Just your basic Neuqua win

Entering a sectional assignment littered with quality soccer programs, Neuqua Valley boys soccer coach Jim Johns knew his team would need to dig deep and win at least one 1-0 game.

That nail-biter test came Monday afternoon for the Wildcats, as the Class 3A regional hosts took on a deceptively strong No. 14 seed in Benet Academy. Neuqua Valley received an early goal from junior Bryan Ciesiulka and rode a great defensive effort to a hard-fought 1-0 victory in Naperville.

"This is soccer, so you've got to win a game 1-0," Johns said. "We told the guys that we have enough goals to win the game, and so we have to play that way.

"Sure, you try to crack another goal in, but you've also got to be able to win the game 1-0, and this was good for us."

Ciesiulka's goal came in just the second minute of action, as the junior midfielder redirected a ball near the net to score what ultimately proved to be the game-winning goal.

"(He) played a great ball, and I just kind of kicked it towards the goal," Ciesiulka said.

The early advantage perfectly suited Johns' style, as the Wildcats (17-4-2) coach earnestly stresses the importance of starting a game as strongly as possible. Benet received several chances to knot the score, but a combination of strong Wildcats defense and goalkeeper Jack Turancik kept the Redwings at bay.

"They had their opportunities. They hit one off the crossbar, and they also took a great shot-where Jack tipped it over the bar," Johns said. "All you can do is try to do the best you can, and they worked hard, they hustled, and they fought for this game.

"We knew it was going to be an incredibly difficult game."

Despite being held scoreless in its season finale, Benet (10-10) showed vast improvement down the year's finishing stretch - so much so that coach Henry Wind felt his team could have changed Monday's outcome had the clock not run out.

"All we talked about was always competing, and we competed today. We told the kids 'we didn't lose this game; we just ran out of time,'" Wind said. "You're not losers, you're winners. It's just too bad the game had to be 80 minutes.

"(Neuqua Valley) was either a one- or a two-seed - it was fighting between them and Naperville Central (for a one-seed) - and our kids gave them a scare for their money."