Girls soccer: Brooklynn Carlson records hat trick, Crystal Lake Central topples McHenry

MCHENRY – Brooklynn Carlson wanted to become more selective with her shots this season.

The Crystal Lake Central sophomore focused on taking better shots and finishing when her team teammates created lanes for her to score.

Carlson showed her growth against McHenry on Thursday afternoon, recording a hat trick in the Tigers’ 7-1 win.

“Sometimes I just need to find the right shot, and sometimes passing is the better option, so I like to pass it out to my forwards,” Carlson said. “I’m more selective.”

Crystal Lake Central (11-2, 6-1 FVC) didn’t waste any time getting after the Warriors. Sadie Quinn scored 54 seconds into the match off a shot just outside the corner of the box.

Carlson scored her first goal of the match by heading the ball in during a scramble in front of the net to make it 2-0 with 27:50 left in the first half. The sophomore scored again on a fast break to make it 3-0 with 21:06 left in the first half and completed the hat trick with another fast-break goal with 32:06 left in the match.

Skyler Wolfgram, Jillian Mueller and Lizzie Gray all scored in the second half.

The Tigers always want to start fast, but coach Sarah Fack emphasized quick scoring with the potential for inclement weather to move into the area during the match.

“We kind of played like the game could be done at halftime if we get those storms,” Fack said. “They figured out a way real fast, so that was good to see.”

Kylie Parisi scored McHenry’s lone goal when she knocked in a rebound with 5:44 left in the first half.

The Warriors (6-5-1, 4-3) struggled to move the ball through the Tigers’ midfield. McHenry’s plan was to move the ball outside, but Central’s midfield attacked and moved the ball effectively to stop the Warriors from getting good looks at the net.

“That’s a tough loss,” said McHenry assistant Mitch Strengel, who filled in for head coach Andrew Stegenga. “That’s a good team, but that does not reflect our team. We’ve played in a lot of good games, but it’s a tough conference. Every game is a blood bath.”

McHenry will play Grayslake Central on Monday and will return to FVC play Tuesday against Burlington Central.

Crystal Lake Central stayed half a game up on Cary-Grove for the FVC lead with Thursday’s win – the Trojans defeated Burlington Central, 3-1, on Thursday. Cary-Grove has one more conference match against Hampshire on Tuesday while the Crystal Lake Central has two.

The Tigers will play Prairie Ridge on Tuesday and can win at least a share of the conference title with a win against the Wolves or they can win the title outright with a win and Cary-Grove loss. Crystal Lake Central will close out its conference slate against Burlington Central on May 13.

A conference title has been a goal all season for the Tigers, which is why they’ve treated each match as a must-win.

With two matches left, nothing will change.

“Having this one behind this, we want two wins, we want to go all the way through, win every game that we can,” Fack said. “Our job’s not done, they know it’s not done, and we’re just excited to hopefully get that championship at the end.”