By Bobby Narang
The Oswego East High School girls soccer team is looking to build following last season’s success.
The Wolves want to strike magic again this Spring.
Thus far, the Wolves are on the right track.
One year ago, the Wolves made soccer program history by winning their first regional tournament championship by defeating Southwest Prairie Conference (SPC) rival Oswego, 2-0, in a Class 3A regional championship game.
Although the Wolves’ playoff journey ended in a 6-0 defeat to Naperville North in a sectional semifinal round, the 2023 season brings new hope for another stirring run.
Senior goalie Sam McPhee is one of the key returnees, which has helped spark a strong start. McPhee, a starter on last season’s 18-3 team, welcomes a bigger leadership role this season.
“As a goalie, you always have to be a leader on the team and hold everybody accountable,” McPhee said. “I definitely feel more people trust me and look up to me more (than last season). I feel I have a bigger role than last year.”
The Wolves (4-1-1 entering this week) bring back six college-bound players to form a solid offensive and defensive unit capable of making noise in the playoffs. So far, the Wolves have been dominating teams by recording a 25-1 margin of victory through six games.
After his team ended in a 0-0 tie against Hinsdale Central Saturday, April 1, Oswego East head coach Juan Leal said his players are motivated to keep building on last season’s success. McPhee helped secure the shutout with nine saves against the Hinsdale Central.
“Sam had a stellar, stellar, game and put herself out there and communicated with the backline,” Leal said. “She got them organized and was definitely our player of the game today. Our entire backline, including Veronica Hamilton, Emma Rosenthal, Jocy Cruz, and Sami Esquivel, played great. We had a lot of good players helping out with the defense. We’re looking to rebound after this (success) and get our momentum offensively. When you go up against a good defensive team, it’s good to know where you stand. This was a good game for us to figure our offensive attack.”
Defender Emma Rosenthal said Saturday’s game was a solid effort against a quality team, but the Wolves have to finish better on the final third. Rosenthal is one of eight starters back.
“I’m little frustrated walking away, just because of the (0-0) score,” Rosenthal said. “But I felt there were some good things, especially in the second half with our defensive communication. I’m hoping we can improve. This week we had a pretty good week with some good wins and work through some stuff and get some kinks out that will help us be successful.”