Neuqua Valley 2, Naperville Central 0

Neuqua Valley's Shelbi Johnson defined the role of unsung hero Tuesday night in Aurora.

After drawing a foul that led to the Wildcats' first goal, Johnson set up a second teammate seven minutes later, contributing heavily to Neuqua Valley's 2-0 sectional semifinal victory over Naperville Central.

Johnson drew a bump inside Naperville Central's goal box in the 52nd minute, allowing freshman midfielder Megan Oyster to convert on a penalty kick and give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. Her expertly placed corner kick minutes later found senior Ashley Marrapode for the 2-goal advantage.

While the junior forward may not have drawn the glory, Johnson knows the value that her play brought to the team.

"You just want to go out there and play for everybody on your team, hopefully get a goal, and do whatever it takes, I guess, to get one," Johnson said. "(Oyster) is very good when it comes to taking PKs, and whenever you get a great ball play from the other side you want to work your butt off to get there.

"I got taken out from behind, but I knew Megan would bury it, so I let her take it."

Johnson's hookup with Marrapode in the 59th minute came as no surprise. The two have dedicated significant time to develop an almost assured connection.

"We've been working on those for hours at practice, and I knew she'd find a way to get there if I could just get a good ball off," Johnson said.

The Redhawks (20-6) saw numerous scoring opportunities in the final 15 minutes of the game, yet couldn't execute on offense when it counted.

"We had so many chances late in the game to get the first (goal), and it just wasn't meant to be," Naperville Central coach Ed Watson said. "When we had chances to do something at the end of a good sequence, we didn't get it done.

"Our execution was just not there, but the one thing I'll give our kids credit for is that we continued to play hard."

Tuesday's win earned the Wildcats (18-5) a date in the sectional final with host Waubonsie Valley, owners of a 53-game unbeaten streak and Neuqua Valley's in-conference rival.

"Obviously, they're a great, great team. We just have to go out there and play hard against them," Wildcats coach Joe Moreau said. "You've got to try and keep (emotions) under control, but it's exciting."