Memorial boys soccer continues postseason surge with IHSAA regional championship

LINCOLN CITY, Ind. — The message at halftime was familiar yet required. Stay patient.

A common refrain considering how previous tournament games had played out. Needed because of how this opponent appeared content to operate from the opening kick. But the only part of Saturday which mattered to Memorial? Finding a way to win.

The No. 1 Tigers advanced in the state tournament with a 2-0 victory over Charlestown in the Class 2A regional championship at Heritage Hills. Both goals were scored in the second half to secure a spot in the semistate for the third straight year.

More: Here are the Evansville-area IHSAA soccer regional scores

Memorial (17-2-1) faces No. 3 Indianapolis Bishop Chatard next weekend.

"Believe in yourself but patience," said Memorial coach Bill Vieth. "You can get tense and make it tough on yourself. We've seen a lot of things thrown at us and may see it again. It's a game of patience. I'm really proud of our guys."

Why was patience the overriding theme? The game plan for Charlestown (16-3) was to sit back with six or seven defenders on the line. Memorial dominated possession in the opening 40 minutes but found it difficult to create space in the box.

The Tigers' patience was rewarded. Ivan Bennett slipped a pass to Cohen Havill in the 45th minute to result in the opening goal. Bennett later fired a free kick from the left side through the defense for a needed insurance goal with 15 minutes showing. This was the ninth straight shutout for Memorial dating to Sept. 20.

"We knew eventually they'd break down," said senior Simon Theby. "If we get enough chances, we're going to score some. This is our best team in years. Not only with our talent but chemistry. It's been three years with all of these guys. I think this is kind of the climax of that."

Nothing about the Tigers' recent stretch, especially the regional round, can be noted as simple. Memorial battled No. 12 Washington to a 2-0 result in the regional semifinal. That game followed a sectional title victory against No. 4 Heritage Hills. Such is life for the team ranked No. 1 every week in the coaches' poll.

Many in the lineup have played varsity soccer for three years. If there's a group who understands what's at stake this month, look no further than Memorial. One more victory puts it back in the state championship following a loss to Mishawaka Marian a year ago.

"Our guys are delivering," said Vieth. "It's hard to play with the number one on your back. They've taken that as a challenge."

Only one SIAC team advanced from the regional

The Southern Indiana Athletic Conference had three other teams fall short in the championship round.

No. 2 Lawrenceburg defeated No. 8 Mater Dei 2-1 in the 2A girls final at Heritage Hills . The Wildcats struggled in the opening half and fell behind on a goal from Preslee Rugg. Mater Dei found the equalizer with 33 minutes remaining when Ella Hamilton poked a ball past the keeper on a free kick.

The opportunity to respond with positive momentum was short lived. Morgan Manford gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead four minutes later. The Wildcats (16-3) advanced to the regional for the third straight year and graduate seven seniors.

"I couldn't ask for a better group," said Mater Dei coach Maura Hulme. "The fight they left on the field was what we expected. Hats off to Lawrenceburg. They were a great group and put away their opportunities. They took it to us in the first half for a good 20 minutes. (Our seniors) have been with us for three years under my belt. They're a really hard-working group and their leadership is second to none."

No. 7 Bloomington South defeated No. 12 Castle 2-1 in overtime to win the 3A boys final at Seymour. Isaiah Goodge tied the game for the Knights in the final minutes of regulation. Their postseason run came to a close when Tom Henry Berry one-timed a cross with 1:52 left in overtime. Castle (15-4-1) will graduate 13 seniors.

No. 14 Center Grove bested No. 7 Castle 1-0 in the 3A girls final at Seymour . Aubrie LeMasters scored the lone goal for the Trojans in the first half. The Knights (16-3-2) advanced to the regional championship for the second straight season despite losing three starters to knee injuries within the past month. They'll graduate six seniors.

Joining Memorial in the semistate round is Northeast Dubois. The Jeeps knocked out No. 6 Providence in the 1A boys final at Providence , 5-4 in penalty kicks, to win their first regional title in program history. The game was played to a scoreless draw through 94 minutes of regulation plus overtime. Northeast Dubois (14-5) faces No. 5 Greenwood Christian Academy on Saturday.

No. 5 Providence defeated No. 8 Forest Park 5-0 in the 1A girls final at Providence . Molly Richards had three goals and Kamden Pierce scored twice for the Pioneers. The Rangers finished with a 15-6 record.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Memorial boys soccer continues postseason surge with IHSAA regional championship