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Lindstrom at 101 and counting
By Brian Dzenis
BEAVER TOWNSHIP
Calling South Range senior Casey Lindstrom a prolific goal-scorer would be selling her short.
On Monday, Lindstrom surpassed the 100-goal mark in a 3-0 victory against United. She became the first player in school history to reach the century mark and did so in 60 games.
She reached the mark playing in the midfield and not as a striker — the most forward player on a soccer team, who typically is the main goal scorer.
Lindstrom isn’t some executioner dropping the ax after her teammates did the often-statless work of creating scoring chances for her. Her father and coach, Paul Lindstrom, summed up her style of play.
“Most of the top goal scorers in this area are strikers and she isn’t one of those. She’s a center mid. What I ask her to do in addition to scoring goals is to quarterback the team,” Paul Lindstrom said. “She makes passes, scores goals and has to come back on defense. A lot of the prolific goal scorers don’t have the defensive responsibilities that she does.”
On Monday, Casey — who paced the Raiders with a hat trick — often played behind three forwards, patiently lingering around the 18-20 yard line on South Range’s new football field. The Raiders’ initial scoring chances weren’t hers.
“Obviously, I wanted to achieve it, but I couldn’t press for it and make myself nervous,” Casey said of chasing goals No. 99 and 100. “I just relaxed and played my game, I knew it would come if I used my teammates around me.”
Fifteen minutes in, she put South Range (6-1-1) ahead on a shot to the lower right of the net — No. 99. Senior winger Caragyn Yanek put in most of the work for Casey’s milestone goal. She got behind her defender and dribbled toward the goal to lure United goalie Haliegh Anderson away from the net. Yanek hit a well-timed cross to Casey, who was looking at a wide-open net.
“She’s just coming off an injury to her hamstring and she’s worked so hard and pushed through it and I give her a lot of credit,” Casey said of Yanek. “I wouldn’t have done it without her.”
The entire South Range team ran on the field to celebrate.
“It means a lot. Our program is fairly new — 10 years old — and I just hope it will inspire a lot of the younger girls to play and come out,” Casey said. “They can do it, too. It’s just hard work. Anyone can do it.”
Casey completed the hat trick 21 minutes into the second half and now has 101 goals for her career. She’ll score more goals by herself than some teams will all season. She pulled that feat off last year and already has a healthy lead on Monday’s opponent, with her 20 to United’s seven.
“It’s crazy thinking about it,” Casey said. “It’s something I’m going to tell my kids when I’m old and I’m just thankful for that and maybe inspire them when their older, too.”
The Eagles (3-3) made South Range work for the win. Anderson made 15 saves as United’s defense was eventually worn down. The Eagles — a team that graduated nine seniors — tested South Range goalie Morgan Smith just twice.
Don’t tell United coach Sarah Hodgson that 2016 is a rebuilding year.
“We’re calling it ‘a year of progression’ and tonight was another step in that progression,” Hodgson said. “I think the girls handled it very well. We had some good passing going on, it just wasn’t consistent.”
Paul was proud, but also relieved his daughter has reached 100 goals. The mark was an unspoken topic in the Lindstrom household.
“At the end of last season, she was at 81 goals, so she knew she was in range,” Paul said. “It was something we didn’t talk about, but she knew and I knew.”
After dropping the season opener, a weather-shortened 3-0 loss to Cardinal Mooney, the Raiders haven’t lost in their last seven contests. Casey has kept her goals for the season open-ended.
“I just want to have fun. work hard and make it a memorable senior year,” she said.