Girls soccer was in a stalemate with Glenbrook North well into the second half until senior co-captain Adriana Merriam put her stamp on the contest. A soaring shot from Merriam flew past GBN’s keeper.

In a heated back-and-forth match Wednesday night, ETHS took home a 1-0 victory against GBN thanks to Merriam’s strike.

Merriam recently accepted the Evanston Kiwanis Club Ted VanZelst Award, celebrating athletic and academic excellence, and continues to demonstrate leadership on the field thus far this season thanks to heroics like her performance against the Spartans.

Before her goal, the teams had played a contest in which much of the play took place in the middle of the field, as both teams struggled to break out and find space for a shot. Despite multiple close calls—including multiple from junior Jocelyn Leigh, who kept impressive pressure on the front lines all evening—the Kits couldn’t finish an attempt until partway through the second half.

The victory wouldn’t have been possible if not for fellow co-captain and goalie Ariel Kite successfully fending off shot after shot, especially as the timer ticked low and the Spartans reinvigorated their energy for a final push.

“Our keeper made a couple of really nice saves,” says head coach Stacy Salgado. “One hit the post, and she kept the ball in play. She didn’t let the corner kick up and she continued.”

Between their match with GBN and their Monday night game against Stevenson, where junior midfielder Sydney Ross and sophomore Mia Darer scored to take the 3-1 lead, the Kits experienced the first of many rigorous weeks of the season. 

“​To start off with GBN, it started our conference [games] with such a great opponent,” says Salgado. “It’s a good spot for us to self check and see where we need to build and grow.”

Overall, the team has been figuring out dynamics in the wake of last year’s group of seniors, and their first three games have given an opportunity to become accustomed to the habits of new players and those returning from injury.

“We’re just trying to figure out our connections,” Salgado says. “How we play, what our strengths are, what we need to work on. Just playing, having the experience of playing with each other, finding out where their teammates like the ball are gonna help us in the long run.”

The Kits aim to keep the momentum going with their next home game against Loyola on Monday, March 22.