Thomas hopes demanding schedule has QND girls soccer team primed for postseason success

Springfield Lutheran's Kaylynn Kooi flinches as Quincy Notre Dame's Mia Vranjes hits a cross during Friday afternoon's Class 1A girls soccer regional semifinal game at Advance Physical Therapy Field in Quincy. | David Adam

QUINCY — Mark Thomas hopes a difficult regular season schedule has prepared his girls soccer team at Quincy Notre Dame for a potentially successful postseason run. However, he knew that getting his team to forget Monday’s 5-0 loss to Pleasant Plains in the regular-season finale would still be difficult — especially when the Raiders and…

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Raiders celebrate final home game for seniors with 6-0 victory, anxious to make postseason tournament run

Quincy Notre Dame's Bayley Weisenberger (10) dribbles around a Jacksonville player during Wednesday night's girls soccer game at Advance Physical Therapy Field. | Annie C. Reller

QUINCY — Two goals scored within 40 seconds of each other put the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team in front in the game’s first nine minutes, and the Raiders went on to enjoy senior night with a 6-0 victory over Jacksonville on Wednesday night at Advance Physical Therapy Field. Mia Vranjes got the first…

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Barnes’ goal gives QND life, but late surge isn’t enough in one-goal loss at home to Springfield

Quincy Notre Dame's Ellison Barnes, left, and Sierra Thomas celebrate Barnes' goal in the 76th minute of a 2-1 loss to Springfield on Monday at Advance Physical Therapy Field. | Shane Hulsey

QUINCY — Ellison Barnes practiced what Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer coach Mark Thomas has preached, and it gave the Raiders a chance against Springfield on Monday at Advance Physical Therapy Field. With the Raiders trailing the Senators 2-0 and five minutes left in the second half, Barnes, a junior forward and midfielder, made a…

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Raiders shut out by undefeated Peoria Notre Dame, but Thomas pleased with performance

Quincy Notre Dame coach Mark Thomas during an April 11 game against Quincy High School. | MRN file photo by Shane Hulsey

QUINCY — Losing still stinks, but Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer coach Mark Thomas was pleased with his team’s play Friday night in a 2-0 loss to undefeated Peoria Notre Dame. “We worked hard,” Thomas said after the game, played at Advance Physical Therapy Field. “(Peoria Notre Dame has) got a good team, and that’ll…

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After falling behind, Hannibal girls soccer team scores next four goals to knock off Notre Dame

Hannibal's Malia Stolte (in white) tries to manuever around Quincy Notre Dame's Sage Stratton during Thursday night's girls soccer game at Advance Physical Therapy Field. | Annie C. Reller

QUINCY — Makayla Patton’s goal for Quincy Notre Dame 11 minutes into Thursday night’s game at Advance Physical Therapy Field broke a scoreless tie. It was like a slap in the face to the Hannibal girls soccer team. “We didn’t have the first goal, but if anything, it made us just come back harder and…

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Crim: QND’s 1984 state runner-up boys soccer team responsible for raising bar on expectations

The 1984 Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team finished as the state runner-up in a one-class system, winning the first state trophy in program history and raising the level of expectation for future teams. | Submitted photo

QUINCY — The longest boys soccer game in Illinois High School Association history was played 40 years ago. Performing on the biggest stage on Nov. 3, 1984 — the state championship game at St. Charles High School — Quincy Notre Dame and Palatine Fremd battled through 80 minutes of regulation and another 40 exhausting minutes…

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New coach, same expectations as QND girls soccer team sets sights on return to state tourney

Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer coach Mark Thomas, right, demonstrates the proper technique during a drill in a preseason practice at Advance Physical Therapy Field. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Aubrey Sparrow wasn’t naive enough to think the tempo and tenor of Mark Thomas-led practices would be similar to those run by former Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer Mark Longo. “I knew the style would change, just how it does with every coach,” the senior defender said. But she remained confident the Raiders…

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QND hits its Mark with announcement of new girls soccer head coach

Mark Thomas addresses a crowd gathered in the Quincy Notre Dame library Thursday morning after being introduced as the the Raiders' new girls soccer head coach. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Mark Thomas’ biggest challenge as the new Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer head coach won’t come from replacing a legend on the sidelines or developing the right system of play for a youthful, talented team. It will be finding time to hunt during the Illinois spring turkey season. “I might have to figure…

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