Girls Soccer: Amy Alexander’s hat trick sends Wheaton Academy past Princeton back to state

MENDOTA - Wheaton Academy never gave Princeton a chance in Monday’s Mendota Class 2A Super-Sectional soccer match.

The Warriors dominated the possession of the ball throughout the match, not allowing a single shot for nearly the first 46 minutes with Princeton only briefing crossing midfield with the ball.

The Tigresses (11-5) only managed three shots in the game, all thwarted by the pink-shirted Warriors keeper Brooke Hermes.

Meanwhile, Wheaton Academy senior Amy Alexander poured in three goals and Jocelyn Royce and Evan De Souza provided one each to send the Warriors to state for the third time in five seasons but first time since 2017 with a 5-0 victory.

“Definitely our style of play is possession. So I think just trying to keep it on their side of the field was really our goal,” Alexander said.

The Warriors (18-4) advance to state for Friday’s 1A semifinals at Hoffman Estates High School at 11 a.m. awaiting the winner of Tuesday’s Columbia Super-Sectional between Alton Marquette (13-6-1) and Belleville Althoff (19-2).

Alexander is excited to get to go to state.

“We all didn’t get a season last year so since the beginning of the season, our goal was really just to go to state and I think we’re taking one game at a time,” Alexander said. “Just really grateful to play each game. It’s a gift. We’re really excited. We’ve been looking forward to this basically all season.

“We have never got this far in my four years at Wheaton Academy. It’s kind of surreal my senior year to take a team to the final four.”

How far can they go?

“I wanted to go the whole way. I want to take it home,” Alexander said.

Wheaton Academy freshman Eva De Souza said state has been the Warriors’ goal the whole year.

“The coaches have told us at the beginning of the year, we get to write our own story. This is our season,” she said. “We didn’t get one last year. Pick your moment. We’ve just been pushing had and working hard to get here.”

PHS senior Savanna Birkey and coach David Gray said the Warriors were just very technically sound.

“They had good touches, played well as a team,” Birkey said.

“They’re a very technical team. Every one of their girls could control the ball at their feet. Their first touch and second touch was solid. Their movement off the ball was good so they were in support for each other was strong,” Gray said.

Alexander got the Warriors on the board in the 15th minute, taking a corner kick from Emily Setran.

“The goal is just to kind of it get it up there and I try to find it,” Alexander said.

The Warriors cashed in two more goals by Jocelyn Royce at 10:26 and a penalty kick by Alexander to take a 3-0 halftime lead.

It only took the Warriors less than seven minutes into the second half to score again with Eva Sousa having the honors.

Alexander converted her third hat trick of the same with her third goal of the game to cap the scoring.

“It was a lot of fun. Great ball movement by our winger Emily Setran and I was just in the right place at the right time,” Alexander said.