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Recap

Quarterfinal #2: Mother McAuley 3 Fremd 2

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL - Mother McAuley outlasted Fremd 3-2 in a defensive battle that went down to the wire in the second quarterfinal game of the girls' state tournament on Thursday.

Vicky Arciniega recorded 2 goals and Adrianna Izquerido notched the game-winner early in the fourth quarter, as the Mighty Macs defense held the Vikings scoreless over the final seven minutes of play to earn the one-goal win.

Neither team could score in the opening period, with both defenses forcing several turnovers and both goalies (McAuley's Sarah Abbott, Fremd's Julie Conrath) making a handful of key saves. The biggest "save" of the opening quarter actually came in the dying seconds, as Vikings' defender Emily Orlowski blocked a shot off the line after an ejection to keep the game scoreless heading into the second period.

Even the game's first goal didn't come easy, as Abbott denied a breakaway chance by Megan Kennedy before the Fremd star grabbed the loose ball and found Emily McCarthy open on the opposite side of the pool, where she gave the Vikings' a 1-0 lead.

The Mighty Macs starting creating better chances late in the half, as Jackie Knightly had a great look but smacked the post with a shot after a Fremd ejection. It looked like McAuley would be shutout in the first half, until Arciniega scored from two-meters in the final minute of the second period.

Mother McAuley finally gained the upper-hand for the first time late in the third quarter, as Arciniega lobbed a shot in from the right side to make the score 2-1. But just as McAuley did at the end of the second quarter, Fremd's Sam Matuszewski scored on a deflected attempt in the last minute to send the game to the final period tied at 2-2.

That's where Izquerido, whose big performance against Lyons helped get the Mighty Macs to state, made the difference. After teammate Amy Kopale missed an outside shot, Izquerido rushed the right post to slam home the rebound and give McAuley a 3-2 lead with over six minutes left to play. And just like in their first encounter, the Mighty Macs' defense held Fremd without a goal, stopping several Fremd chances in the final minute of play to secure the win and a place in the semifinal round.

McAuley will take on rivals Fenwick in the semifinal round on Saturday morning at Stevenson.