Audrey Stredde scores late to lead Geneva past Bartlett, into regional final

GENEVA – Goals were expected to be in short supply between Geneva and Bartlett on Tuesday.

The Class 3A St. Charles East Regional semifinal pitted two teams that have struggled to find the back of the net, especially late in the season. The Hawks failed to score a goal in their final two games, losing consecutive games 1-0 to St. Charles East and West Chicago.

The Vikings, meanwhile, entered the playoffs with similar issues.

After a late start due to a lightning delay in the opening semifinal, the Hawks and Vikings hooked for up for a scoreless match in the first half. Offensive shots were a rarity, except for the occasional corner or free kick.

Geneva junior forward Audrey Stredde finally stepped to the forefront, scoring a goal from three yards out in the 74th minute for a 1-0 victory over the Hawks. The Vikings (5-11-4) will play St. Charles East for the championship at 6 p.m. Friday.

“The ball came back to me and I just hit it again,” Stredde said. “We had the momentum going and just had to finish it. I was not letting that ball go out of the box, and I got it in. The ball bounced back to me. I was wide open and had two shots and it went in. I wanted to score so bad.”

Geneva coach Megan Owens said the team’s tough schedule helped put them in position to win another regional title. The Vikings and Hawks finished in a scoreless tie earlier in the regular season.

“It feels good because we dominated the run of the play and were on their half of the field for the majority of time,” Owens said. “We graduated 10 seniors last year, so I knew we would be little bit young and it would be a rebuilding year, but I didn’t change our schedule. To beat the best, you have to play the best and you grow as a team. We’ve had a lot of positives, especially in the last two to three weeks of the season. It was a great team victory.”

The Vikings were aggressive in the second half, but Bartlett senior goalie Megan Kron, a captain who was named the Upstate Eight Conference West Division Keeper of the Year, was outstanding. Kron, who had six saves in the second half, had two highlight-reel saves in a three-minute segment right before Stredde’s goal, including a hard shot by Stredde in the 68th minute.

But Stredde found the back of the net following a long free kick by Ella Howard. In the middle of a group of players, Stredde fired a shot that was saved at first, but she managed to score off the rebound.

The Hawks (7-7-4) finished the season with three straight losses after putting together a three-game winning streak.

“We worked hard and were competitive, but the story of our season is we’ve struggled on the offensive end,” Bartlett coach Vince Revak said. “We’ve stayed in games defensively but it’s a matter of time when you are defending for 80 minutes that something will sneak through.”

In the first semifinal, host St. Charles East scored three goals in the first 11 minutes to post an 8-0 victory over Lake Park. The Saints (18-6-2) shrugged off Friday’s 2-0 loss to Wheaton Warrenville South by getting a hat trick and an assist from freshman sensation Mya Leon and two goals plus an assist from Sophia Wollenberg. The Lancers (5-14-1) did not have a single shot on goal.

“It was nice to get some confidence back for some players who haven’t been on the field in some time, and getting those minutes under us and getting some rhythm and finding the back of the net,” St. Charles East coach Vince DiNuzzo said. “Every game you win at this point is not something you take for granted. It’s win or go home.”