Triad punches Super-Sectional ticket
By Anthony Jones
TROY — For the fifth consecutive season, Triad girls soccer is bound for the IHSA Super-Sectional round.
The Lady Knights earned their spot in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament in familiar fashion: a Sectional Championship against Waterloo.
While the Lady Knights defeated the Bulldogs in both of their regular season meetings this season, Coach Matt Bettlach knew his team was in for a challenge, “They’re dangerous. They’ve got some good players, and they work hard. It’s tough to beat someone three times in a year–especially with how close our games were.”
The two Mississippi Valley Conference rivals, who were facing off in their fourth Sectional in a row, met in Freeburg on May 24. Triad entered the contest with a 19-4-1 mark, while the Bulldogs stood at 13-7-3.
In the game’s sixth minute, the Lady Knights opened the scoring.
London Looby produced the game’s first tally by cutting off a Waterloo pass just beyond the 18 yard box and quickly striding forward before delivering a shot the goalkeeper only managed to tip on its way to the back of the net.
Triad, who benefited from a strong wind to their back, continued to produce scoring chances through the remainder of the half. A combination of Waterloo saves and deflections off the crossbar prevented further scoring however, containing their advantage to 1-0 at the break.
Coming out of the break down 1-0 and with the wind at their backs, the Bulldogs began to shift momentum.
Waterloo’s pressure paid dividends with thirty minutes left to play, when a corner kick set up a cross through a crowded penalty area. After several deflections, the ball bounced in front of Megan Young, who headed the ball in for a 1-1 tie.
It took just over three minutes for the score to change again.
After a series of passes between Triad’s Hannah Sparks and Sophia Bohnak, Sparks dribbled downfield before uncorking a 20 yard dart down the middle of the field to Looby. After a well-timed side stepping of the goaltender, Looby buried her shot into an empty net to put her team ahead 2-1.
The sophomore forward’s second goal of the affair marked her fifteenth of the season and sixth of the postseason. Both of those totals lead the Lady Knights.
Looby’s fifty-third minute score was the final of the Sectional matchup, with Triad sealing a 2-1 victory. Payton Hartmann recorded the win in net with eight saves to her name.
Earlier in the week, the Lady Knights defeated Freeburg in the Sectional Semifinal round. The 15-6 Midgets hosted that May 21 showdown.
Despite starting against a formidable wind, Triad struck first in the postseason matchup.
The Lady Knights needed less than six minutes to take the lead, as Emma Correale scored off a pass from Looby. This tally proved to be the lone score of the opening half.
Triad added to their lead 13 minutes into the final half, as Alina Ayran delivered a cross to an open Looby to go ahead 2-0.
The game’s next critical moment came with 17 minutes remaining: a lighting delay. Both teams were forced to leave the field for over an hour before being able to restart.
“The girls that came off the field were still a little spent, so it was good for them to kind of catch their breath. The mood was good and they were hanging out. That’s what I like about this team–they’re always in good spirits,” Coach Bettlach recounted waiting out the weather delay.
Less than five minutes after restarting play, Looby assisted Ayran to push the gap to 3-0.
Freeburg netted their lone score of the contest in the game’s closing minutes on the way to a 3-1 final.
Triad’s next round is set for May 28, when they will host Glenwood in the Super-Sectional round. This marks the seventh consecutive postseason the two powerhouse programs have met.
Last year’s meeting, which was hosted by Glenwood, resulted in a 5-0 victory for the home side. The Titan victory ended a five-year stretch of the Lady Knights ending their postseason.
The upcoming matchup will mark the fourth consecutive meeting between the two programs in the Super-Sectional round. The winner of the last three meetings has gone on to win the IHSA State Championship.
A win in the Super-Sectional contest will advance to the IHSA State Finals hosted by North Central College, starting with a semifinal matchup at 3:00 pm on May 31. They will play the following day in either the state championship or the third-place game, which will also be hosted by North Central College.
Against Freeburg, London Looby battles for a throw-in. (Photo by Anthony Jones)
