Pleasant Plains girls' soccer finishes as 1A state runners-up, best finish as program

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (WAND) - The Pleasant Plains girls' soccer team fell in the class 1A state championship to Father McGivney, 3-0, on Saturday. The Cardinals' end their season with a 2nd place finish and a record of 26 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws, their best finish ever.

Head Coach Greg Bryan has now taken the Cardinals to the state finals 3 times in his 29 seasons with the program.

"We've had 4 varsity starters for 4 years all in the midfield, I can't tell you how many goals they have together," the coach said following the match. "The number of wins is just over 100 in 4 years... [The result] is sad. We were in mourning, but at the same time we've got to flip that switch. Just today wasn't our day. We were outmatched and we're gonna go ahead here soon and celebrate a wonderful season."

Early in the match Father McGivney utilized the wings to generate a series of chances, setting the tone from the start. The Cardinals held the match scoreless for 17 minutes, until the Griffins scored the first goal of the game off a right-side cross. 

In the 24th minute, a foul inside the penalty area led to a PK chance for the Griffins, allowing them to carry a 2-0 lead into halftime.

Pleasant Plains threatened following the break on a number of deep throw-in chances and corner kick opportunities. Despite their efforts, Father McGivney turned away potential goals as time ticked away. As the game continued, the Cardinals were forced to move more players forward on the attack, leaving them vulnerable should the opponents gain control of possession. The Griffins flipped play in the 61st minute, taking advantage of the opportunity and put away the game's 3rd and final goal.

"I'm just so proud of the team we've become this season and the past few seasons that we've been together," said senior Grace Sabatka. "2nd place isn't obviously what we wanted coming into this game, but it's definitely something we should be proud of and celebrate."

Families and fans of Pleasant Plains were in the stands to congratulate the team on their finish to the season. The family element of the program was highlighted by several players as a motivating tool used throughout the campaign.

"Honestly, the best is when the little girls come up to you and they give you a hug," said Bailey Leach. "I just want to be a good role model for those little kids because I know that when I was little I looked up to... big girls at that time. I just want to leave Plains soccer on a special note and I think we did."

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