Defender's Goal Gives St. Charles West Win Over Fort Zumwalt East

ST. PETERS - David Beckham has nothing on St. Charles West senior Sydney Frauen.    

Frauen scored on a highlight-reel free kick from long range on Thursday night to lead the Warriors to a 2-0 win over Fort Zumwalt East in a key Gateway Athletic Conference North Division match at East.    

West, the early-season surprise of the GAC, improved to 9-1 overall and 2-0 in league play. East, the defending conference champ, fell to 7-5 and 1-1.    

Frauen drilled a perfect shot off a free kick from 35 yards out to give her team a 2-0 lead in the 54th minute. The goal allowed the Warriors some breathing room against East, which controlled play throughout most of the 80-minute affair.    

Beckham, England's global star, is known for his free kick prowess. He would have enjoyed Frauen's beautifully-placed tally.    

Frauen sailed the high shot just a couple inches over the fingertips of East goalie Taylor Edwards. It went about three inches under the crossbar and around five inches inside the left goal post.    

"I was just as shocked as everyone else," said Frauen. "It just sunk in the back corner of the net."    

The goal drew oohs and aahs from players and fans on both sides.   

"It was an awesome goal," said West senior Alessa Mays, who scored the first goal of the game in the fourth minute.   

West first-year coach Andrew Reynolds was also impressed.   

"I just tell her where I would like the kick to go and she puts it there," he said. "She's hit the crossbar two or three times this year. When she's up there, I give her the green light."    

Frauen, a stay-at-home defender, is more comfortable in the back half. Like any fullback, she cherishes every scoring opportunity.   

"As a defender, I never get the chance to shoot, so this is awesome," she said of her first tally of the season.   

The goal was the Warriors' most aesthetically pleasing marker so far this season. It kept the Warriors perfect in league play and took the wind out of the Lions' sails. East held a territorial advantage throughout most of the contest and recorded 11 scoring chances to just four for West. East was on the verge of tying the contest until Frauen turned a routine free kick into a masterpiece.    

"I really felt we controlled the game," said East coach Seth Wilber. "If I watch this game on tape, I still think we're winners."    

West jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Mays' team-leading ninth goal of the season 4:34 into the match. Taylor Andrezjewski set up the play off a short corner kick. Senior Abbey Lauer began the sequence.    

Undeterred, East hammered away, but could not get the ball past West freshman keeper Miranda Pierce, who recorded her fifth shutout of the season. Jessica Mincher, Jessica Seiler and Janie Booth had chances for East in the first half. Hailey Rodgers led the Lions' second-half surge.    

But the Warriors kept the ball out of the net, thanks in part to a strong defense, led by Frauen. Junior Blake French also played a key role in keeping the sheet clean.   

"The second half, they were all over us," Reynolds said. "It was a good game. It was a good win."   

With the victory over the defending champs, the Warriors step into the role of conference favorites.   

"We're the team to beat," proclaimed Mays.    Added Reynolds, "Now, we've got a target on our backs."   

West will travel to Washington for a league game Monday night. East takes on Alton Marquette on Tuesday.