NAPERVILLE – Just as a group of Crystal Lake Central soccer players walked under Don Deetjen Memorial scoreboard following an impressive 2-0 victory over Burlington Central in a Class AA state semifinal game Friday afternoon, the volume on the stadium speakers was slightly turned higher.

The sudden shift in volume caught a few of the Tigers off-guard, but the song “Fireball” by Pitbull was certainly suitable for describing the play of the victorious team.

Led by two goals from Brooklynn Carlson, the Tigers (22-2-2) set a new standard for their program by advancing to Saturday’s Class AA state championship game for the first time.

Crystal Lake Central coach Sarah Fack said her team’s 2-0 win over Burlington Central in the regular-season helped motivate her players and serve as a reminder Friday not to overlook their Fox Valley Conference rivals.

“This is what we’ve been working toward all season and really the last four years,” Fack said. “It’s really exciting to play so well and play well as a team. There was no drop in our play. 

“Brooklynn was huge, but that’s the type of player that she is. She finds it at the right time. We have to come back (Saturday) and have fun and play hard. I’m really proud of these girls.”

Carlson, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match, sparked the victory by raising her season total to 24 goals.

“This feels great,” Carlson said. “I loved the atmosphere, and it’s really fun to play and win. I’m thrilled. We’re making history. This is our first time in the state championship game.”

Carlson was a thorn in Burlington Central’s side all game. She relied on her athleticism, aggressiveness and strength to get open for shots. 

Her opener came from five yards following a free kick by Paiton Hulata in the 48th minute. Carlson got behind the defense, turned 180-degrees and knocked in the shot.

“On the first goal, I was in the right place at the right time,” Carlson said. “I knew that ball was coming over and just touched it left and thankfully no one was there. It just went in.”

With 23:54 remaining, Carlson doubled her pleasure. The senior forward drilled a shot that was saved, but caused Burlington Central keeper Kenzie Lorkowski, who had seven saves, to fall down. That’s when Carlson pounced on the rebound for her second goal.

“The second goal I was just sprinting as hard as I could, and our sophomore Addison (Schaffer) gave a beautiful ball,” Carlson said. “I knew I could fight for it and knew I could finish it.”

The Tigers, who earned a third place state trophy last season, now get a shot at the top prize.

Senior keeper Addison Cleary praised her backline’s stellar play. It held Burlington Central’s high-scoring sophomore Mekenzie Rogers to a limited number of shot attempts. Rogers entered the semifinal with 38 goals and 10 assists.

“It was definitely a big win for us, especially since we played them during conference season. It showed a lot about our conference and the competition here,” Cleary said. “We know (Rogers) is an amazing player. We talked a lot this past week about her, so being able to shut her out was really big. Junior Hadley Ferrero really stepped up and played great. Getting a clean-sheet showed we really wanted this so much.

“It feels great after we lost (in the semifinals to Benet) last season. We’ve talked about going to the state game all the way back to our freshman year when we had nine in our class. We’ve grown each year (the team now has 13 seniors). To see it all come true and that all the hard work has paid off and we’re able to step on the field Saturday is a big win for all of us and our program. We’ve never been this far. I can’t wait for Saturday.”

Burlington Central (16-9-2, 7-2-0) had their second state trip start in a similar fashion to their previous appearance. In 2017, the Rockets lost to Triad in the semifinals. Now they hope, it finishes the same way too. Central beat Lemont 3-1 to finish third that spring.

Coach Jessica Arneson said the match provided a learning opportunity.

“I think because we couldn’t create as much as we wanted to, that hurt us, and we got frustrated,” Arneson said. “We have a young team and need some experience to overcome those frustrations. We were able to still respond with not just giving up or putting your head down. I wish we had a stronger response today.

“We knew what to look out for from them. It’s not always about the game, but how you respond. That’s what I’m going to hit home with the girls tonight. We have to step up on (Saturday) and get that third place trophy.”

Burlington Central senior midfielder Eva Samuelian said her team just came up short.

“It was not quite what we wanted as an outcome, but Crystal Lake Central is a good team,” Samuelian said. “We competed and tried, but it’s a little disappointing. 

“I think they were more aggressive than we were. I think we got caught watching a little too much. I think we didn’t connect as well, so that’s something we will talk about for tomorrow. I’m still very proud of this team.”

Crystal Lake Central showed it meant business from the opening minute, The Tigers used their experience to dominate possession in the first half. 

Senior midfielder Olivia Anderson and sophomore forward Addison Schaffer took turns sending shots toward Burlington Central’s goal. Lorkowski, a sophomore, was up to the challenge and turned some heads with a leaping save on Anderson’s shot in the 21st minute.

Samuelian nearly helped give the Rockets the lead with a 35-yard free kick, but teammate Rylee Butler just missed a shot attempt. Samuelian, who has 11 goals and eight assists, suffered an injury in the 33rd minute that forced her to miss some time.

Crystal Lake Central controlled possession for the majority of the final 40 minutes. 

Against the run of play, Rogers put a shot on goal for Burlington Central in the 53rd minute.

She said the loss stings, but gives the Rockets ample reason to avoid a similar outcome in the third place game.

“This is just another learning experience for us, but we’re going to come back even harder. We’re just going into tomorrow’s game and play as hard as possible,” Rogers said. “Their backline made it tough to pass the ball, and they were always talking and defending and playing aggressive. 

“We learned we can’t get down on ourselves no matter the circumstance. We got down on ourselves after their first goal. We can’t let the heat or pressure bother us.”

 
Starting lineups
 
Burlington Central
GK: Kenzie Lorkowski
D: Lily Batani
D: Annie Magan
D: Ashley Waslo
D: Alison Kowall
MF: Eva Samuelian
MF: Mekenzie Rogers
MF: Kendall Grigg
MF: Annie Magan
F: Sydney Batts
F: Ellie Elders
 
Crystal Lake Central
GK: Addison Cleary
D: Paiton Hulata
D: Kalissa Kaiser
D: Bella Goy
MF: Sadie Quinn
MF: Peyton McMahon
MF: Jillian Mueller
MF: Olivia Anderson
F: Brooklynn Carlson
F: Addison Schaffer
F: Lizzie Gray
 
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Brooklynn Carlson, sr., F, Crystal Lake Central

 
Scoring summary
 
First half
No scoring
 
Second half
CLC: Carlson (Hulata), 48’
CLS: Carlson (unassisted), 57’