Lake Forest beats Stevenson,
gains Lake Division tie-breaker
Sheridan Bufe goal holds up as game winner in 1-0 match
By Rusty Silber
LAKE FOREST -- Sheridan Bufe hasn't scored to many goals this season -- just a couple of them. But Tuesday night, the junior scored the game-winning goal on a header. It also lfited Lake Forest past Stevenson 1-0 in a North Suburban Conference Lake Division match.
The Scouts (10-4-2) earned a tie in the Lake Division race with a 4-1-1 record with Lake Zurich (13-3-2). The Bears finished with a 4-1-1 record after tying Mundelein 0-0.
However, Lake Forest will play for the NSC championship against the Lakes Eagles (11-3-2, 5-0-1 Prairie champion) because the Scouts defeated Lake Zurich 2-0 earlier in the season.
"It's great," Lake Forest coach Ty Stuckslager said. "We got beat in the last game last year at Mundelein. It goes to show how difficult it is to win the Lake Division.
"Honesty, I told the girls going into this game (against Stevenson) that we had to win to have a chance."
Bufe knocked in the winning goal in the 15th minute of the first half. She was also selected Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match.
"I called for the middle run," Bufe said. "Paige (Bourne) had a perfect ball. I was wide open and I saw it coming to me. I just hit it as hard as I could and hoped it would go in."
She also wears headgear. That had no effect on her scoring the goal, but safety is important in playing the game.
"Every game I do have to wear it," Bufe said. "I did have a bad concussion that happened back in freshman year. I was told that it would help me out to wear it. It seems to be safer, and I haven't had an concussion since then. Some people think it's a fashion trend. But I think when I hit the ball (with my head), it hurts a lot less."
Lake Forest entered Tuesday's match missing a couple of starting forwards, Delaney Williams and Jenny McKendry.
"We're still adjusting things," Stuckslager said. "We're making strides."
One thing for consideration was how the defense had played in making sure that Stevenson (7-8-1, 2-3-1) didn't get a goal. The Scouts defense continues to be getting better.
"It was a bend and not break," Stuckslager said. "If you look at the chances (Stevenson) had, it was a couple of scrums in the middle and other than that we did fairly well. Our defense is excellent; we've got five outstanding defenders."
The Scouts' defenders consisted of Kendall Hoke, Bailey Ehrens, Gwen Walker, Allison Banta and Bufe.
Kendall Hoke came up big in stopping a potential Stevenson goal off the goal line in the 44th minute. The Patriots' Emma Jaeger had a clear shot until Hoke knocked the ball out of danger.
"I was thinking it was really close," Hoke said. "From a mistake game, we do have experience in saving a ball off the line. I just tried to get behind the goalie in case she missed it. So I was able to get to it.
"We do have a lot of quick players back there. We're always very good for recovering and getting back for us. We do have a lot of communication back there and we all work as a unit back there."
Lake Forest keeper Cassidy Schaul earned a clean sheet and made 9 saves.
Stevenson was right in the match, but its biggest problem was finding the back of the net. It seems to be the problem for most of the season.
"We had the chances and we didn't finish," Stevenson coach Kevin Heffernan said. "Lake Forest was a team that knocks the ball around real well and keeps possession. We tried to make some adjustments at the half from keeping them going forward. We did play a lot higher, and it caused them some problems. It did give us a lot more opportunities to go to the goal. (Lake Forest) was fast in the back, and it was tough to beat them going forward."
Starting lineups
Stevenson
GK-Emma Marz
D-Courtney Breckman
D-Rachel Blumenthal
D-Kylie Kirsh
D-Carrie Farber
D-Amanda Konopacki
MF-Caroline Dempsey
MF-Emma Jaeger
MF-Kya Suzuki
F-Savannah Kruse
F-Jill Steinbrink
Lake Forest
GK-Cassisdy Schaul
D-Baily Ehrens
D-Kendall Hoke
D-Gwen Walker
D-Allison Banta
MF-Sheridan Bufe
MF-Paige Bourne
MF-Camille Cook
F-Brooke Green
F-Carly Hoke
F-Adrian Walker
MVP of the Match: Sheridan Bufe, Lake Forest
gains Lake Division tie-breaker
Sheridan Bufe goal holds up as game winner in 1-0 match
By Rusty Silber
LAKE FOREST -- Sheridan Bufe hasn't scored to many goals this season -- just a couple of them. But Tuesday night, the junior scored the game-winning goal on a header. It also lfited Lake Forest past Stevenson 1-0 in a North Suburban Conference Lake Division match.
The Scouts (10-4-2) earned a tie in the Lake Division race with a 4-1-1 record with Lake Zurich (13-3-2). The Bears finished with a 4-1-1 record after tying Mundelein 0-0.
However, Lake Forest will play for the NSC championship against the Lakes Eagles (11-3-2, 5-0-1 Prairie champion) because the Scouts defeated Lake Zurich 2-0 earlier in the season.
"It's great," Lake Forest coach Ty Stuckslager said. "We got beat in the last game last year at Mundelein. It goes to show how difficult it is to win the Lake Division.
"Honesty, I told the girls going into this game (against Stevenson) that we had to win to have a chance."
Bufe knocked in the winning goal in the 15th minute of the first half. She was also selected Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match.
"I called for the middle run," Bufe said. "Paige (Bourne) had a perfect ball. I was wide open and I saw it coming to me. I just hit it as hard as I could and hoped it would go in."
She also wears headgear. That had no effect on her scoring the goal, but safety is important in playing the game.
"Every game I do have to wear it," Bufe said. "I did have a bad concussion that happened back in freshman year. I was told that it would help me out to wear it. It seems to be safer, and I haven't had an concussion since then. Some people think it's a fashion trend. But I think when I hit the ball (with my head), it hurts a lot less."
Lake Forest entered Tuesday's match missing a couple of starting forwards, Delaney Williams and Jenny McKendry.
"We're still adjusting things," Stuckslager said. "We're making strides."
One thing for consideration was how the defense had played in making sure that Stevenson (7-8-1, 2-3-1) didn't get a goal. The Scouts defense continues to be getting better.
"It was a bend and not break," Stuckslager said. "If you look at the chances (Stevenson) had, it was a couple of scrums in the middle and other than that we did fairly well. Our defense is excellent; we've got five outstanding defenders."
The Scouts' defenders consisted of Kendall Hoke, Bailey Ehrens, Gwen Walker, Allison Banta and Bufe.
Kendall Hoke came up big in stopping a potential Stevenson goal off the goal line in the 44th minute. The Patriots' Emma Jaeger had a clear shot until Hoke knocked the ball out of danger.
"I was thinking it was really close," Hoke said. "From a mistake game, we do have experience in saving a ball off the line. I just tried to get behind the goalie in case she missed it. So I was able to get to it.
"We do have a lot of quick players back there. We're always very good for recovering and getting back for us. We do have a lot of communication back there and we all work as a unit back there."
Lake Forest keeper Cassidy Schaul earned a clean sheet and made 9 saves.
Stevenson was right in the match, but its biggest problem was finding the back of the net. It seems to be the problem for most of the season.
"We had the chances and we didn't finish," Stevenson coach Kevin Heffernan said. "Lake Forest was a team that knocks the ball around real well and keeps possession. We tried to make some adjustments at the half from keeping them going forward. We did play a lot higher, and it caused them some problems. It did give us a lot more opportunities to go to the goal. (Lake Forest) was fast in the back, and it was tough to beat them going forward."
Starting lineups
Stevenson
GK-Emma Marz
D-Courtney Breckman
D-Rachel Blumenthal
D-Kylie Kirsh
D-Carrie Farber
D-Amanda Konopacki
MF-Caroline Dempsey
MF-Emma Jaeger
MF-Kya Suzuki
F-Savannah Kruse
F-Jill Steinbrink
Lake Forest
GK-Cassisdy Schaul
D-Baily Ehrens
D-Kendall Hoke
D-Gwen Walker
D-Allison Banta
MF-Sheridan Bufe
MF-Paige Bourne
MF-Camille Cook
F-Brooke Green
F-Carly Hoke
F-Adrian Walker
MVP of the Match: Sheridan Bufe, Lake Forest