Rivich, Bulldogs blow past K.V.

CROWN POINT | Venturing out to Crown Point's soccer field, there are individual banners of the each senior player.

On Thursday night, junior Sarah Rivich stole the show, netting a hat trick and an assist in Times No. 3 Crown Point's 5-2 nonconference win over No. 6 Kankakee Valley.

"I just took my time and tried to aim the ball at the crossbar," said Rivich. "I've focused more on shooting rather than just kicking."

In the 13th minute, Kougars sophomore forward Hannah Wilder missed a wide-open shot after the ball deflected off Crown Point keeper Kelsey Shoemaker and shot it over the unattended goal.

Three minutes later, K.V. (9-5) broke through after sophomore Haleigh Wenglarz outran the Bulldogs defense and scored off an assist by Wilder.

"We have a lot to work on," Crown Point coach Chris Mikrut said. "We got spread out on that first goal and it could have been closer had they scored that second one."

Crown Point (10-3) struck back on a 3-on-2 breakaway in which the ball sailed through thanks to the foot of senior forward Abi Small on the assist from Rivich.

Rivich scored C.P.'s second goal after she took the ball from the corner, drifted towards the middle of the field and laced a shot in the perfect place, grazing the top right corner between the crossbar and the post past K.V. keeper Cassie Cleveland.

In the opening minutes of the second half, as Rivich put one through on a free kick from 20 yards away.

Rivich put the exclamation point on the statement win after she scored her third and final goal off of yet another free kick, this time from 35 yards out.

"I saw exactly what I needed to out there tonight. We played the undefeated Duneland champs toe-to-toe," K.V. coach John Hufnagel said. "We won't give up free kicks come sectional time and if you take the two away, it's a 2-2 game."