Game of the Week: Stagg Puts Another Girls Soccer Victory on Ice

Despite chilling winds and light rain, the Stagg girls soccer team was able to put brutal conditions aside and notch its second win on Wednesday afternoon.

The Chargers defeated Minooka 2-1 and extended their season-opening undefeated string to four matches.

Stagg started the scoring in the 31st minute. Anna Gal connected on a rebound off of a shot by Maggie Yandel. The Chargers held their 1-0 lead despite some good offensive pressure put on by the Indians (1-3-0). 

Stagg took back the momentum in the second half and the Chargers'  Tara Tarazoff scored the game-winning goal in the 47th minute on an open net. Their 2-0 lead stood until the 55th minute when Minooka's Marisol Galvin took advantage of some confusion around the Stagg net.

The Indians applied more offensive pressure in the closing minutes, but Stagg was able to subdue it with a strong defensive effort.

"(Coach) Kealy told us to pressure the ball a lot, and we did that," Tarazoff said of the Chargers' Mike Kealy. "The (goalie) misplayed a ball and it just came right to me. That's like candy to a forward, and you just pick it up and shoot it."

The game was Stagg's second in as many days in inclement weather conditions. The Chargers also were down two players who were on a class trip abroad and a third who was ill.

"It's mentally tough, but they did a good job sticking together," Kealy said. "Our emphasis was to put the ball in the back of the net. I knew with (Minooka's Becca Sutton), they would get an opportunity. I knew we would need two goals to win, and we did that."