The 2025-2026 Rockford Christian girls are at it again.
And Belvidere North’s girls soccer team is right there with them.
Rockford Christian’s girls soccer team joined its girls volleyball and girls basketball teams on long runs in the postseason with a berth to Friday’s sectional finals. The Royal Lions placed fourth in the state in volleyball and fourth in the state in girls basketball. And after Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Genoa-Kingston, they are knocking on the door of another state tourney.
“I guess it’s a good time to be a girl at Rockford Christian,” head soccer coach Eron Harvey said. “This is just a good, young, athletic group of girls, and they’re playing strong at just the right time.”
Led by junior Ava Reese, who has 21 goals on the season, Rockford Christian (14-8) will take on Aurora Central Catholic (11-4-4) at 5 p.m. Friday in Hinckley-Big Rock. Sophomore Alyssa Meyers has five goals on the year after scoring the game-winner on Tuesday, and freshman Kayla Nafranowicz scored the game-winner against Winnebago in the first round of the playoffs, and she has two goals on the year.
Friday’s winner advances to the Woodstock Marian Super-Sectional on Monday, with the winner from that one earning a bid to the Final Four, and the IHSA state girls soccer tournament in Naperville on May 28 and May 30.
Belvidere North steps up
The Blue Thunder of Belvidere North (15-1-1) trailed 2-0, but rallied for a 3-2 double-overtime victory over Lake Villa Lakes (14-7) in Wednesday’s 2A sectional semifinal. They now get their shot at a sectional title as well.
Senior Haylee Gallas scored North’s second goal to tie the game, and she added a one-timer for the game winner in the second OT as well. Freshman Amelia Derry had the first goal for North.
“This group just knows when to turn it on,” North head coach Rick Mateus said. “They settled down, and they got it done.”
They will now take on Crystal Lake Central, the 2024 2A state champs, on the road at 4 p.m. Friday for the right to play in Monday’s Lake Zurich Super-Sectional.
Byron’s 1A playoff run ended with the 2-1 defeat to Aurora Central Catholic. And Guilford bowed out with a 4-1 loss to Gurnee Warren in Tuesday’s 3A Harlem sectional semi.
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and sign up for the Rockford High School Sports Newsletter here at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks to local youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford Christian, Belvidere North sail into IHSA soccer sectional finals
Reporting by Jay Taft, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
