When Marist senior Hannah McNeela made her season debut on April 20, the adrenaline took over.
She was coming off two serious injuries over the last two years, including one that caused her to miss her entire junior season.
Almost a month later, McNeela is feeling stronger than ever.
Scoring the game-winning goal on a penalty kick late in the second half, McNeela helped lift host Marist to a 2-1 victory over St. Laurence on May 11.
“It was really nice because it’s the first game I really felt 100 percent in a long time,” McNeela said. “That first game (against Mother McAuley), the excitement took over. I’ve definitely shaken a lot of the rust off which is a nice feeling. I just like being back.”
Seniors Addison Woodward (goal) and Julia Skol (assist) also starred for Marist. Juniors Tess Hernon (three saves) and Giuliana Conte (two saves) anchored the defensive effort.
Junior Giselle Castillo scored for St. Laurence. Sophomore Taylor Goodwin had two saves in goal for the Vikings.
Castillo scored on a beauty of a free kick from 40 yards out, putting a high-arcing shot on goal just under the crossbar and just over Hernon’s leaping effort.
McNeela suffered a torn left ACL the fall of her junior year, an injury that caused her to miss the entire spring season.
Then, as she was poised to return this spring, she tore a ligament in her ankle in January, undergoing surgery and delaying the start of the year to mid-April.
“It was a little rough last week (physically) with our Iowa tournament,” McNeela said. “We played a lot of games in a row. I pulled a muscle, but getting back, we had a little bit of a gap over the weekend where I could rest up. I felt great.”
McNeela is a four-year varsity player for the RedHawks.
Marist has had a big season, improving to 15-3-2 with the St. Laurence win. Earning a two-seed in the Class 3A Andrew Sectional, the RedHawks will battle either Sandburg or Stagg in a regional championship on May 23.
“We have 12 seniors on the team, so it’s really nice we all have each other,” McNeela said. “Our talk pregame was staying focused and really bonding. Our team chemistry, you feel it building every time. We’re more connected every single game.”
Marist has featured a balanced roster all season. Through 20 games, the RedHawks have only allowed 14 goals.
Woodward and Skol have been a big part of the defensive dynamic on the backline.
Woodward is a three-year varsity player. Skol played varsity as a freshman, then played club with Chicago Inter the last two years and chose to play high-school soccer in her senior year.
“We have a really aggressive backline,” Skol said. “We’re not afraid to use our bodies. We communicate really well, too. It’s not an individual thing. It’s a team thing. We have such a great connection, so it’s easy to play with one another.”
Woodward is a team captain.
Scoring off a Skol free kick from 40 yards out, Woodward got just enough on the ball with her right foot to boot it past the goalie into the net.
“Literally just got a toe on it,” Woodward said with a laugh. “That’s all you need. I heard Julia call my name, so I’ll go where the ball is and try to get a foot on it.”