHSA Class 3A Jefferson Regional final.
ALGONQUIN – For the second game in a row, sophomore Korey Kronforst scored the game-winning goal for the Cary-Grove girls soccer team.
MARENGO – In the driving rain on Marengo’s muddied soccer field, it would have been simple to make several mistakes.
The Rant has to give it up for The Ridge softball team, which beat CL Community to clinch the Fox title and for a Grayslake Old baseball team that won its final five FVC games to win the Fox.
CRYSTAL LAKE – Ashley Arendt’s knee was aching, but the Crystal Lake Central junior forward never took her eyes off the ball.
MARENGO – Marian Central’s girls soccer team stuck with its offensive game plan Wednesday after being called for four offside penalties in the first 10 minutes against Marengo.
HAMPSHIRE – Danielle Simons earned her 20th win of the season Wednesday with a 10-0, six-inning Big Northern Conference East Division softball victory against Hampshire.
ALGONQUIN – Korey Kronforst found the ball on the right side of the field with a minute separating her Cary-Grove girls soccer team from overtime against Jacobs and ensured the extra session would not be unnecessary.
ALGONQUIN – Crystal Lake South’s girls soccer team intended to set the tone for its postseason play Tuesday.
ALGONQUIN – The Huntley softball team scored three runs in the sixth inning and one in the seventh to steal a 4-3 victory from Jacobs in Fox Valley Conference Valley Division play Tuesday.
Winning all those matches against highly competitive and respected teams during the prestigious Pepsi Showdown this season was nice.
CRYSTAL LAKE – A 17-game win streak makes little difference to Prairie Ridge’s soccer season.
ROCHELLE – Hampshire’s girls track and field team had two top individual finishers Saturday at the IHSA Class 2A Rochelle Sectional.
It has been an interesting week in prep sports with plenty of big games that helped decide who’s bringin’ home the hardware.
ALGONQUIN – Conditions were muddy and damp, the chill settling through the Huntley girls soccer players’ dirt-streaked uniforms, but the moment was spectacular.
ALGONQUIN – Alison Agnes scored an unassisted goal in the second overtime to give Crystal Lake South’s girls soccer team a 1-0 Fox Valley Conference Valley Division win against Jacobs on Monday.
GENOA – Harvard’s Coty Kramer set three meet records and two school records to help the Hornets win the nine-team Genoa-Kingston Invitational on Saturday.
WOODSTOCK – Marian Central and Glenbrook North were so evenly matched it became apparent early in Saturday’s girls soccer match that the first team to make a mistake would pay for it.
Athlete of the week
CARLYLE – Alden-Hebron’s bass fishing team came into the first day of the IHSA state tournament Friday at Carlyle Lake off a second-place finish at the Chain O’ Lakes Sectional on April 28.
McHENRY – The Jacobs girls soccer team posted a 2-1 Fox Valley Conference Valley Division win Thursday, spoiling McHenry’s bid to win its final home game of the season.
CRYSTAL LAKE – Crystal Lake South knows it is a responsive and potentially dominant second-half soccer team.
RICHMOND – Marengo’s softball team clinched sole possession of the Big Northern Conference East Division title with a 10-0 victory against Richmond-Burton, the Indians’ first outright championship since 2004.
HUNTLEY – Jamie Wimberly couldn’t have picked a better moment to score the first goal of her varsity career.
RICHMOND – As has been the trend, Richmond-Burton’s girls soccer team waited until the second half Monday to score its first goal.
HUNTLEY – Taylor Larson (13-5) struck out 12 and gave up two hits to earn a Fox Valley Conference Valley Division softball win for Huntley in a 10-0, six-inning victory against Dundee-Crown on Monday.
WILLIAMS BAY, Wis. – Alden-Hebron’s softball team used a pair of strong pitching performances from sisters Hayli and Sparkle Lagerhausen on Saturday to help lead the Giants to a doubleheader sweep against Faith Christian in non-conference action.
Athlete of the week
The Grove’s softball team lost to Jacobs 3-0 for their first Valley Division loss.
CRYSTAL LAKE – In a contest with first place on the line, Prairie Ridge’s softball team rode Johanna Turner’s arm to a 7-0 win against Crystal Lake Central in Fox Valley Conference Fox Division play Tuesday.
CRYSTAL LAKE – After Prairie Ridge’s girls soccer team scored its first goal of the game against Crystal Lake Central on Tuesday to knot the score at 1, Wolves coach David O’Leary implored his players from the sideline to put the game away.
HARVARD – Hampshire girls soccer coach Patrick O’Brien was happy with his team scoring eight goals, but what really made O’Brien proud was the zero under Harvard on the scoreboard.
CARY – Jessica Warnecke won the 300-meter low hurdles in 48.5 seconds Monday to lead Cary-Grove to a first-place finish at its girls track triangular with 92.5 points.
CRYSTAL LAKE – Poor weather conditions can negatively affect a pitcher’s performance, but Mike Benson had no such trouble Saturday.
GRAYSLAKE – Crystal Lake Central’s girls soccer team took advantage of wet conditions Friday and defeated Grayslake North, 2-1, in a Fox Valley Conference Fox Division contest.
Athlete of the Week
The Rant almost had to wipe away a little tear from the corner of his eye as he watched local football star Bryan Bulaga being drafted by the Packers in the first round of the NFL draft.
ALGONQUIN – Marissa Lombardo singled to right to drive in Kara Arceneaux in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday to give Jacobs a 6-5 Fox Valley Conference crossover win against Prairie Ridge.
