Girls soccer: Glenbard East advances to sectional final
Soccer purists dislike the one postseason component that produces both pure joy and pure disappointment.
Of course soccer purists also insist Glenbard East was a 0-0 victor over top-seeded Lyons Twp. based on a 4-3 advantage in a penalty-kick shootout after regulation and overtime ended scoreless.
Nearly 24 hours after the match started, the Rams (21-4) gained their first sectional success.
In a game originally scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, the game was suspended to Thursday because of lightning after a scoreless first half.
The Rams, seeded fifth, will play in Saturday's 11 a.m. championship against sectional host and No. 2 seed Hinsdale Central, which also needed a 4-3 shootout win to get past Fenwick after regulation and overtime also ended scoreless for them.
Glenbard East coach Kent Overbey acknowledged suspending the game Wednesday might have been a blessing.
"I thought we were ready to play at 5 p.m. yesterday, but after we started at 7, I felt Lyons had the run of play," Overbey said. "Thankfully today was more back and forth. It's playoff soccer, which means you try to hold onto the clean shot and get a counter or get to a shootout."
The Rams held strong enough in regulation and overtime to record their 17th shutout for the year.
In the shootout the teams were even at 3 when Michigan signee Grace Salvino missed to the right.
"The only way to tell for sure it's not going in is when it goes wide," Rams goalkeeper Sierra Dana said. "Wish I could take credit, but I know it was our first-ever regional, now it's our first sectional (win) and that says it all. We've gone further than anyone in our (girls soccer) history and to be part of that is incredible, But we're not done."
Teammate Holly Ward thought Dana may have had something to do with the Lions' misses.
"She's intimidating. Her stance, the positive look on her face. I'm glad I don't have to shoot against her," Ward said.
Ward converted the game-winning shot in the shootout.
"We've even practiced with the same lineup and my shooting last. There are some nerves but you block out everything and just focus," she said.
The Rams' Dana Plotke had the same philosophy despite the pressure of needing to make the fourth attempt to draw the Rams even again at 3.
"I try not to think about the situation, keep my head down, make up mind on the shot and simply strike it hard," Plotke said. "We set winning our division as a goal, next was winning a regional, so now we've got a new goal."