Red Devils reach 3A sectional finals

Hinsdale Central goalie Sean Donovan has all the confidence in the world in his teammates.

But that still couldn’t stop the senior from wondering if there was a going to be a little déjà vu when the Red Devils battled Lyons in a Class 3A St. Ignatius Sectional semifinal game Wednesday evening in Chicago.

A year ago, Lyons knocked off Hinsdale Central in the regular season, only to lose to the Red Devils in postseason play. Earlier this season, Donovan’s crew beat the Lions 1-0 in conference play.

“I really wondered if this was going to be their turn to win, because of how things went last year,” Donovan said.

But thanks to Robbie LaRocque’s goal, Hinsdale Central (15-6-2) advanced to Friday’s sectional final with a 1-0 victory. Up next for Donovan and Co. is Morton, which defeated the Red Devils 5-0 in the Hinsdale Central Tournament last month.

“We need to show up against Morton,” Donovan said. “That has been our problem all year.

“There have been times when we haven’t shown up against teams like Morton and New Trier. Then we play with teams like Naperville Central and Lyons. If we come out and play good defense, we’re going to be fine.”