Like kicking soccer balls into nets, Johnsburg’s Liz Smith has become proficient at goal celebrations.

“We get so excited,” Smith said. “I love the celebrations after a goal. That’s definitely one of the highlights of the season every year.”

Smith scored the lone goal in host Johnsburg’s season-opening 1-0 win over Kishwaukee River Conference rival Richmond-Burton on Wednesday. The speedy senior forward had 24 goals last season in helping the Skyhawks reach the Class 1A state championship match.

After she finished a pass from Kayla Hiller in the box in the 65th minute against R-B (2-1, 0-1) on a play that originated off a corner kick, Smith jumped high into Hiller’s arms.

Like her tap-in shot, Smith was on target with her leap.

“I saw Liz at the back post, and I knew she would put it away,” Hiller said.

Johnsburg, which returns 10 starters, had two matches this season postponed because of inclement weather. While neither the Skyhawks nor Rockets generated much offense in the first half, the hosts enjoyed the better of the play after halftime with a strong wind at their back.

“It took us 40 minutes to get our legs going and into a game situation rather that a practice,” Johnsburg coach Rob Eastland said. “I was really proud of the girls defensively with their shape. I thought we did a really good job with the wind against us in the first half. We took away a lot of [R-B’s] quality [scoring chances].”

The Skyhawks put sustained pressure on the Rockets in the first 20 minutes of the second half. Johnsburg almost scored on an own goal when Smith’s left-wing cross into the box in the 49th minute was deflected over the crossbar by R-B defender Blake Frericks.

Later, Hiller’s long shot with velocity was speared by Rockets keeper Rylee Molczan. Charlie Eastland and Brooke Butler almost connected in the 55th minute, but Molczan smothered the ball before Butler could tap it into an empty net.

“I think it definitely helped when we switched sides at halftime,” Hiller said. “The changes we made [changing to a 4-3-3 formation] to counter what they had going on [helped too].”

Johnsburg finally converted after Butler’s corner kick found Hiller in the box. Hiller’s shot was blocked, but she gathered the ball, spied Smith to her left and threaded a pass to her teammate.

“I usually don’t get my goals on corners,” said Smith, a senior who’s playing her fourth season on varsity. “Kayla got that shot, I saw the rebound, saw the moment and figured this has to be a pass. I was not going to overthink it. I was like, ‘I just need to be composed here. Just tap it right in and get the job done.’ ”

By game’s end, players from both sides were cramping up on a day when the game-time temperature was 39 degrees with a gray sky. The wind was strong enough that the two flags adjacent to the scoreboard flapped the entire match.

“I had a thigh cramp the whole game,” Smith said. “I was trying to get the knot out the whole game.”

R-B came into the match having beaten North Boone 9-0 on Tuesday. The Rockets edged Antioch 2-1 in their season opener. Johnsburg provided the Rockets another strong opponent.

Johnsburg’s Jacquelyn Douglas, Devynn Michel, Elaina Moss, London Baidinger and Gabby Kay helped keep R-B from mustering quality scoring chances after halftime. Skyhawks keeper Lila Konrad earned the shutout.

“Certainly an early challenge for us,” R-B coach Casey DeCaluwe said. “I thought in the first half we were the better side. We just didn’t find the back of the net. Then we give up a silly one on a set piece that we should have been sharper on.”

Molczan wasn’t challenged often in the first half, but she showed off some athleticism on a free kick by Douglas into the box. Molczan, a former volleyball player, decided seemingly at the last second to use a two-handed volleyball bump among a host of players to clear the ball out of harm’s way.

“That wasn’t on our bingo card,” DeCaluwe said. “We laughed about it at halftime and said, ‘Let’s not do that again. Just catch it.’ ”