Anderson's Throws Propel Huskies

girls soccer team is off to a solid, 8-3-1 start this season, and the Huskies have benefitted from one impressive weapon to help fuel that start.

Senior defender Kirsten Anderson saw a player on her brother Kyle’s soccer team years ago that utilized a particularly long throw-in, and wanted to figure out how to add that to her arsenal.

“I just wanted to do it so bad, so I practiced for an entire summer in my back yard,” Anderson said. “Eventually, you just get it. It’s timing and a lot of your core. It’s a bundle of it all.”

The Huskies are reaping the benefits now. Her long throws are creating more scoring chances for North and have become quite a weapon defensively, as well, changing field position one throw at a time.

“It is unbelievable,” North coach Brent Terada said. “It is absolutely unbelievable. We’re defending 30 yards away, five yards off our goalmouth. All of a sudden, she throws it and we’re beyond half again. Not only is an offensive weapon, it’s huge for us defensively too. It relieves so much pressure. I think other teams know that. If they kick it out anywhere on their half of the field, we literally have a chance to get the goal. It’s such a luxury.”

coach Ed Watson knows it all too well. It was Anderson’s throw-in that led to Christa Szalach’s goal in a 1-1 tie between the rivals Saturday. And he had a player with a similar talent graduate last year.

“I’m not going to cry poor because we did it for three years when we had Alex Coon,” Watson said. “When you have it, you use it. That’s a long pass. She’s dangerous.”

Szalach was the recipient of the long pass Saturday. She and her teammates appreciate the extra chances at the net, and actually feel bad when they don’t convert them.

“We definitely try to use every chance with it that we can,” Szalach said. “Kirsten’s throws are always so exact. We practice that to try to get them to the right spots. I know sometimes I feel bad because we don’t get them in and she gets exhausted. Her throws are amazing and they help us so much.”

Anderson isn’t happy when the goal doesn’t get converted, either, but when one does, like Szalach’s header Saturday, it’s all worthwhile.

“You just have to finish what you can,” Anderson said. “You have to get used to it not going in the net every time. When it does, it’s really exciting. It’s a feeling that you can’t describe when it hits the back of the net.”

The Huskies continue play at the prestigious Naperville Invitational, which gets back into action Thursday through Saturday. The Huskies will host Conant Thursday at 7 p.m. and Sandburg face off in the 5 p.m. game at North.

At Central Thursday, will face defending tournament champion New Trier at 5 p.m. and the Redhawks will host Lyons at 7 p.m. The semifinals are at Central Friday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. and the Redhawks will host the tournament title game Saturday at 1 p.m.