NT_052418

northbrooktower.com sports
the northbrook tower | May 24, 2018 | 29
Girls Lacrosse
North can’t keep up with South freshman
Gary Larsen
Freelance Reporter
Glenbrook South freshman
lacrosse player
Belle Tiesi respects her
elders.
After scoring six goals
in the Titans’ 17-5 varsity
win over rival Glenbrook
North, as upperclassmen
walked past and kidded
her about being interviewed
by a reporter by
calling her “superstar”,
Tiesi was asked to give
the main reason for her
team’s strong play.
She grinned and said,
“leadership from the juniors
and seniors”.
The teams played their
final regular-season and
Central Suburban League
game on Thursday, May
17, in Northbrook. Glenbrook
South (14-8, 5-2)
led 10-1 at halftime in a
game that was never truly
in doubt.
Glenbrook North (9-6,
3-4) played much better
in the second half, slowing
the Titans’ transition
game and doing what
coach Tom Rosenbaum
asked at halftime.
“They just played their
game and didn’t let (Glenbrook
North) affect them
more than they needed
to,” he said. “They relaxed,
realized they were
just as fast, and they could
make passes and do what
was needed.”
Natalie Wolas scored
three of the five goals for
the Spartans, who got one
apiece from Lutz and Mia
Fusco. The Spartans also
spent more quality time in
the attack after halftime.
“They got out on the
fast break and we weren’t
able to handle their passing
in the first half,” Lutz
said. “In the second half
we came up with a lot of
ground balls and defenders
like Juliette Rowan
and Molly Alcorn played
really well. And we continued
to fight for every
ball, even though we were
down by so much. No one
ever really gave up.”
Rosenbaum was pleased
with his side’s resilience
in the second half.
“We dropped more
quickly and we had better
communication, and we
were able to adjust on the
field,” he said. “We’ve got
great leadership and great
seniors, and they were
able to figure some things
out on the field.”
“We were really moving
the ball well in the
midfield, talking, looking
and seeing each other, and
playing really unselfishly
so I was really impressed
with that,” Glenbrook
South coach Annie Lesch
said.
Tiesi scored four of the
Titans’ first seven goals
and their big, early lead
was built largely on one
chief practice that the
Spartans struggled to handle
through 25 minutes.
“We were working well
in transition,” Tiesi said.
Whenever Glenbrook
North applied steady attacking
pressure, the Titans
seemed to win the
ball and break out up the
field. Meghan Zeivel and
Greer Bireley also scored
in the first half and Bireley
finished with three
goals in the win.
Glenbrook South posted
a 7-4 scoring edge in
a more competitive second
half. Lesch was also
pleased with the way her
Glenbrook North’s Naomi Lutz (left) and Glenbrook South’s Greer Bireley square off in a draw on Thursday, May
17, in Northbrook. Photos by Gary Larsen/22nd Century Media
girls rebounded from their
previous game.
“We’re coming off a
really bad loss to New
Trier (15-4 on May 15)
in one of the worst games
we’ve probably played all
season,” Lesch said, “so
it was good to see them
bounce back from that and
end the season on a high
note.”
Lesch applauded the
day’s work put forth by
Tiesi, along with the
defensive effort given
by Mary Grace Reynolds.
Reynolds was often
matched up with the
Spartans’ Naomi Lutz,
one of the Spartans’ two
most dangerous attacking
players along with Wolas.
Glenbrook North’s Naomi Lutz (left) looks to pass, defended by Glenbrook South’s
Greer Bireley.