Kanako Wagner didn’t get an opportunity to complete what she began Tuesday night time in Glenview.
But the alternatives in purpose for Evanston’s girls soccer team will all be hers going ahead. Wagner, a sophomore goalkeeper making simply her second varsity begin, helped the Wildkits earn a 1-zero victory over Glenbrook South in a battle of as soon as-overwhelmed groups.
The victory assured the Kits of a second-place end behind New Trier within the Central Suburban League South division.
“It was a good battle, a good test for us, and overall it was a good team win,” stated ETHS head coach Stacy Salgado after her squad improved to 14-1-1 general. “GBS is a solid team and this is a strong conference, with a lot of good teams in it.”
Emergency goalie for ultimate seconds
Wagner stopped six pictures Tuesday however fell on her left shoulder after making a save within the ultimate minute of play. The Wildkits needed to summon an emergency goalie, Jocelyn Leigh – who by the way had scored the one purpose of the sport earlier – for the ultimate 40 seconds.
Wagner had needed to take over within the nets when senior starter Shea Lucas suffered a separated shoulder throughout the team’s journey to a event in Iowa final weekend. Until then, Lucas had logged virtually the entire minutes in purpose with Wagner serving as a backup. Now it’s her activate the final line of protection.
“Shea got hurt in the first 10 minutes of our Iowa trip, and that’s just devastating for her. I feel so bad because she’s a senior and has done such a great job for us this year,” stated Salgado. “But I feel Kana is able to go. I do know the team has confidence in her, too.
“I actually really feel for Shea as a result of she has stepped up as a frontrunner for us this 12 months (team co-captain), but it surely’s not going she’s going to have the ability to play the remainder of the 12 months. You by no means know when one thing like that is going to come back up. They’ve each labored collectively so properly they usually’re each one another’s No. 1 supporter. We simply hope we practice them and put together them for one thing like this.
‘Team believes in Kana’ – coach
“The big picture is that the team believes in Kana. If the team believes in Kana, and Kana believes in herself, we’re good.”
Ironically, Lucas was in an analogous place throughout her sophomore 12 months in this system. She needed to bounce in to exchange starter Ariel Kite within the third-place recreation on the Illinois High School Association state finals when Kite was sidelined by a rib harm.
Wagner completed off a 2-zero shutout win over Middleton (Wis.) when Lucas was sidelined, however then yielded three objectives in a 5-three victory over one other Wisconsin team, Pewaukee, on that Iowa journey.
“I was scared, and I was in my head too much in that game,” Wagner confessed. “I used to be in my very own head at first when this occurred as a result of it’s utterly completely different enjoying in opposition to varsity groups. I needed to relax and match the extent they have been at. And I used to be relying an excessive amount of on Shea. Now, I’ve to depend on myself.
“I was a little upset that they took me out tonight. Absolutely, I wanted to finish what I started, and you saw that I was ready to go back in.” (The clock ran out earlier than she might re-enter.)
‘I have to step up’ – Wagner
Wagner didn’t count on a lot enjoying time behind Lucas when the season began, but in addition acknowledged that she needed to keep prepared whereas coaching alongside the senior goalie.
“I knew I just had to be ready at any time,” she stated. “I’ve to step up. It’s an excellent alternative for me and it’s going to be my [goalie] field now.
“I’ve played against under-18 and under-19 teams in club but this game tonight was much tougher. These girls really want it at this level. But I’ve been a goalie for six or seven years now and I think my strength is my reaction time. After doing it for six or seven years, I SHOULD be pretty good at it.”
After Leigh transformed a move from Bridget Durkin for a purpose within the recreation’s 26th minute, it was as much as Wagner to maintain the Titans off the board. Most of her saves have been of the routine selection till the hosts began turning up the warmth within the ultimate 10 minutes of the competition.
Early within the second half, a hand ball violation in opposition to the Kits left South’s Lindsey Ciss to check the brand new keeper with a free kick from the 15-yard line, however her shot soared over the web. Ciss posed a menace once more with about 7 half minutes to play with one other restart, solely to see ETHS defender Maizlyn Kelly block the hassle in entrance of the purpose.
Wagner collided with South’s Megan Murray – who appeared to slip into the sophomore on what clearly wasn’t a 50-50 ball – close to the purpose mouth with 4:12 left on the clock and she or he wanted just a few seconds to regroup.
She did extra than simply regroup. She flew into the air to knock away South’s finest alternative of the sport with 40 seconds left – a laser shot from the appropriate aspect by South’s Sophie Piekarski – however landed awkwardly and wanted some help from the coach earlier than ultimately popping out of the sport.
The Wildkits discovered final week that they’ve earned the No. 2 seed for the Class 3A New Trier Sectional, behind the host Trevians.
Evanston will function regional host when postseason play opens. The Wildkits will play No. 15 seed Maine West on May 14 at 5 p.m., and with a win would transfer on to the title recreation May 17 in opposition to both Whitney Young or Jones.