Kaneland handles Prairie Ridge in sectional semifinals

There is a tradition in Kaneland's girls soccer program where all players must ride the bus following a season-ending loss. Players' parents can sign out their offspring during the regular season and following postseason victories. But following a loss, the team returns to school together.

So it was a happy sight to see Knights coach Scott Parillo with a clipboard and parents signing out their children following Tuesday's Class 2A Rockford Boylan sectional semifinal.

A season that has already stretched longer than any in school history will last at least another three days following Kaneland's 2-1 victory over Prairie Ridge.

"It's so exciting," Kaneland's Taylor Opperman said. "We're trying our best. We're not done yet."

Kaneland faces Freeport on Friday in the sectional championship match. Kickoff is 6 p.m.

Kaneland (18-3) had to weather 20 minutes of Prairie Ridge pressure at the start of the match. Jena Berkland shot over the goal, Sarah Ripple hit the crossbar and Berkland sent a wickedly-paced shot wide.

"I think soccer is more of a mental game," Kaneland's Emily Grams said. "If you have more determination at the end of the 80 minutes, you come out on top. I think that's what the midfielder and defenders had tonight."

Having survived the early pressure, Kaneland went on search of the opening goal. That goal arrived with 11:55 left in the half when an Opperman free kick went to Kiandra Powell, who sent a fierce shot off the underside of the crossbar and into the net.

"Opperman had the game of her life tonight," Parillo said. "It was phenomenal how she played tonight."

With the halftime lead and the match in the balance, the Knights made an instant second-half surge and earned breathing space within less than 2 minutes.

This time, Opperman sent in a free kick that pinged around the penalty area before coming to Madison Jurcenko, who scored.

"Our senior effort was great tonight," Parillo said. "They have gone through so much heartache, and this time, it's not heartache."

Prairie Ridge pushed in the final 20 minutes and was rewarded with a goal when Josie Eriksen whipped a ball from the left wing into the right side netting with 10:47 left.

"It's very unfortunate," Prairie Ridge coach J.C. Brown said. "I felt we dominated the match. We executed our game plan. The only thing we didn't do was pressure 50-50 balls in the first half and that kind of hurt us."

Prairie Ridge pushed in the final 10 minutes but Kaneland keeper Emily Chapman and the Knights defense yielded very little.

"We slowed down and knocked the ball around more in the second half and got some good opportunities," Brown said.