Senior defender Jackson Carey actually had a crystal-clear vision that he would be in position to make the big play Saturday afternoon for Hampshire against Streamwood.
In talking with senior forward Charlie Terriquez, his close teammate, they spoke it into existence.
“Right before the game, we were in the trainer’s room,” Carey said. “He was like, ‘I’m going to play you the ball because I know they’re going to be on me.’ I knew that moment was going to come.
“I just knew I had to grasp it.”
It played out exactly as envisioned with 33:20 left in the second half as Terriquez crossed a ball to Carey, who buried the lone goal for a 1-0 victory in the Class 3A Hampshire Regional final.
Senior goalkeeper Parker Smith stopped a penalty kick by AJ Sabanovic with 19:04 remaining to preserve the win for the Whip-Purs (11-11-2), who won their first regional title since 2017.
Sabanovic had another shot in the final minutes that hit the post for Streamwood (11-7-2).
Hampshire plays at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Streamwood Sectional semifinals against Huntley, a 3-2 overtime winner over South Elgin. Elgin and Rockford East face off in the other semifinal.
Carey waited for his chance Saturday, and when he got it, he did not let it pass him by.
“It was my moment and I just finished it,” Carey said. “I knew it was going to happen. It was just a matter of time. That goal was very emotional. I’m not going to lie.
“When I scored, I was actually about to cry. I was just so happy.”
Hampshire coach Chayanne Martinez has seen Carey come through in big moments all season, so the fact he was in the right spot to deliver again did not surprise him.
“He’s had a heck of a season the whole time,” Martinez said. “It’s been great to have him as a leader. His commitment this entire season, the entire offseason, it’s just been there all the time.
“It’s very contagious. Every single one of us has been focused, and we’ll keep being focused.”
Carey acknowledged the Whip-Purs had a lull after Carey’s goal, but all the energy came back when Smith stopped Sabanovic’s penalty kick.
“I knew Parker was going to save that,” Carey said. “I know Parker is the best shot stopper I’ve ever met. I knew he was going to save that.”
While the Whip-Purs’ energy spiked after that play, Streamwood appeared to be deflated. The Sabres had several quality chances Saturday but were unable to put any of them away.
The fact their best player. Sabanovic, was turned away was hard to overcome.
“AJ is a big-time player, and those are plays big-time players put in,” Streamwood coach Matt Polovin said. “In practice, it’s automatic. In any of the games this season where he’s taken them, it’s automatic.”
Polovin pointed out that’s how the entire game felt for the Sabres.
“I said at halftime, you can’t have the multiple chances we’ve had all game and not score,” Polovin said. “All it takes is one bad mistake. They get a goal and we lose. Sure enough, that’s what happened.”
Martinez, meanwhile, is happy for the opportunity to guide his team for another week.
“The boys have been ready for this all season,” Martinez said. “We’ve been building and building, and we’re connecting at the right time.”
Carey also confirmed that his team’s confidence is at an all-time high going into Wednesday.
“We had the heart,” Carey said. “We had the fans. Everybody was supporting us.
“We’ve got Huntley next. We’re winning that.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
