In spite of her youth, Libertyville freshman Kendall Edwards is savvy enough to critique her own performance.
“Personally I did not have my greatest game,” Edwards said. “But my defenders really helped me out when I did not step out in time or I went too far up.”
Edwards and her Deerfield counterpart, junior Karly Morris, took center stage in nullifying both attacks in the 0-0 tie Saturday in Deerfield.
Morris collected six saves and Edwards had five. The game was played amid strong winds from the south that gusted up to 20 mph.
‘The wind was definitely a big factor,” Edwards said. “I had to emphasize my hip rotation and just placing my foot in the right spot. The rest of the team was also very helpful. I could hear them say, ‘Back post,’ or ‘front post,’ or say whether the ball was going high.”
Libertyville coach Kevin Thunholm said Edwards distinguished herself from the beginning with her presence, athleticism and skill level.
“We saw her in summer camp and I was surprised that she was a freshman,” he said. “We started seeing immediately how she sees the field and the trust the other players had in her right off the bat. She just oozes confidence. You saw today when she comes off her line, it does not matter who is coming at her. She is going to go and get the ball.”
Deerfield (8-7-4) had a prime scoring chance in the 80th minute. Junior forward Haley Emory had a free kick just outside the box. Her initial shot deflected off the Libertyville wall. Junior forward Samantha Linn had a shot from about eight yards out the wind carried above the bar.
Morris also was impressive. She is also in her first year as a full-time starter. Led by senior forward Maddie Olson, an Eastern Michigan recruit, Libertyville (7-4-1) generated tremendous pressure against the Warriors’ backline.
“Libertyville has a very good soccer program, and we knew this was going to be a challenging game,” Morris said. “Playing on the varsity level there are a lot more expectations. Everybody has a role, everybody has a part on the team.”
Twice Morris aggressively charged out of the goal to punch away Libertyville shots.
“When you play keeper you learn a lot about angles and lines of attack,” she said. “The biggest thing is knowing how to play the ball, realizing it is never going away and just have to go and get it.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance writer for the News-Sun.