Hampshire nets regional crown

Boys soccer has now been added to the long list of hardware sports at Hampshire High School.

The Whip-Purs knocked off Belvidere North 2-0 Friday to win the Class 2A Hampshire regional championship, the first regional crown for the program.

The Whips (9-9-1) will take on either Lakes or Grayslake North Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the semifinals of the Grayslake Central sectional.

"We were able to watch Belivdere North play on Monday so we got to see who they were and who their better players were," said Hampshire coach John Gosling. "I changed my lineup and man-marked their better players. I took Austin Buck and played him at center-mid, which gave us some more aggressive playing on the field."

After a scoreless first half, Johnny Cabral scored Hampshire's first goal of the game on a penalty kick.

Ismael Morales then scored off a Cabral assist to secure the lead.

Earning his fifth shutout of the season, Marcus Quick collected 9 saves in goal for the Whips.

"A couple minutes after we scored (the first goal), they hit one off our post, which would have changed the game but didn't," Gosling said.

"I challenged them to play their 'A' game today."

In the sectional, the Whips will play on artifical turf for the first time this season.

"We haven't played on turf before but we're a team that adjusts well," Gosling said.