HOFFMAN ESTATES — Tuesday night’s Class 2A girls soccer Hoffman Estates Supersectional belonged to Lake Forest senior defender Lucy Edwards.
Her pair of highlight-reel goals helped propel the Scouts (17-6-1) to a thrilling 2-1 double-overtime victory over Rockford Boylan and the first girls soccer state Final Four appearance in school history.
“This moment means everything,” said Edwards, who is signed to play for DePaul after graduation. “We’ve been working hard the whole season for this. We knew we were gonna make it far. But this … this is something special.”
Also special was Edwards’ first goal just 15 minutes in, which saw her fly through the air in ninja-like fashion on sophomore teammate Paige Bourne’s corner kick. The ball was re-directed with the inside of her left foot as she charged into the play, timed the ball, and slammed it home for a 1-0 lead amisdt a group of opposing green jerseys.
“I thought Paige’s kick was going in anyway since it was so close to the goal line,” Edwards said. “But I made sure.”
“Lucy Edwards definitely was a gamechanger this evening, no question about it,” Lake Forest coach Ty Stuckslager added. “At both ends of the field. But I’m just happy for the girls. All of them. This is a wonderful moment for them and their families. Listen to them all cheering over there.”
The Scouts’ lead held up until 14 minutes remained in the second half. That’s when Titans junior Shelby Seiter poked home a rebound after Boylan got a corner kick of its own. It was the first — and only — goal Lake Forest has allowed this postseason.
“I made a mistake on that play,” Scouts senior goalie Ginnie Revenaugh said. “I swatted the corner [kick] out of the air with two hands, and it went right to one of their players. I saw the ball coming, and I just panicked.”
Tied 1-1 just over two minutes into the first of two 10-minute overtime periods, however, it was again the Bourne-Edwards combo which struck gold. Edwards redirected yet another Bourne corner in, this time with her head. It held up as the game-winner.
Edwards also scored on a Bourne corner kick in the Scouts’ 3-0 sectional title game win last week over St. Viator.
“I guess we’re kind of like the ‘Dymanic Duo,’ even though I’ve only played on varsity with Lucy for a year,” Bourne said. “We practice our corner kicks a ton. It’s all just practice, really. Lucy always seems to be in just the right spot on my corners.”
Boylan’s season ends with a 21-5 record, while the Scouts advance to the Class 2A state semifinal this weekend in Naperville.
“It was a great season, a great game — and I think Lake Forest is gonna go far,” Titans coach Mark Couper said.
