Girls soccer: Izzie Segreti’s goal lifts Sycamore past DeKalb in El Classicorn

SYCAMORE – The rivalry between Sycamore and DeKalb girls’ soccer teams was on full display Wednesday in Sycamore.

In front of an energetic crowd, Sycamore’s Izzie Segreti scored the game’s only goal in the 10th minute as the Spartans won El Classicorn as the rivalry game is known, 1-0.

“It somehow bounced off the defender and went in, this is the third time this has happened this year,” Segretti said.

The goal happened after a toss-in during the early part of the first half.

DeKalb head coach Kaylyn Smith said that she liked how her team persevered through the win.

“We had two players out with injuries, which is not an excuse but missing those two players affected the game,” Smith said.

Sycamore put heavy pressure on the DeKalb defense, which kept DeKalb goalkeeper Beth Meeks busy.

The Spartans had the chance to go up two against the Barbs with Cortni Kruizenga almost scoring a goal with 2:16 left in the first half, but the chance was denied.

The win avenges the Spartans’ loss to the Barbs last season.

“We had this game circled on our calendar after the disappointing outcome last year,” Sycamore coach Kevin Bickley said.

DeKalb’s Demi McNeil kept up the pressure with her defense and ball movement. McNeil kept up the intensity in both periods which played a significant role in preventing chances for the Spartans to score.

The defensive pressure placed on the Barbs was kept up in the second half. Sycamore also had many opportunities to score but DeKalb’s strong defense prevented more goals. With the clock winding down Sycamore continued to keep up the pressure on the DeKalb defense.

Sycamore also had the chance to score on a penalty kick which resulted in the ball going over the goal. Both teams played an intense game, with a good-sized crowd for both the Spartans and the Barbs.

DeKalb (2-14-3) will be at Neuqua Valley on Tuesday while Sycamore (11-7) will be at Winnebago on Thursday.