Pitch Perfect: Lady Braves Dominate Hackensack

As soon as Indian Hills eventually found the net on Saturday, the goals kept coming. Leading the Lady Braves (3-3-2) to a dominating 5-0 victory over the visiting Hackensack Comets (0-8), captain midfielder Brielle Buis tallied two goals and added an assist, while forward Lauren Kerbel, striker Lauren Larcara and stopper Gianna DiTommaso also scored in the win.

"That first goal really broke the ice," coach Jim Loudon said. "After that, the girls really seemed to settle in and play their game."

Although the Braves controlled possession for much of the first half, Hackensack goalkeeper Masiel Isaza stood tall in net, keeping the game scoreless throughout the first 20 minutes. Isaza felt the heat early and often, as Indian Hills' attack kept constant pressure on the Comets' defense.

On the first dangerous scoring chance of the match, Larcara worked a give and go with senior Danielle Andrade, who then centered the ball for Buis. The all-league first team forward redirected the ball on target from in front, but Isaza managed to position herself in time for the stop.

Buis then earned another quality scoring chance on a free kick, firing a shot labeled for just underneath the crossbar. Again, Isaza barely caught a piece of the ball, though, nudging it wide with her fingertips to keep the score tied. Defender Molly Miscovic then fed Larcara with a well placed cross, but Larcara's close range stuff attempt was again gobbled up by Isaza.

Indian Hills' standout goalkeeper Samantha Kempin finally saw her first test 16 minutes into the contest when junior Jaclyn Allegretta dribbled fancily through midfield before drawing a free kick. Allegretta's ensuing shot was caught by Kempin, though, who managed to follow the ball the entire way through the large crowd of jerseys in front.

Andrade saw her second prime scoring chance of the match when midfielder Julie Fischer led her with a perfectly played outlet pass. Andrade fired a shot headed for under the bar, but Isaza was again able to graze enough of the ball to redirect it aside. The Braves finally broke the scoreless tie halfway through the period when Buis walked out in front and buried a perfectly placed shot that rattled off both the crossbar and far post before settling into the back of the cage. Indian Hills then quickly added another goal just before halftime when Sarah Kneip sent a beautiful cross to Kerbel, who one-timed the ball from point blank range for the score.

"We've really been working on our passing as much as possible," Loudon said. "Constant and effective ball movement to set up quality chances is essentially our formula for scoring."

With a comfortable 2-0 lead heading into the second half, the Braves got a scare when DiTommaso, one of the team's top playmakers, had to be carted off the field. The resilient stopper eventually returned halfway through the period, though, relieving Indian Hills' worries.

Dominating play even more than they had in the first half, the Braves netted their third goal when Larcara deflected Buis' corner past the keeper in front. Hackensack then finally saw a scoring opportunity when Allegretta found some open field to work with. The squad's leading scorer from last year rushed in alone on Kempin before having her shot attempt blocked by Gabbi Magi, who hustled back on defense just in time to prevent the dangerous striker from possibly finding the net.

With 30 minutes remaining, Indian Hills extended its lead to four when Buis slipped past the Hackensack defense and fired a well-placed bullet past Isaza for her second goal of the game. Rather than sitting on a four-goal cushion and coasting to victory, the Braves kept pressing, eventually finding the net for a fifth time when Theresa Leskauskas' shot was mishandled by the keeper.

DiTommaso, who had recently returned from injury, cashed in on the rebound to put another exclamation mark on Indian Hills' win.

Coming off this solid shutout performance, the Braves will host undefeated Park Ridge High School Sunday.

"The girls worked hard in this one and played well on both ends," Loudon said. "Every game offers a unique challenge, though, because each team is different. Tomorrow, we'll just have to be prepared for a new test."