Mater Dei slips past improving Highland squad in nonconference girls soccer matchup
Sophomore midfielder Lauren Lynch usually does her primary work on the soccer pitch for the Mater Dei girls junior varsity team.
On Wednesday, April 12, at Highland High School, however, Lynch came up big for the Knights varsity squad.
Just 8 minutes, 26 seconds into the first half, Lynch slipped a low corner shot past Highland keeper Sophia Fleming for a goal and Alexis Kampwerth added a second-half score, while the Knights defense shut down the Bulldogs to deliver an efficient 2-0 road win.
Lynch — who plays a reserve role — gave the Knights a huge early lift with her goal off a loose ball near the Highland box that she popped into the net at just over 31 minutes left in the first half.
“I just saw the ball and I tried to find the corner of the goal and I just shot it there,” Lynch said. “It was a good feeling (to get it), and I was very surprised and very happy.”
Mater Dei coach Lindsey Lappe was also glad to see the early goal since scoring has been an intermittent challenge for the Knights this spring.
“That’s definitely a positive for us and getting ahead first is what we’ve been very successful with during the season, so it just gives us that extra push to keep working and getting after it,” Lappe said.
After Lynch’s goal, both teams continued to work for scoring chances, but Fleming and Mater Dei goalie Carissa Litteken were sharp in goal, stopping rushes and not allowing any easy shots as the Knights carried a 1-0 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Highland’s leading scorers Alyson Pace (nine goals), Payton Frey (six goals) and Payton Beard (five goals) continued to push for scoring chances. However, the Knights defense — led by Madison Eversgerd and Brianna Noud — neutralized the Bulldogs top threats.
“Possession (has been big for us). I think as long as we stay clean and possess (the ball) and work the ball to the midfield ... and then work the ball to the outside has been where we’re most effective,” Lappe said.
Kampwerth — who also had an assist — scored an insurance goal off a breakaway on a low corner corner shot, making it 2-0 with 18:36 remaining.
Litteken and the Mater Dei defense took care of the rest as the Knights improved to 4-5-1.
“We’ve got a formation now that’s working well for us and the girls are starting to click. The first week of the season, we didn’t have our basketball players because of state and five of our starters are basketball players,” said Lappe, whose team blanked Pinckneyville 11-0 on Saturday, April 8. “Now we’ve got that formation figured out (with them) and they’re starting to mesh and work really well together.”
Bulldogs coach weighs in
Despite losing a close game for the second time in three outings, Highland coach Daniel Podwojski saw the day as another chance for his team to grow and improve.
”We take every game we play — win or lose — as an opportunity to learn and continually improve and get better,” Podwojski said. “I think we take away from this some learning opportunities for sure.”
HHS — which won just three games last spring — already has surpassed that mark with a 4-5-1 record so far and Podwojski believes the best could be yet to come for this group.
“I’ve learned from every single game that we play so we’re looking at improvements and if we play to our potential, yeah we’re gonna get a couple of games. But we’re going to go into every game no matter who it is and come out with a positive attitude. These girls build each other up and I’m so thrilled with that,” the Bulldogs coach said.
