Westminster Christian to play for sectional title

When Westminster senior Ryan Beachler sprinted to keep alive a ball near the end line in the second half Saturday night, he was hoping to cross the soccer ball to a teammate.

What the Warriors' player got was a whole lot more. After chasing down and saving the ball, his cross from the left corner sailed high toward the Peotone goal, but none of his teammates had yet arrived on the scene. Keeper Tom Malia leapt to play the ball but it slipped through his hands and ended up bouncing into the net for what proved to be the game-winning goal in Westminster's 3-2 victory in Class 1A sectional semifinal action at Benedictine University in Lisle.

With the win the Warriors improved to 17-3-1 and will play in their first-ever sectional final Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Timothy Christian, which defeated Francis W. Parker 2-1 in Saturday's first semifinal in Lisle. That game was not decided until after four 10-minute scoreless overtime sessions were followed by a shootout, meaning the Warriors didn't kick off their contest until 9:15 p.m.

"I was just hoping someone would make a run at the back post," Ryan Beachler said of the play in which he notched his third game-winner of the season. "I had a burst of energy and I wanted to make something happen."

That decisive goal came with 27 minutes left in the second half and it helped Westminster to bounce back after the Blue Devils (22-4) had just erased a 2-0 halftime deficit to draw even. After a pair of Josh Beachler scores in the first half had the Warriors looking good, Peotone scored five minutes into the second half on a header by Kyle Robinson and then pulled even when Ethan Arendt tallied on another header following a throw in.

"We knew they were going to score on us," Westminster coach Mike Richardson said. "They're very good and very strong in the air. But Ryan was the difference in the gamer today. Ryan and Josh both played well. The brothers took over the game."

Nine minutes into the game Josh Beachler opened the scoring on a play set up by a nice ball from the deep left corner from Ishmael Yemoah that went to Ryan Beachler, who then assisted on the first of his younger brother's two scores. At the 32:03 mark of the half the lead became 2-0 after Josh Beachler buried a ball in traffic in front of the net following a Warriors throw in.

"It's a game of two 40-minute halves," the younger Beachler said in stating that he was not surprised to see the Blue Devils make a run in the second half. "We just had to counter back and we did."

Richardson hopes the school's best-ever playoff runs ends with a trip to the Class 1A state finals next weekend in Naperville. "We're just looking to keep riding on this sled down the hill," he said. "This is the best (state run) so far."