The stage is set for two all-Hamilton County sectional championships in girls soccer on Saturday.
At Hamilton Southeastern, the host and No. 3-ranked Royals beat city rival and No. 8 Fishers 3-2 in the first semi-final Thursday at Class 3A Sectional 8. Southeastern will play No. 2 Noblesville, which beat Anderson 5-0 in the second semi-final.
The Royals scored their first goal on a penalty kick by Izzie Wallace. With that score, Wallace became the all-time single-season goal scoring leader for Southeastern, breaking the record set by Vandi Ogden.
Wallace said she set a goal during the pre-season to get the record.
“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, honestly,” said Wallace. “They were the biggest part of getting that record tonight.”
The Royals went up 2-0 in the 28th minute. Molly Harris made a huge kick from midfield well inside the penalty area on the right side. Ashlyn Freeman collected the ball and crossed it over to a charging Ashley Wilson, who easily put the ball in the net from a few yards out.
“It was huge to have a two-goal cushion for the ‘what if,’ said Southeastern coach Greg Davidson. “And then the ‘what if’ happened. They get the goal and make it 2-1. So for us to answer and get a two-goal pad again, again it was huge.”
Fishers answered less than a minute later, when Ellen Stump booted the ball in from the far-right corner of the penalty area. Southeastern got its third goal with 2:15 left in the half; Layla Brown drove past three Tiger defenders and kicked the ball in from about eight yards out.
That put the Royals up 3-1, and they would hold that lead at halftime, and for the first part of the second half. Fishers got within 3-2 with 22:20 left to play after Kaysey Castro’s corner kick bounced into the net. But Southeastern was able to hang on for the win.
“We defended with vigor to make sure that we were going to win 3-2,” said Davidson.
The Royals are 16-2 for the season, while Fishers finished its year 9-2-5.
In the second semi-final, Noblesville got on the board just 59 seconds into the game when Sydney Anderson scored a goal. The Millers added two quick goals a few minutes later by Isabella Griffey and Kiana Siefert. Abby Baker added a goal in the 17th minute.
“They came out, Anderson, played hard, and our girls played with class and played the way that represented ourselves, our school, our community well,” said Noblesville coach Mike Brady. “And that makes me proud.”
Noblesville’s fifth goal came in the 73rd minute, when senior Lexi Gibbs scored her first career varsity goal.
“I was really excited about it and I’m happy that all my teammates supported me and cheered for me,” said Gibbs. “It was just really overwhelming because it’s never happened before. They’re so supporting and I just love having a team like that.”
The Millers are 12-0-3 for the season. Noblesville and Southeastern will face off at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Royals’ field for the Sectional 8 championship.
Over at Carmel’s Murray Stadium, the No. 1-ranked and defending 3A state champion Greyhounds advanced to the final, then Guerin Catholic pulled off an upset to fill the other spot in the championship game of Class 3A Sectional 10.
Carmel defeated No. 18 Zionsville 3-0. Kelsie James scored the Greyhounds’ first goal in the 16th minute off a direct free kick. Brooke Bailey added the second goal off an assist by Susie Soderstrom in the 30th minute, and that would give Carmel a 2-0 halftime lead. The ‘Hounds got one more goal with 4:55 left in the game, when Emma Antoine scored, with Morgan Parker assisting.
Erin Baker made four saves as goalkeeper, including an early save that gave Carmel the momentum. It was Baker’s ninth shutout of the season. The Greyhounds are now 14-0-3.
The Golden Eagles upset No. 14 North Central 3-0. Caroline Quinn put Guerin Catholic ahead 1-0 just before halftime off an assist by Emersen Jennings. Jentrie Gearheart scored on a free kick with 22 minutes left in the game, then Anna Schultheis added the third goal several minutes later.
The Golden Eagles are 6-6-2 for the season. The Sectional 10 championship game will be played at 7 p.m. Saturday at Murray Stadium.
Hamilton Heights rolled into the championship game of Class 2A Sectional 24 at New Castle, beating Delta 11-1 in a Thursday semi-final game.
The No. 18 Huskies scored four goals in the first 10 minutes of the game. Cassidy Felger and Emily Stirn both scored three goals for Heights, with Kyndall Ferguson adding two goals. Caitlin Hartwick, Emma Hall and Maria Mitchell all scored one goal. Ferguson and Hartwick both made two assists, with Stirn and Hall both getting one assist.
The Huskies are 12-2-4 and play No. 20 Yorktown at 7 p.m. Saturday for the Sectional 24 championship.
At Class 1A Sectional 37 at Sheridan, the host Blackhawks fell to Tri-Central 3-1 in the first semi-final game.
Emily Weddington scored the Blackhawks’ goal, with Makaela Mosolf making the assist.
In the second semi-final, No. 4 University lost to No. 10 Tipton 2-0. The Trailblazers finished the season 11-3-3.
ABOVE: Hamilton Southeastern’s Layla Brown (left) keeps control of the ball while being defended by Fishers’ Katherine Holt during the Royals-Tigers Class 3A Sectional 8 semi-final game Thursday at Southeastern. The Royals beat Fishers 3-1 to advance to the Saturday afternoon championship game.
BELOW: Noblesville players (from left) McKenna Corley, Kiana Siefert, Morgan Peters and Kylie Roberts warm up for the second half of the Millers’ Class 3A Sectional 8 semi-final game with Anderson Thursday at Hamilton Southeastern. Noblesville won 5-0 and will play the Royals in Saturday’s championship game. (Richie Hall)
