H-F Upsets Sandburg for Girls Soccer Sectional Title

On an unseasonably cool Friday evening, Homewood-Flossmoor and Sandburg met to decide the championship of the Class 3A Mother McAuley Sectional girls soccer championship.

Sandburg was looking to win the sectional title for the fourth straight season, and the Eagles already had beaten the Vikings on May 5, earning a 2-0 victory.

But Friday's showdown had a different feel to it. From the early going, it looked like the second-seeded Vikings (21-2) had adjusted their defense to contain top-seeded Sandburg's attack.

H-F sparkled on offense as well, as senior Kelly Lewers found the net twice in the Vikings’ 3-0 victory.

H-F improved to 21-2-0 on the season, while Sandburg finished at 21-3-1. 

Lewers’ first goal came near the halfway point of the first half. She toe-kicked a ball that deflected off the fingers of Sandburg goalie Victoria Kappel (Lewers' Windy City Pride teammate). 

"We knew their game—the way they played, the way they moved the ball—so it definitely helped us,” Lewers said. “We figured out a way to slow them down because we worked on it all week in practice."

Vikings coach Charlie Ward elaborated on his team's adjustments.

"In the first game, they beat us plain and simple,” Ward said. “Losing that game and seeing their attack, we learned from it. Not just me, but all of my coaches and the players. That allowed us to get better mental preparation. … We knew we couldn't stop (Sandburg’s attack), but we knew how to play to it.”

"We did our best to absorb and counter-attack today, and we did a good job of it."

Lewers' second goal came with just under four minutes left to play in regulation. She had a good look, but the ball deflected off the crossbar. Kappel came out to play the rebound, but instead the loose ball found Lewers' foot and the back of the net.

The Vikings' other goal was scored by junior Ali Farkos from about 40 yards out into the top corner of the net. It came between the two goals by Lewers, with just under 13 minutes left to play.

Sandburg's best chance came off a very early corner kick with the match still scoreless. The play-in wound up going just high of the net.

Thanks to the play of H-F sophomore goalie Kim Boehm and the defense in front of her, the Eagles were held without a goal for only the third time this season. 

"I was hoping for the shutout today,” Boehm said. “I was thinking about it all day at school today. I had to keep my focus and my composure and my momentum up. It was a nervous feeling, but it was a competitive feeling. My defense is always amazing and on top of everything."

Sandburg coach Desi Vuillaume said the loss wasn’t a result of a lack of effort by the Eagles.

"We picked a bad day to play bad soccer. We were definitely not the better team,” Vuillaume said. “I don't think we panicked, but I don't think we had composure at the start of the game and it went from there. I'm very proud of the season the girls put together and their effort today."

H-F will take on Granite City in Tuesday’s supersectional at Normal Community High School, at 6 p.m. Granite City defeated Lincoln-Way Central 1-0.