Cougars bring the fight in tourney finale vs. Hoffman Estates

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By Gary Larsen

Plainfield South’s Sarah Johnson is listed as a forward on the Cougars’ roster, but she showed on Saturday that she can dominate at midfield.

Johnson scored her side’s lone goal early in an eventual 1-1 tie with Hoffman Estates, and spent most of the game legitimizing her place as an all-tournament player of the Hawks’ Invitational.

Johnson’s speed, strength, and skill were on display throughout the contest.

“Sarah Johnson was an absolute horse in the central midfield,” Cougars coach Kevin Allen said. “She played forward all year long but played in the middle a couple years ago. It was a smooth transition and she took control of the game today. Her and Alex (Truhlar) took control in the middle.”

“(Johnson) played so well there today, it’s something we have to think about.”

Johnson enjoyed her day at midfield, once she acclimated to it. “It’s a lot more work at midfield,” she said. “You do a lot of running back and forth and a couple times I got stuck on top and didn’t come back, and heard people yelling at me to stay with my mark.”

For Allen, the tie against the host Hawks somewhat redeemed his squad’s play in a 1-0 loss to South Elgin in Saturday’s early game.

“The effort was exactly what we needed, and that was what we were lacking earlier today,” he said. “That’s what we’re capable of. We’re obviously not a morning team, and we did not show up this morning.”

The Cougars brought physicality to the game against Hoffman Estates, and struck first in the game’s fourth minute when Johnson pounced on a ball near the goalmouth, set up by a corner kick.

“I thought it was over my head but Brittany (McDaniel) had a nice chest trap and it happened to come right to me,” Johnson said. “I just had a good touch on the ball and it went right to the top of the net.”

Hoffman Estates tied the game in the 60th minute on a Mary Pettit penalty kick, and the score held to the end of regulation. McDaniel hit a crossbar in the second half as the teams took turns fighting for a go-ahead goal to the final buzzer.

There were also spurts of play by the Cougars that Allen hoped will be incorporated moving forward.

“There were a few times today when we got it from out left back to our sweeper, then to the outside mid, and to a center mid,” Allen said. “That’s the kind of combination play we’ve been talking about all year long, and that was proof that it works.”

Hard physical play marked the contest almost from start to finish, and there was no shortage of bodies hitting the carpet in Hoffman Estates.

“We came out with a spark,” Johnson said. “I don’t think Hoffman was expecting us to come out like that. They beat a team (South Elgin) 3-0 that we lost to, so I think maybe they came out thinking they were going to slaughter us. But we had them on their heels.”

Truhlar joined Johnson on the all-tournament team on Saturday. “Alex and Sarah busted their butts this morning and this afternoon,” Allen said. “And (Forward) Brittany McDaniel is working hard. She hit the post today, and that was just unfortunate.”

With a 3-2-2 record heading into Monday’s conference showdown at home against a solid Plainfield North (5-2) team, the Cougars have fielded an assortment of lineups through their first 7 games.

“We’re trying some people in new spots and some girls that haven’t gotten a lot of playing time played today and contributed,” Allen said. “It’s just hard because we haven’t had one consistent lineup. We’ve had the same lineup maybe once or twice.”

“We have to get it figured out, and hopefully we’ll get it sorted out for (Plainfield North).”