Roundup (Tuesday, May 22)
IHSA state tournament
Class 3A sectional semifinals
Geneva Sectional
St. Charles North 1, St. Charles East 0
Goalkeeper Grace Griffin made 10 saves, but it wasn't enough for the the no. 22 Fighting Saints to upset top-ranked crosstown rival St. Charles North (20-0-1). St. Charles East concluded its season with a 13-6-6 record.
Plainfield North Sectional
Naperville North 2, Naperville Central 1 (2 OT)
The Redhawks gave their archrivals all they could handle. Maddie Mills scored in the 53rd minute to send the game into extra time. Jessica Sonner recorded the assist in her last high school game for Naperville Central (11-13-1). Shaina Dudas and Hannah Martin scored for third-ranked Naperville North (18-3-4).
Class AA sectional semifinals
Saint Viator Sectional
Saint Viator 1, Deerfield 0
Deerfield and Saint Viator have delivered drama aplenty in their last few meetings. Three of four of them have come in postseason contests.
Saint Viator ended the Warriors season in 2014 with a 1-0 result in a sectional semifinal and 1-0 a year later in the regional final.
Deerfield got revenge when it sent the Lions off 1-0 in a regional final and later lifted the Class AA second place trophy.
Warriors coach Rich Grady figured his sectional semifinal Tuesday at Robert Morris Stadium in Arlington Heights with third-seeded Saint Viator would be no different. The Deerfield manager was proven correct, but unfortunately for his club, it was the one that tasted defeat and saw its season end.
Saint Viator (15-5-2) secured a 1-0 victory when Michaela Mueller’s close-range finish decided this tightly played match, a game-winner which the Warriors vehemently denied crossed over the end line. Grady chose a pragmatic approach when asked later of the 63rd minute goal.
"Two things to keep in mind," began Grady, whose understanding and knowledge of the game is far reaching after spending seven seasons as a Major Arena Soccer League official, and recently being named the MASL referee of the year.
"I know my players were adamant that the ball never went over the line, but their opinion doesn't count. (It's) what the AR (and) the center decide," continued Grady, who was a MLS referee for seven years,
"They said it was a goal, so it was a goal.
"The other thing to mention is (in) this game you have to score to win. We didn't; and we didn't for the first time in 26 games."
Mueller was able to poke her half-volley of a Payton McConnell corner into the back of the net after the initial serve was redirected according to Mueller, who was in full agreement with the ultimate decision made by the officials after a short delay to discuss the call.
On this night, Malori Killoren and Devyn Compisi were magnificent in the middle of the park for the no. 2-seeded Warriors (18-5-3). So was a backline line committed to defend strong and sturdy as a unit -- all the while looking to keep Saint Viator bruising forward Brinley McVeigh from adding to her recent scoring surge.
The senior arrived at the game with 17 goals in her last eight games, three of which came in the Lions 6-1 drubbing of Grayslake Central in the Amundsen Regional final.
Deerfield, ranked 13th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, ground out a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Grayslake North to win its own regional and set up this meeting with their longtime postseason rivals.
"We had a lot of the play, created some very good chances, two of which were turned away by their ukeeper (Anna Johnston) who did a very good for them tonight," said Grady.
"Our effort and work rate were both done so well, all of which I was very proud of, but it wasn't enough to win. Our season is over, but it was a terrific one, and one in which the girls can take a lot of pride in."
The Warriors will return just three from its first 11 – key figures Callie Birtman, Shayna Wood and Killoren.
-- Mike Garofola
IHSA state tournament
Class 3A sectional semifinals
Geneva Sectional
St. Charles North 1, St. Charles East 0
Goalkeeper Grace Griffin made 10 saves, but it wasn't enough for the the no. 22 Fighting Saints to upset top-ranked crosstown rival St. Charles North (20-0-1). St. Charles East concluded its season with a 13-6-6 record.
Plainfield North Sectional
Naperville North 2, Naperville Central 1 (2 OT)
The Redhawks gave their archrivals all they could handle. Maddie Mills scored in the 53rd minute to send the game into extra time. Jessica Sonner recorded the assist in her last high school game for Naperville Central (11-13-1). Shaina Dudas and Hannah Martin scored for third-ranked Naperville North (18-3-4).
Class AA sectional semifinals
Saint Viator Sectional
Saint Viator 1, Deerfield 0
Deerfield and Saint Viator have delivered drama aplenty in their last few meetings. Three of four of them have come in postseason contests.
Saint Viator ended the Warriors season in 2014 with a 1-0 result in a sectional semifinal and 1-0 a year later in the regional final.
Deerfield got revenge when it sent the Lions off 1-0 in a regional final and later lifted the Class AA second place trophy.
Warriors coach Rich Grady figured his sectional semifinal Tuesday at Robert Morris Stadium in Arlington Heights with third-seeded Saint Viator would be no different. The Deerfield manager was proven correct, but unfortunately for his club, it was the one that tasted defeat and saw its season end.
Saint Viator (15-5-2) secured a 1-0 victory when Michaela Mueller’s close-range finish decided this tightly played match, a game-winner which the Warriors vehemently denied crossed over the end line. Grady chose a pragmatic approach when asked later of the 63rd minute goal.
"Two things to keep in mind," began Grady, whose understanding and knowledge of the game is far reaching after spending seven seasons as a Major Arena Soccer League official, and recently being named the MASL referee of the year.
"I know my players were adamant that the ball never went over the line, but their opinion doesn't count. (It's) what the AR (and) the center decide," continued Grady, who was a MLS referee for seven years,
"They said it was a goal, so it was a goal.
"The other thing to mention is (in) this game you have to score to win. We didn't; and we didn't for the first time in 26 games."
Mueller was able to poke her half-volley of a Payton McConnell corner into the back of the net after the initial serve was redirected according to Mueller, who was in full agreement with the ultimate decision made by the officials after a short delay to discuss the call.
On this night, Malori Killoren and Devyn Compisi were magnificent in the middle of the park for the no. 2-seeded Warriors (18-5-3). So was a backline line committed to defend strong and sturdy as a unit -- all the while looking to keep Saint Viator bruising forward Brinley McVeigh from adding to her recent scoring surge.
The senior arrived at the game with 17 goals in her last eight games, three of which came in the Lions 6-1 drubbing of Grayslake Central in the Amundsen Regional final.
Deerfield, ranked 13th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, ground out a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Grayslake North to win its own regional and set up this meeting with their longtime postseason rivals.
"We had a lot of the play, created some very good chances, two of which were turned away by their ukeeper (Anna Johnston) who did a very good for them tonight," said Grady.
"Our effort and work rate were both done so well, all of which I was very proud of, but it wasn't enough to win. Our season is over, but it was a terrific one, and one in which the girls can take a lot of pride in."
The Warriors will return just three from its first 11 – key figures Callie Birtman, Shayna Wood and Killoren.
-- Mike Garofola