NAPERVILLE -- Crystal Lake Central beat Triad (22-5-1) to win its first Class AA state title, which gained a spot in school history as one of only five teams to finish its season with a championship.

The 100-year-old school now boasts champions in girls soccer, boys cross country (1995), girls volleyball (2007), competitive dance (2013) and competitive cheerleading (2022).

"This is just surreal and epic to be a part of a state soccer championship," said the Tigers Loyola-bound star Olivia Anderson with a big smile.

Just a few ticks past 24 hours after the Tigers used a Brooklynn Carlson double to defeat Fox Valley Conference rival Burlington Central in the semifinals, senior Paiton Hulata bagged the lone title match goal in the 24th minutes to help her and her teammates lift the big trophy following a 1-0 victory at rain-soaked Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium on the North Central College campus.

"Since freshman year we've had this dream (to win state) because we had 12 freshmen make the varsity roster that year," began Hulata.

"Last year we made it to state and went home third overall. This year we came in saying ‘No matter what happens, we're winning state.’

"It means a lot to all of us to make history. We love our community and Crystal Lake Central."

"The girls really wanted this," said proud Tigers manager Sarah Fack, who earlier in the season collected her 100th-career victory. “They have been working hard for a long time.

"They played for each other and played their hearts out today. The game-long rain, to be honest, was the furthest thing from their minds. It was just ‘Let’s go get this game’ and state title for them."

In 2023 while the five-time Fox Valley champs celebrated their first ever team trophy, coach Matt Bettlach and his club from Triad were licking their wounds after a 5-0 supersectional loss to eventual Class AA state champion Glenwood, which claimed the second title in program history last spring.

"I think that loss to Glenwood stayed with a lot of the players, especially the-then juniors who came back this season and led a roster that was young and has had the opportunity to into the state final," said Bettlach, the classy Triad manager, who employed six sophomores in his first 11 in the afternoon match.

"There were six of us from our 2022 state championship who wanted to get back this season and try for another," said Knights senior Isabel Boyd, who will play in the fall at Truman State.

“That loss to Glenwood gave us all a lot of motivation to work hard to give us the chance to return here.”

"Carson (Bohnenstiehl) and I were fortunate enough to be on our undefeated state championship team as freshmen in 2021,” said Hannah Sparks. “Then we came back to win a second straight. It was so different to be a part of a team with so many great juniors and seniors on those rosters."

Sparks, who wears the captain’s armband with Bohnenstiehl and Boyd and is part of a superb central defensive partnership with Boyd, said her first two seasons on the varsity were the impetus for her to lead by example when her time came to be in front of the team.

"The upperclassmen from those teams taught me a lot,” she said. “But this team is so easy to be a leader for, and having a great person like (Bettlach) to be around has been a great gift for me and something I will not forget."

The four-year veteran will play at nearby McKendree University, which is just a short drive from the Triad campus.

Hulata helped Crystal Lake Central (23-2-2) earn its just reward after a bright start with an impressive display of quick movement, sharp passing, the ability to win first and second balls, and winning back balls that it lost.

"We came out really strong today," said Tigers senior defender Shaylee Gough, who shared the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match with Sparks. “We had a great following of fans here to cheer us on, which really helped us get locked in from the very start.”

Gough was stationed in the middle of the Tigers backline. Her voracious tackling and aerial superiority were strong contributions to the work of her backline mates Chelsea Iles and Kalissa Kaiser. The trio limited Triad to just a pair of efforts on frame and helped keeper Addison Cleary record back-to-back clean-sheets in the Final Four.

"We all worked really hard to get this far, and (it's) just a great way to end my high school career," said Gough, who will play in the fall at Wisconsin-Platteville.

Carlson, who ended her sensational senior year with a team-high 24 goals, put one on the roof of the Triad goal after Jillian Mueller set her free in the 6th minute.

The Tigers faithful, who braved a steady 80-minute downpour, were relieved after a long free kick from Sparks was parried out of the area by Kaiser. They cheered Cleary moments later when she pushed 
a Sparks free kick around the post in the 19th minute.

Peyton McMahon brought the Tigers attack back to life minutes later when she went wide. An Anderson blast from distance went wide as well.

In the pivotal scoring sequence, Mueller made a slaloming run and fired a that was saved by Triad sophomore keeper Payton Hartmannm but created a corner kick.

A short clearing effort after that send spilled freely toward the far touchline, where the ever-present Hulata was. She tried to send a cross.

"I was trying to pass to the back post, because we've been working on our back post runs the entire season,” she said. “It (the ball) just went to the back corner instead, so it was kind of an accident that it went into the net. But it worked."

Hulata's curling left-footed serve went just off the tip of Hartmann's gloves before it nestled into the far inside netting in the 24th minute.

"We were getting a little sloppy up until their goal, and playing a little frantic before and afterward, and it cost us," said Boyd.

"I agree with Isabel,” said Sparks. “That first 15-20 minutes was not some of our best soccer, but we came back after the break to play with more energy and heart. It just wasn't enough today."

Both sides turned in quality play even as the weather went from bad to ugly.

"Honestly, the only thing we wanted when we were on the field was winning this game,” said Hulata. “Obviously it was not the greatest weather, but we all wanted to win so badly that it didn't matter." 

Crystal Lake South enjoyed most of the play right after intermission, but it resulted in just one attempt on frame from Sadie Quinn, whose 25-yard snap-shot called Hartmann into action.

Triad was at its most dangerous in the second half after a series of dead ball opportunities during a 10-minute sequence went close but didn’t become the equalizer.

A Maddie Hunt free kick was put onto the roof by Cleary in the 47th minute. The resulting corner came up empty for Triad.

Moments later, Iles continued to frustrate the Knights. Consecutive free kicks off the strong foot of Sparks were cleared out of the area.

Crystal Lake Central answered back in search of an insurance goal after referee Jose Rend allowed advantage play for the Tigers, then correctly brought the ball back to the spot of a foul to give Maddie Gray a free kick from 35 yards. It ended with Hartmann once again making a save.

Aware that one more goal would all but ensure victory, Crystal Lake Central supplied plenty of pressure during the next 4-5 minutes before settling in and dropping numbers back in order to manage its one-goal advantage.

"Thirteen seniors bring a lot of experience and wonderful leadership,” said Fack. “The girls were relentless and didn't give an amazing Triad team an inch of breathing room.

"Triad made it tough on us, and we really were not safe until that final buzzer. The girls would not give up and continued to fight until the very end."

The seniors went 71-13-2 over their four years. Among their top performances this season was a 2-2 draw with Class 3A state runnerup St. Charles North.

The Tigers outscored their opponents 110-27. The quartet of Anderson, Carlson, Lizzie Gray and Addison Schaffer netting 69 combined goals.

Bettlach returns an impressive core for Triad next spring.

"The players coming back have now had a taste of what it takes, so you hope they remain hungry to put in the work during the offseason in order to reach the goal of competing for another state title," he said.

"This was an incredible bunch of terrific young ladies, especially a wonderful group of seniors who helped their younger teammates learn through their mistakes and help them become an important part of Triad soccer.

"I know for me, I'll certainly miss those players moving on. They have left some fond memories and have made a huge contribution to our program."
 

Starting lineups

Triad (4-4-2)
GK- Payton Hartmann
D- Maddie Hunt
D- Hannah Sparks
D- Isabel Boyd
D- Kamryn Bohnenstiehl
M- Reece Windsor
M- Sophia Bohnak
M- Alina Ryan
M- Emma Correale
F- London Looby
F- Claire Gough

Crystal Lake Central (4-3-3)
GK- Addison Cleary
D- Kalissa Kaiser
D- Shaylee Gough
D- Paiton Hulata
D- Chelsea Iles
M- Maddie Gray
M- Olivia Anderson
M- Sadie Quinn
F- Brooklynn Carlson
F- Lizzie Gray
F- Jillian Mueller

Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match:  Shaylee Gough, sr., D, Crystal Lake Central; Hannah Sparks, sr., D, Triad

Officials: Jose Rend (referee); Alex Kushinkov (AR1); Rick Geati (AR2); Mike Schmickley (4th)

Scoring summary

First half
CLC: Hulata (unassisted), 24'

Second half
No scoring

Statistics 

Shots on
Triad: 2
CLC: 7

Shots off
Triad: 3
CLC: 8

Corner kicks
Triad: 5
CLC: 4

Offside
Triad: 0
CLC: 2

Fouls
Triad: 5
CLC: 12