Hats off to Hruby, Neuqua
If Saturday goes as well as Friday did for Neuqua Valley forward Bret Hruby, he'll have a weekend story for the ages to tell his grandchildren someday.
Hruby had a hat trick, including the game-winning goal, in the Wildcats' 3-2 win over Champaign Centennial, in a Class AA boys soccer quarterfinal in Naperville.
The senior first scored on a bicycle kick from 6 yards out that tied the game in the 22nd minute.
"It was pretty much the only thing I could do to get it into the goal," Hruby said.
Champaign Centennial (21-3-3) went up 1-0 on a Kyle Bullock goal in the game's 20th minute at North Central College, before Hruby's goal on a feed from Paul Box. With his back to the goal, Hruby dropped to the ground and hit the second bicycle kick goal of his career.
He also hit one at last year's Quincy tournament.
"It wasn't as good, though," Hruby said.
Neuqua Valley (23-1-4) went up 2-1 in the 33rd minute, pouncing on a Bryan Gaul corner kick and hitting it in left-footed from 7 yards out.
The Wildcats led 2-1, but an unknown quantity in Centennial gave them all they could handle in the first half.
"It's about matchups … we had more problems today, defensively, than we usually do," said Wildcats coach Jim Johns. "They kept possession quite a bit against us, and it was hard for us to connect passes when you're playing defense."
The Chargers tied the game in the 65th minute on a Victor Martinez goal, and the Wildcats needed a lift. Seven minutes later Hruby gave it to them.
Gaul sent a corner to the far side that Tanner Fink headed back across the goalmouth. Hruby -- at 5-foot-8 -- was there to head in game-winner from 5 yards out.
"He's a gutty guy," Johns said. "Bret is all hustle and work. That guy has got to be playing in college somewhere. He just works, works, works."
"I was getting nervous toward the end, because it was tied 2-2 and Centennial was playing well," Hruby said. "I just wanted to score so bad."
"Even if we're down a goal, like we were today, we want to come back. There's no letdown. We're always fighting."
Friday's win puts the Wildcats in a 9 a.m. semifinal today against Rockford Boylan, a 4-2 winner over Lemont on Friday. The Wildcats have a few banged up players heading into the semifinals, and those players fought the good fight Friday.
"Gaul is out there gutting it out, and Box had some problems. It was a good performance by everyone," Johns said. "Everybody gives everything they've got."