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44 | May 16, 2019 | The Northbrook tower Sports<br />
northbrooktower.com<br />
Girls Soccer<br />
Spartans fall short in upset bid of New Trier<br />
Michal Dwojak, Sports Editor<br />
Some athletes can’t get a<br />
second chance.<br />
When New Trier midfielder<br />
Emma Weaver<br />
scored the lone goal against<br />
Glenbrook North on May<br />
7, she proved why she was<br />
on of those athletes. The<br />
junior had a perfect opportunity<br />
to break the scoreless<br />
match in the early part<br />
of the second half when she<br />
lead the way on a one-onone<br />
breakaway with the<br />
Spartans goalkeeper. What<br />
seemed like an easy goal<br />
for the sharpshooter turned<br />
into a ball that sailed over<br />
the net.<br />
Weaver got her second<br />
chance.<br />
Almost a minute later,<br />
the Trevian got another opportunity<br />
to break the tie<br />
and this time didn’t sail it,<br />
scoring on a point-blank<br />
shot to secure New Trier a<br />
1-0 win.<br />
“Emma Weaver is death<br />
by woodpecker,” New<br />
Trier head coach Jim Burnside<br />
said. “She’s just going<br />
to keep pecking away and<br />
she’s going to get one eventually.”<br />
Weaver’s goal came in<br />
a matchup between the<br />
Central Suburban League<br />
South champion Trevians<br />
and the CSL North champion<br />
Spartans in one of<br />
the final matches for both<br />
teams before the start of<br />
postseason play.<br />
New Trier started the<br />
game on the attack, creating<br />
pressure and countless<br />
opportunities on the Spartans<br />
side of the ball. The<br />
Trevians failed to score,<br />
though, thanks in part to<br />
great goalkeeping from junior<br />
Ellie Scott and some<br />
misses by New Trier.<br />
Once the Trevians<br />
scored, the Spartans started<br />
Online content<br />
For the photo gallery<br />
from this match, visit<br />
NorthbrookTower.com.<br />
to open up their game, creating<br />
opportunities of their<br />
own, but North couldn’t<br />
capitalize against a strong<br />
defense.<br />
“I think we did a good<br />
job of limiting their opportunities,<br />
got lucky a couple<br />
times and got some opportunities<br />
ourselves,” North<br />
head coach Tony Valsamis<br />
said, “but we just couldn’t<br />
ourselves. Against a team<br />
like New Trier, they’ll figure<br />
out how to win.”<br />
North battled the game<br />
without junior captain Olivia<br />
Kosla. The defensemen<br />
has missed several<br />
games due to a concussion<br />
but is expected to return<br />
in time for the start of the<br />
postseason.<br />
Playing a team like New<br />
Trier was good preparation<br />
for what Valsamis knows<br />
his team will see in the<br />
postseason. If North would<br />
win its opening games to<br />
advance to the IHSA regional<br />
final, it would likely<br />
play rival Glenbrook<br />
South, a team very similar<br />
to New Trier.<br />
While the Spartans<br />
wanted to upset one of the<br />
better teams in the state,<br />
matches like the CSL<br />
Crossover are good ways<br />
to help Valsamis grow his<br />
young program.<br />
“Regardless of how this<br />
season ends, I’m happy<br />
with how far we’ve come,<br />
how we’ve developed as<br />
a team and I’m optimistic<br />
looking forward to next<br />
year.”<br />
RIGHT: Lily Denk moves<br />
the ball against New Trier.<br />
Glenbrook North girls soccer player Margy Porta fights for the ball against New Trier’s Emma Weaver on May 7 in<br />
Northfield. Photos by Michal Dwojak/22nd Century Media
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