Rivera’s kick gives Eagles edge

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BARRINGTON – This was not a shot that Margaret Rivera was going to miss.

Not with her Jacobs girls soccer team in the midst of an intense battle against rival Cary-Grove on Wednesday.

Neither team was going to make a mistake, so Rivera stared down the free kick opportunity she had with 24 minutes left in the second half and willed it to go in.

The shot from about 25 yards out sailed into the left side of the Trojans’ net, just past keeper Krystal Felderman’s outstretched arm, and proved to be all the Golden Eagles would need in a 1-0 victory against second-seeded C-G in an IHSA Class 3A Barrington Regional semifinal.

The third-seeded Eagles (20-6) advanced to face top-seeded Barrington at 6 p.m. Friday for a regional title.

“We needed it, and that was it,” said Rivera, a defender who also played a solid game in back at sweeper. “I didn’t think about anything else. It just had to go in; it had to be done.”

It was critical that the Eagles score while they had such a strong chance. Jacobs had taken one shot in the second half before the free kick, and Felderman (seven saves) had come up with a stop.

So before Rivera lined up, she thought about losing to C-G early this season had another reason to make sure she converted.

“I’ve only been here two years, but we’ve never beaten Cary,” Rivera said. “To beat Cary-Grove is a huge accomplishment.”

Jacobs senior keeper Monica Orjuela came up with the best game of her season, in part for redemption as well.

C-G attacked after Rivera’s goal, and Trojans’ junior forward Korey Kronforst came close to tying the score with 15 minutes to play. Kronforst shot from about 30 yards outside the left post, and Orjuela (six saves) dove and knocked the ball wide right and out of bounds.

“I knew if I were her in that situation, I would [shoot] far post, and she was kind of lining up for it,” Orjuela said. “I just had to get a good touch on it.”

Orjuela came up big again with 12 minutes to go.

She stopped a ball from slipping past her as a several Trojans swarmed the box trying to score. Orjuela scooped up the ball, but put it down again, setting up a direct free kick from 10 yards in front of the Eagles’ net.

Jacobs’ defenders blocked the shot, and C-G had a few other chances off corner kicks but could not convert.

“We built some great possessions, but we needed more consistency,” C-G coach Ray Krystal said. “If you do that enough you can wear them down differently, but we didn’t have the consistency.

“ ... [The season] was a learning experience for this group.

“We had some experience, but not as much as people thought, so it was a great opportunity for other girls to step up.”