The News-Gazette's girls' soccer Top 5: Bulldogs lead way into postseason

May 13—Playoff soccer is upon us, and we've got a handful of teams ready to make some noise. From a couple favorites in Class 2A to the dark horses in 1A, it should be exciting. Here's preps coordinator Zach Piatt's final breakdown before it all unfolds:

Record: 16-3-2

Previous ranking: No. 1

Quick hit: With scorers like Paislee Welge and Ella Walk putting the ball in the back of the net and a goalie as talented as Lainey Jacobs keeping it out of their own, the Bulldogs are in a great spot to bring home some postseason hardware as the No. 2 seed in the Class 2A Morton Sectional.

Record: 12-5-1

Previous ranking: No. 2

Quick hit: In order for Mahomet-Seymour to get to the sectional, however, it would have to go through the Maroons, who are hosting a Class 2A regional as a 3 seed. Still waiting to see if Rylie Schulze will be available, but Chloe Sikora and Kallyn Elliott have played great in her absence.

Record: 12-10

Previous ranking: No. 3

Quick hit: The fifth-seeded Chargers' road to a Class 2A regional title looks tough. First, Alicia Fernandez, Alaina Kimble and Co. will take on host Normal West, a team they lost to 5-0 in their penultimate regular-season game. A win there would put them against top-seeded Normal U-High.

Record: 9-10-1

Previous ranking: No. 4

Quick hit: Thanks to the play of Cali Cooper, Eleni Deltas and goalie Ava Roberts, the Illineks earned a 3-2 comeback win against St. Thomas More in the Champaign-Urbana Showcase last month. They'll have a rematch in the Class 1A Bloomington Central Catholic Regional semifinals next week.

5. St. Thomas More

Record: 11-5-1

Previous ranking: No. 5

Quick hit: The Sabers are the 4 seed in the Bloomington Central Catholic Regional, and Uni High is the 5 seed. The winner of that sure-to-be thriller will likely get the challenge of playing the host Raiders for the regional championship, and Leighton Clark and her teammates are up for it.