The IHSA women's soccer postseason has just begun, but two major rivalry showdowns are already looming.
And this time it's a win or die game, with the loser going back home for the offseason.
“We know we have to take action right now,” Boylan's interim head coach Kylie Beck said. “And this team this year has a little bit of confidence. They're preparing every day.”
Other area soccer:BNC's Big 3: Byron, Oregon, Stillman Valley ready for IHSA women's soccer postseason
Boylan, Freeport, Friday 5:30 p.m.
Boylan (16-3-2) is fresh off an undefeated regular-season NIC-10 championship and gained momentum into the Class 2A postseason with a 9-0 win over Pecatonica earlier this week. And Freeport (9-5) won his 2-0 over Sterling, setting up an all-NIC-10 matchup for the Freeport regional final Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Freeport lost all-time leading scorer Autumn Diduk to a torn ACL earlier this month. However, the Pretzels have the weapons, led by Natalie Namio with 12 goals and Cadence Diduk with 10, and will be competing on their home turf.
“They certainly have home field advantage,” Beck said. “And we know they're going to give us their all…We've become a very balanced team this year, and we need to continue that in the postseason.”
Boylan is led by senior Claire Kirkham with 14 goals and freshman Eva Galluzzo with 12, but the Titans' defense has stepped up. Senior defender Carly Kidder and starting goaltender Natalia Lazo are keys in this department.
Boylan has allowed just one point in his last eight games.
“That's our style,” Beck said. “Controlling the middle of the field, keeping the ball on our side and defending.
Stillman Valley vs. Oregon, Saturday at noon
The big three in the Big Northern Conference, Stillman Valley, Oregon and Byron, are all still alive and on a collision course. Two of them will collide on Saturday.
“Our girls are confident, and they should be, but they have big goals on their shoulders,” Oregon coach Seeger Larson said as his team finished 18-1 on the season. . “I know Stillman Valley wants this.
Oregon State beat Stillman Valley 4-1 midway through the season, but Larson expects both teams to get even better. The game will be played at noon Saturday at Indian Creek Middle School, with the winner advancing to the Class 1A Indian Creek sectional final.
Oregon State is led by Deb Schmidt, who has scored 37 goals on the year, second most in the entire Rockford area. Grace Costello led Stillman Valley with 17 goals.
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Byron (18-4-1) handed Oregon its only loss this season, thereby clinching its first and only conference title. The Tigers defeated South Beloit 16-0 in the first round of the 1A playoffs and defeated Winnebago 1-0 earlier this week to win the region title. They will play Rock Island Aleman in the other Indian Creek Division semifinal on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Aleman was state runner-up last year.
And while it's not a rivalry game, Belvidere North will play Dixon on the other side of the 2A bracket. The Blue Thunder are led by Courtlin Hefty, the state's leading scorer with 66 goals this season. She has seven more goals than the next best goal scorer in Illinois this year.
“These games definitely have a different atmosphere, both for Courtlin and the whole team,” Belvidere North head coach Jeremy Knuff said. “But we're playing well right now and we're ready to really find out what we have.”
And Hononega, the only Rockford Region team remaining in the 3A bracket, will play Lake Zurich in the Algonquin-Jacobs regional finale Friday night.