Southwestern girls’ soccer reaches end of its flight
The 2022 Southwestern High School girls’ soccer team, which lost 6-0 to Quincy Notre Dame in an IHSA Class 1A sectional semifinal, will go down in history as the program’s first ever regional champion. The Piasa Birds finished the season 15-7 overall. Pictured from left, head coach Tyler Hamilton, Miriana Biciocchi, Chiara Biciocchi, Jillian Smith, Kelsie Bray, Jillian Beilsmith, Kenzie Cottingham, Rylee Crane, Addy Quirk, Cassie Christian, Ali Wilson, assistant Betty Schiller, assistant coach Jessie Scott, (front row) Karalynn Buis, Grace Greenwell, Morgan Durham, Kayla LeMarr, Laini Bock,
Jelsie Biciocchi and Mac Day. Enquirer~Democrat photo by Jackson Wilson.
Piasa Birds beaten handily by Quincy Notre Dame in IHSA Class 1A sectional semis
By JACKSON WILSON
Enquirer Democrat Reporter
A key injury and an opponent that was simply better doomed the Southwestern High School girls’ soccer team in the opening round of Illinois High School Association Class 1A sectionals May 17.
The longest season in Piasa Birds’ history ended with a 6-0 loss to Quincy Notre Dame on the northwest border.
Though the team was riding high with a burst of momentum after winning the program’s first ever regional championship, the writing was on the wall once the landscape of the next tier was formed.
The Piasa Birds found themselves surrounded by teams from three different private schools, with QND being the top overall seed of the Quincy sub-sectional. On the other side of the ledger was non-conference rival Alton Marquette and a powerhouse that had formely been a member of a higher IHSA class, Sacred Heart-Griffin.
To make matters worse, Southwestern had to fly into the war zone without its top sniper Ali Wilson in the platoon. Wilson had contributed 65 goals over the past two seasons before being placed in a boot a week before the playoffs.
QND went on to beat SHG 3-2 in a tight sectional championship draw later in the week.
Southwestern finishes the year 15-7.
