Gators dominate in postseason opener

Crystal Lake South’s Ashley Ross (left) kicks the ball downfield Tuesday during the Gators’ 4-0 win against South Elgin in an IHSA Class 3A Jacobs Regional semifinal in Algonquin. Ross scored a goal for South. (Lauren M. Anderson – landerson@nwherald.com)

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ALGONQUIN – Crystal Lake South’s girls soccer team intended to set the tone for its postseason play Tuesday.

If the Gators’ play against South Elgin in an IHSA Class 3A Jacobs Regional semifinal was any indication, South should be difficult to stop.

The top-seeded Gators (17-7-2) never allowed the fourth-seeded Storm (13-9-1) into the match, controlling the tempo the entire way in a 4-0 win that sent South into the regional final at 5:30 p.m. Friday against Cary-Grove, which beat Jacobs, 2-1, in Tuesday’s other regional semifinal.

The Gators, who believe they have been a bit overlooked this season, are focused on breaking a six-year regional title drought. On Tuesday, South’s players didn’t even need to discuss their drive.

Their play spoke for itself.

“I know people don’t give us a lot of respect,” senior midfielder Alison Agnes said, “but we deserve to be here, and we intend to play so that we can make a long run this year.”

If the Gators expect to make that long run, coach Brian Allen said they would have to improve their accuracy on set pieces. South scored twice Tuesday on scripted plays – Agnes scored off a corner kick from teammate Kali Loescher with 19 minutes left in the first half, and senior defender Katie Burton scored on an indirect kick late in the second half.

“We’ve been working so hard on getting those set pieces perfect so that we could get something out of them,” Agnes said. “We’ve just been trying to perfect everything. It was pure chaos (on the corner kick) today, just like we’ve been working on during training.”

Loescher started the scoring for the Gators when teammate and sophomore defender Christina Szocka took a long shot from the left corner of South Elgin’s box and Storm goalkeeper Emily Young grabbed the ball to save it, but bobbled and dropped it. Loescher sent the rebound into the middle of the net for a 1-0 South advantage.

“It was pretty much all Christina on that one,” Loescher said. “I was hoping [Young] would drop it.”

Agnes’ goal off Loescher’s corner kick put the Gators ahead, 2-0, and senior forward Ashley Ross made it a 3-0 match with 21 seconds left in the first half on a breakaway off a pass from Loescher.

“The girls know if we play our hearts out and play our best game we’re always going to be in the game,” Allen said. “If they put forth the work, I like our chances.”