EVANSVILLE — This performance was befitting a top-10 team and answered a major question.
No. 10 North girls soccer defeated Floyd Central 5-2 in the Class 3A regional semifinal on Wednesday, Oct. 14. The Huskies, who haven't won a regional title in 24 years, advance to the final against No. 5 Center Grove on Saturday, Oct. 17 in Seymour. It's a destination that wasn't guaranteed considering the events of last week.
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North needed late goals against Reitz and penalty picks versus Castle to simply win the sectional. No such drama necessary this time. The Huskies (17-3-1) scored multiple goals in both halves while dominating possession. They were the stronger team in the semifinal.
"It just showed our depth," North coach John Heeger said. "We made some changes, and the kids did a nice job. They did a fantastic job executing the game plan."
Also consider who wasn't on the pitch. All-State forward Kayla Delph had to sit after receiving two yellow cards in the sectional championship. The result was a makeshift lineup with starters in different spots. It showed at various points. The Huskies also had others step up.
Piper Powers and Madalyn Heuck both scored twice in the regional semifinal. Powers stole a ball and connected from the top of the box in the fifth minute, plus made a nifty turn and strike with 12:49 remaining in the game. Heuck one-timed an assist from Powers in the first half and outmaneuvered two defenders for another score early in the second.
Floyd Central (13-6-1) scored twice in the second half. Molly Kennedy delivered the final goal for North.
"We came together as a team," Powers said. "We found wides more, and it got us opportunities in the middle. It was good for us to get consistent with being aggressive in the box. If we were to let off, it wouldn't set us up well for this weekend. Everyone put in a lot of work."
North hasn't lost in 11 matches since a difficult stretch in early September. Those lessons learned against quality competition could prove vital in the championship against Center Grove, who defeated Bloomington South 2-0 in the other semifinal. The Trojans (15-2-2) have posted five straight shutouts.
"Center Grove is a good team," Heeger said. "We're a good team. We'll have to move some people around because of injuries. But we're excited to get the opportunity. It's the final eight. Giddy up."
Class 2A
No. 1 Memorial defeated No. 15 Heritage Hills, 4-0, in the semifinal at Traylor Family Stadium.
The Tigers (17-2-1) dominated the match in possession and opportunities. Sophie Blankenberger scored the lone goal in the first half, poking the ball across while directly in front. Ava Voelkel padded the lead with 33 minutes remaining with a right-footed shot to the left side. The final two goals came via corner kicks – Voelkel deflected the ball off a Heritage Hills defender with 11 minutes left, and Avery Slade one-timed a shot with under three remaining.
Memorial faces No. 7 Batesville on Saturday at Heritage Hills. The Bulldogs defeated Silver Creek 7-0. Heritage Hills, who played without leading scorer Cora Lasher (knee injury), finished with a 17-3 record.
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Class 1A semifinals
No. 15 White River Valley defeated South Knox 2-1 in the semifinal. Alli Graves and Molly Settles scored for the Wolverines. Khloe Minderman scored for the Spartans, who finished with an 11-5-2 record.
No. 4 Providence defeated No. 3 Forest Park 1-0 in the semifinal. Cooper Stiefvater scored the lone goal with 17:40 remaining in the opening half. The senior connected on a header from an Ella Settle corner kick. The Pioneers (11-5) face White River Valley in the championship at Forest Park. The Rangers finished with a 16-3-1 record and outright Pocket Athletic Conference title.
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at kyle.sokeland@courierpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Two Southwestern Indiana girls soccer teams advance to IHSAA regional finals