As a defense-oriented midfielder, Buffalo Grove senior Gina Bolis has no problem tracking down opposing attackers while letting her teammates handle scoring duties.
“I like to give other people the chance to score,” Bolis said.
But as a three-year starter at Buffalo Grove, Bolis’ responsibilities expand beyond anchoring the defense. She is the free kick and corner specialist, and as a senior she takes pride in an expanded leadership role. As a leader, she helps her younger teammates find their place on the pitch.
“Playing defense has made me a stronger person and shown me you do not have to be under the spotlight all the time to be a better player,” Bolis said. “I have definitely become more vocal, making sure our other midfielders and forwards are lined up correctly, for instance, on free kicks and corners.”
When called upon, Bolis is dangerous offensively.
She scored the game-winner April 19 against Rolling Meadows by converting a free kick in the 67th minute. The Bison later added an insurance goal and won 4-2.
Buffalo Grove’s season has been one of hard contrasts. The team was winless (0-4-3) after seven games. The Rolling Meadows victory signaled the extension of its sharp turnaround. The Bison have not lost in their last seven games and won five straight between two ties.
Buffalo Grove (5-4-4, 5-3-1 Mid-Suburban League as of Monday) leads the MSL East, just ahead of second-place Prospect. The Bison also own the tiebreaker after beating Prospect 2-1 for their first win.
“We did not get down on each other,” Bolis said. “We pushed through the hard times, and it has really shown.”
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Junior midfielder Alyssa Floro scored two goals against Rolling Meadows. The game underlined just how much progress the Bison have made.
“They came back on us pretty quickly in the second half, and it started to flash back to the low times we had,” Floro said. “We started to wonder if maybe this was another one of those.”
Instead, Buffalo Grove prevailed.
Floro’s speed and creativity on the outside have been a crucial part in the team’s surge.
“I like to dribble down the line and cross it to our forwards,” Floro said.
Among those forwards is freshman Macy Floro, who is Alyssa Floro’s sister.
Like Bolis, Alyssa Floro said her third year of varsity competition has really started to pay dividends. She has scored six goals.
“When I started out as a freshman, I was more of an assisting player,” Floro said. “Now I have taken on the role of scoring more goals. Because of that, I have become more confident in that area of my play.”
Camaraderie and cohesion allowed the team to play through the challenging start.
“The start of the year was rough, but I’d say after those early losses it actually brought us closer together,” Alyssa Floro said. “We still had to go to practice every day and give it our all. We all knew if we started that spark with just winning one game, it would lead to more success. That is exactly what we did.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press