By MATT SCHUCKMAN

Following his team's 6-1 loss to Chatham Glenwood last week, Quincy High School girls soccer coach Bill Sanders figured he had just watched the sectional champion at work.

"I don't know who can beat them," Sanders said of the Titans. "They are that good."

Quincy fans likely will see just how good Chatham Glenwood is since the sectional will be played next week at Quincy Notre Dame. Will either Quincy team be there to give the Titans a test?

The answer to that question starts to unravel itself tonight when the top-seeded Lady Raiders and fourth-seeded Blue Devils open play in the Class AA QHS Regional at Flinn Stadium.

QND (15-2-3) faces Bethalto Civic Memorial (3-9) at 4 p.m., with QHS (14-4-2) facing Jacksonville (14-6-1) at 6 p.m. The winners will meet at 6 p.m. Friday in the regional title game.

Many expect that to be the third head-to-head meeting between the Quincy teams this season. Before that can happen, here are six questions those teams need to answer.

1. Is QND finally healthy? Not just yet.

Wing defender Hannah Stroot returned after missing two weeks, and speedy forward Leigh McLaughlin saw her first action in almost a month in last week's tie with QHS.

However, McLaughlin's leg and hip injuries will limit her minutes. So could Janell Vermeire's groin pull, Jennifer Adam's back and numerous other ailments if they flare up.

"It's just something we have to deal with," Lady Raiders coach Mark Longo said. "I've never been through a year with this many injuries."

With that said, trainer Jay Zanger may be the MVP.

2. Can QHS forget the Chatham loss? Sanders called it a smack in the face.

"A cold splash of water if you will," he said. "Like a wakeup call. It may be the best thing for us."

It exposed what he and his coaching staff have preached all season -- little mistakes lead to bigger problem. As complimentary as Sanders was of Chatham, he also knows the Blue Devils made mistakes passing, rotating defensively and hustling.

"We've addressed those things and worked on them in practice," Sanders said. "I think the girls saw what happens when you don't do those little things right, and they'll react better to it."

3. Will QND's defense continue to improve? There's no reason it can't.

The Lady Raiders went through a rough stretch at midseason, allowing eight goals over a five-game stretch as injuries forced several lineup changes. Most notably, sophomore Claire Obert stepped in at stopper when junior Kayla Struck suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Once the new alignment became comfortable, QND has been rock solid. In the last nine games, the Lady Raiders have allowed just three goals and posted seven shutouts.

4. Can QHS use its speed to its advantage? The Blue Devils better because few teams can match the quickness of Katie Runyon and Hayley Womack up top.

Those two have combined for 32 goals this season.

"The pace of play has to be at a high level," Sanders said. "There has to be a little bit of a sense of urgency when it comes to finishing. We have to put away every chance because you never know if you'll get another."

5. Can QND's offense be more consistent? That might sound funny if you simply look at the results. During the current nine-game unbeaten streak, the Lady Raiders are averaging 3.2 goals per game.

Now compare that to the number of shots.

In that same stretch, QND is averaging 21 attempts. That includes 18 shots in a 1-1 tie with QHS in the regular-season finally.

"We've had some bad luck," Longo said. "There have been some posts and some crossbars get in the way. But we've spent a lot of time shooting in practice. Hopefully that will pay off for us."

6. Does QHS have a home-field advantage? Obviously, no one knows the nuances of Flinn Stadium better than the Blue Devils, and they did have a two-goal lead on QND when the teams met at Flinn earlier this year.

"At times, we've shown some great thingss," Sanders sad. "So I like our chances."

-- mschuckman@whig.com/221-3366