Effingham scored two second-half goals Thursday, but it wasn’t enough as the Hearts dropped a 3-2 decision at home to Lincoln on Senior Night.
“We fought hard and made them work for every goal, but it wasn’t enough early on,” said EHS coach Weston Peno. “The second half came with some big changes. We pulled two of our midfields down and controlled the ball with our defensive line, which created lots of opportunities. From there, we played very well.”
Victor Carillo and Armando Estrada scored the goals for Effingham. Goalie Brandon Duncan had 10 saves.
Lincoln also won the junior varsity contest 3-1.
The Hearts will open postseason play Saturday in the Mattoon Regional. They will face Taylorville at 9:30 a.m. The winner of that match will face top-seeded Chatham-Glenwood at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.