Carmel stops Lemont, will play for state title

Every play, every goal, every moment is becoming one to savor for the Carmel Catholic girls soccer program.

The Corsairs had already surpassed their deepest run in the state tournament by getting to the final four of the Class 2A state tournament.

Carmel took it another step Friday afternoon, topping Lemont 2-1 at North Central College in Naperville. In their final game of the season, the Corsairs will pursue a 2A state title against Chatham Glenwood at 1 p.m. Saturday.

"It feels good to get there," Carmel Catholic coach John Halloran said. "It's a bit surreal right now, and we're enjoying the moment."

The most memorable of them for the Corsairs (20-3-1) was when the clock ran out and Carmel still held a 1-goal advantage. The entire team ran on to the field in the ensuing celebration.

"It's definitely huge to do it," Carmel forward Angela Salvi said. "There was so much anxiety throughout the entire day. Knowing that we finally got here (is a relief). Everyone has been saying since the beginning of the year, 'State, state, state.' It's like, you don't want to say it because you don't want to jinx yourself.

"Now, that it's finally here and this close ... we're one game away. It's so incredible I don't think that I'm going to stop smiling the rest of the day."

Salvi scored the game-winning goal, while Megan Runyan scored once and assisted on Salvi's goal.

Runyan started the scoring with a free kick that found the upper corner in the seventh minute as Carmel quickly grabbed the lead against Lemont (18-5-3).

"I saw the net was open, and no one was pressuring me," Runyan said.

Carmel went ahead 2-0 in the 67th minute as Runyan sent a corner kick in front of the goal. Salvi brought the ball down and delivered a perfect volley-kick into the back of the net.

"I had some chances that I missed earlier," said Salvi of her 23rd goal this spring. "I was just hungry for a goal. When I saw Megan's ball coming to me. I was like, 'I need to have this.' So it was a matter of if I was going to head it or not. I always thought it was natural to chest the ball, and when it came down, I hit it as hard as a I could. It ended up going into the back of the net."

Lemont responded quickly by pushing up numbers toward the goal, which paid a dividend just over a minute later. Savannah Brija managed to get the ball to Aleksandra Mihailovic, who shot from outside the top of the box and into the upper corner for her 28th goal.

The Indians tried to find an equalizer the rest of the way, but the Corsairs were able to hold them off.

"The first one, we gave too much time and space," Lemont coach Rick Prangen said. "Second one was a horrible set piece by us. I thought (Carmel) had the run of play for a lot of it, but they didn't get by us.

"I thought we kept the game in front of us very well. I thought it was a 50/50 game. We gave them a couple of chances and they scored on them. We're a young team with six freshmen out there. We lacked physicality in the middle of the field, and they dictated what was being done there."

Chatham Glenwood topped Peoria Notre Dame 4-1 in the other semifinal Friday morning. Kelly Graves led Glenwood with a pair of goals and assisted on another.

"It's a quick turnaround," Halloran said. "Physical recovery is the No. 1 priority - and to get back in a good mental state.

"We're in a good place. Glenwood looks strong, and hopefully we can create some matchup problems for them. It should be a great game."