Alton players celebrate a goal during a regular-season gamne against city rival Marquette Catholic High. Alton finished its season 12-6-3 after falling to top-seeded Collinsville in the championship game of the Collinsville Class 3A Regional Tournament. 
Scott Kane File Photos | For The Telegraph

GODFREY — Jeff Hayes knew that if his Alton High girls soccer team was to have a chance of upsetting top-seeded Collinsville in the 3A regional final, things would have to break nearly perfectly for his Redbirds. But when Taylor Devine put the Kahoks ahead with a goal in the first five minutes of play, Hayes knew an upset would be even tougher.

“It’s tough to go down early against a team as good as Collinsville, ” Hayes said. “It’s difficult enough to beat a team like that.”

Alton went on to drop that title match 5-0 Saturday at Kahok Stadium. It wasn’t the ending the Redbirds and their finds wanted, of course, but according to Hayes, “It wasn’t for lack of effort.”

The first-year AHS coach said that despite the way the season ending, the 12-6-3 Redbirds came a long way in a short period of time this season.

“We set some goals at the beginning of the season,” Hayes said. “Those were realistic goals and we achieved many of them.

“With us being such a young team, I wasn’t sure how we would compete at this level. We fell short of some of the goals, but overall, I thought we improved from Day 1 and showed that we definitely can hold our own.”

The Redbirds’ appearance in the regional title game was in itself a goal that some doubted could happen – as late as the eve of the tournament last week. Alton faced Belleville East in the semifinals and advanced with an overtime penalty-kick victory.

“That game showed how tough this team became,” Hayes said. “We had a good blend of young players and older ones who helped with their experience.”

One those younger players, freshman Alaina Nasello, earned a starting spot at forward and finished second on the team in scoring with nine goals and five assists.

“Alaina was small but mighty,” Hayes said of the diminutive Nasello, who stands 5-1. “She’s tough as they come. She’s definitely a fighter. I think it’s in her DNA.”

Nasello is the daughter of former Alton coach and player Greg Nasello adn the niece of former Redbird Tim Nasello. Her older brother , C.J. Nasello will be a senior next fall and is a starter for the AHS boys soccer team.

Alaina Nasello was forced to miss the regional final after going down with an ankle injury in the Belleville East game.

“She definitely didn’t want to come out,” Hayes said. “Even when we were carrying her off the field, she was telling us she was OK.”

Leading the way offensively was another “youngster,’ sophomore Bri Hatfield.

“She does so much, it’s hard to remember sometimes that she was a sophomore,” Hayes said. “We relied on her an awful lot, but she never complained, even though she had some aches and pains along the way,.

Hatfield led the Redbirds in scoring with 14 goals and 10 assists.

Among the other players in the youth movement are sophomore forward Katie Kercher, who scored eight goals and had five assists, and freshman forward Morgan Rauscher, who had two goals and two assists.

Sydney Mossman – one of only three seniors – helped anchor the midfield and scored two goals and added an assist along the way.

The Redbirds’ defense drew plenty of praise from Hayes.

“We gave up fewer goals than we did the last two years,” he said. “It’s a hard-working group that takes pride in playing defense.”

Alton, which started yhe season 5-0, outscored its opposition 49-29 and had four shutouts.

Among the leaders on defense were junior Lexi Schrimpf, freshman Calista Cox, sophomore Taylor Imming and junior Annie Evans.

Hayes platooned Julia-May Campbell and sophomore Michaela Lucas in goal, with Campbell logging about a half of a game more time over the course of the season.

“Having two good keepers is a luxury,” Hayes said. “We never settled on just one, but next year, I’m going to challenge them both to earn that spot. They’re both good athletes and good friends.”

Then Hayes mentioned freshman midfielder Megan Zini.

“She wasn’t on the JV roster to begin the season,” he said. “But she worked hard and before you now it, she’s giving us some important minutes at midfield on the varsity.

“She kind of epitomized our team this year – they kept working hard and kept improving.”

Reach Pete Hayes at 463-2500 or Twitter @HayeserPete

Marquette Catholic’s Annabelle Copeland, back, and Waterloo Gibault’s Monica Shuler battle for position during Wednesday night’s Class 1A Althoff Sectional semifinal game at McKendree University. Marquette won the game 1-0 on overtime penalty kicks. 
Billy Hurst | For The Telegraph

Members of the Alton High girls soccer team huddle prior to the kickoff of a recent Southwestern Conference game against Collinsville. Alton will meet Collinsville again Saturday for the championship of the Class 3A Collinsville Regional. The Redbirds advanced by outlasting Belleville East on overtime penalty kicks in Wednesday’s semifinals. 
Scott Kane File Photo | For The Telegraph

When the gray rubber artificial turf dust settled around 9:30 Wednesday night, a pair of high school soccer games some 12 miles apart had eerily similar finishes.

And fans made their long drives – happy drives – back to Alton.

While probably not enough to qualify for a Twilight Zone plot, there were striking similarities between the two games.

Consider, if you will …

Marquette Catholic survived an overtime penalty-kick marathon battle with Waterloo Gibault in the semifinals of the Althoff Class 1A Sectional Tournament at McKendree University in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, just down spooky Old Lebanon-Troy Road and through Collinsville’s infamous Seven Gates of Hell (Google it), the Alton Redbirds survived a marathon of their own. They got past Belleville East on an overtime penalties in the semifinals of the Class 3A Collinsville Regional at Kahok Stadium. Alton’s OT battle did Marquette’s one better. It came in the first round of sudden-death penalty kicks.

“I’m so happy for our girls,” Alton coach Jeff Hayes said. “This means a lot to them and the fans.”

Both games ended with a save by the winning team’s goalie.

Alton’s Julia May Campbell stopped Lauren Buschur’s PK to preserve the victory after teammate Lexi Schrimpf had converted hers leading off the second set – a sudden-death set – of penalties.

Marquette Lauren Fischer, with her team leading in its set of five PKs 4-3, saved a shot by Gibault’s Carly Olson in the fourth round, setting off an on-field celebration by the Explorers.

“Penalty kicks is a tough way to win, but it’s even tougher to lose on them,” Marquette coach Steve Mitchell said. “I’ve coached teams that have done both.”

The victories by Alton’s two prep teams mean they’ll make the return drive Saturday. Marquette will face Columbia at 4:30 p.m. in the sectional final at McKendree. Alton will face host and top-seeded Collinsville at 5 p.m. at Kahok Stadium.

At stake Saturday for the Kahoks and Redbirds will be a berth in next week’s 3A Sectional. Marquette will be looking for a return to the Illinois-Springfield 3A Super-Sectional, set for next Tuesday.

The PK win for Alton was its 12th victory of the season, but was its first over a Southwestern Conference opponent. The Lancers had defeated the Redbirds 1-0 earlier in the season in Belleville in a game Hayes described as one he and his assistant coaches had revisited several times in the interim between contests.

“We had some good chances in the first game against East,” Hayes said. “We really didn’t need to change tactics (for the rematch), just do the same things we had done better.”

Evidently the plan worked – but it took a while to come to fruition.

In the 1A sectional at McKendree’s Leemon Field, it was Gibault looking for a better result the second time around against Marquette. The Hawks had dropped a late-season 5-0 decision to Marquette at Gordon Moore Park.

Gibault gave the Explorers much more to handle the second time around.

Against East, Katie Kercher, assisted by Morgan Rauscher, gave the Redbirds a 1-0 lead, but high-scoring Lancer Grace Brauer tied it at 1-1 with her 26th. goal of the season. And that’s the way it remained until the PKs

In the first set of penalty kicks, Alton’s Annie Evans hit the crossbar and Sydney Mossman’s shot was saved. But the Redbirds rallied with successful attempts by Bri Hatfield, Calista Cox and Sydney Schmidt to tie it at 3-3.

With the Lancers shooting second in the first set of PKs, Annie Brown had a chance to lift her team to the victory after Schmidt’s conversion had tied it 3-3. But Brown’s shot was wide, setting up the thrilling conclusion.

Meanwhile, in the Marquette-Gibault game in Lebanon, Gibault’s Abby Hasenstab opened the shootout by clanging her shot off the right goalpost. That meant the Explorers need only convert all their chances to advance, but on the fifth set of shooters, Fischer left nothing to chance and secured the victory.

After Hasenstab’s miss, Marquette’s Bailey Hartrich scored. The Hawks got successful attempts from Robyn Lindsey, Maddie O’Neill and Abby Phelps before Hasenstab shot. Marquette got other PKs from Lauren Walsh, Elisa Senno and Adrianna Schindler.

Both coaches know their teams have tough assignments Saturday.

Top-seeded Collinsvile beat Alton 4-0 during the regular season.

“O’Fallon had a fantastic season, so this win is special to the girls,” Hayes said. “Collinsville has a great team, but we’re hoping to come in Saturday, play well, hopefully get some breaks and be a spoiler.”

Columbia and Marquette didn’t meet this season, but Mitchell knows the Eagles will be a handful.

“(Columbia) is a good team,” Mitchell said. “Hey, this is the playoffs and the games do not get easier as you go. You have to grind it out.”

Reach Pete Hayes at 463-2500 or Twitter @HayeserPete

COLLINSVILLE — The Alton Redbirds had to battle through 100 minutes of play and into a set of overtime penalty kicks, but they got their victory over a Southwestern Conference team Wednesday night.

And what a win.

Lexi Schrimpf scored in the first set of overtime PKs, then Alton goalie Julia May Campbell saved Belleville East’s ensuing attempt and Alton had secured itself a berth in Saturday’s championship game of the Collinsville Class 3A Regional Tournament.

The teams were tied 1-1 after regulation. They then battled through two scoreless 10-minute overtimes, a set of five PKs and then to the sudden-death penalties after being tied 3-3 in the first set.

Alton, which gets credit for a 2-1 victory in the IHSA record books, will play No. 1 seed Collinsville in the title game at 5 p.m. Saturday at Kahok Stadium. The Kahoks defeated O’Fallon 8-1 in Wednesday’s first semifinal game.

“It was a great win for our girls,” Alton coach Jeff Hayes said. “East had a fantastic season and being able to beat them, even if it is in PKs, means a lot.”

East finished its season 15-7, while Alton moves on with a 12-5-3 record. During the regular season, East handed the Redbirds a 1-0 defeat in Belleville.

The victory was also Alton’s first of the season against a Southwestern Conference team. Among the Redbirds’ SWC losses was a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Collinsville. Meanwhkile, in the semifinals of the Granite City 3A Regional, Edwardsville beat Quincy 3-1 and Granite City got past Belleville West on PKs.

“We put a lot of emphasis on those games and we played some really close games in most of the conference games, but we weren’t able to get over the top,” Hayes said. “But tonight we did, and it is really something special for our girls.”

Alton got on the scoreboard first. Katie Kercher scored her eighth goal of the season off an assist from teammate Morgan Rauscher in the 10th minute of play.

That’s the way it remained until Belleville East’s Grace Brauer scored an unassisted goal from about 25 yards out to tie it at 1-1. It was her 26th goal of the season.

In the first set of penalty kicks, Alton’s Annie Evans hit the crossbar and Sydney Mossman’s shot was saved. But the Redbirds rallied with successful attempts by Bri Hatfield, Calista Cox and Sydney Schmidt to tie it at 3-3.

With the Lancers shooting second in the first set of PKs, Annie Brown had a chance to lift her team to the victory after Schmidt’s conversion had tied it 3-3. But Brown’s shot was wide, setting up the thrilling conclusion.

“This one is special for the girls, but in the playoffs, you never want to be satisfied,” Hayes said. “Collinsville has a great team, but we’re hoping to come in Saturday, play well, hopefully get some breaks and be a spoiler.”

Report scores to telegraphsports@hotmail.com

Alton's Alaina Nasello (7) and Kahoks Caydren Jones (14)
Scott Kane | For The Telegraph

GODFREY — In prepping for their postseason opener, Jeff Hayes and his Alton Redbirds girls soccer team needed to look no further than an April 11 loss at Belleville East.

The 1-0 loss to the Lancers has been the subject of conversation among the Alton players and coaches in the time since.

“We’re excited about getting another shot at East,” said Hayes, whose Alton team will take on the Lancers at 7 p.m. Wednesday on the artificial turf of Collinsville’s Kahok Stadium. That game will follow the first semifinal pitting Collinsville against O’Fallon. The semifinal winners will meet for the championship at 5 p.m. Saturday.

“We remember that loss well and have talked about it several times since then,” Hayes said of the defeat to the Lancers, “so I think the girls will have no problem preparing for a rematch.

“(East) has had a great year, so beating them would be a big win for us.”

It would also be the Redbirds’ first over a Southwestern Conference team this season. Even though they’ve put together an 11-5-3 record, four of the losses and two of the ties came in league play.

“The first game against East was a close one,” Hayes said. “They came out ready to play and we didn’t. We spent too much time trying to get back in the game on one play, rather than laying with composure and doing things that have helped us be successful.”

Alton drew the No. 5 seed in Sub-Sectional A feeding into the Normal Community Sectional Tournament and East (15-6) is seeded No. 4. Host Collinsville is the top seed and O’Fallon is seeded No. 7.

The other teams in the sub-sectional are assigned to the Granite City Regional, led by No. 2 Edwardsville, No. 3 Belleville West, No. 6 Granite City and No. 8 Quincy.

“We don’t need to do anything differently to win this game” Hayes said of the rematch with East. “We just need to do it better. we created some good chances, but their keeper (Grace Tantillo) played a great game against us.”

Tantillo made six saves in the Lancers’ shutout victory in Belleville.

Shutting out the Redbirds hasn’t been an easy chore this season. In fact, it’s only happened three, and one of those was scoreless tie with Granite City. The other was a 4-0 loss to Collinsville.

“We have allowed fewer goals than last year, even though we have played more games,” Hayes said of his team’s defense. “Annie (Evans) and Lexi (Schrimpf) have played a couple years together in the backfield, so I expected a lot out of them. But Calista Cox and Taylor Imming have filled big holes in our back line.”

Alton is led by the one-two-three punch of Bri Hatfield, Alaina Nasello and Katie Kercher.

Hatfield, a sophomore, scored 14 goals and added 10 assists. Freshman Nasello has nine goals and five assists and sophomore Kercher seven goals and five assists.

“I couldn’t have asked for better results in terms of our goal production and goals allowed,” Hayes said. “We have scored nearly three times more goals this season compared to last year.

“Katie, Bri and Alaina are tough to handle when they work together. They create space and chances for each other. It’s just a matter of keeping them on the same page.”

East is paced by Grace Bauer, who has scored 26 goals and added five assists. But even though she’s among the top scorers in the area this season, it wasn’t Bauer who scored in her team’s 1-0 win over Alton. That goal came from Lauren Bushcur, who has scored six times this season.

Defensively, Tantillo and the Lancers have six shutouts. East has given up 32 goals. But the Lancers are riding a six-game winning streak heading into the postseason.

“We still have a few girls banged up, but it’s been a week since our last game,” Hayes said. “Injuries won’t be an excuse.

“This is high school soccer, so I feel we have a chance to win. I’m always optimistic, but I know the other coaches are, too.

“If we look ahead to Saturday, then we have no chance of winning Wednesday.”

Reach Pete Hayes at 463-2500 or Twitter @HayeserPete

Alton sophomore Bri Hatfield (11) is among the area scoring leaders with 12 goals and six assists for 30 total points. She’s shown in action earlier this season in the Parkway College Showcase. 
Billy Hurst File Photo | For The Telegraph

Morgan Wilson of Civic Memorial has scored 11 goals and six assists for 28 total points. She’s among the area scoring leaders. 
James B. Ritter File Photo | For The Telegraph

With postseason action looming on the horizon, a glance at area girls prep soccer reveals plenty of the usual suspects in the scoring race.

But not at the very top.

While players from Alton High, Edwardsville and Marquette Catholic are indeed represented, their players don’t sit atop the scoring list. In fact, a Redbird, Tiger or Explorer isn’t even second.

Staunton’s Sydney Bridges, with 20 goals and seven assists, is the leading scorer among Telegraph-area teams with a whopping 47 total points (two points for each goal and one for each assist).

Bridges, a senior forward, is already ahead of her pace from last season, when she finished with 18 goals and five assists. While she and teammate Lee Ann Johnson (eight goals, two assists) have found the net, Staunton’s had trouble keeping others off the scoreboard. The Bulldogs have given up 41 goals on the season. Monday against South Central Conference rival Pana, the visiting Panthers grabbed a 3-1 victory, despite a pair of goals by Bridges.

The No. 2 area scorer in Gillespie’s Paige Niemeyer, who’s knocked in 13 goals and has 11 assists for 37 points. Teammate Maria Clarke has 12 goals and four assists for 28 points. Each scored three goals in the Miners’ latest win, a 7-0 shutout of Athens. Gillespie is 5-10.

While Bridges and Niemeyer are doing their damage in Class 1A, Bri Hatfield of Alton as put together a 12-goals and six assists effort in Class 3A competition. Hatfield scored a goal in Alton’s latest victory, a 3-0 decision over Columbia.

“(Hatfield) is solid and sees the field so well,” Alton coach Jeff Hayes said. “She creates a lot and is in the middle of just about everything that happens offensively.”

Alton got off to a 5-0 start. The Redbirds are 10-3-2 overall and is 0-2-1 in the Southwestern Conference heading into Monday’s 5 p.m. showdown against rival Edwardsville.

Three players are tied for the No. 3 spot among area scorers. Morgan Wilson of Civic Memorial (11 goals, six assists), Clarke of Gillespie and Roxana’s Emma Lucas (12 goals, four assist) each has 28 total points.

“Emma is just a good, strong player,” Roxana coach Lori Yates said of the shells’ top scorer. “She’s level-headed and she doesn’t get nervous. she’s very good with the ball and sees the field well.

“I think Emma’s is actually faster with the ball at her feet than she is without it.”

The Shells have three others with double figures in total points. Abby Kurth (six goals, no assists) and Brittany Alexander (three goals, six assists) have 12 each and Haley Milazzo (two goals, six assist) has 10

Edwardsville’s Abigail Crabtree has 11 goals and four assists for 26 points and teammate Ashlin West has added six goals and four assists for the 13-2-1 Tigers. Edwardsville, 2-0-1 in the SWC, is riding a 10-game winning streak and has outscored its opposition 38-10.

Marquette’s Annabelle Copeland is also among the scoring leaders with 26 points on nine goals and eight assists for the Explorers and CM’s Cassie hall (eight goals, eight assists) is right behind her with 24 points.

Carlinville, which has outscored its opposition 52-19, features a five players among the leaders. The Cavies are led by Maggie Nicholson, nine goals and two assists for 20 points. But also in the mix are Gabby Marchiori (seven goals, three assists) with 17 points, Lynde Gibbs (seven goals, two assists) and Hanna Lair (eight goals) with 16 each and Sloan Nickel (six goals, three assist) with 15.

Among goalies, Edwardsville’s Regan Windau sports the lowest goals-against average in the area at a minuscule 0.59. She’s 10-2-1 with nine shutouts.

Alton’s Julia-May Campbell has an 0.88 GAA. She’s 7-2 and has made 40 saves en route to notching three shutouts.

Lauren Fischer of Marquette has six shutouts in goal and sports a 1.25 GAA, Carlinville’s Ashley Campbell has six shutouts with a 1.25 GAA and Roxana’s Braeden Lackey has a 1.28 GAA and four shutouts.

Collinsville’s Chayse Richardson (10) and Alton’s Katie Kercher (15) chase the soccer ball during Southwestern Conference action Thursday at the Alton High soccer field. Richardson had an assist for the Kahoks in their 4-0 victory. 
Scott Kane | For The Telegraph

GODFREY — Jeff Hayes knew coming into Thursday’s Southwestern Conference matchup with Collinsville that the Kahoks presented a formidable challenge for his Alton High girls soccer team.

Following Collinsville’s 4-0 victory at the new Alton High soccer field, Hayes said he was proven correct, but that the margin of the Redbirds’ defeat had him shaking his head.

“(Collinsville) is a very good team, there’s no doubt about that,” Hayes said. “I’m not sure they’re four goals better than we are – but I guess they were today.

“You get one chance a season at them; I expected a better effort.”

The Kahoks pulled away with three unanswered second-half goals, including one on a deep flip throw- by Chayse Richardson early in the half.

“I thought we played fairly well in the first half,” Hayes said. “We created a few chances to score and (the Kahoks) scored their goal on a restart that there wasn’t much anybody could do anything about.

“But once (Collinsville) scored their second goal, you could see it took something out of us. They are strong at every position and you need to bring your best game to run with them.”

The loss left Alton at 9-3-2 overall and 0-2-1 in the SWC. Front-running Collinsville is 9-1-2 and 4-0-1.

Three of the Kahoks’ four goals came off dead-ball situations, including the one off Richardson’s throw-in. From the right sideline deep in the Alton defensive zone, the ball was headed in by Tayler Devin.

The goal came early in the second half and made it 2-0. It was Richardson’s third assist of the season on a throw-in.

“We’re starting to get some goals off (Richardson’s) throw-ins,” Collinsville coach Clayton Smith said. “It can be an effective weapon. But to tell the truth, this was one we probably shouldn’t have gotten.”

Hayes agreed.

“They flooded the box,” Hayes said. “But we didn’t defend it well. We knew they like to use that and we stressed not giving up any deep throw-ins.”

Collinsville had taken the halftime lead on a direct free kick goal by Emily Holten. Following a foul against the Redbirds, Holten blasted a line-drive shot from about 30 yards that zipped into the upper-left corner of the goal with 8:47 remaining in the first half.

“You have to take off your hat to her on that one,” Hayes said. “It was a really nice shot.

“But overall, I thought we did a good job against them in the first half. we kept our defensive shape and we were able to connect some passes and create a few chances.”

Alton created three scoring chances of its own during a seven-minute stretch in the first half. But each time, the ball would be smothered by Collinsville goalie Julie Scheiter or the Redbirds’ last touch would be defected or stolen by the Kahoks defense.

Collinsville’s only loss on the season was 2-1 to Visitation Academy in the Parkway College Showcase. They’ve registered some impressive victories, defeated the likes of Missouri teams Cor Jesu, Helias of Jefferson City and Nixa and getting draws with Nerinx Hall and SWC rival Edwardsville. The Kahoks have allowed only 10 goals against in 12 games and have registered four shutouts. Thursday, they outshot Alton 9-3.

In the second half, the Kahoks picked up steam.

“It’s almost like they get more momentum as the games go on,” Hayes said.

Following Devine’s goal that made it 2-0 in the 43rd minute, the Kahoks added two more.

Hannah Liljegren scored in a rebound after a long free kick by Holten was tipped high by Alton goalie Michaela Lucas. That came in the 51st minute and made it 3-0.

Holten registered another assist in the 63rd minute when she threaded a pass to Alyannah O’Leary, who streaked in on left wing and buried a shot from about 15 yards.

Alton will be off until April 25 when it plays host to Columbia, while Collinsville next has a home rematch with Nerinx Hall next Tuesday.

Alton’s Bri Hatfield (11 in center) scored three goals in her team’s 6-2 victory at Jacksonville Saturday. With the victory, Alton ran its record to 9-1-2 on the season. 
Billy Hurst file Photo | For The Telegraph

JACKSONVILLE — Alton girls soccer coach Jeff Hayes was anxious for his team to get back to action Saturday. His wish was answered even sooner than he anticipated.

Alton, on the heels of its first loss of the season Friday, was back at it Saturday morning and answered with a 6-2 nonconference victory over Jacksonville. It was a game that featured three goals from Bri Hatfield, a stifling Alton defense – and a starting time some 90 minutes sooner than the Redbirds expected.

“Our schedule had 12:30 for varsity after junior varsity at 11 this morning,” Hayes said. “We found out at about 10:57 that varsity was at 11 instead. To be honest, I saw three refs and wondered why there were three for a JV game.”

Varsity contests normally employ a three-man ref system, with junior varsity going with a two-man ref setup.

Belleville Althoff had handed Alton its first defeat of the season 2-1 at AHS in a rescheduled game. And even though it meant an early morning bus departure, Hayes was anxious to see how his team responded to that first loss.

“We did fine,” Hayes said. “Actually (Friday), we played good enough to win, but it was one of those games when the ball wasn’t going in for us.”

It was going into the net Saturday.

Besides Hatfield’s hat trick, the Redbirds got goals from Katie Kercher, Lindsey Kistenmacher and Morgan Rauscher.

“It was good to see our girls respond the way they did,” Hayes said. “To have to turn around and get up this morning for a 90-minute bus ride and to do it with hardly any time to warm up showed a lot.”

“Not only was Althoff our first loss, but it was the first time we had trailed this season.”

Alton started the scoring early and maintained a steady flow of goals against the Crimsons.

In the second minute of play Kercher received a through-ball from Sydney Schmidt and scored on a breakaway to make it 1-0.

The Hatfield got in on the act and made it 2-0.

“We had told (Hatfield) just a few minutes before that the goalie was playing high,” Hayes said.

It didn’t take the sophomore standout long to take advantage of the situation. She lofted a long chip shot over the Jacksonville goalie from about 40 yards out to make it 2-0 in the 29th minute.

Two minutes later, Hatfield scored from an assist by Kistenmacher to make it 3-0 at halftime.

Following a Crimsons goal in the 50th minute, Kistenmacher took an assist from Alaina Nasello to make it 4-1 in the 61st minute.

Nasello took the ball into the left corner, cut her defender and hit a crossing back across the goal mouth to Kristenmacher, who one-timed the ball into the back of the net after making a 30-yard run from midfield to the far post.

“That was really a nice goal,” Hayes said. “(Nasello) did a good job keeping the ball alive and crossing it and Kistenmacher’s run was perfectly timed.”

Hatfield scored her third goal of the game six minutes later. Her kick from outside the penalty area was deflected off the Jacksonville wall back to her and she buried the shot to make it 5-1.

Hatfield, a sophomore, has scored 11 goals on the seson to go with six assists. Nasello has seven goals and five assists and Kercher has six goals and one assist.

Saturday, Alton outshot the Crimsons 16-5.

Rauscher finished the Redbirds scoring in the 67th minute. She turned a defender inside and then scored from about 19 yards to make it 6-1. Jacksonville added a restart goal in the closing minutes.

“It was a good one to get,” Hayes said. “Now, we have to move on to a tough week.”

The Redbirds play Tuesday at home against Belleville East and then play host to Collinsville Thursday in a pair of Southwestern Conference games.