Handwork, Plainfield North prevail

Updated: May 11, 2011 8:50PM

Plainfield North’s Ashley Handwork has scored more than her fair share of goals this season. Now she can say she’s scored at Toyota Park.

Handwork scored her 18th goal of the season with two minutes remaining in the first half off an intelligent pass from Ashley Auble to give the No. 6 Tigers a two-goal lead their defense made stand up in a 2-0 victory Wednesday over No. 9 Lake Forest at Toyota Park.

“It was a great pass from Ashley (Auble). We had the momentum and Ashely knew right where I was,” Handwork said. “This one felt great. After I scored I told (O’Donnell),’So that’s how it feels to score at Toyota Park.’ ”

Callie O’Donnell gave the Tigers (15-2-2) a 1-0 lead 16 minutes into the game when she took advantage of a defensive mixup and let rip from the top of the box for her 20th goal of the season.

The tally set the tone for the Tigers, who were looking to gear up for the playoffs ahead a very tough sectional assignment.

“We know that they’re ranked too, so it was great to play them and see how we’d do,” O’Donnell said. “We just want to keep building on what we’ve done the past three years – first winning conference and then getting to the regional finals. Now we want to make it sectionals.”

Katherine Cook and Morgan McConachie each struck the woodwork as Lake Forest (12-4-4) made a push late in the second half.

Cook let fly from 25 yards only to see Tigers goalie Paige Polonus (4 saves) get her finger tips to the ball and push it off the cross bar and out for a corner with 4:01 to play.

Less than a minute later McConachie headed a cross into the box off the post.

“It was so frustrating hitting the post, and for the second time in the game,” said McConachie, who also struck the post in the first half.

Lake Forest was missing four starters for the game, including Ginny McGowan, who was practicing with the junior national team.

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