Girls soccer: Downers Grove North advances past Naperville North in PKs
Naperville North's Caroline Weiss fired a shot off the crossbar late in the first overtime of Tuesday's Class 3A Lewis University supersectional game against Downers Grove North.
Teammate Shaina Dudas collected the rebound but couldn't find the back of the net as Trojans goalkeeper Grace Stevenson came up with a huge save.
It proved to be the last good scoring chance for the Huskies in a game that ultimately had to be decided by penalty kicks. The Trojans outshot the Huskies 5-4 in the extended shootout as each team missed just one of its first 5 attempts for the victory. The teams played to a 0-0 draw through 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime.
"We had chances to score and they made some great plays," Huskies coach Steve Goletz said. "Their defenders made some great plays and their keeper made some good saves."
Morgan Krause, Ashley Santos, Jeanine Valera and Emily Wilhelm converted their PKs for the Huskies, but the Trojans made their first four attempts and were set to win but hit the crossbar.
That gave the Huskies (20-3-3), who lost in the supersectional last year to Glenbard East, new life, but they missed their next attempt. That set the stage for the Trojans' Simone Gardner, who buried her shot for the victory.
"After Grace (Stevenson) made that save I knew there was no way I could miss it," Gardner said. "Nothing will ever top this."
Gardner's shot went to the left of Naperville North goalkeeper Elizabeth Cablk, who coincidentally used to play on the same club team as Gardner.
"I was nervous at first because I missed my PK against Lyons (in the sectional finals)," Gardner said. "I had a lot more confidence after Grace made that save. I play club with all the girls on Naperville North and Elizabeth used to be my goalie, so we're good friends and it was kind of a nice feeling to score on her."
It was an even nicer feeling for the Trojans to not allow the Huskies to score during 100 minutes of play. Coach Brian Papa was extremely proud of his defenders, namely Bull, Kelly Doro, Elizabeth Hodonicky, Francesca Marconi and Chloe Nowka.
"Those girls gave me everything that they could," Papa said. "What more could I ask for from them in the back?"
It was a disappointing end for a Huskies team that was looking to get to state for the first time since 2013's state championship run.
"This is the most special group I've been a part of because of the sense of family and love we all have for each other," Cablk said. "This group of seniors has just been the closest thing to family I've ever had and I don't know what I'm going to do without these girls next year."
Cablk recorded the 20th shutout of the season, but it was bittersweet since it also marked the end of playing high school soccer.
"When you get this far in the playoffs it's talent and also a little bit of luck that you need on your side," she said. "We had that when the PK hit the crossbar, but we didn't have it in the next round. It's nobody's fault. Everybody could have done something better during regulation."
The Trojans advance to the state semifinals against Barrington at 7 p.m. Friday. The winner will take on Collinsville or three-time state champion New Trier in Saturday night's championship match, with the defeated meeting in the 5 p.m. third-place match.