Slow start, big f inish

Once Lisle gets going, Driscoll can't stop them

Lisle's 5-0 win over Driscoll in a May 12 Hinckley-Big Rock Sectional quarterfinal, at the Village of Lisle/Benedictine University Sports Complex, was anything but easy in the first half.

Though the top-seeded Lions (16-6-3) led 2-0 at halftime, establishing a rhythm offensively proved challenging. Lisle freshman Nicole Urban put Lisle ahead 1-0 in the ninth minute off a pass from teammate Emily Delong.

"We knew it was not going to be a difficult game and it showed," Lions coach Paul Kohorn said.

Delong (two goals and a pair of assists) capped the first-half scoring with a shot off a rebound of her own kick. That goal in the 24th minute was the last the Lions would score until settling in midway through the second half.

"(Kohorn) got us really pumped up at halftime," Delong said, adding that they played more as a team in the final 40 minutes. "We had to step up our level more than usual because this was a game we felt we could win pretty easily. We didn't want to play down to their level."

Her conclusion quickly cut to the chase.

"(May 12) we did okay but we need to do better in our next game (May 15 at Hinckley-Big Rock)," she said.

Eighth-seeded Driscoll came into the game after beating ninth-seeded Plano 2-1 in overtime in a preliminary game May 10.

Highlanders goalkeeper Arianna Bonomi was another factor in staying close the first 40 minutes. She registered 10 first-half saves and 21 for the game.

Two of Bonomi's saves involved punching the ball away only to see Lisle players corral and deposit the deflections into the net.

Once Lisle got started scoring, it was hard for the team to stop. The Lions scored three times in a span of 12 minutes.

Sara Urban started the second-half barrage with a breakaway goal from 17 yards. Urban beat the defenders up the field and uncorked a strong shot to make it 3-0 at the 52nd minute mark.

Sophomore Jen Potter scored 2:37 later to cement the lead.

Delong added her second goal of the day to put the finishing touch on the victory.

Lisle took on No. 5 Mendota in semifinal action May 15. A win would put the Lions in the sectional final at 6 p.m. May 19 in Hinckley.

The game gave Lisle a chance to empty its bench while gaining valuable playoff experience for some of its younger players. Looking at the Lions' roster, that's most of the team.

Sara Urban was the sole scorer from the senior class, something that bodes well for the program's future.

"We have a lot of sophomores and freshmen on this team, so we're looking pretty good for the next few years," Delong said.

"We had so many firsts this year: most shutouts, fewest goals allowed ...," Kohorn said. "And a lot of these girls are returning."

Goalkeeper Christina Conenna made one save for Lisle in getting the victory.

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