Crystal Lake Central coach Leah Rutkowski recently let forward Ella Bechler know it’s OK to be a little selfish.

While the the senior is a big-time facilitator on Central’s high-scoring attack with her crisp and accurate passes, she also owns one of the most powerful kicks on the team.

“Her numbers are in her assists because her service is just so fantastic. She can play a ball from almost anywhere,” Rutkowski said. “But she has such an incredibly, powerful shot. I’ve been asking her lately to try and take some and put some on frame because she obviously can.”

Bechler listened to her coach and put her powerful right foot to work Monday against Hononegah. Bechler scored the game’s first goal eight minutes in on a shot just outside the penalty area to the far post and added another in the first half as top-seeded Central coasted to an 8-0 win over third-seeded Hononegah in a Class 2A Crystal Lake Central Sectional girls soccer semifinal in Crystal Lake.

Senior forward Addison Schaffer added two goals and an assist in the first half, and Allison Barnett, Jordin Gaunard, Skyler Ferrero and Avery Chan also had goals in the runaway victory.

The Tigers (18-2) will look to win their fourth straight sectional title when they meet No. 1 Belvidere North or No. 2 Lakes at 4 p.m. Friday. Lakes handed Central one of its two losses during the regular season.

Bechler was happy to kick off Central’s scoring Monday.

“I was running down, I saw (Schaffer) running in the middle open and I knew that she was going to be able to give me a perfect ball through,” Bechler said of her opening goal with 32:19 left in the opening half. “I just knew I had to place it once I got it.”

Central didn’t give Hononegah a chance to breathe after Bechler’s goal, with Schaffer scoring 27 seconds later on a breakaway.

After Monday’s win, the Tigers are averaging 5.2 goals a game.

“I just think we connected really well,” Bechler said of Central’s offense, which put 15 shots on goal to Hononegah’s three. “We were able to get on each other’s crosses and make sure no ball was going through the goal. We were getting a touch on it. We knew in that second half we had to have no letdowns.”

Already leading 5-0, the Tigers wasted no time as Gaunaurd scored 29 seconds after halftime.

“That’s what we ask for every game, to set the tone,” Rutkowski said. “Eighty minutes sounds long, but you like to get it done early and dictate the pace. Put it on our terms is kind of how we like to operate.

“We knew that they’re a tough team that’s not going to fold being down at halftime. Jordin runs hard up top, she’s got so much energy and so much fire that she can do that for us. Kind of brings a little spark for us.”

Ferrero, who normally plays defense or midfield, was moved up top late in the game and looked to make an impact right away.

The junior sailed a shot over the crossbar with six minutes left, but found the back of the net two minutes later. Ferrero took a few dribbles inside the penalty area, turned and fired a shot past a diving Hononegah goalkeeeper into the lower corner of the net for a 7-0 lead.

After time was cut in half with the Tigers up seven, Chan scored the Tigers’ eighth with about 30 seconds left.

“I’m kind of looking to score anytime I get up there,” Ferrero said. “It’s always fun when I get thrown in at the 9 (center forward) or the wings. I’ve been in almost every position other than the wings, so that was really exciting for me. I’m a big runner and it’s always fun to run down there and send one in.”

Ferrero is another high-energy player for Rutkowski.

“That’s just Skyler. She’s 100 mph in everything she does, every minute of every game,” Rutkowski said. “No matter where we put her, she is going to give it her all, and that was a big part of what we talked about going into the game. We knew it was going to be hard and we’d have to fight through hard minutes to get it done.

“They took that to heart, and they worked so hard today to make it happen. It was awesome to see.”