Girls soccer: Bolingbrook outlasts Joliet West for 1-0 victory on blustery day

JOLIET – Cold. Windy. Wet. Those were the playing conditions Tuesday afternoon in the Joliet area. Those are the kind of things that usually lead to games getting postponed or canceled all together.

Not in girls soccer. And while the conditions may have impacted the way the game had to be played, Bolingbrook and Joliet West faced off all the same. Both squads had to adjust to the circumstances and accept that the offenses may be a bit slower than normal.

For the Raiders, however, it still was fast enough to get a win.

Bella Loya scored on a cross in the third minute of the match at Joliet West High School to give Bolingbrook a lead. It was the only goal the Raiders needed as they grinded out a 1-0 victory over the Tigers.

It wasn’t easy for either team to play. Light rain came and went the entire 80 minutes of action with winds reaching 22 miles per hour and temperatures in the 40′s. The setting may not have been fun, but for the Raiders the win sure was.

“It was a gritty win for them like others we’ve had this season,” Bolingbrook coach Nick Trotter said. “The conditions weren’t conducive to attractive soccer. The dimensions of a narrow field made it a tough time for us to adjust to as well.”

With conditions being what they were, the Raiders (2-2) had to adapt to a different style of play than what they normally do. It resulted in a lot of keep away play as the wind affected passing and shot direction.

“We had to adjust to the spacing as well and it became a direct game,” Trotter said. “I was proud of the way they stayed organized and got to play in front of (West). I thought we were actually under more pressure in the second half than the first with the ball moving around in front of us. I’m really happy with the result. It needs to be better, but it’s a great result and a gritty win for them and that’s what we hope to build on.”

The victorious result came about because of the nice effort by Loya just moments into the game. It was an impressive shot from a difficult angle by the freshman that Trotter was pleased with.

“Just the quality of the finish (was great),” Trotter said. “(A few) minutes in against 20 mile per hour wind as a freshman in her second game as wing back. She just found herself in a perfect spot. That was a quality finish with perfect technique and she worked just about every minute of the game after that...Just a great overall performance from her.”

One wouldn’t tell Loya was only in her second game as a wingback based on the confidence she expressed following the match.

“It’s feeling great,” Loya said. “We had a good press after the goal...It was a big change because of how the weather affected the game, but I just tried not to worry about it too much and play my game.”

As for the Tigers (4-2), the defeat snapped a three-game win streak, including a 7-0 victory against Romeoville in tournament play. It was the first time since a 5-0 loss to Lincoln-Way West the Tigers had been held without a goal, too, as the conditions impacted the opportunity to create chances. Funny enough, the gam was supposed to be played last Saturday before weather conditions forced postponement.

Still, Tigers’ coach Alan Stewart was only focused on the game itself, not the weather.

“Bolingbrook came out strong and scored an early goal,” he said. “We recovered and played a strong second half, but couldn’t find and equalizer.”

Bolingbrook will next play at Plainfield South on Monday while West hosts Plainfield North on Thursday.