Gabi Krueger’s hat trick, solid defense lead Ottawa to sectional-opening win

OTTAWA - The Ottawa girls soccer team got off to a pretty good start in Tuesday’s Class 2A sectional preliminary-round game against visiting Kankakee at King Field.

Pirates’ leading goal scorer Gabi Krueger captured the ball near the left sideline on the hosts’ initial rush, worked around a pair of defenders and put a hard, low shot past the Kays’ keeper to give her team the lead just 49 seconds in. The junior standout added another goal in the first half and finished off the hat trick midway through the second to help No. 4-seeded Ottawa to a solid 3-0 win over No. 5-seeded Kankakee.

The Pirates (5-10) now advance to Friday’s sectional quarterfinal game against Sub-Sectional B top-seeded Joliet Catholic at 5 p.m. at Joliet Memorial Stadium, while Kankakee finishes the season 5-7.

“The first two (goals) were really just beating defenders with my dribble and waiting for the keeper to start coming out and then getting a shot off,” said Krueger, who has scored over 20 goals this season. “That first one maybe set the tone for us and gave us confidence the rest of the way. The last goal was from a great throw-in from Rylee (Duncan) that hit me right in stride.

“Our defense played really well, and I think this might have been our best overall team game all season. We were aggressive right from the start, and I felt like we were able to get most of the first touches and 50/50s.”

Ottawa took a 2-0 lead with 11 minutes, 35 seconds left in the opening half when Krueger stole the ball just inside the Kankakee half and outdribbled two Kays defenders down the field until ripping a shot from the top of the penalty box past a charging keeper. The Pirates defense — Paris Blankenship, Rylee Duncan and Lexie Boe — allowed just one shot in the opening 40 minutes, that being a 30-yard attempt that sailed well wide.

“We only had 14 girls here today, whether it be injuries, previous commitments and other factors,” said Ottawa coach Sean Porter. “So we were a little short-handed, especially in the defense, but we did a great job of keeping Kankakee from any really good chances the whole match. We are always talking about how as a defender if you get, you get beat, but that’s where a teammate has to help out and you in turn have to hustle back into the play.

“We didn’t get beat a lot today, and there was always someone there to cover if we did.”

Ottawa backup keeper Faith Maltby — filling in for injured starter Morgan Stone — made five saves in the second half, including of a breakaway and a dangerous corner kick, while also making a couple good clears to record the shutout.

“Faith Maltby has stepped in,” Porter said, “and while she is new to the sport this season has done a really good job for us the last couple of games. She is also a volleyball player, so she has the sense of how to attack the ball, and she’s used that to her advantage in goal.”

Even with the two-goal advantage, the Pirates continued their strong aggressive play which led to Krueger’s third tally of the contest.

Following a save by Maltby, Ottawa quickly moved the ball upfield down the left sideline, forcing the Kays on their heels. At the top of the Kankakee third, the aforementioned Duncan restart found the foot of Krueger, who worked around a defender before putting a lofting shot over the keeper’s outstretched hands and off the post before finding its way into the corner of the goal.