NORMAL - Edwardsville High's girls' soccer team had many good opportunities, but a tight defense, along with a pair of goals in the first half, dealt the Tigers a 2-0 loss to Aurora Metea Valley in the IHSA Class 3A super-sectional match Tuesday evening at Normal Community West High School.
The loss not only ended the season for Edwardsville, but also ended a seven-game winning streak, which included a 2-0 win over O'Fallon in the sectional semifinal, dethroning the 2021 state champions.
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Junior striker Olivia Baca had some great chances early on, but her shots went over the top or were wide. The Mustangs were able to score the opening goal in the 25th minute when Tyra King hit a shot past Tiger goalie Kaitlyn Naney into the back of the net to give Metea Valley a 1-0 lead. Lucy Burk doubled the lead for the Mustangs in the 35th minutes on a great individual effort to make it 2-0 at halftime for Metea Valley.
The Mustangs defense was very effective in shutting down the Tigers' attack in the second half, not allowing Edwardsville many good opportunities as Metea Valley went on to the 2-0 win to advance to the state finals for the first time in the school's history.
Naney made two saves in goal for the Tigers.
The Mustangs are now 20-2-1 and meets New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central, who won the Orland Park Carl Sandburg super-sectional over Glen Ellyn Glenbard West 2-1, in the second semifinal Friday night at North Central College in Naperville in a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Tigers season ended 15-9-0.
In the other two super-sectional matches, host Barrington won its own super with a 3-0 win over St. Charles East and in the Winnetka New Trier super, Evanston defeated Libertyville 2-0 after extra time.
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