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TEXT & PHOTO BY JIM WIENERS
HAZELWOOD CENTRAL CAPTAINS Danielle Bergfeld (14), Lisa Wren (10), Claire Lovercheck (goalkeeper) and Jessica Randazzo (13) celebrate receiving their Class Two fourth-place trophy inside the Anheuser-Busch Center lobby last Saturday due to lightning and thunderstorms. Among the others identified in this photo are (from left) Karen Hamilton (9), Ali Sgroi (8), Sara Morales (behind Bergfeld), Liz Ewing (behind Wren), Kelley Runge (4), Kiara Elliot (3) and Ariel Newsome (2).

Thanks to wins over Jackson (1-0 in Farmington May 20) and Francis Howell North (2-1 on penalty kicks May 24 at the Anheuser-Busch Center, Fenton) Hazelwood Central were able to get to the Missouri State High School Activities Association Semifinals for the third time in school history.

However Hazelwood Central, the only public school to compete last weekend at the A-B Center, was the only high school in Class Two that had not won state. Central was the only co-ed school competing last weekend in Class Two. St. Joseph’s Academy, who defeated Hazelwood Central 3-0 last Friday on three second-half goals, had won state six times and was making their eight title game appearance. St. Teresa’s Academy, a team from Kansas City who has won state four times, rebounded from a 3-1 loss last Friday to Incarnate Word Academy with three first half goals last Saturday in a 3-0 win over Hazelwood Central in a third-place game that was called in the 44th minute (fourth minute of the second half) due to lightning.

The fourth Class Two team in the Class Two State Tournament, Incarnate Word, padded the MSHSAA record book with their eighth State title last weekend with wins over St. Teresa’s and St. Joseph’s, 1-0. IWAs road to state began at home in District Nine May 14 with a pair of 10-0 wins (over Normandy in 40 minutes and Gateway Tech in 50) that were called due to the 10-goal rule. IWA went on the road to beat Jefferson City (3-0 May 20 in Columbia, Mo.) and Springfield-Glendale (5-0 May 24 in Rolla).

Hazelwood Central head coach Pat Rocco said that when he saw the district assignments “I knew there was going to be a public school (going to the state semifinals since there were no private schools assigned to Class Two, Districts One through Four).” Hazelwood Central, who finished third in the Suburban North Conference, did not have to play against the top two teams in the Suburban North, Hazelwood West and Pattonville, in District Two, while West and Pattonville were eliminated in District Four. So when Central was able to get to the semifinals they had their work cut out when IWA, St. Joe and St. Teresa’s also got there but for their efforts Central “hung in there the best we could” said Rocco.

Lisa Wren had a goal against Francis Howell North while assisting in the Erin Price goal against Jackson. Goalkeeper Claire Lovercheck stopped a penalty kick by Jackson while scoring the game-winning penalty-kick shootout against Francis Howell North.

Incarnate Word gave up only eight goals, including just one in the run to state (by St. Teresa’s) and head coach Annie Beekman said it was because of four players she mentioned — Drea Barklage, Sabrina Drennan, Jenn Tucker and Emily Sinovich. — are “the best defenders in the state.” In the last six games Blake Miller led IWA with 12 goals — including three against Normandy, four against Gateway Tech and Two against St. Teresa’s Academy, as well as the title-game-winner against St. Joe.

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