Frustration turned into happiness in a matter of a few days for the Mundelein girls soccer team.
Mundelein coach Ernie Billittier hopes that a pair of victories over the weekend translates into a surge of confidence that carries over into an extended playoff run.
The Mustangs lost 3-0 to Stevenson on April 30 before rebounding with a 2-1 record at a two-day tournament hosted by Glenbrook South. The Mustangs combined to score seven goals in a win over Willows Academy and Bradford (Wisconsin).
“Our big problem this season has been finding goals,” Billittier said. “They were definitely hurting after the Stevenson loss. It’s a testament to our senior leadership that they had a short memory and came to play [Friday]. Hopefully, we can build off our performance over the weekend.
“We were connecting our passes and running over offense and executing. We’ve been unlucky as a team, but they’ve kept working hard. They’ve bought into the system and are still motivated. The Stevenson loss was a good character-building moment for us. The girls and the coaching staff were frustrated, but we persevered.”
Billittier has been pointing to this season since his arrival nearly four years ago. Four of the seven seniors — Cristy Nambo, Shannon Carroll, Megan Carroll and Jessica Schultz — were brought up to the varsity during their freshman year, Mundelein’s first season under Billittier.
“The seniors are very motivated because we have put four years into this team,” said Megan Carroll, a center defender. “We want to go out with a bang.”
The Mustangs have three regular-season games left before opening the Class 3A Libertyville Regional against the host Wildcats on May 19. Libertyville defeated the Mustangs 1-0 on April 28.
“We’re very excited for the playoffs,” Billittier said. “I brought up most of the seniors when I took over the program. They’re excited for the playoff stretch. They’ve worked very hard.”
The Mustangs have won eight of their first 18 matches with six losses and four ties. Billittier held an extended team meeting following the tough loss to the Patriots.
“After the Stevenson loss, it was pretty tough on all of us,” Megan Carroll said. “During the weekend, we had some scoring opportunities and you could see the team light up and it gave us some confidence after we had a bad run of games.”
Nambo, Shannon Carroll and sophomore Katie Cauble lead the Mustangs in scoring with seven goals each. The Mustangs’ defense, led by Schultz and Megan Carroll, have played a key role this season.
“I’m surprised how well our defensive line has worked together because we had a couple of new girls,” Megan Carroll said. “We’ve been very stable and confident, and hoping to continue that in the playoffs.”
Narang is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @bobnarang
