Lincoln-Way East continues strong season with second-half surge in victory over Lincoln-Way West

NEW LENOX – Heading into the season, it was no secret that the Lincoln-Way East girls soccer team was loaded with talent. Three NCAA Division I commitments returning from a sectional semifinal team?

The Griffins were in a good position.

While not flawless, Lincoln-Way East has continued to show why the expectations were so high for them with excellent defensive performances.

That was the case Thursday night as they visited Lincoln-Way West. After a solid but not spectacular performance in the first half, the Griffins put five goals on the board in the second half to down the Warriors 6-0.

Lincoln-Way East (7-2) has prided itself on defense all year. Six of its seven victories have been shutouts, and its loss to Andrew was scoreless until losing on PKs. The only other loss was a 2-1 result to Lockport, one of the best teams in 4A. Including Thursday, the Griffins have outscored their opponents 35-4 on the season.

Thursday, however, it was a defensive battle through 40 minutes. Ellie Feigl’s goal just over three minutes into the match was the only one on the board at the midway point. The Griffins found themselves clearly ahead in terms of possession and shot attempts, but the 30 mph winds made it difficult to connect.

Then the two squads switched sides and the goals poured in. Kara Waishwell, Payton Lucitt, Ava Feigl and Emma Lukin all scored in the final 40 minutes of domination. An own goal gave the game its final score.

“I told the girls in the first half even with the wind we had to possess the ball and keep it on the ground,” Griffins coach Michael Murphy said. “Good things were happening, and we had some opportunities. At halftime I told them you have to take care of your opportunities. I think we had a few in the first half we should have taken advantage of.

“I said at halftime to not be afraid to put the ball in the air and see what happens. I thought we had some very nice long shots and we kept the pressure up. They did a good job.”

The Griffins have scored three or more goals in every win and scored 13 in the first two games. Murphy believes they’re capable of even more offensive firepower that that.

“I think we’re starting to jell as a team,” Murphy said. “I think in the beginning of the season we were having some trouble scoring. We were dealing with some injuries to start, but we’re starting to get healthy again.”

It helps when the Griffins have strong leadership. Ellie Fiegl is a senior and Missouri State commit, while juniors Elizabeth Burfeind and Camden Cosich are committed to Purdue and TCU, respectively. The leadership was evident as Fiegl wasn’t focused on having just beat a rival, but on picking up a conference victory.

“I think we’ve had a really great season so far,” she said. “We’ve been able to come together. This was a conference game and it just boosts the morale for the team moving forward. We want to keep the momentum going toward the end of the season and into playoffs.”

This was the second time this season that Lincoln-Way West (4-5) was on the wrong end of a lopsided game with the Griffins. West lost 5-0 on March 25. It’s been an up-and-down season, but with 11 seniors on the roster, the Warriors hope to bounce back quickly.

“We have to keep on fighting,” coach Joe Stephens said. “It seemed like at some point our heads got down later in the game. Our fight and drive kind of dwindled. We have to keep fighting until the end regardless of what the score is. ... We’ve had that grit before, but we’re missing it right now.”