Two McHenry County schools will represent the area during the girls soccer state tournament at North Central College in Naperville.

Crystal Lake Central (20-2) will compete in Class 2A, while unbeaten Johnsburg (18-0) will play for the Class 1A championship. The Tigers, who placed third at state in 2023, are shooting for their second state title in three seasons. The Skyhawks finished second last season and are attempting to reach Saturday’s championship match once again.

In what will be a battle of unbeatens, Johnsburg will take on Pleasant Plains co-op (25-0-2) in the semifinal round at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Cardinals, who hail from the Springfield area, have the highest-scoring offense of the remaining Class 1A teams. The team has scored 181 goals in 27 games, an average of 6.7 goals per game.

The Cardinals have been equally as dominant on defense, allowing just five goals all season. Bailey Leach, a senior forward and Illinois State recruit who scored 50 goals for the Cardinals in 2025, has 49 goals and 25 assists this season to lead the team. Five players have scored at least 20 goals, while six players have at least 10 assists this year.

The winner will advance to face either Father McGivney (22-2-3) or Timothy Christian (14-5-1) in the state finals at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The loser will compete for third place at 9:30 a.m. Friday. Johnsburg has seen Timothy Christian before. The Skyhawks faced the Trojans in last year’s semifinals, winning 2-1 on a late goal by Charlie Eastland.

Johnsburg, which dominated Rockford Christian 9-0 at Marian Central on Monday to claim its second straight supersectional title, could be without top scorer Liz Smith this week. The senior forward, who has 33 goals and eight assists this season, injured her right ankle after scoring a goal during the first half of Johnsburg’s supersectional win.

“She’ll be back,” Charlie Eastland said after Monday’s victory. “Out of anybody on this team, she will work and power through everything. She wants to be on that field more than anybody.”

Crystal Lake Central will play Lemont in the Class 2A semifinals at 12:30 p.m. Friday. Lemont (23-1-1) shut out Geneva 3-0 to win its supersectional Tuesday night. The team is on a 12-game winning streak, and during that time has allowed just three goals. The team has scored 126 goals (5.04 goals per game) in 2026.

Lemont is playing its final season under coach Rick Prangen, who has more than 400 victories along with 20 regional titles, nine sectional titles, seven supersectional titles and three top-3 state finishes in his time with the girls program. Prangen has also coached boys soccer, leading Lemont to 15 regional titles and seven sectional titles since 1992.

Senior forward Addison Schaffer, a Loyola soccer recruit, has fueled Central’s postseason charge. Schaffer, a member of Central’s third-place team in 2023 and the state-championship team in 2024, had two assists in the team’s regional win over Prairie Ridge. Since then, she’s totaled four goals and three assists for the Tigers, who took out Belvidere North and Lake Forest for sectional and supersectional wins.

“It’s been a while, but I love being back,” Schaffer said Monday night.

The winner will take on either St. Francis (12-4) or Morton (25-1-1) in the championship game at 4:45 p.m. Saturday. The loser will play for third place at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Of the remaining Class 2A teams, Morton has the stingiest defense. The Potters have allowed only four goals all season, and 24 of their wins have come via shutout.