Girls Prairie Ridge blanks Crystal Lake South in 2A regional semifinal

Maelyn Growney was taught to always follow the shot.

The freshman forward did just that to score her first varsity goal as Prairie Ridge battled Crystal Lake South in a Class 2A regional semifinal girls soccer match Tuesday afternoon. As fellow freshman Addison Sawyer sent a long cross into the box, Growney fought for position while South goalkeeper Madelyn Smith made the initial stop.

Refusing to give up on the play, Growney located the deflected ball as it stopped only a few feet in front of the South goal. One touch was all she needed, as she tapped the ball in to give the Wolves a three-goal lead in the 25th minute. Growney finished with two goals, while Ava Gertz posted a hat trick to lead Prairie Ridge over the Gators 5-0.

“I’ve always been taught to chase the second ball,” Growney said. “If the shot hits the pole or hits the goalie, always chase the second ball, because most of the time, you can get it back in.

“I’m super happy for our team and how well we’ve worked throughout the season.”

The No. 4-seeded Wolves (9-5), who shut out the No. 5-seeded Gators 4-0 in their Fox Valley Conference regular-season finale last week, will advance and take on No. 1 seed and host Crystal Lake Central for the regional title at 4 p.m. Friday. Prairie Ridge is in the regional finals for the first time since 2023 and will try for its first title since 2019.

Gertz scored early and often Tuesday afternoon.

The junior forward put the Wolves ahead just minutes into the game and capitalized on a breakaway chance for her second goal. Racing after a long clearance by teammate Sierra Greenwell, Gertz beat a pair of South defenders and finished to give the Wolves a two-goal lead in the 20th minute.

“My teammates played me those long balls,” said Gertz, who now has 11 goals and three hat tricks in her last four games, all Prairie Ridge victories. “We talked in the pregame how, to defeat South, we had to do it the same way we did the last time we played them. We played through-balls up to me and we beat them with speed and breakaways.”

Gertz completed her hat trick Tuesday with a third goal in the 27th minute. Fielding a short through-ball from freshman Madeline Walsh, Gertz carried the ball into the box and scored to give Prairie Ridge a 4-0 lead, which stuck at halftime. While Smith had six first-half saves for South (6-10), Prairie Ridge dominated possession early on.

“We have had a lot of problems before with finding me up top,” Gertz said. “We’re starting to find me, and the give-and-gos between each other have really been working out. We knew that through-balls over the top, playing the wing and playing through our middle would work.”

South, which finished with just three shots on goal, had a tough time creating chances against a stingy Prairie Ridge defense. The Wolves, who’ve allowed only one goal during their four-game winning streak, have earned three straight shutouts. Quick recoveries on the back end, coupled with decisive play in the middle third, have been keys.

“It helps that we have a strong midfield and a strong defense,” said Greenwell, who earned an assist on her long clearance in the 20th minute. “We communicate well together, and we have such a good bond that it helps us play amazingly well on the field. Our team does a really good job of taking those pregame talks and executing them.”

With Tuesday’s win, Prairie Ridge gets a rematch with Crystal Lake Central, which took down the Wolves 5-0 in FVC action earlier this season.

South, meanwhile, has its season conclude with six losses in its last seven games. Smith finished with 12 saves for the Gators, who doubled their win total in 2026 after going 3-17 last season.

“I’m proud of how the group competed in the second half,” South coach Caitlyn Dayton said. “We have a senior class that’s leaving the program in a better place than they found it. We’re building, and they set the foundation for where we’re looking to head for years to come.”