The only thing that could stop the Collinsville High School girls soccer team Thursday night was the weather. The Lady Kahoks 5-1 victory over Alton was delayed 25 minutes because of lightning was in the area.
Hanna Liljegren knocks home the first goal in the Kahoks’ 5-1 victory over Alton on April 10, 2014 / Photo by Roger Starkey
Three players scored their first goal of the year for Collinsville (5-2-1, 4-0 Southwestern Conference), and Sophia Sharos notched two more. The Kahoks were denied a shutout when a ball trickled through the gloves of backup goalkeeper Julie Scheiter. Coach Clay Smith said Scheiter did not get much help on the play.
“It wasn’t very good marking. We got stuck ball watching,” Smith said. “I blame it more on the defense than her.”
Hanna Liljegren opened the scoring five minutes and 55 seconds into the contest when she picked a cross out of mid-air and poked it home with her left foot. The goal was Liljegren’s first of the year.
Collinsville put three goals between themselves and Alton (2-4-2, 0-2 SWC) late in the opening half when they scored twice rapid succession. Sharos hit a ball from about 30 yards out that floated perfectly over the goalkeepers head. Less than a minute later, Tayler Devine beat her defender and politely tapped the ball past Alton’s goalkeeper for the first goal of the freshman’s career.
The Redbirds snuck a goal past the Kahoks’ defense 1:20 into the second half. Sharos responded with her seventh goal of the season when she again launched a shot from distance. Alton’s goalkeeper reached over her head to snag the shot, but it fell through her hands and into the goal.
Smith said the lengthy bombs were part of the team’s strategy.
“We stressed that pre-game. We have the ability to hit long shots. Tayler Devine’s got a good shot, Sophie’s got a good shot, Emily Holten, Andrea Frerker…” Smith said. “The girls just have to get it out of their heads that they have to dribble so much and get as close as they can.”
With Collinsville leading 4-1, lightning was seen in the distance, causing the game to be delayed as everyone sought shelter. When play resumed, Angela DAgostino bodied the ball into the net for the final margin of victory. The goal was the first of the season for the junior.
The offensive outburst for the Kahoks can be partly credited to an offensive adjustment.
“I emphasized a lot of runs off the ball tonight because of things that we did against (Belleville) West (CHS won 1-0). I think we could have had a couple of more goals if we could have continued our runs and thought ahead a little bit. We did that tonight,” Smith said.
Collinsville continues their conference schedule with a 6:30 p.m. matchup Tuesday at O’Fallon.
