Women's First Team Wins Away 2-0 At Rockford Raptors

The Women's First Team and Rockford Raptors line up before their match. Credit: Mariano Rosado

The Women’s First Team held on to their 5-game undefeated streak after defeating the Rockford Raptors 2-0 in their second matchup of the season. 

Goals: 

ECFC: Stephens 57’, Pistorious 70’

The match started with two early corner kicks from the Rooks. An Edgewater shot was blocked by a Rockford defender and went out of bounds. Rockford’s goalkeeper stopped the other shot from the Rooks with a diving save. 

Lauren Hall tackled a Rockford defender to change the possession shortly after, and Jocelyn Leigh got control and shot too far to the right side of the net.. 

Skyler Beirker tricked a Rockford player with her ball handling skills before the Rooks were awarded a free kick. An Edgewater defender stopped a shot from Rockford, resulting in a corner kick for the Raptors. 

Lucy Clark, ECFC’s goalkeeper, stopped the Rockford shot before the Rooks offense missed two shots within the span of a minute. 

The Rooks had promising opportunities denied by the Raptors, including multiple free kicks and attempts by Katherine Stephens. The Raptors received a penalty kick after a collision with Clark and a Rockford player, which hit the left goal post. 

Following a free kick, the Raptors took a shot from the right side, causing Clark to dive to make the save. After another free kick from Rockford, the teams went into halftime with a 0-0 tie. 

Clark opened the half with a stopped shot and in the 57th minute  Stephens fired a shot off of the rebound from Leigh’s shot, sending it into the lower middle of the net, giving the Rooks a 1-0 lead. 

Clark stopped another Rockford attempt before an ECFC defender hit a header off of another shot. Danielle Boudakh found Leigh for another shot attempt, but it went wide right of the net. 

Clark caught another shot before each team took free kicks. Following a Rockford corner kick, the Raptors took a shot too far to the left, giving the Rooks the possession, resulting in a shot too high and right of the net. 

Just under a minute later, in the 70th minute, Molly Pistorious received a pass from the left side and hit it into the net from near the right side goal post, giving the Rooks a 2-0 lead. 

The remainder of the game was a steady back and forth between the two teams, with multiple shots from each team going wide, diving saves from both keepers and a yellow card given to the Raptors for tripping. 

Following two Edgewater saves and a Rockford free kick, full time was called and awarded the Rooks another win.

The Rooks return home Saturday, June 21 against DeKalb County United. Kickoff at Hoyne Field is at 7 p.m.