Girls soccer: Mariana Martinez scores twice as Sycamore downs DeKalb, 7-0

SYCAMORE – After a shutout loss to Streamwood late last month, Sycamore coach Kevin Bickley said he talked to his team about opening up and scoring from more than one source.

Not only have the Spartans (10-7-1) not lost since, they claimed the Interstate 8 Conference title Saturday by avenging an earlier loss to Kaneland, then followed that with five players scoring in a 7-0 win over DeKalb (2-10-1) on Monday.

“It feels good, especially because they are rivals,” Martinez said. “Last year we won, 2-0, and it feels pretty good winning against them again, even by more goals. That’s pretty good.”

Martinez and Grace Parks each scored twice, Abby Bourdage and Karli Kruizenga each scored once, as did Ella Shipley – who has handled the brunt of the scoring for the Spartans this season.

Martinez’s first goal came in the 40th minute and was sandwiched between two other Sycamore goals during the first five minutes of the second half, turning a 2-0 game into a 5-0 game. She said she was looking to pass on the play, but the ball found its way to the back of the net.

Shipley started the second-half scoring with 37:38 left, then only 30 seconds after Martinez scored Kruizenga tapped a shot in past the pulled-up DeKalb defense from the kickoff.

“We talked about some things during the half, and we just didn’t execute them when we came out,” DeKalb coach Nicole Fleming said. “I think they put a couple in quick and we got down, and that’s the end of that story.”

Bickley said the strong start to the second half was pivotal in the win.

“When you go into the half 2-0, you tell them you always want to get the next goal,” Bickley said. “It’s always big. If it’s us, it gives us momentum, 3-0. If it’s them, now maybe it swings the other way. Getting those three quick goals in a couple minutes, it seemed like really helped us.”

Bickley said the give-and-go game in particular was working for the Spartans. Martinez’s second goal came on a feed from Shipley, which she then launched past Kendra Sullivan for a 7-0 lead with 20:20 left. The goal cut the time in half to 10:10 and was the final score of the game.

“I feel like last week we really worked on it after that Streamwood game, to get some more numbers forward, get some more offense, try not to be 1 v 4 or whatever,” Bickley said. “Things seemed to be clicking with the midfield and the strikers. Our passing has gotten so much better. We’re playing quicker.”

Shipley had two good looks in the first 3 minutes but both missed. Parks finally connected in the 18th minute from 35 yards out, with her shot clanking off the crossbar, going straight down and rolling backward in for a goal.

Bordage made it 2-0 in the 25th minute, getting a ricochet in front of the next and blasting it in.

The game also was the fourth straight shutout for Tayla Brannstrom and the Sycamore defense. Brannstrom only had to turn away a handful of DeKalb shots, including elevating late in the first half to corral a shot by Natalie Rosenow.

Bickley said he feels like the team is really starting to gain confidence with postseason lurking after this month.

“Sometimes Shipley is up there alone, sometimes,” Bickley said. “It’s nice to get those outside backs, Marina or Jordan out wide. If we can get those girls high and not sit back and defend so much, obviously, we can get more offense there. And they’re serving great balls in, and we got some great shots from that distance as well.”