Wednesday afternoon in Cicero, IL at 2:30 pm will be the Region IV Semifinal matchup between No. 4 Morton College and No. 16 Rock Valley.
This is a rematch from an October 1st match where the Panthers won 2-0, thanks to a pair of goals by Luis Escalante and Rafael Silverio.
There are common opponents between the two schools. We have seen Rock Valley (13-3-2) take on several other Region IV foes that the Panthers have seen on the field.
Rock Valley knocked off College of Lake County 3-0 compared to the Panthers, who won as well 6-1.
The Golden Eagles tied with Elgin 1-1 (2 OT) whereas Morton won against their Skyway foe, 5-2. Rock Valley was victorious over McHenry (1-0) as well, albeit the Panthers won by a wider margin (4-1).
They both snuck by Oakton within one goal (2-1, 1-0) and defeated Richard J. Daley by at least 8 goals (8-0, 11-0). The Panthers then snuck by Waubonsee 4-1 and Rock Valley tied 0-0.
Moraine Valley fell 2-1 to Rock Valley on October 18, but the Panthers survived against them 1-0 on September 20.
All of those results will be meaningless when the two meet on Wednesday, where the winner will advance to the Region IV title game against the winner of Triton College and Prairie State.
Looking at the four teams that remain in the Region IV Tournament, all four are ranked.
No. 4 Morton College, No. 11 Prairie State, 15 Triton, and No. 16 Rock Valley are the four teams left with their eyes set on a trip to Tuscon for the National tournament.
The Panthers' expectations have been lofty, but the team chemistry has played a role all season.
"I feel that during the season we have good chemistry and know how each athlete plays. We developed our friendship and companionship for the playoffs where we trust each other and know what our goals are for the season. Trust and camaraderie on the field are key to keeping on track! The expectations for the playoffs are great, but we know that we have to keep our feet on the ground and think about this next game that is coming up. We are mentally and physically prepared for the game! A game that will be hard and intense but we will do everything to come out with a positive result," said Santos.
Looking at the tale of the tape, No. 16 Rock Valley will bring quite the challenge to the Panthers on Wednesday afternoon.
Both teams are ranked in the Top 20 and have been forces on both ends of the field. We have seen the defenses dominate as both are in the Top 12.
Offensively, the pair each has at least 50 goals scored. The Panthers are eighth in the country with 63 goals compared to Rock Valley's 53, which is good enough for a top-15 ranking.
Two of the elite squads in all of Region IV will be a treat for all spectators on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30pm at Antonio Carbajal Field.
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