Center Grove’s Ali Wiesmann splits the Roncalli defense during Thursday’s regional semifinal.
Chris Williams | For the Daily Journal
Seventh-ranked Center Grove hasn’t permitted a goal in its last seven matches, a span that encompasses nearly three weeks.
All in all, not a bad time of year to be playing your best defense of the season.
The Trojans ongoing collection of goose eggs gained a new addition Thursday night against southside rival Roncalli. Overtime was needed, but host Center Grove continued its tournament run with a 2-0 victory in a Class 3A regional semifinal.
Next for Center Grove (16-2-2) will be a regional final against No. 10 Evansville Reitz (16-3) at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Bloomington South, with a semistate berth hanging in the balance.
Senior midfielder Molly Tapak’s goal with 1:49 remaining in the first seven-minute extra period seemed plenty to ensure postseason advancement after the score was deadlocked 0-0 through regulation. All the same, senior Ali Wiesmann left-footed a goal past diving Royals goalkeeper Ansley Bishop with :32 showing before the end of the first OT just to make certain.
“Just before overtime, I was already feeling emotional,” Wiesmann said. “I started tearing up because I didn’t want this to be my last game. My teammates pumped me up. They said this isn’t going to be our last game, and we’re here to play for each other, and we’re going to win.’
“Right after Molly’s goal, I just felt so motivated. I was like, there’s our first one, and we’re going to get another one.”
Tapak, who got to play in a regional as a freshman, looks forward to helping the Trojans zero in on a semistate berth.
“We went into this game knowing their strategy was to take it to PKs. Ansley is a terrific goalie, so they figured that would be their way to win, especially since we beat them in the regular season,” said Tapak, referring to Center Grove’s 3-2 defeat of the Royals on Sept. 6. “Really, at that moment, our goal was just to get any and all contact on the ball.
“I saw it coming at me. I figured, what the heck, I might as well hit it as hard as I can. I honestly didn’t see the goal.”
Center Grove handed Evansville Reitz a 2-0 home loss in late August; the rematch will be at a neutral site.
First-year Trojans coach Myron Vaughn expressed to his players in his postgame speech how an airtight defense can carry a team a long way this time of year.
The shutout streak has, understandably, become a source of great pride to everyone on the squad.
“The girls have really committed to it. We spoke about two games into this streak about what it takes to win this tournament,” Vaughn said. “It’s not a goal-scoring contest as much as it is the team that makes the least amount of mistakes and keeps the ball out of the back of their net.
“They have committed to that task. They fully believe in it, and have done more than I could’ve asked in terms of their commitment to defending and protecting their goalkeeper. It’s something we put at the forefront of our priority list every time we step on the field.”
Roncalli finishes its season with a record of 11-8-1.
