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Plenty of drama at Hinsdale Central, Hoffman Estates sectionals
By Curt Herron Can Hinsdale Central avenge an earlier loss to Lyons Township to capture its third straight sectional championship? Or will the Lions be able to get past the rival Red Devils again for a possible third matchup with top-ranked Neuqua Valley? Will St. Charles North follow up on an unlikely sectional championship from a year ago with another unexpected title? Can Wheaton North continue its darkhorse run through the playoffs after going 1-7-2 record toward the end of the regular season? And will Geneva overcome the loss of many talented performers from a year ago to capture another sectional championship? Those are just some of the questions that will be answered at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central and Hoffman Estates sectionals. Play gets underway today with two matches at Hoffman Estates and one at Hinsdale, which has its other semifinal on Wednesday. All five of the schools that this website has covered this season feel that they can walk away with a sectional plaque. Hinsdale Central Sectional Hinsdale Central (15-6-2) takes on Morton at 3:30 p.m. today in the first match of the Hinsdale Central Sectional at Centennial field. Mike Wiggins' Red Devils hope to get past the Mustangs in order to have a rematch with Lyons Township (21-3) in Saturday's 11 a.m. finals. Paul Labbato's Lions defeated Hinsdale 3-0 in Western Springs on September 29 in a match that was much closer than the score indicates. Hinsdale, which has won eight straight matches since its loss to LT, defeated Morton a year ago in the sectional finals. The Red Devils have won two straight sectional titles and have reached the sectional finals in five of the last eight years. LT, which owns a 10-match winning streak, needs to get past upstart Fenwick in Wednesday's 3:30 semifinal match in Hinsdale. The Lions, who last won a sectional championship in 2005, have reached the sectional finals in three of the past four years. In another score of note involving the four teams in the field, LT defeated Morton 1-0 in a match played on October 3. The Red Devils advanced to sectional play after beating Whitney Young 2-0 in Saturday's De La Salle Regional. Mike Oleszkiewicz scored both goals for Hinsdale, following assists from Robbie LaRocque and Cameron Legan. The sectional winner advances to next Tuesday's Benedictine University Super-Sectional against the Naperville North Sectional champion. Hoffman Estates Sectional It's a good bet that several of the squads in the Hoffman Estates Sectional weren't figured to still be alive at this point of the season. Favored Geneva (18-4-2) may be the exception, but it has certainly exceeded expectations after losing many top players from a year ago. Ryan Estabrook's Vikings have gone 11-1-1 in their last 13 matches and meet Schaumburg in tonight's last semifinal match at 6:30 p.m. Geneva has competed for sectional championships that past two seasons and has been in the title match in three of the last five years. The Vikings, who last won a sectional title in 2007, also own a 3-1 win over St. Charles North and a 2-1 victory over Wheaton North. Those two squads square off in Tuesday's 4:30 p.m. semifinal match in a meeting that appeared unlikely just a couple of weeks ago. But Eric Willson's North Stars (11-10-3) have won four straight and Bryce Cann's Falcons (7-9-5) own a three match winning streak. St. Charles North lost four in a row to start a 2-8-3 stretch while Wheaton North lost five straight matches during a late 1-7-2 span. The North Stars have played for sectional championships and also won them in both the 2008 and 2006 seasons. Wheaton North's last sectional final trip was in 2005, the only time that it has won a sectional championship. Whoever wins Friday's 6 p.m. title match will meet the winner of the Barrington Sectional at next Tuesday's Barrington Super-Sectional.
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HINSDALE CENTRAL SCHEDULE
Wednesday Saturday
HOFFMAN ESTATES SCHEDULE
Recent Sectional Championship matches
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