By Steve Millar
Correspondent
It was a tough regular season for a young Sandburg team, which entered the playoffs on a six-game losing streak.
The fifth-seeded Eagles put that all behind them May 16, running away with an 8-2 win over 11th-seeded Bloom in a Class 4A Lincoln-Way West Regional semifinal in New Lenox.
Sophomore midfielder Gabby Dittmer poured in four goals and freshman midfielder Ydalis Alvarez had a hat trick for Sandburg, while senior forward Morgan Gallagher scored once.
Alvarez had not scored a goal this season prior to the match.
“It’s all these girls,” Sandburg coach Tom Kubowicz said. “It could have easily turned for the worst this season with fighting or bickering. But every game that we’ve lost, they’ve kept their spirits high. They picked each other up when they needed to. They laughed and they joked around. It’s been a great bond with this team.”
Dittmer scored the first four goals of the game, all in the opening 22 minutes.
“We kind of just made sure we had all the energy we needed to start the postseason,” Dittmer said. “Anything that happened in the regular season, we just got through all that to be ready for now and I think it really paid off.”
Sandburg (7-16) was blown out 7-0 by Lincoln-Way West on May 9, but in the rematch on May 19 for the regional championship, the Eagles led 1-0 at halftime behind a goal from Gallagher.
The third-seeded Warriors rallied with two goals in the final five minutes, breaking the Eagles’ hearts with the game-winning score from Morgan Sallese coming in the last minute of regulation.
