Barrington's Hirdes scores in OT to beat Huntley
ROCKFORD - Amy Johnson hasn't really been able to connect with Emmelie Hirdes much this season.
That was until Johnson found Hirdes off a free kick with 2 minutes and 15 seconds left in overtime of Barrington's semifinal game of the Class 3A Boylan girls soccer sectional against Huntley here Wednesday night.
Hirdes did the rest.
The junior got position on the Huntley defender and headed in the game-winning goal as Barrington downed Huntley 2-1 in overtime to advance to Saturday's sectional championship against Cary-Grove at 11 a.m. Barrington won the sectional title last season. Saturday's winner advances to next Tuesday's Barrington supersectional against either St. Charles North or Conant. Those two play for the Schaumburg sectional crown on Friday.
"My target is always for her," said Johnson, who admitted that the duo connected several times as sophomores, but couldn't quite find the same connection this season. "This time I connected."
Huntley (21-4-1) was whistled for one of its 15 fouls setting up Johnson to take a free kick just across the midway mark of the field. Earlier in the second period, Johnson had tied the game at 1 when she scored a goal off a free kick about 10 yards closer than her pass to Hirdes.
This time she sent the ball down to the junior, who made a shot impossible for Huntley goalkeeper Sara Hoffman (8 saves) to stop to give Barrington (22-2-3) the win.
"She had to play the ball where she did," Red Raiders' coach Kris Grabner said. "She had good position, but the ball went by her. We needed to win that last ball in the air (which set up Johnson's free kick). Breanne (Burry) was in great position."
Barrington controlled much of the second half and overtime, with Huntley failing to get a shot off in the extra session.
Johnson attempted 3 free kicks before connecting on the goal with 4:35 left in regulation. The next free kick went to Hirdes.
"I was waiting for the ball," Hirdes said. "Amy and I haven't connected like we did last year. We did it when it counts."
Huntley led for the majority of the game after junior Aimee Wronski scored an unassisted goal with 16:21 left in the first half. Wronski drove from the left side of the game box then crossed the ball back from right to left and scored on a line-drove shot past Fillies' goalkeeper Kelly Pedersen (5 saves).
But it was Barrington thatopened the game aggressively on offense. The Fillies gave Hoffman a workout with back-to-back open looks about 10 minutes into the game. Hoffman made a leaping save to punch the ball out of the goal. Caroline Condon then missed just outside of the goal minutes later.
"The first part of the game, that's the best start of a game in recent memory," Barrington coach Ryan Stengren said.