For two straight playoff games, Geneva was the master of scoring the late victory.

After four overtimes, the Vikings topped St. Charles East on penalty kicks for a regional title, then topped St. Charles North 1-0 early in overtime of a Class 3A sectional semifinal.

Unfortunately for Geneva, its ability to strike late clashed with Conant’s quick-strike potential as the second-seeded Cougars topped the fourth-seeded Vikings 1-0 last Friday in the Bartlett Sectional final thanks to a goal in the game’s first two minutes.

The Vikings ended their season with a record of 11-8-3.

“We made a good run,” first-year Geneva head coach Megan Owens said. “Everyone kind of overlooked us all year and said we were in a rebuilding mode.

“I think a lot of people would take a rebuilding year like this. We went further (in the playoffs) than we went last year (lost in sectional semifinals to eventual champion Waubonsie Valley) and we played with a lot of heart and a lot of soul all season.”

All the heart and soul the Vikings could muster couldn’t compete with the Cougars’ (18-1-4) front-line speed. For all of the first half and much of the second half, Conant pushed the pace, spending plenty of time on Geneva’s end of the field and putting pressure in the Vikings’ back line.

“Our team speed is at a pretty high level all the way around,” said Conant coach Jason Franco, whose team won the first sectional title in program history. “We don’t get outpaced often.”

That speed wreaked havoc early and helped put Conant on the board before Geneva could make any defensive adjustments.

“We were out of sync early,” Owens said. “It ended up costing us the game.”

“They had a lot of speed,” Geneva senior midfielder Emily Hinchman said. “I think we were too loose on our marks.”

Though the Vikings were out of sorts early, they had several opportunities to tie the game in the second half.

Madeline Tennant sent a roller toward the right post that just skipped out of bounds in the game’s 54th minute. Two minutes later Hinchman launched a rocket that hit a Conant defender on the way to the net. A few minutes after that, Hinchman sent a laser just high and wide of frame and moments later had a shot from the doorstep sail over the crossbar.

In the 75th minute, Hinchman lined up for a free kick from 30 yards out and sent the ball whistling just over the crossbar.

“I was hoping it would go in,” said Hinchman, whose free kick goal toppled the North Stars. “I just shot it as hard as I could.”

The Vikings graduate seven seniors but return a strong corps of players that includes sophomore keeper Katelyn Allen and junior midfielders Madeline and Sarah Tennant.

“It means a lot to me that our team stepped up late in the season,” Hinchman said. “We showed we’re a strong program. We showed that Geneva soccer isn’t going away. People doubted us but we still have the talent to compete every year.”