CHAMPAIGN — He may have been on the losing end of Sunday night’s rivalry bout against Champaign Central, but Centennial coach Thair Al-Saqri said it best: “We gave everyone a show.”
“That was wild,” Al-Saqri said. “I don’t think you can ask for anything better than that, except for the scoreline to be different.
The Maroons ultimately won the battle 2-1, putting a fittingly climactic finish to the Champaign-Urbana Soccer Consortium’s third-annual C-U Girls’ Soccer Showcase at Demirjian Park.
“It was really crazy,” Central junior Ellie Crompton said. “We’ve been working really hard for it, and we wanted to put it all out there because we felt like we deserved it. This game was especially one where we wanted to put our all into. We’ve been ready for it.”
You could tell both teams were ready to play from the get-go. Central’s Rylie Schulze scored the game’s first goal in the eighth minute, sprinting past the defense and firing a shot to the back of the net. She added a second goal 10 minutes later, sending another bullet to the top-right corner to put the Maroons (8-5) up 2-0 early.
“We wanted to be on the front foot. It didn’t matter who scored first, you were just going to have to keep coming,” Central coach Steve Whiteley said. “We started strong. It took them a while to get adjusted to Rylie, and she exploited that really quickly. Lots of teams don’t know what it’s like to play against her and what you have to do to shut her down until they try. It’s really hard to stop her, and that’s why she’s the best player in the area.”
That momentum didn’t last long. Not even 60 seconds after Schulze’s second goal, Centennial’s Alaina Kimble beat Central goalie Evie O’Brien to a 50-50 ball in front of the net and tapped it in to cut the deficit in half.
The Chargers (9-8-1) nearly tied it just before halftime. A 40-yard free kick off the foot of Alicia Fernandez hit the crossbar and rebounded right to Kimble, who popped it straight up before O’Brien jumped in the air and swatted it away.
The second half was one of the most intense, action-packed scoreless halves of soccer you’ll ever see. Fans were on the edge of their seats for every possession as it turned into a game under the lights at the University of Illinois complex.
Central and Centennial traded quality scoring chances for seemingly the entire second half, and O’Brien and Chargers goalkeeper Kate Pitcher traded impressive saves.
“I wasn’t even playing, and my heart was racing 110 mph,” Al-Saqri said. “I was yelling and running back and forth. I don’t have a voice. It’s one of those games where you feel bad for the girls because I think they really earned that one. Sometimes, you just can’t get one in. I thought it was ours to win at the end, and they just buckled down on defense.”
As exciting as the final 40 minutes were, the score remained 2-1, and the Maroons celebrated another victory over their crosstown rivals.
“Unbelievable,” Whiteley said. “Lucky to get out of there with a win, especially in that second half. As long as those games stay close, you know the other team is going to get an opportunity in those last 10 minutes. We were just very, very strong in the backline and at goalkeeper. They handled that situation strongly, and it was unbelievable to hold onto it. From where we were defensively at the start of the year to where we are now is night and day.”
Tigers hang on to beat Illineks
If you came to Demirjian Park on Sunday hoping to see a lot of goals, game two between Urbana and Uni High was when you wanted to take a lunch break.
The Tigers scored the game’s only goal right before halftime, and the defense held firm the rest of the way to give them a 1-0 victory.
“It’s a good way to end the week,” Urbana coach Miki Kowalski said. “It was pretty sloppy, but our defenders saved us a couple times. As a whole, we defended in the last 20 minutes more often than not. We’re still kind of putting it together with a young team and a lot of new faces. It’s exciting to see them grow as a team and as players, and I’m excited to see what we can do until the season ends.”
There wasn’t much to get excited about for the first 39 minutes, with the Tigers (5-6) and Illineks (3-13-1) battling for possession in the midfield for the majority of the opening half, but the most important moment of the game came as the clock ticked under 30 seconds.
Urbana’s Hazel Tracy found the smallest bit of open space in front of the net and floated a shot over the outstretched arms of Uni High goalie Gabby Mongwa for a goal. Not only did that let the Tigers breathe a little, but it also gave them momentum heading into the half.
“Relief,” Tracy said of what went through her mind in that moment. “I definitely didn’t want it to be 0-0. I’ve been trying to score a lot more. I had no goals last season, so I’m trying to make it my first instinct to take opportunities when I see them. I’m glad it ended up working this time.”
The Illineks reversed that momentum in the second half, almost exclusively playing the rest of the game on their offensive side of the field.
Despite Uni High controlling the pace, the Tigers and goalie Nox Macdougall continued playing tough defense and were able to keep the shutout intact to snap their three-game losing streak.
“It shows the players we have,” Kowalski said. “We talk a lot about intensity and playing through the final whistle, and this was one of those games where it showed pretty well. We had two or three more chances in the second half to put it away, but we didn’t. Regardless of that, we still fought strong, worked together as a team and ended with a clean sheet.”
And to do it in front of a packed showcase crowd on a college stage made it that much more special.
“It’s incredible,” Tracy said. “It’s a really amazing field, and the atmosphere is always on another level. It’s amazing to see how much energy and support it brings to girls’ soccer with all the people who come out to cheer for you.”
While the final score didn’t end in the Illineks’ favor, they’re still one of the hottest teams in the area right now. You would have never guessed it after their 0-11 start, but they’ve now gone 3-2-1 in their last six games.
“We found a good formation that fits us, and the girls are working harder than ever,” Uni High coach Cora Messick said. “All credit to them. They work every practice and every game. They have the best attitude of any team. They come out here for fun, social and competition. They exceed my expectations. They’re here to learn, and they’re definitely doing that.”
Sages cruise to win over Vikings
The scoreboard hints that it was a competitive game, but Monticello was in control from first whistle to final horn of its 2-0 win over Danville for an impressive start to Sunday’s showcase.
It looked like the Sages (17-2) could build a commanding lead in the opening few minutes, as they sent a flurry of shots on goal, but Vikings (8-9) goalie Esme Sparnicht kept racking up saves. At one point, she made three consecutive diving or jumping stops and was nearing double-digit saves just 15 minutes into the contest.
“She’s a great keeper, and she’s been good for a really long time,” Monticello coach David McDaniel said. “We kept working some different angles, and I’m glad we were able to get a couple. We also looked like we just had prom (Saturday), so we had a few tired legs and tired minds out there. The girls persevered, got through it and got the win.”
Monticello finally broke that seal in the 32nd minute, when Addison Finet scored one of the most unique goals of her career. She fired a shot from about 20 yards out that bounced off the crossbar and straight up into the air. Sparnicht scrambled to find the ball, and by the time she did, it had already landed right in front of the net and spun over the line.
“I shot it, and I wasn’t sure if it was going in,” Finet said. “It shot off the post, and I was like ‘OK, one of my teammates will go get it.’ Then, it just went in. I was shocked.”
Finet added a second goal in the 54th minute, chipping the ball over the defense and tucking it in the right corner of the net.
That’s all the Sages needed to earn their 11th straight victory. They controlled possession for the large majority of the game, and goalie Allison Nebelsick and the Monticello defense recorded their 14th shutout of the season.
It also gave the Sages win No. 17 on the season, and they’re poised to set the program’s single-season wins record for the third consecutive year. They set it at 14 two years ago, upped it to 21 last season and are now five wins away from breaking it again with six games left in the regular season.
But that’s not where the Sages’ minds are right now. Their focus on simply improving every day is a big reason why the record might just fall again.
“We haven’t talked about anything with records, and we really don’t want to,” McDaniel said. “It’s just one game at a time. We have a busy end to the season, and we know this is the time we need to be playing our best soccer. We’re fine-tuning some things, the girls are working hard in practice and we’re ready to put it together.”
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