PLAINFIELD – Plainfield North sophomore forward Kaitlyn Heiser was forced to work on her second shot early this season.
Heiser was slated to be a key scoring option after the Tigers broke 12 program records and won 23 games last season after 15 players graduated. However, Heiser suffered an injury to his primary shooting leg, forcing him to attempt shooting with his left leg to begin the season.
Unfortunately for Geneva, Heiser's right leg has fully recovered.
In the championship game of the Plainfield Classic on a sunny late Saturday afternoon, Heiser scored back-to-back goals just over two minutes into the second half to break up a scoreless game and lead Plainfield North to Geneva. We won 3-0. .
The Tigers (10-2-1) avenged last season's title game loss to Geneva on penalty kicks. Two years ago, the Tigers defeated the Vikings (7-3) in the championship game of the Plainfield Classic.
“(Today) was the first time I shot with my right foot since I hurt my knee,” Heiser said. “It felt so good to use my right leg. I was injured for six weeks. I switched to my left.”
Before scoring the two goals, Heizer was putting a lot of pressure on Geneva's backline and goalie, Jordan Forbes.
“I'm really glad we got the first one because we had a lot of chances, we got double-teamed and the wind was frustrating in the first half,” Heiser said.
Heizer wowed the mostly Pro Tigers crowd with his first goal, but his second goal was an even bigger highlight. Heizer dribbled down the field along the far side line, put the ball between the legs of a Geneva defender, and drove a shot into the far post from 16 yards out in the 72nd minute.
“The girl gave me space, so I turned and took the shot,” Heiser said of the second goal. “That goal was pretty satisfying.”
The Tigers were on the verge of scoring in the second half, thanks in large part to several chances in the 70th minute before Heizer scored his first goal nine minutes into the game. The Vikings allowed another point in the 76th minute on a rebound shot by Plainfield North freshman Illyana Baribor, clinching the Tigers' victory.
Plainfield North coach Katie Monterosso said her team finally broke the ice in the final 10 minutes to avoid another penalty kick showdown with the Vikings.
“We thought back to last year and talked about having to take care of the game in the first 80 minutes,” she said. “Geneva is a great team. We beat them two years ago (in the title game), but it was a very close fight and we scored the winning goal in the final stages.”
Despite Geneva being unable to take advantage of the strong winds in the first half and allowing three goals late, the Vikings' backline did a great job of holding off the Tigers' scoring attack without allowing a goal for the first 70 minutes. .
Geneva coach Megan Owens praised the excellent play of her team, especially the backline, but also cited a collapse in the final stages of the game.
“It's tough mentally because we gave up three goals in the last 10 minutes,” Owens said. “We dominated for long stretches of the game. We just checked out in the end. That's high school football. You have to put together a complete game for 80 minutes. We have the talent. We have the talent. You have to make shots, finish and stay mentally focused on the game.”
