Gators, Trojans to meet again

Cary-Grove senior goalkeeper Alex Holland and the rest of the Trojans will face Crystal Lake South at 4 p.m. Tuesday in an IHSA Class 3A Crystal Lake South Regional semifinal. The second-seeded Trojans are 2-0 against their third-seeded Fox Valley Conference Valley Division rival this season. (Sandy Bressner – Northwest Herald file photo)

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IHSA Regional semifinals begin this week for most local girls soccer teams. Here are five key regional story lines to follow as the postseason unfolds this week.

Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake South MEET for a third time

The Trojans won both Fox Valley Conference Valley Division matches against the Gators this season, completing C-G players’ goal to win the division title outright. The teams split the crown last year.

Now the Trojans are aiming to reconcile another aspect of last season they didn’t like: Being eliminated by South in the regional semifinal.

No. 2 C-G will face No. 3 South at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the Class 3A Crystal Lake South Regional semifinal.

“Everyone keeps saying to us ‘Oh, it’s just like last year,’ ” C-G goalkeeper Alex Holland said. “But we know that this year we can have a different result. We’re excited.”

The postseason feels different for Huntley this year

The Red Raiders seem to be on everyone’s list of teams they want to beat this season, but the highly regarded Raiders are aware that they no longer are under the radar and won’t take any opponent lightly.

The top-seeded Raiders face No. 5 Jacobs at 4 p.m. today in the Class 3A South Regional semifinal.

Should the Raiders win, they would face the winner of the South vs. C-G match at 11 a.m. Saturday for the regional title.

“Everyone in this regional knows everyone else and how each team plays,” Huntley coach Kris Grabner said. “Sometimes that makes it much more difficult.”

Hampshire moves into a larger class

The Whip-Purs have made two consecutive appearances in the former Class A state title match, finishing runners-up in 2007 and 2008.

But larger enrollment numbers and the three-class expansion for soccer put Hampshire in Class 2A, and the Whips play No. 3 Kaneland at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Burlington Central Regional semifinal.

“We have a lot of postseason experience on our team, but we’re still a little nervous,” senior midfielder Kayla Meyer said.

Top-seeded Crystal Lake Central will take on No. 4 Marengo in the other regional semifinal at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Marian has something to prove

Now that the Marian boys soccer team has experienced some postseason success, making a run to the Class 2A supersectional last fall, the girls team is confident it also can fare well in the postseason.

The Hurricanes have the top seed in their own Class 2A regional and face No. 4 Johnsburg at 4 p.m. today. No. 2 Richmond-Burton takes on No. 3 Wauconda in the other regional semifinal at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Richmond-Burton is A DARK HORSE

The Rockets upset Antioch in a regional semifinal last season that launched R-B into the regional final match. The Rockets lost, but gained some confidence from their postseason victory.

The goals are higher this season. R-B lost Saturday to Lakes, but was on a four-match winning streak entering that match and will come into the Class 2A Marian Central Regional with a 15-3-2 overall mark.