TROY – The Triad High School girls soccer team had a unique opportunity Tuesday night.
A chance to punch its ticket to the state tournament on its home field.
The Knights hosted the Springfield Senators, and after 100 minutes played, the game was tied 1-1, sending it to a penalty shootout.
Triad shot first in PKs, and Springfield keeper Lydia Auble saved the first shot attempt from Izzy Hancock. That save proved to be massive as Springfield won the shootout 4-2 and the game 2-1.
The Knights were looking for their sixth trip to the state tournament in the last eight seasons. Instead, Springfield will make its first.
“I thought our girls played well. We had our chances, but that’s soccer,” Triad head coach Matt Bettlach said. “Comes down to penalty kicks, it is what it is, but I’m very proud of my girls. Played hard, left it on the field, that’s all we can ask.”
A thrilling first half saw both teams score on what was a windy afternoon. Constant 10-15 mph with gusts upward of 30 mph, and Triad had it at its back in the first half.
It ended up not being much of an advantage, but the Knights kept shooting, testing Auble.
But Triad keeper Payton Hartman was also tested for the first time this postseason.
She had to make two huge stops in the 5th minute to keep things level. She later charged out of her 18-yard box to intercept a through ball in the path of Springfield’s Kamryn Hoffman in the 9th minute.
The game was back and forth for the first 20 minutes, but Triad finally found the opening goal in the 23rd minute.
Emma Correale ran onto a through ball from London Looby, battled off a defender, and poked it past the onrushing Auble to make it 1-0.
Triad’s goal was the first Springfield had given up this postseason.
Eight minutes later, the Senators answered.
Hoffman couldn’t be denied in the 31st minute, blazing a shot over the head of Hartman to tie things up.
“Their goal, we give up the ball at midfield, next thing you know the ball is on her feet, she turns and beats a couple players, and just hits a great shot,” Bettlach said. “We knew she was a quality player; I tell you what, seeing her in person, she really is.”
Hoffman, probably the fastest player on the field on Tuesday, was a handful. Her first-half goal was her 56th of the season.
Right before that goal, Averi Moore had a chance to make it 2-0 Triad, but her shot rang off the crossbar right at the half-hour mark.
The game went into halftime tied 1-1.
Both teams had chances in the second half to grab a winner, but it never came.
Sophie Bonak nearly scored 30 seconds into the second half from Correale’s cross, but the chance was saved.
Springfield nearly took the game late, but Bridget Lyons skied an opportunity from inside the 18-yard box, and then a free kick hit the crossbar in the 73rd minute.
That was all the first 80 minutes had to offer as the teams headed for two 10-minute overtime periods. OT didn’t create many chances.
Hartman saved an innocuous free kick in the first period, and Triad had a chance from a corner kick in the second, but Jaden Sparks had her shot saved from about 20 yards out.
That sent it to penalty kicks. Triad shot first.
All of Springfield’s shooters scored – Addie Maddox, Zoe Wall, Hoffman, and Ainsley Lambert – in that order.
Triad’s first attempt from Hancock was saved as Auble made a spectacular diving save to her left. Alina Ayran went second for the Knights and scored. Correale missed her shot high, and Reece Windsor scored.
“What a hard-fought game from the opening whistle,” Bettlach said. “I thought both teams played a heck of a game.”
Triad’s season ends at 19-6 while Springfield improved to 25-1-1.
Springfield was perhaps the best team Triad had faced all season.
“We’ve played some good teams all year, we stacked our schedule to make sure we can be competitive in a game like this,” Bettlach said. “But you watch them on film, and you don’t really respect their speed until you see it in person. It seemed like they were very accurate on their through balls tonight, and they were very dangerous.”
The Senators have outscored their opponents 149-21 this season. Hoffman has 56 of those goals. Maddox, a freshman, has 24, Lyons has 18, and Kalyn Burton has 13.
Springfield advances to its first-ever state tournament and takes on Peoria Notre Dame (25-1-1) in the second state semifinal. Nazareth Academy (16-10-1) takes on St. Ignatius College Prep (17-9-1) in the other semifinal.
The championship game is set for Saturday, June 7, at 4:45 p.m. at North Naperville College.
