Marist’s Cece Light has a simple explanation for why she has been so tough to stop this season.
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“I run super fast,” Light said. “Running cross country has really helped. Being able to run is a big part of soccer, and I think I have that advantage over some people.”
Light, a senior forward, has scored 24 goals this season, setting a program record for the RedHawks (9-5).
“She’s fast and she’s angry,” Marist coach Chris Roe said. “She doesn’t like to lose the ball. She’s scoring against everyone, not just the weaker teams. She’s next level. She puts us on our back sometimes.
“We live and die with it, but right now it’s mostly living.”
Light said she’s going into every game with a sense of urgency, trying to take advantage of her final season with Marist.
“I feel like it’s been realizing that this is the end of a really good four years,” she said. “It’s actually only been three years since last year got canceled, so I think I’m trying to make the most out of it for two years in one.”
Light has signed to play soccer at Spring Hill, an NCAA Division II school in Alabama. That completed a recruiting path with some twists and turns as she considered competing in cross country in college or not playing sports at all.
“I was planning on not playing college soccer, but my family all told me that I can’t give up on this,” she said. “I decided to go to a smaller school and get the most out of what I want to do in soccer.
“Freshman year, I was really in on cross country. I don’t know what changed. I think it’s just what I love the most, which is playing soccer. I realized that with soccer I get both because I’m still running all the time. I’ve been playing soccer my whole life and it came down to what I love more.”
Light is hoping to guide Marist on a deep playoff run. Roe is confident his team has the right leader.
“The girls find her and we play off her,” Roe said. “Everyone has to play up to her level. She sets the standard.”
Freshman first: The question of whether Sandburg would allow a goal this season was answered by a freshman who has only been on varsity for a couple weeks.
After the Eagles recorded 11 straight shutouts, Lincoln-Way West freshman midfielder Morgan Sallese scored in the Warriors’ 1-0 upset Thursday.
“It was really exciting,” Sallese said. “My heart stopped for a second. I was like, ‘I just scored.’
“It’s been very exciting coming up to varsity. I feel like this has helped me grow in all my playing skills. The girls here really help me and push to me to do my best, and that’s kind of what drives me to do what I do on the field.”
Sallese followed that up by scoring twice Saturday in the Warriors’ 4-3 overtime loss to Lincoln-Way Central.
“She’s been a great addition to the varsity level,” West coach Jeff Theiss said.
Full strength: With injuries and other absences related to COVID-19, T.F. United was forced to play short-handed for entire games early in the season, often fielding just nine or 10 players.
Since getting some players back, T.F. United (5-2-1) has posted impressive results, including a 0-0 tie with Lemont. Senior Amaris Gonzalez had a hat trick in Friday’s 4-3 win over Shepard.
“I foresee more wins now that we finally have a full team,” T.F. United coach Eugenia Munoz said.
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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