Viamille-To-Darer Connection Pays Off For Regional Champs

Whether it’s a new target for a corner kick --- or a new person actually taking that corner kick --- the switch to Plan B worked pretty well for the Evanston girls soccer team Saturday afternoon.

Seniors Corin Viamille and Mia Darer combined for an unlikely goal on a restart in the 34th minute at Rockne Stadium, sparking the Wildkits to their 11th straight regional tournament championship in a 3-0 blanking of host Whitney Young.

Evanston punched a ticket to the Class 3A New Trier Sectional semifinals and will face nemesis Lane Tech on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at New Trier. The No. 2 seeded Wildkits will take an overall record of 12-4-4 into that showdown against the Champions, who advanced with a 5-1 trimming of another Chicago Public Schools squad, Jones.

Winner of that semifinal will play either New Trier or Maine South for the sectional crown on May 31st.

Evanston’s girls have thrived in the postseason ever since Stacy Salgado took over the program, partly because Salgado stresses versatility in each player’s skill set and the ability to play more than one position at a high level.

Viamille hasn’t been the Kits’ first option to take corner kicks this spring. But with Alexandra Merriam, their primary restart weapon, absent trying to make a spot for herself on the Honduran national team, Viamille stepped up Saturday just when the Kits needed her most.

And Darer --- all 5 feet, 3 inches of her --- put herself in position as target for that corner effort when the primary target, Bridget Durkin, had subbed out of the game. Darer’s header broke open a scoreless tie and the Wildkits dominated the second half as Durkin and senior Lily Hammock scored insurance goals.

Viamille, who also earned an assist on Durkin’s tally, never stopped working to hone her corner kick boots this season even though Merriam is usually the first choice and Maddy Varela has also taken turns at those restarts.

“Obviously being able to go on the road and win like this feels great. It’s nice to be able to keep going and not have the season end early,” Viamille said. “I do practice corners quite a bit, even with my Dad on the side. I do it so I’ll have confidence doing it when I get the chance. It feels better knowing I’m the ‘one’ to do it.

“It’s really just all about placement. There’s a ‘golden spot’ between the 6-yard line and the penalty spot, and as long as you can get it up and over the (opposing) keeper, you should be able to score. I knew it was a good one but I couldn’t see Mia on the play. All I could see was Dami (6 foot Dami Adeniyi).”

“Those corners are different when different players take them,” pointed out Darer, “and I actually like the straight on kicks like Corin’s better. Alex (Merriam) tends to curve her kicks more when she takes the corners.

“Bridget is usually the target on that play and I follow her to the net. But she had subbed out at that point, so I became the target. I had to back up a little to get the ball because it was going to the back post, but I managed to get my head on it.”

Salgado wasn’t surprised to see one of the smallest players on the field --- Darer --- get to the ball first in a crucial moment. Darer has been there and done that before.

“Corin is very good at taking corners for us, and Mia’s had at least one other big header (in the final minute of a win over Loyola) for us,” the coach noted. “She’s not the tallest player, but she reads the ball really well. She’s really our best ‘ball winner’ because she reads it well and gets in the right position. She’s usually the one who gets that first ball for us.

“The girls didn’t get frustrated and I knew that first goal would come eventually. They were still driven and still believed, and it was just a matter of time until that first one fell. I love that we scored in three different ways today, on a corner, off a cross (from Viamille to Durkin), and on a through ball (to Hammock). It’s great when you’re able to create and connect in different ways like that.”

Viamille split the defense and set up a one-touch for Durkin in the 63rd minute and freshman Leah George’s service to Hammock 20 minutes later cinched the win. Whitney Young only put five shots on goal against Evanston goalie Kanako Wagner and lost to the Kits for the second time this season.