Niles North eyes first regional title

Updated: May 18, 2011 10:26PM

This is Tiffany Ebeling’s favorite team in her four seasons with Niles North.

Friday, the senior gets an opportunity to make program history. 

With Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Northside, the No. 7-seeded Vikings play No. 3-seeded Maine South for the regional title at Niles North. The Vikings are looking for their first-ever regional championship.

“I expect it to be really intense, but our girls want it more,” Ebeling said of the matchup with Maine South, winners of four regional titles in a row. “Everybody is playing together.”

After a scoreless first half, Caitlin Nikitow broke the tie in the eighth minute of the second half with a left-footed shot in a crowd. 

Camila Marquez then provided the insurance goal with 12:26 to go when she connected with the back of the net on her corner kick.

“We came out flat,” said Niles North coach Dan Edminster, whose team improved to 9-9-5 with its second win over the Mustangs this season. “We picked up the intensity in the second half.”

Niles North now gets a rematch with Maine South. The Hawks beat the Vikings 2-0 on April 2.

“It was a scrappy game, and it’s going to be a tough matchup.”

Maine South 7, Von Steuben 0: Carli Pappas scored the first and last goals as the No. 3-seeded Hawks cruised to the victory in their playoff opener.

Five others added goals for Maine South (11-9-3).

“We scored on the opportunities that were presented to us, and that’s what you want to do this time of year,” Maine South coach J.J. Crawford said. “We now are braced for a physical game.”

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