PEKIN - Thea Dimitroff's brace (two goals) and assist, along with Maggie Young's opening strike, helped Edwardsville's girls soccer team to a five-goal explosion in the opening half en route to a 5-1 win over Minooka in the final of the IHSA Class 3A Pekin sectional at Coal Miners Park in Pekin.
The win put the Tigers through to the super-sectional quarterfinals on Monday evening, with the winner going on to the state finals next weekend at North Central College in Naperville
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Ir only rook Edwardsville just two minutes to score, as Young struck off a pass from Dimitroff to put the Tigers up 1-0. The Indians drew level in the fifth minute off a goal from Gabby Kwalt in the fifth minute that tied the game 1-1.
After that, it was all Edwardsville, starting with a goal by Anna Maxim on a header in front, assisted by Mea Hook, in the eighth minute to put the Tigers on top for good 2-1. Dimitroff scored her first goal of the match in the 14th minute, assisted by Ellie Neath, then Neath scored in the 22nd minute, and Dimitroff completed her brace two minutes from halftime to make it 5-1. There was no scoring in the second half as Edwardsville went on to eliminate Minooka and advance to the super-sectional match.
Genny Burroughs, who made two key saves in the shootout against O'Fallon in the semifinal match on Tuesday, made another key save in the first half, as she and Emma Birkenmeyer shared the time in goal to help the Tigers advance.
The Indians end the season 16-6-2, while Edwardsville goes to 15-3-1. and goes through to the Bloomington super-sectional quarterfinal match against Tinley Park Andrew, who won over New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central 2-0 to take the Joliet Central sectional, Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. The winner advances to the state tournament at North Central College in Naperville to go against the winner of the River Forest Dominican University super-sectional, either LaGrange Lyons or Winnetka New Trier, in the second semifinal May 31 at 7:30 p.m. The third place game is on June 1 at 11:45 a.m., while the state final kicks off at 6:30 p.m.
