Huntley 1, Conant 0

The best season in Huntley girls soccer history keeps getting better.

The Red Raiders will play in a sectional championship match for the first time thanks to Tuesday's 1-0 victory over Conant in the Class AA Streamwood sectional at Millennium Field.

"I think it definitely sets the tone for the coming years," Huntley senior Megan Hamm said.

Huntley (21-1) already has set a school record for wins and now has made it one step farther than last season when it lost in its first ever sectional-semifinal appearance. The third-seeded Red Raiders will play No. 1 seed Maine South, a 2-0 winner over Lake Park, at 6 p.m. Thursday for the sectional title.

"They do what it takes. It doesn't matter. They figure it out and do what it takes," Red Raiders coach Kris Grabner said. "It wasn't pretty tonight, that's for sure."

Hamm scored the game's only goal in the 37th minute.

Hamm took a corner kick that bounced around the Cougars' penalty area. Kaylee O'Brien was first to the loose ball and tapped the ball back to Hamm. Her left-footed shot curled over several players, including three Conant defenders near the goal line, and into the far-post side netting.

"We got a deflection. Kaylee hustled, got on top of it and laid it off," Hamm said.

"It was set up perfect right there for the shot."

Both teams struggled to find many scoring opportunities during the run of play. Most chances came off free kicks and corner kicks.

The best chances for Conant (16-4-1) were off free kicks in the opening 20 minutes. Five minutes in Shania Marnell's free kick from 20 yards out was deflected and went just wide.

Midway through the first half, Meghan Melone's free kick from 23 yards was hit into the Huntley wall. The ball came right back to Melone, who fired a left-footed blast. Red Raiders goalkeeper Sara Hoffman was able to get her hands on the ball and deflected it off the crossbar before being cleared by Huntley defenders.

"As soon as she hit it, I was like, 'That's in,'" Grabner said. "Sara got across and tipped it out. That was an amazing save."

"We couldn't break them down, especially the last 25 minutes when we pressed to try to get a goal," Cougars coach Jason Franco said. "We were dangerous at times. We just didn't put the ball away."

Hoffman made 6 saves in the victory. Hoffman and the Huntley defense that was so good Tuesday night will have to be just as good Thursday against Maine South, a team that has scored 18 goals in three postseason games.

"We'll have to go into it like any other game," Hamm said. "Be prepared. Be confident, but not cocky."