Neuqua's Hruby makes good twice vs. Naperville N.
Neuqua Valley's Bret Hruby had a dilemma on his hands.
After seemingly converting a penalty kick in a scoreless game against Naperville North, an official waved it off and called for another attempt due to an infraction.
Hruby immediately melted back into a crowd of teammates, not wanting to give Huskies goalkeeper Jon Emerson consecutive chances at reading his shot and figuring that it would be safer to let one of his teammates take the rekick.
Luckily for Neuqua Valley fans, Hruby's teammates forced him to line up for a second attempt.
"I shot the same way, and luckily it went in," Hruby said.
Hruby's first-half score largely deflated a Huskies attack that had the better of play through 29 minutes, en route to a 2-0 Wildcats win in opening play of the Best of the West tournament in Naperville.
Neuqua Valley (2-0) took over the attack in the second half and got a goal from Miguel Joaquin on a 25-yard free kick. The Wildcats showed throughout the second half that they have a high level of experienced talent around the park.
"We've got each other's backs," said Wildcats senior defender Asa Carson.
In a hard-played and physical game from start to finish, the Huskies took the field minus three of their captains for assorted reasons, and coach Jim Konrad freely utilized the depth that marks this year's team.
"I must have played to my 22nd guy today ... the guys that went in did a real nice job," Konrad said. "In the first half we had the best of play, but unfortunately we gave up a (penalty kick)."
A long free kick sent toward the Huskies' goal by Joaquin led to Hruby's penalty kick, and after halftime the Wildcats' passing game began sorting things out and applying pressure in the attacking third.
"We kept our cool, stayed organized in the back, worked it through the middle and got it to our forwards," Carson said. "Then we were able to keep possession of it, so our defense didn't get tired."
The Wildcats went up 2-0 late in the second half on a Joaquin free kick from 25 yards out that found its way underneath Emerson. "But (Emerson) made some nice saves, and I thought our goalie (Jack Turanchik) played well, too," said Wildcats coach Jim Johns.
Central defenders Carson and Robby Gargaro were key in back for the Wildcats. The Huskies (1-1-1) got a consistent and solid effort from defender Mike Hogan, "and I thought Brandon Gorgorek played well for me up top," Konrad said.