(LEFT) Hamilton Southeastern’s Margaux Henning is one of four Royals that have scored 10 or more goals this season. (RIGHT) Carmel’s Adalyn Cameron has scored 39 goals for the Greyhounds, the second-most for a Carmel player in a single season.
By RICHIE HALL
The Hamilton Southeastern and Carmel girls soccer teams are only one game away from a possible Class 3A state championship showdown.
But first, both the No. 1-ranked Royals and No. 3-ranked Greyhounds have to get past top 10 teams in this Saturday’s semi-state games.
Southeastern travels to Chesterton for the 3A north semi-state, where it will play No. 7 Crown Point. The Bulldogs are 18-2 for the season.
Crown Point won two easy games to claim the Munster sectional title. The Bulldogs beat the host Mustangs 5-0 in the semifinals, then cruised past No. 14 Lake Central in the championship.
Crown Point hosted the regional semifinal, where it beat No. 20 Chesterton 1-0. That sent the Bulldogs to the regional championship at Penn, and they edged out the host and No. 17 Kingsmen 1-0 for the trophy. It was Crown Point’s sixth regional championship.
Two seniors lead the Bulldogs’ scoring. Addy Sabau has put in 20 goals for the season, while Hannah Pesich has added 19 goals. Sabau has also dished out a team-leading 11 assists, while sophomore Ariana Schutt has 10 assists.
The Royals are 20-0-1 and have been ranked No. 1 all season. Southeastern hosted the sectional this year and beat Anderson 10-1 in the first round. The Royals beat No. 16 Noblesville 4-0 in the semis and Fishers 1-0 in the championship to claim their first sectional title since 2012.
Southeastern traveled to McCutcheon for the regional semifinals and defeated the Mavericks 2-0. That set up a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown with Homestead for the championship at Kokomo. The Royals came back to beat the Spartans 2-1, with Sloane May scoring the winning goal with 11 seconds left in the game.
Sloane May, a Michigan commit, is one of five double-digit goal scorers for HSE this season, leading the team with 15 goals. She also leads in assists with 13. Senior Riley Boyd is next for scoring with 13 goals, followed by junior Kherington Patton (11), sophomore Sydney May (11) and sophomore Mrgaux Henning (10). Junior Hannah Dodge has 25 saves and a 0.238 goals-against average.
Carmel takes on Center Grove
Carmel plays at the Martinsville semi-state this Saturday, where the Greyhounds will play last year’s 3A state finalist, No. 6 Center Grove.
The Trojans are 19-2 and began their postseason with a win at the Greenwood sectional. Center Grove beat Columbus East 13-0 in the semifinals and No. 20 Columbus North 3-1 in the championship. (Columbus North and Chesterton were tied for 20th in the final coaches poll.)
The Trojans hosted No. 9 Bloomington South in the regional semifinal and won that game 2-1. Center Grove traveled to Seymour for the final and beat No. 11 Evansville Memorial 1-0 to win its state-leading 20th regional championship.
Four Trojans are scoring in double figures. Junior Mia Marlin leads with 18 goals, while freshman Kinley Tolbert has scored 13 goals. Junior Lexi Wilson has put in 11 goals and freshman Jocelyn Franklin has scored 10. Sophomore Reese Killinger leads the assists with nine, followed by Marlin with eight.
Sophomore goalkeeper Ava Matthews has 80 saves and a 0.599 goals-against average.
The Greyhounds are 18-2-1 and came out of the tough Zionsville sectional. Carmel won the sectional by defeating the No. 4 Eagles 1-0 in the first round, No. 10 Cathedral 3-0 in the semifinals and No. 5 Westfield 2-1 in an overtime championship game.
The Hounds hosted the regional semifinal and took care of Avon 6-1. Carmel returned to Brian Murray Stadium for the championship and won a rematch of last season by defeating No. 18 East Central 2-0 for the program’s 18th regional title.
Senior Adalyn Cameron has been a force for the Greyhounds, scoring 39 goals, the second most in a season for Carmel. Cameron and junior Elsie Flanders both have dished out a team-leading eight assists.
Senior Emma Ehret has put in eight goals and handed out six assists, with Flanders scoring six goals. Junior Olivia Ade has six assists.
Freshman goalkeeper Gwyneth Provost has 37 saves and a 1.297 goals-against average.
