New Trier takes state crown from Neuqua Valley
It didn't start the way Neuqua Valley wanted.
It also didn't finish the way the Wildcats had hoped while shooting for their first state championship in 10 years.
New Trier victimized the stingy defense of the Wildcats with a goal just 59 seconds into Saturday's Class 3A championship game at North Central College in Naperville, then added an insurance goal with 25:32 remaining in the half.
That was all the Trevians needed to earn the 2-0 victory and state title. It was their second consecutive state championship.
"They got two good goals, but we fought to the very end, though, and put a ton of pressure on them in the second half," Wildcats coach Joe Moreau said. "We came out on our heels a bit though and you can't do that against very good teams."
New Trier (27-1-1) jumped on the nearly invincible Neuqua Valley defense, scoring less than a minute before the clock had event started when Celia Frei gladly accepted a nice pass from Kelly Maday and fired in a shot from about 10 yards out.
Frei made it an unforgettable evening for the Trevians, and especially herself, when she connected from long range, hammering in free kick from about 25 yards away less than 15 minutes into the first half put the Wildcats behind 2-0.
Those big early scoring plays weren't something the Wildcats were accustomed to, especially with a defense that had shut out 13 opponents and was riding an 11-game winning streak.
"They're a really great team," Wildcats senior Sophia Moreau said. "We've got to give credit to them, but I think we stuck with it. We're a good team. It was just a tough game and they came out on top, but I still couldn't be more proud of my team."
Neuqua Valley (19-4-2) had its fair share of scoring chances but was denied by New Trier goalkeeper Dani Kaufman and the victims of misfires.
Kaufman made 6 saves in the first half to hold the Wildcats in check while only having to stop a pair of shots in the second half.
The fact is that sometimes the better team wins, and New Trier proved that on Saturday night in Naperville. Likewise, it should take nothing away from a brilliant season from the Wildcats.
"I'm incredibly proud of what we've done because no one expected anything from us this year," Wildcats senior Dannah Williams said. "Since freshman and sophomore year we've had so many (Division I) athletes but never made it past sectional, but we did. We showed how much fight we had and maybe we didn't have the deepest bench, but it was the most heart I've seen in a team."
And the Wildcats earned a second-place trophy.