AllStar Magazine July 2012--Girls - Allstarmagazine.com

SUBURBAN
WEST
St. Francis Secures First IHSA
Class 2A State Soccer Title
It was a free kick that did it. St. Francis junior,
Taylor Bucaro, dropped in a perfectly placed free kick just
outside the fingertips of the Chatham Glenwood keeper
and it proved to be the game winner with little more than
five minutes left on the clock.
An evenly matched game, the June 2nd championship
battle took place at North Central College in Naperville.
The St. Francis Spartans struck first with a goal by Andrea
Ravlin, assisted by Sydney Fox, at nearly the 9th minute of
the game. After that, the Glenwood Titans dominated much
of the remaining first half. The Titans tied up the score with
a goal by Kassidy Sheedy, assisted by Madison Volpert,
and looked like they’d go ahead if not for the quick work
of junior defender Kate Roback. Glenwood’s Maya Habibi
snuck past the charging St. Francis goalie Jenna DiTusa
and fired a shot at the seeminly empty net. Roback raced
back just in time to clear the ball from the goal line and
save the go ahead before the close of the first half. It was
a critical save to say the least. It kept the momentum of
the game in check when it could have
easily spiraled out of control.
The second half kept fans on
the edges of their seats until
Story by Christy Michals
Bucaro’s unassisted free
kick blast from about 23
yards out put the Spartans
ahead for good. Not
knowing just how much
time was left before the whistle, the girls really stepped
it up to get the job done and avoid overtime play. St.
Francis’ Amanda Gaggioli dribbled out the clock and denied
Glenwood any further attempts.
The St. Francis team
captains hoisted the
championship trophy [not an
easy task given the weight
of it] before being enveloped
in the joyous arms of their
teammates and a victory
celebration to savor.
Our congratulations to Coach Jim Winslow, his coaching
www.sfhsnet.org
staff and the athletes who worked tirelessly to achieve this
important title for the school. The core of this champion- ©2012
ship team will return next spring to defend their title and
you can be sure they will be up to the challenge. � Photos
From AllStars…