The Class 2 semifinal round will open at noon on Friday with a pair of St Louis teams facing off, followed by a pair of Kansas City area teams at 2:00 pm
Notre Dame Rebels (18-6-1) -
Visitation Vivettes (19-5) –
A rematch of last years final, won by Visitation. The two teams met in the final match of the regular season in a game won by Viz 4-3. Here’s the Post-Dispatch description:
The Vivettes dominated the ball and spent most of the match knocking it around on the Rebels’ half of the field. Lydia Harlan netted her first career hat-trick, scoring the last three Visitation goals after junior Julia Bartolacci tied the game 1-1 with 15 minutes to go in the first half. Harlan, who now has 11 goals on the season, is one of the many weapons Visitation has at its disposal. Sophomore striker Jade Klump and senior midfielder Courtney Young lead the team in goals with 20 and 16, respectively.
For the Rebels, midfielder Michelle Auer (#4), tallied two goals in the game, pushing her season total to 41 at the time. She now has 49 goals and 17 assists for 115 points. Auer was the 2010 Class 2 Player of the Year and has committed to SIU-Edwardsville. Jessica Bayens (#3) is headed for D2 Rockhurst and Elizabeth Flowers (#13) will play at McKendree (NAIA).
Visitation is sending Mackenzie Barringhaus and Ellie Bumb to Bellarmine (D2-GLVC) while Kaitlyn Deister will play at Missouri S&T (D2-GLVC), Courtney Young joins Auer at SIU-Edwardsville (D1-OVC) and Lydia Harlin is headed to Denison (D3)
Harrisonville Wildcats (23-4) -
Notre Dame de Sion Storm (15-6) -
A rematch of last year’s Quarterfinal game, won by the Storm 1-0, will call on the Wildcat’s full powers to advance to the title match. The Storm, ranked either #3 or #2 all year in the Missouri Soccer Coaches poll, are led by Junior forward Caroline Shay and defender Haley Fritzlen, a Midwest All-American last year headed to Marquette this season (Shay has also verballed to Marquette, with NDdSion coached by Marquette grad Matt Darby.
The two teams met early this season, in a game won 3-0 by Notre Dame de Sion. Later in the season, Pembroke Hill, who Harrisonville defeated 2-1 had lost 4-0 the previous week to the Storm. . Another factor to consider is strength of schedule. Notre Dame de Sion competed in the MO-KS Border battle, losing 0-2 to St Thomas Aquinas as well as playing a full complement of Class 3 programs in the KC area.
The Wildcats have four college signees, including Christina Harold (#1) and Alex Erickson (#2), headed to Park University (NAIA), Shalyne Wheeler (#7) to Southwest Baptist University (D2-MIAA) and Karson Wilson (#18), Emporia State University (D2-MIAA) who will look to finish their careers on the highest note possible.
The Championship game between Notre Dame (STL)/Visitation and Harrisonville/Notre Dame (KC) will be played Saturday at 4:00 pm.
The 3rd place game between Notre Dame (STL)/Visitation and Harrisonville/Notre Dame (KC) will be played Saturday at 10:00 am.
Common opponents for Harrisonville and Notre Dame (STL) is Marshall. The Rebels walloped Marshall 8-0 at the West Plains Tournament in late April while Harrisonville defeated Marshall 4-0 earlier in April.