Maine South’s perfect girls soccer record has been smudged this past week with Central Suburban losses to New Trier and Evanston. The Hawks entered the week with a 13-0 record.
But Lauren Pagone realizes all is not lost. Maine South is the top seed in the Streamwood sectional and has a chance to reach the state quarterfinals at North Central College on June 1.
“I think we have a good chance, we’ve had that on our mind,” said Pagone, a senior who leads the Hawks with 11 goals. “I could tell we were going to be a really good team.”
The senior is planning on continuing her soccer career at DePaul.
— Alan Sutton
Playing where needed
If Brett Van Asdlen were a selfish guy, Minooka’s baseball team wouldn’t be as good as it is. He’s a catcher by trade, but last season, when the Indians placed third in the Class AA state tournament, he was a designated hitter. This season, to fill a team need, he’s playing first base for the Indians (19-6), who’ve won 14 in a row after a stretch of games that included five one-run defeats.
“I’ve played the corners before,” said the senior, who is close to finalizing an agreement to catch at Purdue. “If you can field a ground ball, catch and scoop, that’s all you need to do.”
Van Asdlen, a .400 hitter who is the team’s RBI leader with 28, uses his experience behind the plate at first base. “I’m a solid scooper, but I drop to a knee like I’m catching. I’ve blocked a lot of balls in the dirt.”
VanAsdlen sees the Indians’ good times continuing rolling on.
“Our pitching and defense is better than last year. Early in the season we weren’t hitting at all. We focused more on situational hitting and the short game, and it’s paid off.”
— Dave Surico
Got her number
Oak Forest ace Diana Pickrum isn’t nearly as intimidating as Tribune/WGN-Ch. 9 Athlete of the Month Suzie Rzegocki of Lemont. Yet Pickrum knows how to get the best of her rival.
“I just hope it continues,” said Pickrum, who has beaten Rzegocki six straight times–including twice last summer. Pickrum outdueled Rzegocki Thursday in leading the Bengals to a 3-2 victory. Their final meeting could come in the Class AA sectional at Sandburg.
Super sub
Lincoln-Way East has hardly felt the absence of starting third baseman Caitlin Dolan due to an injury. That’s because junior Lyndsey Slawkowski has filled in nicely, batting .556 in a recent five-game span.
Extra innings
Freshman phenom Stephanie Maday has dominated on the mound for Elk Grove this spring, pitching a no-hitter against Conant on Monday and a two-hitter against Schaumburg on Wednesday. … Downers Grove South’s Zoe Sinner is among the area leaders in home runs with nine. … One of Lemont’s top players, infielder Shannon Keefe, has been suspended for the season after violating a training rule.
— Bob Sakamoto
‘Let me hear ya’
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Glenbrook North’s state championship hockey team will receive on-field recognition and lead the crowd in singing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch of the Cubs’ game with Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.
“It’s great that (high school) hockey finally is getting more recognized in the state,” said junior right wing Danny Carroll, one of five Spartans chosen at random from a team lottery to lead the Wrigley Field crowd. He’ll be joined by junior Kevin Memolo, senior Adam Schloss and sophomores Ross Cohen and Jared Lowell.
“I’ve been practicing the song,” Carroll said. “I’m not too nervous.”
— Ross Forman