Carmel can’t slow Glenbrook South

Trying to hold at bay a team like Glenbrook South that has been on a roll for the last half of the season was something Carmel’s girls soccer team wanted to do Saturday morning.

And for the most part, the Corsairs battled fiercely with the Titans for a full 80 minutes.

But fourth-seeded Carmel couldn’t get past No. 5 Glenbrook South as the Titans claimed a 2-0 victory in a Class 3A regional final in Glenview.

“I thought our defense played pretty well,” Carmel coach John Halloran said. “(Glenbrook South) took advantage of their chances. When a team does that, then they most likely win.”

The Corsairs defense led by Northern Iowa-bound Sarah McHugh, Caitlin Jung, Maggie Karich, Bri Carlson and Collen Foley made it difficult for many good Glenbrook South (18-4-4) scoring opportunities. Carmel keeper Jenna Bauer made 6 of her 9 stops in the second half.

McHugh left the game in the 62nd minute with an ankle injury. But the rest of the Corsairs picked up their intensity and fought hard right down to the final minutes.

“It was a good game and (Glenbrook South) was a good team,”said Halloran, whose team finished (14-4-2), “I knew that they were going to be the best team we’ve played all year.

“We had a heck of a season. The girls battled hard in the second half and we rattled the crossbar and had a ball bounce around the six. We could’ve gotten one back and had a go of it. It wasn’t our day.”

Outside of the late chances, the Corsairs had a great scoring opportunity in the opening minute and a few minutes after that from forward Ashley Orth.

“If we got that one, it would’ve changed the game 100 percent,” Orth said. “We just took too many touches and that allowed them to close us down.”

Keeley Nolan put the Titans on the board in the eighth minute off an assist from Carolyn Nash.

Nolan assisted on the other goal by sending a lofted ball down the middle. April Cronin ran on to it beat a Carmel defender for a 2-0 lead in the 46th minute.

Titans keepers Kelsey Byers and Emma Sailer combined for Glenbrook South’s 18th shutout this season. Glenbrook South tied a school record with its 12th straight victory, during which the Titans have outscored their opponents by a staggering 43-0.

“John (Halloran) is a technician and a great soccer coach,” Glenbrook South coach Seong Ha said. “You have to come into the mind set, you have to be prepared. We had to come out in the first 15 minutes and we didn’t do that.

“In this heat you have to score first, then you have to have (the opposition) chase us. You have to put the pressure on them, because they are so dynamic.”

Glenbrook South next meets No. 9 seed Palatine (14-9-2) in a 5 p.m. sectional semifinal Tuesday at Palatine.