Young Lemont squad takes third

Updated: June 4, 2011 5:40PM

Lemont shined on Saturday, but the future looks even brighter.

The Indians knocked off Wheaton Academy 2-0 in the Class 2A third-place match at Naperville Central, showcasing a bevy of young talent that should keep the team in contention for 2012 and beyond.

It was Lemont’s second trophy in the past three seasons and avenged a loss to Wheaton Academy in the 2009 title match.

“I told my girls that today had everything to do with next year as well,” Lemont coach Rick Prangen said. “If you can get that ‘W’ here as a young team, you feel comfortable coming back and believe you can win on this field, and that’s a big deal.”

The Indians (23-5) graduate only three seniors and its best offensive player, striker Kim Jerantowski, is a freshman. Jerantowski scored both goals, giving her 19 on the season, as Lemont won despite being outshot 9-4.

“For me it’s exciting,” Jerantowski said. “My first time in the playoffs and for our team it’s a great accomplishment. From the beginning of the season we wanted to make it to state to make our community proud and our school proud.”

Jerantowski gave Lemont the lead with 27:53 remaining in the first half when she headed home Sydney Goushas’s free kick from the right wing. The rookie struck again 17 minutes later, taking advantage of a Wheaton Academy turnover in the box and scoring on a six-yard shot.

That was the extent of Lemont’s offense. The Indians spent the rest of the match trying to contain Wheaton’s high-powered offense led by Ally Witt and Crystal Thomas, who had combined to score 54 goals.

Those two were marked one-on-one by senior fullbacks Amy Skowronski and Elise Cody, who limited them to two shots apiece.

“This was our last game so we were going to leave I all on the field,” Skowronski said. “We had it in our minds, me and Elise, that they weren’t scoring because we didn’t want to end our last game on that note. That was our best defensive effort, for sure, the whole season.”

It was the sixth time the Warriors (15-8) had been shut out this season. The only other 2A team to blank them was state finalist Marian Central.

“We watched them play yesterday and we pretty much knew: stop (Witt), stop (Thomas), stop them,” Prangen said. “So we just marked them man-to-man and that’s a courageous thing to do.”

Freshman goalie Kelly Fritz also did a stellar job for Lemont, making six saves to notch her 17th shutout, six of which came in the playoffs. Fritz made three great stops, diving to stop Witt’s 12-yard shot in the fifth minute and stoning Eaden Bond and Thomas from point-blank range late in the game.

“The first one in the first half really changed the game because if we go down 1-0, it’s hard,” Prangen said. “Then the two in the second half were just phenomenal.”

Wheaton coach Scott Marksberry felt his team was drained by Friday’s 2-1 double-overtime loss to Marian Central.

“I think our offense was out of gas after yesterday,” Marksberry said. “There wasn’t a lot left in the legs after yesterday with the heat again and as much running as they did yesterday. They gave everything they had.”

Marksberry, who will coach at John Brown University next year, wrapped up his three-year run at Wheaton with a 57-15-3 record and three trophies, including the 2009 state title.

“For them to get to state three years in a row, that doesn’t happen very often at a school our size,” Marksberry said. “These girls have been awesome for three years and every year they’ve done better than anybody thought, including us.”

Skowronski thinks the Indians have a good chance to contend for the title next year.

“I know for sure that the girls can go really far next season,” she said. “They have it in them. I can’t wait to see what they do next year.”

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