In her first season of high school soccer, junior defender Christine Erdman was not going to try to force her way into a leadership role. But she was determined to get there.
When Lincoln-Way Central coach Sean Fahey named her a captain three weeks into the season, it was meaningful.
“I didn’t come in and push everyone right away,” Erdman said. “I had to find my way into it and I had to earn respect. I didn’t get a captain’s band right away, but I love when someone dangles a carrot in front of my face and I’m able to work for it.
“When coach Fahey said, ‘We have our fourth captain,’ I was thrilled.”
Erdman also has become the Knights’ leading scorer from her defensive position.
The Bowling Green recruit scored her 11th goal of the season Tuesday night and dished out two assists as the host Knights rolled over Sandburg in stunning fashion for a 5-0 win in a SouthWest Suburban crossover.
“She’s played possessed most of the season,” Fahey said of Erdman. “In that Lockport game (a 1-0 win on April 5), she was huge for us. At that point, she was our leading goal scorer, doing a great job defensively, bringing a great attitude and work ethic and all that.
“I knew she definitely earned that captain’s band. It’s hard to give that to a first-year player, but it was a no-doubter.”
Grace Grundhofer, Madi Watt, Emma Vogler and Jenni Andjelic also scored for the Knights (12-1).
Sandburg (6-5) had not lost this season with its roster intact. The Eagles dropped all four of their games at the Wheaton North Tournament while several starters were away for spring break.
Lincoln-Way Central, though, took it to the Eagles early and scored three times in the first 21 minutes.
Erdman put on an absolute show. Playing outside defender, she often pushed forward to wreak havoc.
After Grundhofer made it 1-0 just 64 seconds into the game, scoring on a free kick from 33 yards, Erdman went to work.
In the fifth minute, she pushed the ball down the right side of the field and played a perfect cross toward the far post, where Watt headed it into the net.
The Knights’ third goal was almost a carbon copy, with Erdman’s cross this time finding Vogler for the finish.
Erdman did it herself in the 35th minute, ripping in a 20-yard shot to make it 4-0.
“We just do overlaps,” Erdman said. “I get pushed up, get the ball and give services, and we get goals off that. That’s the goal of the game, so it works.
“It’s nice to be able to be an attacker and still be able to get back and play defense and make sure we don’t get scored on.”
Erdman, Grace Grundhofer, Chloe Grundhofer and Abby Sudkamp led the Knights’ defense, while Alexa Hadley made three saves for the shutout.
Lincoln-Way Central went 15-2-1 last season, with both losses coming to the Eagles, including a season-ending 2-0 defeat in the Class 3A Sandburg Sectional championship game.
“Coming into the game, we were really hyped up because they’re the only team we lost to last year,” Grace Grundhofer said. “We were just prepared beforehand because we knew how hard they’d come out, so we were ready to come out even harder.”
Madison Kaminski, Erin O’Connor and Gabby Dittmer put shots on goal for the Eagles.
“They came out with an intensity that we just could not match,” Sandburg coach Tom Kubowicz said. “We came out flat and never matched their intensity, and when you give up quick goals like that, it makes the hill you have to climb to get back in it even higher.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.