Lake Forest’s senior midfielder Madelyn Cummins is familiar with high-pressure playoff moments. Over her four-year career as a starter, she has witnessed the Scouts reach the Class 2A supersectional while still a freshman.
During a scoreless 2A Lake Zurich Sectional championship game, Cummins was awarded a penalty kick in the second half. Her preparation for such moments was evident.
We’ve been practicing penalty kicks a lot, so I felt pretty prepared,Cummins stated.We lost last year in regionals on penalty kicks, so that’s big pressure. You have to cope with that. Stepping up there is not comfortable, but it’s essential to win the game.
She executed the penalty kick in the 55th minute, securing a 1-0 win for the third-seeded Scouts over the fifth-seeded Lake Zurich.
Lake Forest, with a 15-7 record, had previously defeated Lake Zurich (16-6-1) by a single goal during a North Suburban Conference match. Next, they face Crystal Lake Central (19-2) in the Lake Zurich Supersectional on Monday at 6 p.m. Crystal Lake Central had previously beaten the Scouts in the 2023 supersectional.
Cummins expressed her determination, reflecting on past defeats:
My freshman year, we lost a tough game, so we’re hoping to move past that,Cummins said.Advancing is an honor. I was delighted and had numerous thoughts after the game. Everyone played with full commitment. We worked hard.
On her team-high 14th goal of the season, Lake Zurich’s senior goalkeeper Kelly Nelson made contact but couldn’t catch the well-placed shot to the upper-left corner. Shortly after, Cummins took a hit to the nose from the ball and left the game.
I was exhausted,
she admitted. But I wanted that penalty kick.
Lake Forest coach Ty Stuckslager praised Cummins:
Maddy is a competitor,Stuckslager said.Her speed is deceiving, she has an excellent first touch, and she understands the task at hand. In late-game situations, she showed great poise.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Bobby Narang provided this report as a freelance journalist.