The girls soccer state series is here at North Central College as Naperville Central is back in the semis for the first time since 1995 after a supersectional win over Wheaton Warrenville South. The Redhawks take on Warren Township, a team making its first state appearance after a 4-3 upset win in the supersectionals over Fremd after scoring three goals in the final six minutes. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Warren gets aggressive on defense as the Devils surround Natalie Liesch, and Kim White steps in to kick it away.
Back come the Hawks, but so will the Blue Devils as Taylor Axton disrupts Nicole Sacek to retake possession.
Central scores first and doesn’t look back
However, for Central, the third time is the charm. Malia Shen kicks a through ball to Emerson Burke, who slots it in beautifully for the first goal of the game. It’s 1-0 Hawks.
Here’s a corner kick for Jenna Laga. She sends it right where Sophia Cochran uses her head and scores. A great heads-up play by Cochran to make it 2-0 in favor of the birds.
The Devils bring it the other way, hoping to crack the scoreboard, but Kenzie Szcerowski kicks right to Erin Hackett, who makes the save. The Redhawks hold a 2-0 lead at the half.
Coming into the second half, the Hackett-Szcerowski feud continues as Hackett goes two for two on the battlefield with another save on the Blue Devil sharpshooter.
Can Central add more insurance? Burke takes the contact inside the box and gets a penalty shot.
Burke lines up for the shot, and the result is no surprise. That goal puts the Michigan commit at 40 on the season, extending her school record tally.
Redhawks dominate the second half to punch their ticket to the state finals
More from the Hawks as Natalie Liesch nearly collides with White, but she regains her balance, shoots, and scores. How do you do, Natalie Liesch? It’s a 4-0 lead for the red and white.
But wait, there’s more. Colette McInerney kicks to Reece Mudd, who goes Reece Lighting mode on the defense and hits the left side of the net. Another overpowring offensive display as Naperville Central takes the win 5-0, and is moving on to the state championship for the third time in program history. The Redhawks will look for their state title going up against the seven-time state champion New Trier, who defeated Edwardsville in overtime.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.
