The stakes were high, but Hailey Rydberg stayed cool and poised on Sunday.
“Our mentality is never give up, and if they score a goal we have to come back stronger right at them,” Rydberg said.
Rydberg scored a penalty-kick goal, recorded a crucial assist and converted again in the shootout as St. Charles North edged Lake Forest 4-3 on penalty kicks in the championship of the PepsiCo Showdown Sunday at DePaul.
The top-seeded North Stars (9-0-1) won the shootout phase 3-2.
Junior Cassidy Joyce, the North Stars’ fifth shooter, was credited with the game-winner. Senior goalkeeper Sami Sample stopped three Lake Forest shootout attempts.
“I focused on keeping my head over the ball and the placement,” Joyce said.
St. Charles North captured its first PepsiCo Showdown championship and deprived the 10th-seeded Scouts of a sweep of the top three seeds.
The game turned into a remarkable battle between the North Stars’ gifted junior class and the Scouts’ talented group of freshmen. Lake Forest freshman goalkeeper Sophia DiVagno registered 11 saves, including two dramatic ones in the shootout.
Lake Forest freshman Ingrid Falls forged the 3-3 deadlock in the 78th minute on a rebound shot.
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Rydberg appeared to deliver the crushing blow when she converted the penalty kick goal in the 55th minute and assisted junior Maison Kauffmann in the 74th minute for a 3-2 North Stars advantage.
“It was awesome for us to be so resilient,” Falls said. “Even though we were down with only five minutes left, everybody was still very encouraging. It is an honor for the freshmen to be playing so much so soon. We have been playing together for so long and learned a style of how to play with each other, knowing how everyone plays so well.”
St. Charles North junior forward Gia Wahlberg opened the scoring in the 13th minute. St. Charles North had little time to enjoy the lead as Lake Forest’s Delaney Williams responded in the 14th minute.
In a game of standout individual performances, Rydberg elevated her team after the North Stars fell behind 2-1 on a goal by Lake Forest freshman Julia Loeger in the 49th minute.
“It was a playoff atmosphere, especially playing on this big college field in front of all of these fans,” Rydberg said. “We had so many opportunities in the first half we did not finish. We knew we had to finish. Once we got down, our attitude was just get the ball back and keep going as fast as we can.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance writer for The Courier-News.