Lincoln-Way East’s season comes to an end with supersectional loss to O’Fallon

BLOOMINGTON – The 2025 season was historic for the Lincoln-Way East girls soccer team.

After graduating 11 seniors from 2024, the Griffins improved their record, won regional and sectional championships, won the 300th game in program history and exceeded every expectation.

Unfortunately for them, that season has now come to and end.

The Griffins’ bid for their second state tournament appearance in three years came up just short as they lost to O’Fallon 3-0 in the Class 3A Bloomington Supersectional on Tuesday at Bloomington High School.

They end the year 18-4-1.

It had been a magical ride for Lincoln-Way East. The Griffins entered on an eight-game winning streak in which they outscored opponents 38-5 with six shutouts. In the playoffs alone, they were outpacing teams 24-2. Freshman Adelyn Thomas had scored nine goals in four playoff games.

“You have to tip your hat to [O’Fallon],” Lincoln-Way East coach Mike Murphy said. “They beat us and they were the better team today, but I have to give our girls credit. They never quit and they kept battling. That’s all I can ever ask of them was to play their hearts out, and they left it all out there on the field.”

The first 20 minutes of action mostly saw the Griffins on their heels. Some timely defense and outstanding goalkeeping by Danica Greenawalt kept the game scoreless, but the normally potent Lincoln-Way East offense was suffocated by the Panthers’ defense.

The Griffins managed a few shots on goal before the end of the first half, but it was the Panthers who wound up on the scoreboard. Addison Taake took a ball directly in front of the goal and closed it out with 5:12 left until halftime to give O’Fallon a 1-0 lead.

The Panthers’ lead extended to 2-0 in the 47th minute on a Claire Nieroda bomb from about 30 yards out that barely snuck past Greenawalt. A handball by the Griffins resulted in a penalty kick attempt for O’Fallon with 8:58 to go. Nieroda stepped up and nailed it to all but seal the deal.

This marks the end of the high school road for 10 Lincoln-Way East seniors, including five starters. Team captain and Missouri State commit Ellie Fiegl, who tied for the team lead with 22 goals this year, expressed enormous gratitude for her time in blue.

“I’ve loved my time at East,” she said with emotion evident in her voice. “It’s meant so much to me. I couldn’t be more thankful for the people, coaches and everyone that’s been with me these past four years.”

The feeling was mutual for Thomas and Murphy, who had to fight through tears when asked about the impact this senior class has had on him and the program.

“It was a great senior class and a great season,” Murphy said. “It’s been a great group with Kara [Waishwell] and Ellie and everyone. They’ve done a great job of mentoring the younger kids, and you can’t ask for anything else. They were great leaders, and that tells you something.”

Tears were understandably shed. The Griffins earned the right to mourn their season and say farewell to seniors such as Waishwell and Hannah Tokarski, who played alongside Fiegl since their freshmen season. Through all sadness, though, there is hope for a bright future.

After losing 11 seniors last year, the Griffins’ win-loss record improved and they made it two rounds deeper in the playoffs. They’ll return a pair of Division I commits in rising seniors Camden Cosich (TCU) and Elizabeth Burfeind (Purdue).

Thomas was just a freshman this season and rising junior Maddie Strzechowski was an outstanding starter this season, as well. So while this will be goodbye for a talented group, this isn’t the end of the Griffins’ glory days.

“I think we have a very strong future,” Thomas said. “We have other incoming freshmen, and the JV team had an amazing season. I think we’ll be good next year, as well.”