With time winding down in the first half, Johnsburg’s Kayla Hiller put one touch on the ball and fired a right-footed shot toward the net.

Looking to give the Skyhawks a one-goal advantage during Monday’s Kishwaukee River Conference match against Harvard, Hiller fielded a pass from teammate Dorothy Ruth and angled her shot toward the upper left corner of the net. Hiller’s shot, which came from outside the penalty area, zoomed through gusting winds and into the goal.

The junior midfielder’s goal made up for an early and rare concession by the Skyhawks, who added a goal midway through the second half to beat Harvard 3-1 in a resumption of a weather-delayed match that kicked off over a week ago. With the win, Johnsburg (9-0, 6-0 KRC) remained unbeaten and sealed the KRC regular season championship.

“When Dorothy passed it to me, I really focused on my touch and shot it,” Hiller said. “We really wanted to come out strong, but that didn’t happen. We started slow, but we picked it up and came together.”

Hiller’s goal, which came in the 40th minute, preceded a dominant second half from the Skyhawks. Johnsburg rarely allowed Harvard (8-3-1, 4-2 KRC) out of its side of the field, applying constant pressure and capitalizing on strong tailwinds. The Skyhawks put over a dozen shots on goal and ended the match with a 9-2 advantage in corners.

“This group is used to being against the wall and being brave,” Johnsburg coach Rob Eastland said. “Sometimes, I think kids get into these situations and they’re nervous. These girls have played together for so long. Half of these girls have been together since they were 6 or 7 years old. When they get into these games, they’re confident.”

Jarithsie Mercado and the Harvard back line held strong for most of the second half. The senior goalkeeper compiled 21 saves, stopping multiple free kicks by Johnsburg defender Jacquelyn Douglas that carried through the air and toward the Hornets’ net. Mercado also showed toughness in the box, going to the ground for key saves.

“We play very defensive against tough teams,” Harvard coach Victor Gonzalez said. “Our keeper knows she has to step up and make those saves. She got scored on, but those were great opportunities they created and they deserved it. We saw that we could play with them. They’re confident they can play with the best in our conference.”

Shortly after a free kick by Douglas nearly snuck into the Harvard net in the 60th minute, Johnsburg’s consistent pressure finally paid off. Senior midfielder Lauren McQuiston launched a corner into the box that another senior, Elaina Moss, tapped in amid a sea of bodies to give the Skyhawks a two-goal advantage during the 64th minute.

Monday’s match started at the 29:42 mark of the first half. The two teams met on April 17, when Johnsburg took a 1-0 lead before poor weather forced a postponement. On Monday, Harvard appeared to seize control, evening the score on a perfectly-timed cross from Giada Reising that Julie Silva headed in during the 15th minute.

“We had to be aggressive early,” Gonzalez said. “We had the wind at our backs, so we wanted to be aggressive, get the ball in the box and anything can happen from there. If we find Julie, it’s pretty much a goal from there. Having already played them for those 10 minutes, we noticed we could hang with them. They’re a tough, physical team.”

It was just the third goal allowed all season by the Skyhawks, who’ve outscored opponents 46-3 over their first nine matches. Johnsburg quickly recovered, however, posting promising shots on goal in the 25th and 35th minutes before Hiller’s strike put the Skyhawks up once again. Goalkeeper Lila Konrad notched four saves in the win.

“I just talked with my teammates and made sure we kept our heads up and didn’t let that goal get us down,” Douglas said. “We’ve been in those situations before and we know we can always bounce back.”

Johnsburg, an IHSA Class 1A state finalist last season that has seven shutout victories this season, clinched the No. 1 seed for the KRC tournament. The tournament begins on Thursday before concluding with semifinal and championship matches next week. Harvard will be the No. 3 seed and Richmond-Burton will hold the No. 2 seed.

“The defense has made a powerful statement this year,” Eastland said. “You’ll never get the stats on defense, but when you see three goals allowed all season, I think that’s making a statement.”