GLEN CARBON – Sophomore Ruby Verning scored on a dipping shot in the second half, while Stella Abert, a freshman, scored later on to give Maryville Christian a historic 2-0 win over Roxana in the IHSA Class 1A girls soccer regional semifinal at Father McGivney Catholic’s pitch Friday evening.
It’s the Lions’ program’s first-ever postseason win since joining the IHSA a few years ago. Maryville had previously enjoyed success in the Illinois Association of Christian Schools before joining the IHSA.
It was indeed a happy group of Lions after the game who celebrated their historic accomplishment.
“I feel great,’ said Maryville head coach Jacob Jones. “In fact, that’s MCS history for our girls side. We’ve never won a postseason game, so we’re pretty excited about it.”
Needless to say, Jones, was very happy with the accomplishment, and the win.
“We’ve got the best group of girls to do it,” Jones said. “They are very hard-working.”
The Lions were able to take charge after a goalless first half to score twice and advance to the final against the host Griffins on Tuesday night.
“Coming in after that first half, at 0-0,” Jones said. “I felt like we spent a lot of time watching the game, a lot less time playing the game. So at halftime, we talked about some ways to get active in the game. It’s something we’ve been working on a whole lot, is getting the ball out wide, and across the face of the goal. For that first goal, that’s exactly what we did. Ella Harrison got it wide, put it across the middle, and it bounced free for Ruby to put one over the top of the keeper, which is what we’ve been practicing. So it feels really good to see what we’ve practiced implemented into the game. And it worked. We see some success there.:
The second goal was the result of a perfectly placed corner, and a bit of luck as well.
“That second goal, Stella Abert, she’s a freshman for us, “ Jones said. “She has been putting consistently good crosses in that we have not been able to capitalize on. So it’s really goo to see some success come from all the good stuff she’s been putting into the box from all those corners.”
Jones is already looking ahead to the final against the host Griffins, who won over Metro-East Lutheran 9-0 in the first semifinal.
“We always look forward to playing McGivney,” Jones said. “They’re a tough side, and we always like to be a thorn in their side, as much as we can, Just making it difficult for them, We’re looking forward to meeting them for the third time this season, so we’re excited,”
It should be another classic matchup between the two sides, and it’s something Jones is savoring.
“That’s what we always hope for,” Jones said, “a game that the people excited, energized, and paying attention. I’m incredibly proud of these girls, and the work they’ve put in. We have doubled our wins from last season, and we’re just building on the momentum, and hoping we can keep this going as the years to come, and we’re grateful for the five seniors we have, and thew ay they lead this team, on the way they encourage their underclassmen, and they’re good examples for them.”
Maryville seemed to have the better of the lay early on, but the Roxana defense was stout, helping the Shells create good chances. The best chance came in the 35th minute, when Gianna Stassi’s shot from distance just went over the top of goal. The Lions had a pair of chances before the halftime whistle, but couldn’t convert, as the half ended up goalless.
Maryville got the breakthrough in the 52nd minute, when picked up the ball off a good feed, and fired a low, dipping shot that eluded the goalie, went under the bar and into the net to put the Lions’ up 1-0. Roxana tried to get the equalizer, and had chances, but the ball didn’t land into the Maryville goal.
In the 65th minute, the Lions caught a break when Abert’s corner was snared by the Roxana keeper, but the referee’s assistant ruled it was caught over the line for a goal. It was originally called an own goal, but later credited to Abert to make it 2-0. The Shells launched into an all-out attack to get back into the game, but to no avail as the Lions won 2-0 to advance to the final.
The Shells end their season at 7-10-2, while the Lions are now 8-10-1, and advance to the final on Tuesday night against the host Griffins at 6 p.m. The winner goes to the Belleville Althoff Catholic sectional against the winner of the Murphysboro regional May 23 at 5 p.m., with the final set for May 27 at 6:30 p.m. The sectional winner plays the Greenville sectional winner in the Virden North Mac super-sectional May 31 at 11 a.m., with the winner going to the state finals June 5-7 at North Central College in Naperville.
