The York girls soccer team kept Hinsdale South on its heels throughout their match on Thursday, April 28. The Dukes forced many turnovers with their pressure and attempted 23 shots — 12 of which were on goal.
Only two of those shots found the back of the net. Although York escaped a 2-1 win, the Dukes’ inefficiency in front of goal has been a recurring theme of late.
“We had a lot of chances,” York coach Stevan Dobric said. “We need to work on our finishes and be more consistent. It’s been a problem for us, making those chances turn into goals.”
Senior defender Kaylin Kenny, who had two shots for York (6-6-0), said goals were easier to come by earlier in the season.
“We didn’t have any problems at all,” Kenny said. “We were getting them in the back of the net pretty easily.”
The Dukes’ missed chances on Thursday can be attributed partly to good team defense by the Hornets (5-8-1), who were able to fend off nine corner kicks and smother several loose balls in front of the net. The Dukes also had their share of bad luck with four shots hitting the posts.
“I think our shots have just been off, and our timing has been off a little,” Kenny said.
Dobric knows his team will need to refine this part of the game with the playoffs a few weeks away.
“The good finishers in the pros get paid the big bucks because they’re able to make these plays,” Dobric said. “We need to keep practicing on our moves and put the ball on frame.”
Of course, York’s ability to get as many shots as they did against the Hornets does reflect how well they moved the ball and applied pressure. The Hornets were on the back foot most of the match.
“That’s the one good thing we’ve had going for us,” Kenny said. “We’re making good passes and moving the ball up and down the field really well.”
After a scoreless first half, Dukes sophomore forward Maggie Bleyer scored on a one-timer from junior midfielder Jenna Lundgren to give the Dukes a 1-0 lead with 35:48 left. Bleyer had four shots on goal in the match. Senior midfielder Cassidy Privett broke a 1-1 tie with 3:26 left on a loose ball to secure the win for the Dukes.
Hinsdale South senior forward Courtney Cavalli scored the team’s only goal less than two minutes after the Dukes’ first goal to tie the game at 1-1. Cavalli had two chances in the final minutes to tie the game, but the Dukes stopped both attempts.
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Chris Vavra is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press