Girls soccer: 5 IHSA sectional storylines to watch in McHenry County

The girls soccer postseason will continue Tuesday with Class 1A sectional championship matches and the start of the sectional round for 2A and 3A. Crystal Lake Central, Burlington Central, Huntley, Richmond-Burton and Johnsburg are all still in the hunt from the McHenry County area.

Here are five storylines to watch before matches kick off Tuesday.

Will Crystal Lake Central roll to a sectional title?

The Tigers seem like a team that’s destined for a deep run in the playoffs, especially after a 6-0 win over Wauconda on Friday to win the Class 2A Grayslake North Regional title.

Central has won five straight matches heading into its 2A Deerfield Sectional semifinal match against Lake Forest on Wednesday. The top-seeded Tigers haven’t lost since April 21 in a 4-0 loss to Metea Valley.

During that stretch, they have outscored their opponents 57-4 and shut out opponents six times, including both of their playoff matchups. The Tigers have outscored their opponents 93-24 this year with their two losses against St. Charles North (6-0) and Metea Valley (4-0), two of the top-ranked teams in the state.

Second-seeded Deerfield lost in its regional final, so Central will play either No. 3 St. Viator or No. 7 Vernon Hills in the sectional final if it beats Lake Forest. The Tigers have taken a one-game-at-a-time approach as they try to return to the Class 2A state tournament, but they have a chance to continue their dominance in the next couple of matches.

“We have what we need,” Central coach Sarah Fack said. “It’s a matter of staying focused and not letting anything get in our heads.”

Can Richmond-Burton make it 4 in a row?

The Rockets’ seniors have dominated since they first stepped foot on the pitch in 2021. R-B has won three straight sectional titles, reaching the Class 1A championship in 2022.

During that run, the Rockets have allowed three goals in 14 regional and sectional matches. They haven’t allowed a goal in this year’s postseason.

Despite the continued dominance, this season’s team is different from past squads. They have less speed at the top of the pitch, but coach Casey DeCaluwe said R-B knows how to build and play through the midfield, playing the long ball.

The Rockets are hoping that can make the difference as they try to return to the state finals.

“We know how it is,” senior midfielder Bri Maldonado said. “A lot of teams don’t have that experience, we have advantage in that. We just have to go in and play, see where it goes.”

How far can a young Burlington Central squad go?

Although the Rockets have a younger lineup, that hasn’t stopped them from rolling to a 2A Hinckley-Big Rock Regional championship. They beat Hinckley-Big Rock 9-0 in their first match and then took down Woodstock North 7-0 to capture a regional crown.

Top-seeded Central has seen it all as it prepares to play No. 2 Belvidere North (20-1) for a second time in the Class 2A Belvidere Sectional semifinal on Wednesday. The Rockets lost 3-1 to the Blue Thunder on March 14 and gained experience in losses to some of the top teams in the state, including Naperville Central, St. Charles North, Hersey, Crystal Lake Central and Geneva.

“We have what we need. It’s a matter of staying focused and not letting anything get in our heads.”

—  Sarah Fack, Crystal Lake Central coach

The Rockets have gone 12-3-1 since March 21 and tied with Huntley for second place in the Fox Valley Conference. They outscored their opponents 71-11 in that span and finished with 10 shutouts.

Central will try to use that experience against Belvidere North on Wednesday and either Boylan or Sycamore in a potential sectional championship.

Can Huntley pull off the upset?

The Red Raiders have hit their stride at the right time. They haven’t lost a match since April 20 and survived in penalty kicks Friday to win the Class 3A Harlem Regional championship against Mundelein.

During that streak, Huntley has found ways to win in different ways. The Raiders outscored their opponents 22-7 and shut them out five times. They’ve also won two overtime matches.

Huntley will have a tough test against Barrington on Tuesday in the 3A Huntley Sectional semifinal. The Fillies’ (17-1-2) lone loss of the season was in penalty kicks to Hinsdale Central (15-7), and they’ve tied with St. Charles North and Oswego East.

The Raiders will need to find a way to stop Barrington’s offense that scored 79 goals and a defense that has allowed only five goals with 15 shutouts.

Will Johnsburg get over the hump?

The Skyhawks have picked up plenty of big wins this season, including a 7-0 win over Regina to advance to Tuesday’s 1A Marian Central Sectional final against R-B on Tuesday.

The question remains whether they can beat their rival to win their first sectional title since 2017. Johnsburg has lost 11 straight matches to R-B since 2018, including a thrilling match earlier this year that the Rockets came back to win. The Rockets beat the Skyhawks 4-0 on May 1 to win the Kishwaukee River Conference Tournament championship.

Skyhawks coach Rob Eastland said R-B and Johnsburg have been two of the best teams in the McHenry County area over the past few years. He’s hoping winning a regional title and getting to a sectional final is enough to show his players that they can compete with the best.

“We’ve just not shown up in one game and unfortunately that was a big game,” Eastland said. “Maybe that’s a monkey off our back and we can play now.”