On Tuesday, March 12, the girls varsity soccer team kicked off their 2024 season with a 4-2 win against Hinsdale South at Argo High School.
The first half of the game saw lots of movement on the outside of the field. The outside defenders and outside forwards made quick work along the sideline with several runs beating Hindsdale’s defense. There were many crosses from the outside of the field into the middle; however, the team failed to execute and score on many of them, which is not an entirely surprising phenomenon as it is still the beginning of the season and will likely be cleaned up as the team moves through March and April. Five minutes into the first half though, #6, Ava Kozak, scored the first of Lockport’s four goals, which was followed 15 minutes later by one from #24, Abigail Mack, and again five minutes later by #15, Natalie Zodrow.
From my observations of the first game of the season, the team plays calm and collected. The starting defense (from left outside to right: #26 – Meghan Mack, #7 – Emma Czech, #4 – Brinlee McNabb, #21 – Alyssa Flood) works cleanly and quickly. They distribute the ball to the sides and shut down the opposition’s offense easily. The starting center midfielders (#24 – Abigail Mack, #15 – Natalie Zodrow, #25 – Kaylin Klutcharch) have impressive field awareness and complete control of the center of the field. It is clear that the girls trust each other to cover their respective players, regain control of the ball when lost, and make decisions that advance the entire team up the field. #6, Ava Kozak, is fast and positions herself well in the front. And finally, #12, Tiffany Giannese, and #3, Karolina Skubisz, play the outside forward positions well, making runs down the side of the field, splitting defenders, and crossing through the air for the other forwards to score.
Overall, the 2024 girls varsity soccer team is looking to be a successful season. After last year’s disappointing post season was cut short in sectionals, hopefully the girls will be able to utilize their strengths this year to push further through the spring season.
