Herscher has been one of the state’s most consistently competitive girls soccer programs over the last decade-plus, but just a week after winning their 10th straight regional title, the Tigers (21-3) had their season come to an end in upset fashion.

They fell 1-0 to Lisle (15-3-1) in Saturday’s championship game of the IHSA Class 1A Lisle Sectional at Benedictine University, bringing an end to the program’s winningest season since 2019, also the year Lisle won its last sectional title.

“It was a heartbreaker,” Herscher head coach Christopher Longtin said. “[Lisle] was able to score one, they out-hustled one, and sometimes that’s all it takes to move on to the next stage.”

Lisle had previously fallen 3-0 to Herscher in Illinois Central Eight Conference play back on April 30, but with 6:34 to go in the opening half, Lily Rocha headed in a pass from Mila Rosas to finally break through against a stout Tiger defense.

That held up as the game winner for the sophomore, who after scoring 14 goals in a breakout freshman season, has emerged as the Lions’ leading scorer.

“It feels great,” she said. “I just like to be a team player and I like helping my team out in the best ways I can. Finishing today was just what needed to happen to get it done.”

Herscher’s offense was at bit of a disadvantage from the opening kick Saturday with senior Gianni Jaime, a 100-goal scorer and the program’s all-time assist leader, unavailable for the game.

But despite the absence of perhaps the area’s best all-around offensive player, the Tigers nearly tied things up multiple times in the second half.

Senior Danica Woods had a shot from a tough angle sail just wide with 22 minutes to play. About five minutes later, Gianna High sent a shot off Lisle goalkeeper Claire Gurgone. The rebound deflected to senior Sophie Venckauskas, but her shot missed its mark.

The win was the second in a row for the Lions against a team that had beaten them in ICE play in the regular season, following a 3-0 win over Peotone in Tuesday’s sectional semis.

Head coach Jamie Clemmons said trading those regular season losses for playoff wins is exactly what the team hoped to do.

“We always tell the girls, ‘would you rather win the conference title or advance in the playoffs?’” he said. ”...We felt like we didn’t play well the first time we played these two teams, and we adjusted to how we wanted to play.”

Lisle will play Timothy Christian in Monday’s supersectional at Dominican University, looking to advance to state for the first time since 2019.

“We just have to find the back of the net early on,” Rocha said. “That seems to help us out, especially in the last two games. Scoring in the first half, we really keep the momentum going.”

For Herscher, Venckauskas, Woods, and fellow seniors Brooklyn Parmley, Laney Mohler, Allison Venckauskas and Ava Taylor played their final game Saturday.

This senior class certainly left their mark on the program, with players like Woods, previously a goalkeeper who moved to midfield this season for the first time, and Sophie Venckauskas, who moved to forward the last two years and became the team’s second-leading scorer, representing a group that left it on the field one more time Saturday.

“It’s an absolutely fantastic senior group,” Longtin said. “When Sophie started her career, she was on D, and now is a top player in the area in goals. Danica contributing another 10 was huge.

“...Just all the way down the line, to Laney and [Allison Venckauskas]. Those guys were fantastic.”

The Tigers will bring plenty of talent back next season.

High set the IHSA single-season assist record with 44 as a junior. Junior goalie Addie Wilkins and center back Leia Haubner will be back to anchor a defense that posted 15 shutouts this season.

“Having some of those younger ones come along, some that are on the field and some on the bench, and see what we can accomplish when we put in the work, it helps our program a lot,” Longtin said. “It helps them understand what we do and how important it is. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house here, so that means they all care about what was happening and what we wanted to accomplish.”