Big second half keeps Tigers unbeaten in SPC vs. Oswego

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By Paul La Tour

When one of the best players on a team is continually thwarted on scoring chances, frustration could set in for not only that player but an entire team.

Plainfield North avoided that frustration thanks to a late scoring surge in the Tigers’ 4-0 victory over host Oswego on Wednesday in a Southwest Prairie Conference game rescheduled from Tuesday due to weather.

The Tigers (9-2-2) showed some offensive depth as their final three goals came from two players who had combined for one previous goal all season. Kaela Leskovar scored twice and Paulina Caratachea added her first goal all in the final 16 minutes to break open a close game.

Despite a wide disparity in field position, shots and scoring chances, the Tigers (9-2-2) were clinging to a 1-0 lead for much of the game after a first-half goal by leading scorer Callie O’Donnell.

“We had chances and we just didn’t finish,” Tigers coach Jane Crowe said. “This is the kind of game where you need to finish those goals early to make things easier on yourself. And the longer it took us to score, the harder it got. (Oswego) got more and more confident and started playing better.”

It was an especially frustrating game for sophomore Ashley Handwork, who took at least eight shots but couldn’t get one behind Oswego freshman Amy Annala, who finished with nine saves.

Annala stopped Handwork on a lone break in the fifth minute, deflecting the shot with an outstretched arm while diving to her right.

The Tigers, who had a 9-0 advantage in first-half shots on goal, were able to break through in the 26th minute on O’Donnell’s 10th goal.

O’Donnell caught up to a long through pass from Ashley Auble at midfield, before scoring from just outside the penalty area. But even that wasn’t a clean goal as Annala was able to get a piece of it to her left.

The Tigers went to the half nursing their 1-0 lead.

“We were all frustrated with ourselves,” O’Donnell said. “We knew it should have been at least a 3-0 game at the end of the half. We decided we needed to calm down and work with each other.”

The second half began with more chances for Handwork, who had one shot drift just high of the cross bar and land on the netting. O’Donnell hit the crossbar in the 58th minute, adding to the frustration.

But Leskovar provided some breathing room with a goal at 16:11 on play started with a free kick from 40 yards out by Hayley Wegrzyn. The ball headed toward the penalty area where O’Donnell headed it over to Leskovar.

“That took the pressure off the whole team, especially the defense,” Leskovar said. “It helped everybody stay positive.”

Still, the Panthers (1-7-3) weren’t finished. They nearly got on the board on a long shot from Macee Hughes. But goalkeeper Paige Polonus, who replaced Emily Brodict for the second half, grabbed the high ball with Kelsey Finlay bearing down hard.

A few minutes later Leskovar and the Tigers struck again. Leskover made it 3-0 at 8:20 with a low shot that beat Annala inside the left post.

Caratachea completed the scoring with only 1:30 left, knocking in a shot on the far post after getting a cross from Handwork.

The Tigers improved to 4-1-1 in their past six games and to 2-0 in SPC play.

“We’ve been doing really well so far,” Leskovar said of the season. “We had that tough 1-0 loss to Huntley and lost in PKs to Loyola (both in the Pepsi Showdown). But I definitely think we are (battle-tested).”

Despite the strong effort, Oswego fell to 1-7-3 and saw its winless streak extended to seven games (0-4-3).