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South Elgin an easy semifinal winner

The first step was an easy one Tuesday for the South Elgin girls soccer team.

Four players scored a pair of goals and six players scored in total as the Storm beat Larkin, 10-0, in the Class 3A South Elgin regional semifinals.

"It's exciting to know that it is your senior year and that we have a good chance to get to sectionals," said South Elgin's Caitlin Lange, who scored twice and added an assist. "It's just exciting."

The top-seeded Storm (12-5-2) will play either No. 2 seed Elgin or No. 3 Streamwood at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the regional championship. Elgin and Streamwood play Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. South Elgin played in its first regional final last season, losing to Conant 2-0.

Delaney Kelleher got South Elgin started less than 5 minutes into the game Tuesday. The junior took a cross from Anna Tracy and scored past Larkin goalkeeper Alejandra Villagomez for a 1-0 lead with 35:06 remaining in the first half.

Lange scored her first of the game with 21:43 remaining in the first half, putting back a rebound of her own shot for a 2-0 lead. Tracy headed home a free kick from Alyssa Shipon with 20:08 to go in the opening half for a 3-0 advantage.

Ella Struwing and Tracy scored 28 seconds apart as South Elgin took a 5-0 lead with 5:10 remaining in the first half.

"The nice part about it was it came from a team effort," Storm coach Tiffany Disher said. "The goals that came early on were the ones that we've been working on with one-touch shots and hitting people on the back post."

Missy Greco scored twice in the final 2 minutes of the first half. Kelleher, Julio Greco and Lange each added second-half goals.

Tracy, Lange and Missy Greco each had 2 goals and an assist for the Storm.

Larkin (3-18-2) did not record a shot on goal. Villagomez finished with 8 saves for the Royals.

"They are a very good team. We knew they had a lot of weapons," Larkin coach Ken Hall said. "They scored that second goal and it really seemed to deflate us. At that point, heads went down, shoulders went down. They just kind of gained momentum from there."

  South Elgin's Caitlin Lange falls as she watches her shot get past Larkin goalkeeper Alejandra Villagomez and Jaci Bridgers for a goal in the first half Tuesday in South Elgin. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  South Elgin's Corinne Hildebrandt fires the ball upfield against Larkin Tuesday in South Elgin. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  South Elgin's Caitlin Lange takes a shot against Larkin goalie Alejandra Villagomez Tuesday in South Elgin. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  South Elgin's Anna Tracy gets around Larkin's Maria Mendoza Tuesday in South Elgin. Tracy scored twice in the first half. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
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