The Deer District had some competition for the most exuberant fans on Thursday night – Ameche Field. The Ameche match featured rivals St. Joe’s (regional #1 seed) against Prairie (#2 seed) playing in the sectional semifinals . Both teams were looking to continue their quest to State. Three weeks ago these teams battled to a 5-5 tie. Two times during that earlier match the Lancers held a 2-goal lead, only to see Prairie battle back to tie. On Thursday night, St. Joe’s once again built a 2 goal lead, only this time, the Lancers held on, scoring a 2-1 victory over Prairie. Coach Gino Alia: “This was one of the most intense, hard fought matches that I’ve been a part of. Our girls were focused, relentless and earned every bit of this win.”
St. Joe’s, known for their scoring prowess given the combination of junior Martina H and freshman Ava R (75 goals and 180 points between them for the season), wasted little time jumping out to a lead. In the 9th minute, Martina played a perfect cross to Elizabeth R, who directed the ball into the back of the net, giving the Lancers a 1-0 lead. “Russ and Marti did a fantastic job working that goal, and setting an early tone for the team,” Alia said. In the 21st minute, St. Joe’s struck again, this time courtesy of a penalty kick, but with an unorthodox finish. Martina was fouled in the box, earning the PK. Martina's PK was blocked by the goalkeeper, but Ava alertly put back the deflected shot giving the Lancers a 2-0 lead. “That was a key play. The PK save was a huge boost for Prairie, but fortunately it only last a few second thanks to Ava’s heady play.” The Lancers took the 2-0 lead into halftime.
The second half saw more PK drama. In the 60th minute, Martina again made her way into the box, only to be taken down by a Prairie defender. This time Ava took the PK, with a chance to build a 3-goal Lancer lead. Once again Prairie’s keeper deflected the shot, but this time Ava’s rebound sailed over the cross-bar. “Prairie’s keeper made a great stop against a great finisher. My heart, and the hearts of many fans, would have appreciated more of a cushion, but that particular ball didn’t bounce our way.”
In the 73th minute, Prairie was able to score off a corner kick following a mad scramble in front of the goal, cutting the Lancers lead to 2-1. St. Joe’s was able to hang on from there becoming one of the remaining eight teams vying for the Division 4 title. Coach Gino Alia: “We shifted to a more defensive approach in the final 20 minutes, and it paid off. Normally we don’t like to sacrifice offense, but we needed to make adjustments and the girls executed. I can’t say enough about the defensive play of our seniors, Sydney A, Molly M, Maddie L and Savannah R. Our keeper, Sarah R, came up huge time and again [8 saves for the match]. The girls really left it all on the field. I’m happy for them, and so proud of not only how well they played, but how well they represent St. Joe’s.”
St. Joe’s takes on Brookfield Academy Saturday night at 7pm, ironically at Wind Point Prairie, the host site for the sectional final. Coach Alia: “We’re hoping for another big crowd. It’s a shorter drive than the Deer District, and these athletes are just as, if not more, entertaining.”