Goal Doesn't Count, Kit Girls Earn 4th In State Field Hockey

Makayla Clark’s view was that the shot was a reverse laser that has produced plenty of goals for the Evanston field hockey standout.

The official saw it from a different perspective.

And Clark’s potential game-tying goal in the fourth quarter was disallowed, leading to an eventual 5-1 loss to host Lake Forest Saturday in the third place game of the Illinois High School Field Hockey Association state tournament.

Evanston’s first trip to the Final Four in program history resulted in back-to-back losses to two of the heavyweight and more established programs in the state of Illinois, Lake Forest and New Trier. But those setbacks --- and the official’s decision that Clark’s rocket into the upper right corner of the cage was “unsafe” --- couldn’t spoil the celebration for the Wildkits.

Selfies were a must with the 4th place trophy and that trophy served as sweet validation for a program that is only 6 years old and still growing.

Evanston finished with a 14-7-1 record, establishing a single season school record for victories under second-year head coach Annie Lesch. Now Lesch hopes to keep the program at a level where the Kits can compete with the state’s best on a yearly basis.

“I expect to be here again, and I’m really confident we can do that,” said Lesch, whose two daughters (junior Bridget, sophomore Natalie) will return next fall. “Now they know what it takes to get here. If they work hard, and play year-round, they’ll get more confidence in their games.

“And if you have confidence, you can beat anyone.”

Evanston’s confidence was growing after a rebound shot by sophomore Bridget Durkin cut Lake Forest’s advantage to 2-1 with 6 minutes, 27 seconds left in the third period.

And in the first minute of the fourth quarter, Clark unleashed one of her patented backhand shots that have produced so many tallies for the leading scorer in ETHS history to date.

Then the whistle blew and Evanston’s hopes faded.

“She (the official) told me she blew the whistle during Makayla’s backswing,” said Lesch. “The call’s the call, I guess. But it was a major turning point in the game. I think it frustrated the girls because it was something that was out of their control.

“Who knows what would’ve happened if it counted? Maybe we could have kept it going and won. But we did play better against them than we did the first time (regular season 6-0 loss). We tested their defense better in the second half.

“Fourth place means they accomplished something huge. It’s definitely something to celebrate.”

Clark had a tough time accepting that whistle even while her teammates celebrated around her.

“I’ve played a lot of field hockey and I’m positive that was a goal,” said the senior standout. “She called it for being too high (shoulder height), but it wasn’t. I know it was a goal.

“No matter what, I’m proud of this team. We put in a lot of hard work the whole season. I used to come watch my friends play in the Final Four and I never thought I’d be here. It’s so amazing to be in it. I’m so happy, because getting to the Final Four was all I really needed this year.”

Lake Forest (20-5-1) put the game out of reach after Clark’s goal was disallowed. The Scouts scored 3 times in the last 11 minutes, including a pair of goals by Aggie Vedra. Evanston goaltender Bridget Lesch (15 saves) did stop a penalty shot by Katie Malloy to prevent even more damage.

Senior co-captain G.G. Hogan acknowledged that the momentum slipped away from the Wildkits with that call.

“I don’t think we let it get us down. But it’s frustrating when something like that happens --- it’s so hard to score a goal – and I think it took away our momentum,” Hogan said. “I think it would’ve been more of a fight if it had counted.

“It’s been an amazing year. To make it to the Final Four now, in such a short time, is huge. It means a lot that we were able to compete at this level.

“When our Class (of 2024) came in I think it was such a competitive class that we pushed everyone else to get better. We got a new coach (after Jenner Johnson left to raise a family) and new players, and the culture got even better. The love for the sport just grew and now girls are starting to play outside the high school season. Now it’s a culture that makes you want to be the best you can be.”

“This was a special, special group of seniors,” said Lesch, pointing to the contributions of Class of 2024 members Clark, Hogan, Kathleen Carasco, Alice Porter, Maddie Nimrod, Julia Newbold and Stella Holstine. “I have the utmost respect for the tone they set for the whole team this year. They believed right from the beginning. They knew they could be really good. They put in a lot of work in the off-season, and that’s a huge reason for our success.”

The Wildkits dropped into the 3rd place game after bowing to New Trier 6-0 in Thursday’s semifinals. The Trevians only led 1-0 at halftime but erupted for 3 goals in the third quarter of that matchup.

“We played even with them in the first half,” said Lesch, “even though we didn’t get in their circle. I thought their depth showed through in the second half. But I’m really proud of the fight we gave them. I’m proud of the effort.

“On their first goal (credited to Izzy Morgan but actually tipped in by Carolina Magnum) their was some confusion by our defense. They might’ve thought the ball was touched in the circle. That was just a flub on our part.”