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Fremd shut down by Granite City
Updated: June 3, 2011 10:11PM
It was a poor time for Fremd’s first power outage.
The Vikings had not failed to score in any game this season before suffering their first shutout in a 1-0 defeat to Granite City in a Class 3A state semifinal on Friday at Naperville Central.
“I don’t think any of us expected this to happen,” Fremd midfielder Michelle Mottonen said. “We all expect a lot out of each other, especially at this stage of the season. We are an offensive team, we have chemistry up top – we just couldn’t put them away today.”
Elise Kotsakis (35 goals) and the Vikings (18-4-3) peppered Warriors goalie Halley Robertson (seven saves) all game, but were unable to generate the offense that came so easily to them all season.
“Whoever comes to play wins,” Mottonen said. “I don’t think we were mentally prepared. I don’t think we came out with enough intensity, especially at the beginning and we didn’t show what we can do.”
Fremd, which had won its previous two semifinal appearances in 2007 and 2009, will now face Mid-Suburban League rival Conant in the Class 3A third-place game at 5 p.m. Saturday.
“It’s definitely going to be hard to comeback [Saturday] knowing we’re not playing in the final,” Norris said. “We wanted to win the whole thing, but now we’re going to put that desire into winning third place.”
Ashley Deckard scored her 13th goal of the season 2:32 into the first half off an assist from Mara Keomanivane to send Granite City to the first state final in the history of the program.
The Warriors (17-6) will play Naperville North in the state title game Saturday at 7 p.m.
“I’ve wanted to get here the past four years and it’s right there in our hands,” Deckard said.
Mottonen and goalie Shannon Norris each took a turn keeping the Vikings within striking distance.
Mottonen deflected a lined shot from the top of the box off the post before clearing the danger with 19:34 left in the second half.
“Shannon told me specifically to stay on that post until she said to leave,” Mottonen said.
Norris then made her only save of the game with a sprawling stop while reaching behind her to get her hand in front of a point-blank shot less than three minutes later to keep Fremd’s unsuccessful comeback effort alive.
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