Parker edges Craig in girls soccer
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JANESVILLE — Catie O’Leary loves playing against Janesville Craig.
The Janesville Parker senior terrorized the Cougar girls basketball program for four years, and Thursday was the difference-maker in the Vikings’ 3-2 Big Eight Conference soccer win over Craig.
O’Leary had a goal and an assist, and Viking goalkeeper Sam Anacker made a handful of spectacular saves as the Vikings beat their crosstown rival for the second straight year.
“It’s a big deal,” O’Leary said of beating Craig. “We’ve been playing with the Craig girls for a long time (in the off season), so to beat them, gives a lot of our girls the confidence that we can win other games and not just this one.”
The complexity of Thursday’s game changed in the course of eight minutes of the first half. Craig High (5-6-2, 1-5) opened the scoring at 15:53 of the first half on Megan Lindgren’s goal off an assist from Gretchen Westphal. Lindgren pounced on a loose ball in front of the net after the Vikngs failed to clear, and directed a shot past Anacker.
O’Leary tied the game 26 seconds later when she lofted a kick over the outstretched arms of Craig goalie Olivia McNulty.
“Tying the game was big point for us because once we get down we tend to hang our heads and start to get very negative,” O’Leary said. “Once we tied it, we started playing a little better, faster and stronger.
“And Sam (Anacker) did a great job for us tonight. She recovered a lot of loose balls that ricocheted off the bar or a player. She played awesome.”
Parker (5-7, 2-4) took the lead for good on senior Nicole Strieker’s goal at 24:55. Strieker took a pass from O’Leary and lifted a perfect shot that sailed over McNulty’s head and into the left corner of the net.
The Vikings added an insurance goal with just over 10 minutes to play on Michelle Kortyna’s unassisted tally that pushed the lead to 3-1.
Craig High’s Nicole Gutzman missed a penalty kick with 71:15 left, but picked up the rebound when Anacker couldn’t corral it, and found the back of the net.
Cougar coach Bill McCabe said his team lacked intensity the first half, and it came back to haunt them.
“We were back on our heels in the first half after Parker scored and we didn’t react well,” McCabe said. “That changed the complexion of the whole game.”
“The second half we played a lot better and had a lot more energy, but the ball just didn’t go in the net.”
Anacker finished with seven saves for Parker, including back-to-back sprawling saves late in the first half as Craig nearly tied the game.
McNulty, a freshman, made five saves for the Cougars.
PARKER 3, CRAIG 2
Janesville Parker 2 1—3
Janesville Craig 1 1—2
First half
C—Megan Lindgren (Gretchen Westphal), 15:53. P—Catie O’Leary (unassisted), 16:19. P—Nicole Strieker (O’Leary), 24:55.
Second half
P—Michelle Kortyna (unassisted), 69:19. C—Nicole Gutzman (unassisted), 71:12.
Saves—Sam Anacker (Parker) 7, Olivia McNulty (Craig) 5.
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