Morton’s magical season ended one victory short of a state championship.
The Crystal Lake Central Tigers took home their second Class 2A state title in three years, defeating the Potters 3-1 in the IHSA girls soccer championship game Saturday, June 6 at North Central College.
Although the Potters came up a win short of their ultimate goal, their fans who made the trip to the west Chicago suburbs gave the team a standing ovation as the match ended.
Morton had very little answer for Loyola Chicago-bound star Addison Shaffer, who delivered a pair of goals to push Crystal Lake to victory. In the 30th minute, she poked her way past Potter goalkeeper Adly Hilt and maneuvered around several Morton defenders to fire a shot into the lower right corner of the net.
Her second goal came on a penalty kick in the 66th minute after she was knocked down in the box by Morton defender Marley Rosales, who was trying to prevent a second goal. Instead, Shaffer delivered on a penalty kick, booting one past Hilt’s left into the net.
That penalty kick came mere moments after Morton’s Izzy Ripka tied the game directly off of a corner kick in the 65th minute, the biggest highlight in a trying afternoon for the Potters.
Crystal Lake added an insurance goal in the 90th minute, thanks to a wild long-range effort from Ella Bechler that sailed past Hilt in the final moments.
Morton ended its most successful season in history with a 26-2-1 mark, with their lone loss before Saturday coming at the hands of Peoria Notre Dame on March 30. The Potters clinched their first-ever appearance in a state tournament with a 5-2 victory over Waterloo on Tuesday in Chatham.
A 4-1 win over Wheaton St. Francis on Friday sent the Potters to the state title game, giving them a win in a state tournament in their first try.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA soccer: Crystal Lake Central and star player overwhelms Morton
