If Crown Point senior forward Izzy Sainato had attempted the move a few years ago, the outcome would have been different.
Sainato made a quick cut toward the middle of the field and launched a shot with her left foot about 35 yards from the goal.
“Oh, no, it would not have gone in,” she said.
But Sainato has followed Crown Point coach David Bock’s orders this season and worked on taking shots with her weaker foot. The result on Thursday was the Bulldogs’ first goal in their 2-1 win against Lake Central in the Class 3A sectional semifinals in St. John.
Junior forward Hannah Pesich scored the other goal for Crown Point (13-2), which took a 2-0 lead by halftime and then withstood a fierce charge by Lake Central (13-4) that included senior midfielder Isabella Soria‘s successful penalty shot in the 53rd minute. Crown Point will play Munster (11-5-1) in the Lake Central Sectional championship game on Saturday.
After the Bulldogs’ win, Sainato laughed as Bock discussed his seasonlong reminders to her and Pesich, the team’s top scorers, that they needed to work on shooting with their left foot. Sainato has scored 12 goals, one fewer than Pesich.
“That was probably forced practice,” Bock said. “Neither her nor Hannah really like it. But they’ve definitely added that to their games now.”
Sainato couldn’t deny the results.
“They kept telling us that if we had a shot and we were on our left foot, then we better take it,” she said. “I’ve scored a goal like that before in another game this season, so I’m getting more comfortable using it, and it’s definitely contributed to my confidence to be able to use both feet.”
Crown Point junior goalkeeper Sam Quick, who has faced a few left-footed shots from Sainato and Pesich during practices, said there has been a noticeable improvement in their pace on those shots.
“They definitely were not as confident in the beginning of the season,” Quick said. “But they take crazy shots in practice all of the time now and in games as well. Yes, they do use their right foot most of the time, but their left foots have definitely gotten better — especially Izzy’s.”
Sainato has been a key part of Crown Point’s offense since her sophomore season, when then-senior Zoey Wells‘ injury thrust Sainato into the spotlight. Sainato was third on the team with eight goals and then scored 10 goals last season. Bock said her contributions go further.
“She didn’t get a lot of the plaudits last year because Hannah scored a lot of the goals,” Bock said. “But she did a lot of the good work up top with her that made a difference for us.”
Bock also noted how Sainato has continued to develop as a player following her breakout season.
“She launched her career early when she stepped up and helped carry us in her sophomore year,” Bock said. “Usually, you have a sophomore year like that, and you’re always chasing it. But she’s kept getting better.”
This season, Sainato has been fueled by the knowledge that the end of her soccer career is coming. With no plans to play in college, Sainato said that goals like the one she scored on Thursday bring her special joy because they help ensure there’s at least one more game remaining on her schedule.
“If we’d lost, I would’ve been done forever,” she said. “It’s very meaningful to be able to lead my team to a win.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter.
