Sarah Pfander gets ready for a Monticello shot in the second half of Uni's 2-0 playoff victory Tuesday afternoon. The senior keeper made six saves on the way to the team's eighth shutout of the season. Gargoyle photo (click to enlarge)

Multimedia note: For more photos, click here to see our slideshow. To listen to postgame comments from coach Philip Anders and players Shara Esbenshade and Zoë Schein, click the audio boxes below.

URBANA — A brace from captain Shara Esbenshade put the Uni girls soccer team through to victory against Monticello in a Class A sectional quarterfinal match Tuesday at the DCR Complex.

The win raises the Illineks' record to 11-5-2 overall, 1-0 in the playoffs, and puts them in a semifinal road match against No. 1 seed Williamsville on Thursday (4:30 p.m. start time).

Williamsville, which is located a few miles northeast of Springfield, opened its bid for a return trip to state with a 9-0 demolition of No. 8 seed Athens, also on Tuesday.

Uni's game with Monticello promised to be much more competitive than Williamsville's mismatch.

To begin with, the two squads had tied twice in the past two years: 2-2 in the 2007 regular season and 0-0 this season.

Add in the revenge factor, as the Illineks hoped to get rid of the memory of last year's 2-0 playoff loss to the Sages, plus two outstanding goalkeepers in Uni's Sarah Pfander and Monticello's Colleen Donohue, and you had all the elements of a game that might need more than 80 minutes to produce a winner.

But that wasn't to be, as Uni began the game with confidence, imposing relentless one-way traffic on the visiting Sages, despite going against a heavy wind.

Two of Uni’s star attacking players this season, winger Joy Shapley and striker Erika Belmont, traded spots in coach Phil Anders’ starting lineup, Shapley taking up Belmont’s usual role behind center forward Suran Yoo, with Belmont situated on the left flank.

The pair looked characteristically sharp from the outset despite playing out of position.

Meanwhile, Uni’s deadly central midfield, anchored by irrepressible defensive midfielder Amanda Hwu with the immensely skilled Michelle Wong situated behind the strikers, proved an insurmountable obstacle for the Sages in their effort to gain possession.

Still, if you had told the visitors that they would hold the high-powered trio of Wong (nine goals), Belmont (seven goals), and Yoo (five goals, 10 assists) scoreless for the entire game, they would have liked their chances.

Instead, Shapley took over as playmaker, setting the stage for both of Esbenshade's first-half goals.

It was one of Shapley’s instinctive forays into her natural position on the left wing that gave the Illineks a deserved lead in the eighth minute, her trademark pinpoint cross benefiting from a goalkeeping error as it found the boot of the inexplicably unmarked Esbenshade on its way into the net.

Twelve minutes later, Esbenshade executed another calm finish when she got on the end of an almost identical chance, once again engineered by Shapley, to tap into an open net.

The two assists gave Shapley a team-leading 11 on the season, while Esbenshade upped her goal total to three.

The doubling of Uni's lead spurred a string of substitutions that appeared to slow down the verve and momentum that had seen the Illineks exercise such unchallenged dominance during the first portion of the game.

Passing moves gone awry and spells of shaky defending were covered by the outstanding Pfander, whose superb goaltending ensured that Monticello’s constant presence in Uni’s half did not result in a comeback for the Sages.

The beginning of the second half saw a return to Anders’ tried and true first-choice lineup, and those starters who had been substituted after Uni's second goal made excellent use of their reappearance, once again exerting their influence on the proceedings with an authority that smacks of postseason success.

The girls were unlucky not to score a third goal, and only a brave and skillful Katie Buzard gave the Sages a genuine scare after several of the mainstays were once again substituted midway through the half.

One performance was unequivocally dominant throughout the match, that of Yoo. The striker did unquestionable justice to her captain’s armband, ripping the Monticello defense with her precise passes, awe-inspiring touch, and sheer comfort with the ball at her feet.

The outstanding vision and penetrating dribbling of Yoo and attacking midfielder Wong kept the Sages on their toes during both the ups and downs of a Uni win by a comfortable margin.

The key Illineks showcased their teamwork and individual skill, while the scoreline they provided allowed younger players who may not see as much playing time against tougher opposition to gain valuable practice in this opening match of Uni's bid for state.

Statistically, Pfander is the area's leading keeper, having given up only 16 goals in 18 games this season. She made four saves in the first half and two in the second to preserve Uni's eighth shutout of the season. Pfander's goals-against average is now a sparkling 0.88 per game.

The Illineks again outshot their opponent, recording 15 shots on goal to Monticello's nine.

Now it's on to Williamsville, where Uni will face the defending sectional champion in a road game Thursday.

The Bullets are now 13-8. They are the top seed, but any of the bracket's four remaining teams — which include No. 2 Warrensburg-Latham and No. 3 Decatur Lutheran — can make a valid case for themselves as a title contender.

Indeed, Uni deserves as much respect as anyone. The girls just beat a Monticello team that tied Williamsville earlier this season, and the Illineks upset Warrensburg-Latham 2-1 on May 1.

Moreover, although Uni lost 1-0 to Decatur Lutheran last week, some observers who had an clear view of the action believe that a shot by Belmont in the second half crossed the line before being knocked back and should have been counted as the game-tying goal.

In any event, the bottom line is: The road to state is wide open.

"I think that any of the top four teams in our sectional can make something happen," coach Philip Anders said after Tuesday's victory. "It's a great opportunity we've got. We'll go over to Williamsville. We've just got to focus and play our game."

Team scoring leader Michelle Wong (3) pushes the ball into Monticello territory during Uni's 2-0 playoff win over the visiting Sages. Gargoyle photo (click to enlarge)

Fast Facts about Williamsville

• Nickname: Bullets
• Colors: Purple & Gold (same as Monticello)
• Enrollment: 425
• County: Sangamon
• School Web Site: Click here
• Girls Soccer Coach: Max Parienti (career record: 185-124-24 in 15 years overall; Springfield Ursuline record: 48-63-8 in 6 years; Williamsville record: 137-61-16 in 9 years)
• Record Last Year: 22-6 (won sectional title, lost in state quarterfinal 2-0 to eventual state runner-up Waterloo Gibault)
• Number of Shutout Wins Last Year: 19
• State Tournament History: Last year was Williamsville's first appearance in the state tournament
• Current Record: 13-8
• Sectional Seed: No. 1
• Record So Far in Playoffs: 1-0 (quarterfinal win over No. 8 Athens, 9-0)

Directions to Williamsville High School

• Take I-72 W (74.3 mi)
• Take exit 108 toward Riverton (0.3 mi)
• Turn right at Overpass Road (0.3 mi)
• Continue on East Lincoln Street (0.9 mi)
• Turn right at North Seventh Street (1.3 mi)
• Continue on South Main Street (0.4 mi)
• Continue on South Williamsville Road (5.4 mi)
• Continue on South Walnut Street (0.3 mi)
• Williamsville H.S. is located at 900 S. Walnut St.
• Click here for a Google map to Williamsville

2008 SEASON AT A GLANCE

GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER: 11-5-2 overall, 3-1 East Central Illinois Conference
(home matches listed in bold)

March 25: at Centennial, W 2-1

• Story: Believe it! Uni begins season with upset of Centennial varsity
• Halftime: Centennial 1, Uni 0
• Uni goals: Erika Belmont (53rd minute), Joy Shapley assist; Aran Yoo (75th minute), Isaure Hostetter assist
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 13 (4, 9)
• Shots on goal: Uni 14 (8, 6); Centennial 14 (5, 9)
• JV result: Uni 0, Centennial 0
• JV Uni goals: None
• JV Uni saves: Sheri Grill 2; Lor Sligar 4
• JV shots on goal: Uni 4 (1, 3); Centennial 6 (2, 4)
• Game stats: Gargoyle scoreboard

March 27: St. Thomas More, W 3-2

• Story: Uni makes up two-goal deficit to beat St. Thomas More
• Halftime: STM 1, Uni 0
• Uni goals: Aran Yoo (51st minute), Suran Yoo assist; A. Yoo (61st minute), S. Yoo assist; Michelle Wong (65th minute), Elizabeth Russell assist
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 9 (7, 2)
• Shots on goal: Uni 19 (7, 12); STM 11 (8, 3)
• JV result: Uni 3, STM 0
• JV Uni goals: Katie Buzard (18th minute), Katayun Salehi assist; Emma Coverdill (26th minute), Revathi Maturi assist; Coverdill (27th minute), Maturi assist
• JV Uni saves: Lor Sligar 2; Sheri Grill 1
• JV shots on goal: Uni 9 (4, 5); STM 3 (2, 1)
• Game stats: Gargoyle scoreboard

April 1: at Urbana, L 2-0

• Story: Urbana loss, Monticello tie sidetrack Illineks
• Halftime: Urbana 1, Uni 0
• Uni goals: None
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 15 (9, 6)
• Shots on goal: Uni 15 (7, 8); Urbana 17 (10, 7)
• JV result: Urbana 1, Uni 0
• JV Uni goals: None
• JV Uni saves: Sheri Grill 2; Lor Sligar 4
• JV shots on goal: Uni 8 (3, 5); Urbana 7 (2, 5)
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

April 3: Monticello, T 0-0

• Story: Urbana loss, Monticello tie sidetrack Illineks
• Halftime: Uni 0, Monticello 0
• Uni goals: None
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 5 (2, 3)
• Uni shots on goal: Uni 18 (4, 14); Monticello 5 (2, 3)
• JV result: Urbana 1, Monticello 1
• JV Uni goal: Revathi Maturi (first minute), unassisted
• JV saves: Lor Sligar 1; Sheri Grill 2
• JV shots on goal: Uni 7 (2, 5); Monticello 4 (1, 3)
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

April 8: Charleston, W 3-1

• Story: Uni shuts down Charleston's top scorer, wins 3-1
• Halftime: Uni 2, Charleston 0
• Uni goals: Erika Belmont (14th minute), Joy Shapley assist; Shapley (40th minute), Shara Esbenshade assist; Michelle Wong (56th minute), Suran Yoo assist
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 9 (6, 3)
• Shots on goal: Uni 18 (12, 6); Charleston 12 (7, 5)
• JV result: Charleston 2, Uni 1
• JV Uni goal: Katie Buzard (57th minute), Revathi Maturi assist
• JV Uni saves: Sheri Grill 6; Lor Sligar 2
• JV shots on goal: Uni 15 (6, 9); Charleston 10 (8, 2)
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

April 10: at Macon Meridian, rain out

• Game canceled because of rain

April 12: at Normal Calvary Baptist, W 1-0 *

• Story: Wong, Belmont team up for winning goal over Normal Calvary
• Halftime: Uni 0, Normal Calvary 0
• Uni goal: Michelle Wong (50th minute), Erika Belmont assist
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 0; Lor Sligar 3; Sheri Grill 0
• Shots on goal: Uni 21 (12, 9); Normal Calvary 3 (0, 3)
• JV result: No game
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

April 15: Decatur St. Teresa, W 1-0

• Story: Illineks dominate again in second consecutive shutout win
• Halftime: Uni 1, Decatur St. Teresa 0
• Uni goal: Michelle Wong (38th minute), Suran Yoo assist
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 5 (0, 5)
• Shots on goal: Uni 14 (7, 7); Decatur St. Teresa 9 (2, 7)
• JV result: Uni 0, Decatur St. Teresa 0
• JV Uni goals: None
• JV Uni saves: Sheri Grill 1; Lor Sligar 1
• JV shots on goal: Uni 10 (5, 5); Decatur St. Teresa 2 (1, 1)
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

April 17: at Decatur Christian, W 6-0 *

• Story: Five goals in 15 minutes lead to Uni rout of Decatur Christian
• Halftime: Uni 1, Decatur Christian 0
• Uni goals: Michelle Wong (38th minute), penalty kick; Suran Yoo (41st minute), Joy Shapley assist; Shapley (43rd minute), Wong assist; Erika Belmont (46th minute), Shapley assist; Belmont (51st minute), Yoo assist; Sarah Pfander (55th minute), Beth Peregrine assist
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 0 (first half), Sheri Grill 0 (first half), Lor Sligar 2 (second half)
• Noteworthy save: Decatur Christian penalty kick in 71st minute saved by Lor Sligar
• Shots on goal: Uni 33 (19, 14); Decatur Christian 2 (0, 2)
• JV result: No game
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

April 19: at Macon Meridian (make up of rained-out game), W 4-0

• Story: Winning streak continues as Uni shuts out fourth straight opponent
• Halftime: Uni 2, Macon Meridian 0
• Uni goals: Joy Shapley (fifth minute), Erika Belmont assist; Belmont (11th minute), Shapley assist; Michelle Wong (41st minute), unassisted; Shapley (79th minute), penalty kick
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 0, Sheri Grill 2
• Shots on goal: Uni 19 (9, 10); Macon Meridian 2 (0, 2)
• JV result: No game
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

April 22: Mahomet-Seymour, L 3-0

• Story: Mahomet-Seymour ends Uni winning streak
• Halftime: Uni 0, Mahomet-Seymour 0
• Uni goals: None
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 5 (3, 2)
• Shots on goal: Uni 9 (2, 7); Mahomet-Seymour 10 (6, 4)
• JV result: Mahomet-Seymour 1, Uni 0
• JV Uni goals: None
• JV Uni saves: Lor Sligar 4; Sheri Grill 7
• JV shots on goal: Uni 3 (1, 2); Mahomet-Seymour 15 (5, 10)
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

April 24: at Mattoon, L 1-0

• Scoreboard: Stats and coach Phil Anders' game report
• Halftime: Mattoon 1, Uni 0 (goal came off a direct kick)
• Uni goals: None
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 9 (2, 7)
• Shots on goal: Uni 12 (7, 5); Mattoon 12 (4, 8)
• JV result: Mattoon 4, Uni 1
• JV Uni goals: Larissa Pittenger (12th minute), Revathi Maturi assist
• JV Uni saves: Sheri Grill 1, Lor Sligar 2
• JV shots on goal: Uni 8 (4, 4); Mattoon 9 (5, 4)
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

April 26: St. Thomas More, T 1-1

• Scoreboard: Stats and coach Phil Anders' game report
• Halftime: St. Thomas More 1, Uni 0
• Uni goal: Suran Yoo (74th minute), Joy Shapley assist
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 9 (6, 3)
• Shots on goal: Uni 17 (9, 8); St. Thomas More 11 (7, 4)
• JV result: Uni 3, St. Thomas More 2
• JV Uni goals: STM own goal (16th minute), Larissa Pittenger assist; Lily Smith (28th minute), Revathi Maturi assist; Emma Coverdill (51st minute), Maturi assist
• JV Uni saves: Lor Sligar 2; Sheri Grill 1
• JV shots on goal: Uni 14 (9, 5); St. Thomas More 7 (5, 2)
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

April 29: Danville, L 3-1

• Scoreboard: Stats and coach Phil Anders' game report
• Halftime: Danville 1, Uni 0
• Uni goal: Joy Shapley (75th minute), Suran Yoo assist
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 6 (4, 2)
• Shots on goal: Uni 16 (8, 8); Danville 8 (5, 3)
• JV result: Uni 0, Danville 0
• JV Uni goals: None
• JV Uni saves: Sheri Grill 1, Lor Sligar 2
• JV shots on goal: Uni 12 (4, 8); Danville 4 (1, 3)
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

May 1: Warrensburg-Latham, W 2-1

• Story: Uni ends four-game winless streak with upset of Warrensburg-Latham
• Halftime: Uni 2, Warrensburg-Latham 0
• Uni goals: Michelle Wong (30th minute), Shara Esbenshade assist; Suran Yoo (39th minute), Joy Shapley assist
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 2 (0, 2 — penalty kick saved at 55th-minute mark)
• Shots on goal: Uni 15 (9, 6); Warrensburg-Latham 4 (1, 3)
• JV result: Warrensburg-Latham 2, Uni 1
• JV Uni goal: Revathi Maturi (7th minute), Larissa Pittenger assist
• JV Uni saves: Lor Sligar 0; Sheri Grill 2
• JV shots on goal: Uni 10 (8, 2); Warrensburg-Latham 4 (1, 3)
• JV record: 2-5-4 overall, 0-0 East Central Illinois Conference
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

May 3: Judah Christian, W 7-0 *

• Story: Illineks celebrate Senior Day with 7-0 win over Judah Christian
• Halftime: Uni 2, Judah Christian 0
• Uni goals: Suran Yoo (6th minute), Jessica Stark assist; Zoë Schein (9th minute), Stark assist; Shara Esbenshade (42nd minute), Yoo assist; Erika Belmont (60th minute), Joy Shapley assist; Shapley (63rd minute), Esbenshade assist; Schein (75th minute), direct kick after Yoo was fouled 25 yards out; Chelsea Freeland (79th minute), Yoo assist
• Uni saves: Sarah Pfander 0, Sheri Grill 1
• Shots on goal: Uni 37 (20, 17); Judah Christian 0 (0, 0)
• JV result: No game
• JV record: 2-5-4 overall, 0-0 East Central Illinois Conference
• Game stats and coach's report: Gargoyle scoreboard

May 5: at Decatur Lutheran, L 1-0 *

May 7: at Champaign Central (Uni varsity vs. Central JV), W 7-0

May 13: IHSA Class A Sectional Quarterfinal vs. Monticello, W 2-0

May 15: IHSA Class A Sectional Semifinal at Williamsville

* East Central Illinois Conference opponent

SEASON STATISTICS

VARSITY SCORING

• Michelle Wong: 9 goals, 1 assist, 18 games
• Erika Belmont: 7 goals, 2 assists, 18 games
• Joy Shapley: 6 goals, 11 assists, 18 games
• Suran Yoo: 5 goals, 10 assists, 18 games
• Shara Esbenshade: 3 goals, 3 assists, 15 games
• Aran Yoo: 3 goals, 0 assists, 4 games
• Zoë Schein: 2 goals, 1 assist, 16 games
• Katie Buzard: 2 goals, 0 assists, 16 games
• Sarah Pfander: 1 goal, 2 assists, 5 games
• Jessica Stark: 1 goal, 2 assists, 11 games
• Chelsea Freeland: 1 goal, 0 assists, 18 games
• Elizabeth Russell: 0 goals, 2 assists, 14 games
• Isaure Hostetter: 0 goals, 1 assist, 14 games
• Beth Peregrine: 0 goals, 1 assist, 4 games

VARSITY GOALKEEPING

• Sarah Pfander: 16 goals allowed, 99 saves, 18 games
• Sheri Grill: 0 goals allowed, 3 saves, 5 games
• Lor Sligar: 0 goals allowed, 5 saves, 2 games

JV SCORING

• Emma Coverdill: 3 goals, 0 assists, 11 games
• Revathi Maturi: 2 goals, 6 assists, 11 games
• Katie Buzard: 2 goals, 0 assists, 11 games
• Larissa Pittenger: 1 goal, 2 assists, 9 games
• Lily Smith: 1 goal, 0 assists, 11 games
• Katayun Salehi: 0 goals, 1 assist, 11 games

JV GOALKEEPING

• Sheri Grill: 6 goals allowed, 26 saves, 11 games
• Lor Sligar: 7 goals allowed, 24 saves, 11 games

TEAM ROSTER

VARSITY PLAYERS

• 2 Yoo, Suran 12th
• 3 Wong, Michelle 10th
• 4 Pfander, Sarah 12th
• 5 Machesky, Annie 11th
• 6 Freeland, Chelsea 12th
• 8 Chu, Emily 12th
• 9 Esbenshade, Shara 12th
• 10 Yoo, Aran 12th
• 11 Grill, Sheri 11th
• 12 Belmont, Erika 10th
• 13 Stark, Jessica 12th
• 14 Sullivan, Jessica 11th
• 15 Buzard, Katherine 10th
• 17 Levin, Maddy 11th
• 19 Schein, Zoë 12th
• 20 Hostetter, Isaure 10th
• 21 Shapley, Joy 11th
• 22 Hwu, Amanda 9th
• 23 Best, Sian 10th
• 27 Russell, Elizabeth 10th

JUNIOR VARSITY PLAYERS

• 1 Sligar, Lor 11th
• 7 Iyer, Marika 12th
• 11 Gratton, Cristina 9th
• 12 Smith, Lily 9th
• 13 Salehi, Katayun 9th
• 14 Engles, Alexx 10th
• 15 Maturi, Revathi 9th
• 16 Cooke, Jenny 9th
• 16 Nakamura, Natsuki 11th
• 17 Yannelis, Eleni 9th
• 24 Peregrine, Beth 12th
• 25 Pittenger, Larissa 12th
• 28 Coverdill, Emma 9th
• 29 Vazquez, Isabel 10th