Raiders quickly dash Tigers’ chance of upset, capture another regional championship

QUINCY — Hope floats, right? Not if you’re a regional opponent of the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team.

Friday afternoon, the Raiders snared the lead 10 minutes into the Class 1A QND Regional championship game and Beardstown and never allowed the Tigers to mount any sort of counterattack, ultimately posting a 5-0 victory at Advance Physical Therapy Field.

In Tuesday’s regional semifinal against Springfield Lutheran, the Raiders scored twice in the first four minutes to diminish any chance of an upset.

“Getting the early goals gives us a push in the right direction towards scoring more and also gives us a break from the heat quicker,” QND junior forward Lia Quintero said.

The heat was no joke.

After spending a majority of the regular season playing in weather where temperatures typically ranged from the upper 30s to the upper 50s and rain and wind seemed constant, temperatures topped out at 92 degrees Friday and the artificial surface made it hotter.

Since thunderstorms were in the forecast, the start time was moved from 5 p.m. to 3 p.m. — the hottest part of the day.

“It’s definitely been an adjustment,” Quintero said of the heat. “But I think our team has done a great job of adapting and making sure we’re hydrating.”

The temperatures are expected to be lower when the top-seeded Raiders (18-3-3) face Piasa Southwestern at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the sectional semifinals at Advance Physical Therapy Field. The Birds beat Carlinville 2-0 for a regional championship.

In the other sectional semifinal at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Alton Marquette will face Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin.

The sectional championship is slated to be played at 5 p.m. Friday.

“Winning regionals and moving forward is definitely a tribute to the work we’ve put in this season,” Quintero said. “And I think it gives our team a lot of drive, especially for those making it to this point for the first time.”

Playing with the lead increases that drive.

Quintero staked the Raiders to a 1-0 advantage when she curled in a corner kick from the left side of the field. She made it 2-0 with 8:30 to play in the first half by converting a penalty kick.

She finished the hat trick — her second of the postseason — by scoring the final goal. In between, Makayla Patton headed in a Quintero corner kick less than 10 minutes into the second half, and Avery Keck converted a PK later in the half.

Addison Van Hecke and Aly Young combined on the shutout.