GLEN CARBON - Rachel Kretzer had a hat trick, while Sofia Rossetto came up with a brace (two goals) as Father McGivney Catholic won its own IHSA Class 1A regional championship with a 7-0 victory over Trenton Wesclin on a gloomy Tuesday afternoon at Bouse Road.
The win puts the Griffins into the Muphysboro sectional, with either Belleville Althoff Catholic awaiting McGivney on Saturday. The Crusaders defeated Waterloo Gibault Catholic 3-0 on Tuesday evening to win the Gibault regional in a game moved to Althoff's turf pitch.
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Kretzer opened the scoring after five minutes to give the Griffins a 1-0 lead, which was doubled to 2-0 Siena Strehl in the 14th minute. Devin Ellis and Kretzer scored before halftime to give McGivney a 4-0 lead at the interval.
In the second half, Rossetto scored her brace, and Kretzer completer her hat trick to make the final 7-0, allowing the Griffins to advance to the sectional.
Kretzer also assisted twice in the game, while Ellis, Brynn Hawkins, and Erin Kretzer also assisted for McGivney. Peyton Ellis and Karpenter Farmer shared the clean sheet in goal, with neither one having to make a save.
Lilly Biggs had 19 saves in goal for the Warriors.
McGivney head girls soccer coach Matt McVicar said after the regional championship victory: "It was a good result and what we were hoping for today."
He also complimented the Griffins' defensive efforts blanking Wesclin 7-0.
"The defense will take us far," he said. "Even if it is 1-0, the defense is keeping us in it.
"This is a big year for us. We are still young with only one senior we are losing. The girls have worked hard to get where they are and we are not done yet."
Wesclin ends its season 6-8-3, while the Griffins are now 18-4-4, and will meet the Crusaders in the second semifinal of the Murphysboro sectional on Saturday at 5 p.m. The first semifinal is set for 3 p.m., and will pit the winner of the Columbia regional, either the host Eagles or Murphysboro, and Breese Mater Dei Catholic, a 2-0 winner over Roxana in the final at Metro-East Lutheran regional, also on Tuesday.
The Eagles-Red Devils match was postponed to Wednesday, due to heavy storms that rolled through the St. Louis area on Tuesday.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
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