Panthers Ice U13 Girls soccer team pulled off an incredibly gutsy performance this weekend playing on Saturday against TCSA Flames and Sunday against Plainfield Legends Select to tie both games 1-1. Missing 5 players from their normal starting lineup due to injuries and other commitments, and with 6 players playing with injuries ranging from sprained ankles to pulled hamstrings, Ice knew this was going to be a very tough weekend. Thankfully Amy Annala, Taylor Graham, Kesley Dano, and Krissy Klingbeil from Patrick Montgomery's PSC U12 Wildcats stepped up to help the U13 team with a couple of guest players for each game, but even that left Ice with one or no subs for halves of both games.

In the TCSA Flames game, Ice put the pressure on right away with Annala, Graham, Holly Schwarz, Nina Hauser, Victoria Short, and Bridgett Leverich pressing the attack relentlessly. The pressure eventually paid off when Ice got a corner kick which Caeleigh Morton dropped into the TCSA goal box and went in on a deflection off a defender. TCSA came back aggresively but goalies Emily Maslanka and Annala and defenders Dana Stout, Kate Stefanski, Madison Naro, and Taylor Robinson kept them at bay until late in the second half when, despite the addition of Brittany Straznickas to the midfield, the injuries and lack of subs took its toll and TCSA got the equaliser.

It was a similair story against PSA Select on Sunday, but this time PSA put the pressure on early and it was a counter-attack by Ice that took Dano down the right wing for a beautiful cross in to Morton who calmly chipped it over the keepers head. Ice suffered a further blow when Hauser rolled her ankle at the end of the first half, leaving them with no subs. Short in particular, playing her first weekend back after a severe ankle injury and in pain through the whole game, dug deep and played an incredibly fast, aggresive, skilful game in midfield. Again, late in the second half all the injuries and lack of subs took their toll and PSA got an equaliser with just 7 minutes to go.

With 3 ties now out of 3 games, Ice are taking next weekend off to recover from injuries and are looking forward to having a full, healthy team for the first time this season against Homewood-Flossmoor on 5/10. For more information on Ice, see their web site http://www.panthersoccerclub.org/index.php/Ice.html