SHG's Caroline Sheehan chalks up another hat trick for first sectional title since 2017

RIVERTON — Caroline Sheehan posted her second straight hat trick and Sacred Heart-Griffin rolled to its first sectional title since 2017 with a 5-1 victory over Quincy Notre Dame in a Class 1A sectional final on Wednesday.

Sheehan, who notched three goals in a 7-1 sectional semifinal win over Greenville, has chalked up eight goals this postseason and the Cyclones (21-5) have outscored their four playoff opponents 29-2 combined.

"Caroline likes to score, I don’t know if you can tell," SHG coach Mike Lindsey said. "What can you say? She can shoot with either foot. I’m proud of the whole team and the way we played today. We weren’t sure about physicality and things like that, but the team stepped up."

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SHG advances to the North Mac Supersectional against Belleville Althoff Catholic on Saturday at noon. Althoff edged Columbia 4-3.

"It feels great and I couldn’t do it without any of my teammates," Sheehan said. "We’ve played amazing these past couple of games and all of the postseason. We’ve done a really good job of working the ball around and getting it where it needs to go and finishing what we got."

The junior midfielder supplied the opening goal following an Ava Danielson free kick before adding her second goal in the first half on a free kick herself following a handball.

"I think we did a really good job of wanting to get on the ball first and taking advantage of the opportunities that we got in front of the goal on the set plays," Sheehan said.

The Cyclones led 3-1 at halftime. Sheehan netted the hat trick with 27:07 left in regulation.

Junior midfielder Norah Long assisted senior Isabella Perryman’s header in the first half before scoring herself on Olivia Paul’s cross for the final tally.

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SHG previously dropped last year’s sectional final on the same field against Pleasant Plains following a penalty kick with less than two minutes remaining.

"We were a little slow in the first half," Long said, "but then we kept talking to each other and I think communication was the most important part for us to really get going."

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Caroline Sheehan nets hat trick, Sacred Heart-Griffin wins 1A sectional