EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville's girls soccer team had a big test in front of them Monday evening.
Especially considering that the Tigers had dropped their two previous matches to Triad and Collinsville under fairly difficult circumstances, a shootout to the Knights and in extra time to the Kahoks.
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Facing a Cor Jesu team considered one of the traditionally top teams in the St. Louis area made the task on hand that much tougher, but thanks to goals from Ashlin West and Abby Crabtree, EHS passed it with flying colors in a 2-0 win over the Chargers at Tiger Stadium, taking their record to 3-2-0 on the year. The match was Cor Jesu's season opener.
“It's huge,” Tiger coach Abby Comerford said of the win. “The girls have been bouncing back really well; after the Triad loss (a shootout loss in the final of the Metro Girls Cup tournament), it was a case that once we had gotten to the Collinsville game, they played so well (in an extra-time loss to the Kahoks). Coming out and actually getting the win tonight – Cor Jesu has always been such a great team, I think they beat us something like 3-0 last year.
“Being able to step up and get this win was so huge for us.”
Edwardsville's defensive effort proved to be one of the keys to the win, especially goalkeeper Regan Windau, who came up with some big saves to keep the Chargers at bay. “Regan has been playing well all season,” Comerford said. “It's a case of her having those few big saves – it does. She's such a huge part of our defense that it's good to see.
“Hanna Blieicke was in the backfield starting tonight; she's new to that backfield. She was still adjusting and she did a fantastic job; she's been doing a great job all season as well.”
Coming back from the two tough losses and winning Monday is bound to give the Tigers a boost, Comerford felt. “Definitely, it is a big boost,” Comerford said. “The girls have been playing really well; we had a few things to tweak at halftime and the girls did it.”
West's goal came in the 28th minute off a corner kick when Taylor Hansen delivered a good serve that found West; all West had to do was tuck the ball into the back of the net. The goal from the corner was something the Tigers had been looking for since the Metro Cup. “During that Metro Cup, I think we had 29 corner kicks,” Comerford said. “It was a case of finally being able to get a corner kick in – it was huge.”
Crabtree's match-clinching goal came in the 52nd minute when Danielle Greathouse got the ball to Crabtree, who put into the back of the net to give the Tigers some breathing room; from there, Edwardsville's defense shut down the Chargers to preserve Windau's clean sheet.
Edwardsville heads to Belleville West for a 6:30 p.m. Southwestern Conference match against the Maroons this evening, then meets Naperville Neuqua Valley at 5:45 p.m. Friday and Fort Smith (Ark.) Southside at 11:30 a.m. Saturday; both matches are at Parkway South in St. Louis County.
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