LAKE FOREST, Ill.– 3.9 seconds. A season of hard work and determination all snatched away with just 3.9 seconds remaining on the clock. Stunned fans remained motionless in the stands as the Libertyville bench players flooded the field to celebrate. Meanwhile, the Scouts silently began their postgame cool down workout.

This misty Friday afternoon was the IHSA Regional Final showdown between the Scouts and the Wildcats. Although the game remained scoreless for its majority, there were certainly plenty of shots-on-goal from both teams. In a fast-paced game like this one, though, it wasn’t always possibly for the either team to set up their offense, leading to frequent breakaways. However, the Scouts were resilient, and throughout the demanding match they remained tenacious and locked-in.

For Libertyville, all eyes were on senior captain Morgan Verbeten, whose reliable play has propelled the Wildcats to victory many times before. Her quickness was certainly noticeable at times, but the Scouts did an excellent job defending her. Goalie Sophia DiVagno in particular played yet another solid game, although ultimately Libertyville junior Alex Houser ended DiVagno’s shutout with a blink-and-you-miss-it game winning goal.

Although the Lake Forest Girls Soccer match ended in defeat for the Scouts, the majority of the game was extremely close. The final five seconds determined who moved on to face Stevenson in the next round, and although it wasn’t the Scouts this time, it’s clear that this program has a very bright future.