Sherman’s goal carries Eagles

Jacobs senior forward Shannon Grady (left) tries to maintain control of the ball Tuesday during the Golden Eagles’ match against Crystal Lake South in Crystal Lake. Jacobs won, 1-0, in Fox Valley Conference Valley Division play. (Hollyn Johnson - hjohnson@nwherald.com)

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CRYSTAL LAKE – Cassidy Sherman wasn’t sure she could make the shot when she lined up for it 30 yards in front of Crystal Lake South’s soccer net.

But with a strong wind at her back in the second half of a scoreless match Tuesday, the Jacobs junior midfielder figured she might as well try.

The shot sailed underneath the crossbar, just over South goalkeeper Elizabeth Quinn’s outstretched arm, and Sherman’s teammates mobbed her, not only out of gratitude, but because they knew how difficult it would be to score in a match so affected by the weather.

“With the wind like this, I knew it would help,” said Sherman, whose Golden Eagles won, 1-0, in a Fox Valley Conference Valley Division match.

“I thought I would try it out and see. It’s a big difference with this wind. We got out of that first half when they had the wind, and once we were playing with the wind we knew we had to capitalize.”

The win moved Jacobs (13-5 overall, 4-1 FVC Valley) into second place in the FVC race – one game behind first-place Huntley – but the victory was more important given how hard South made Jacobs work for it.

The goal was Jacobs’ third total shot on frame. The Eagles hadn’t gotten a shot off in the first half when they were playing into the wind, and they didn’t take their first one until the 23 minute mark in the second half when sophomore Danielle Blanchard launched a point-blank shot at Quinn, which she saved.

Sherman’s goal came at the 12:50 mark and clearly calmed a Jacobs team that was beginning to seem a little harried.

“It seemed like we kind of panicked in that last 15 minutes or so,” Jacobs coach Anthony Cappello said. “We didn’t create as many opportunities for ourselves as we wanted, but we capitalized on the one we had.”

South (10-7-2, 5-2) had outshot the Eagles, 6-2, before Sherman scored her goal, and the Gators had threatened early in the second half despite losing the weather advantage.

Weather can serve as a great equalizer, but it can help dictate the outcome of games, too.

“Without a doubt [the wind affected the game],” Cappello said, “but the way she hit that ball, that thing was cutting. It was a really nice shot.”

South coach Brian Allen said he was pleased with the way the Gators played, despite the outcome.

“I’ll take any of the six chances we had, but we have to put them in,” he said. “ ... Credit [Jacobs], they played a very organized game of soccer.”