Herscher 1, St. Edward 0
There were tears, of course, the familiar tears of seniors who just competed in their last high school match.
But the unstoppable tears of the St. Edward girls soccer team were of the extra salty variety Friday.
The Green Wave felt they were undermined unjustifiably by a handball call that nullified Taylor Barone's apparent tally, a goal that would have put St. Edward ahead 1-0 over Herscher with 8:50 left in the game.
Instead, heartbreak was heaped upon their displeasure over the call when an own goal dropped the Wave behind 1-0 with 6:35 left in the match, which proved to be the difference in a season-ending stunner.
Herscher (17-2) advanced to face Hampshire (17-6-2) in today's Class A state semifinal at 11 a.m.
The close call for St. Edward (11-9-2), which was out-shot 7-2, came on a free kick from Bianca Ramiriez. The senior midfielder sent a ball from the left side deep into the box. The ball came to Barone on a high bounce and she angled it toward Herscher goalkeeper Megan Peters, who was feet away and charging.
The ball pinballed off Peters back to Barone, who said she put it in the rebound cleanly with her raised knee. The officials said the ball touched Barone's hand, however, undercutting the Green Wave in mid-celebration.
"None of us touched the ball, so it (stinks)," said Barone between sobs after the match. "It was my knee that put it in not my hand."
Said St. Edward coach Tim Brieger of the controversial play: "I would love to see the video and see the handball on that goal we scored because (Barone) came off and said, 'It didn't hit my hand.' I don't know. Some days no matter what you do, it just doesn't want to seem to get in there."
Just over two minutes later, Herscher received the break of the game. Tigers forward Hannah Morrow kicked the ball into the St. Edward box, where defender Caroline Boye was positioned to head it away as she was moving away from the goal with room. The ball, however, bounced back toward the net, catching Wave goalkeeper Taylor Hunsberger off balance as it bounced over the line and into the net.
"I think Caroline was just trying to head it up to break up the cross and it just came off funny," Brieger said. "And I guess they win."
Boye fell to the FieldTurf minutes later when time expired and Brieger immediately rushed onto the field to console his senior defender.
"I just ran out to her and said it's not your fault. Sometimes crazy stuff happens and you can't control it. She played a (heck) of a game otherwise. I thought she and (senior defender Katy) Lally were just shut down on the outside. The only stuff they had was some stuff through the middle.
"I said, 'Don't hang your head on this one play. You've played an outstanding season, you've played an outstanding game and you guys are some of the best defenders we've ever had.' "