Bulldogs earn big win in C-U Showcase debut: 'It was such an amazing event'

"It was just a good, physical, organized first half for both teams," Hackman said. "They had the ball, but I think it was an even game in terms of goal-scoring chances. It was exactly what we were looking for. You could tell there was a completely different light in their eyes. They came out and stepped up to the moment. The grandeur of it all is part of the reason we played so well in the first half."

On the other side, Davis was happy with his team's effort. The Bulldogs were getting plenty of shots on goal, and he knew that as long as they kept it up, one was bound to go in.

"That was the halftime talk: 'We're getting good chances, but for whatever reason, they're not going in. Just keep playing,'" Davis said. "We just needed to relax, keep doing what we were doing and continue to execute."

It finally came in the 51st minute. M-S senior forward Ella Walk sent a long bomb toward the net from the right side of the field, catching Pitcher just out of position, and the ball landed right behind her and tucked into the left corner of the net.

"We were a little bit down on ourselves in the field half because we just couldn't hit the back of the net. We kept giving ourselves chances but just couldn't get them," Welge said. "In the second half, we came out with a lot more energy, like 'We're going to do this. Let's just get one in the back of the net.' Once we got one, they just kept coming."

Just four minutes later, Welge hit the crossbar again, but this time, the ball hit the bottom of the bar and ricocheted over the line for a goal. Walk scored again in the 65th minute on a simple clean-up shot in front of the net after Pitcher made another save, and Welge scored the final goal in the 71st minute with a header.

"First header ever," Welge said with a smile. "It was a really special moment considering it was on a really, really awesome field."

Maroons cruise to win over Tigers

While this was only the fourth-annual iteration of the C-U Showcase's current format — this year's event featured a record eight high school teams — Champaign Central and Urbana competed in the very first lower-scale version of it in the early 2000s.

The Twin City rivals competed against each other once more on Saturday, with the Maroons coming away with a 9-1 win at Demirjian Park.

"It's so much fun," Central coach Steve Whiteley said. "It's an event we look forward to every year, regardless of who we're playing or what the final scoreline is. Whether it's a win or a loss, it's so much fun to be here and play here. It's probably the best field in the state. It should be where the state finals are."

Playing on this field never gets old, evident in the Maroons (7-2-1) showing just as much excitement as the Bulldogs did experiencing it for the first time.

"It's way more exciting for all of us," Central junior forward Rylie Schulze said. "Some of us will never get to play on a college soccer field like this, and this is the biggest field some of us will ever play on. Waking up and getting to play here in front of all these fans who come to watch us is a great opportunity, and it definitely makes you more excited to play."

Central senior midfielder Chloe Sikora added that there is a little pressure that comes with playing on that big of a stage, but she hasn't let that overshadow just how special of an opportunity it is.

"You just have to have fun because you're not going to play on a bigger stage than this," Sikora said. "We know it's going to be a fun game but also a hard game. We just want to make sure our team is giving our best effort throughout practice the whole week."

The Maroons had plenty of fun on Saturday, and it started early. Schulze slipped behind the defense and scored the game's first goal not even three minutes in, and she found the back of the net a second time just four minutes later.

Urbana (4-7) responded immediately after Schulze's second goal, as freshman Leilani Hernandez chipped the ball over Central goalie Evie O'Brien's head to get the Tigers on the board.

That momentum didn't last long, as Kallyn Elliot sprinted past everyone up the left side 30 seconds later and fired one home to put Central ahead 3-1. From that moment on, it was all Maroons. Schulze scored another goal in the 27th minute to give her a first-half hat trick, and Sikora found the back of the net on a free kick in the 31st minute, sending the Maroons into halftime with a 5-1 lead.

"We want to put our best foot forward, and I think we did just that," Schulze said. "We focused on team bonding off the field this year. All we focus on is being positive, helping each other out and working together, and I think that has definitely influenced how we play on the field."

It was more of the same in the second half. Schulze struck again right out of the gates for her fourth goal of the game, followed almost immediately by Elliot's second goal. Halle Youse scored in the 46th minute to put Central up 8-1 and start the abbreviated clock, and Sikora put in one last goal, a 30-yard snipe to the top-right corner, with 13 minutes to go to put a bow on an impressive win.

"We want to be playing our best soccer when we get to the playoffs," Whiteley said. "That doesn't mean we're going to win, but we want to be proud of what we put out there in May so that we can say it was our best game. If we get beat, we get beat, but with this crew, there is no ceiling. We're not putting any expectations on them. We're taking it a game at a time with the mentality of playing our best game and seeing what happens."

Illineks, Sages notch wins

Uni High and St. Thomas More kicked off the showcase with the best game of the day. The Sabers led 1-0 at halftime, but the Illineks caught fire in the second half and earned a 3-2 comeback victory.

"They came storming back at the start of the second half, and I am so proud of them," Uni High coach Cora Messick said.

Cali Cooper, Eleni Deltas and Lucia Menegon-Garcia each scored goals for the Illineks (4-7), with Deltas adding one assist and Ava Roberts making 12 saves at goalie. Jordyn Reed and Emerson Clark scored STM's (6-3-1) goals, and Leighton Clark recorded an assist.

Following that exciting start to the day, Monticello (11-3-1) earned a 6-0 win over Danville (2-12) to lead into the back half of the event.

Prior to Central and Urbana's game, the Illinois women's soccer team played an exhibition game against St. Louis University. This was the first time the host program has been featured in the C-U Showcase, and while the Illini didn't come out on the winning end, they put on a show for all the high-schoolers preparing to take the field.

"That was the coolest part, for the girls to get here and watch Illinois play," Whiteley said. "I know it was a spring game, but to see how those Illinois players play in what is not the highest-stakes game, you couldn't tell. The communication, effort and support is high-level. To get to see that as part of this event was so cool because I do have kids who are going to play in college."