Neuqua answers 'Hawks' challenge

It's been a while since anyone challenged Neuqua Valley like Naperville Central did Wednesday.

The Wildcats, ranked second nationally, responded to the challenge with a 2-1 victory in the Class 3A Naperville North sectional semifinals. They'll get another challenge Saturday afternoon from WW South, a 1-0 winner over Naperville North in four overtimes in the other semifinal.

"They're an awesome team," said Neuqua Valley captain Bryan Ciesiulka about the Redhawks (15-4-2). "They had us on our heels a lot of that game."

"We were good enough tonight," Wildcats coach Tony Kees added. "Just good enough."

The Redhawks looked to have scored the first goal, in the 16th minute, but it was waved off due to offsides. Four minutes later Scott Davis converted a Cale Brown header for a 1-0 Neuqua Valley lead.

Naperville Central found the equalizer in the 48th minute. Chris Prince's shot was saved off the post by Neuqua Valley goalkeeper Jack Turanchik, and freshman Pat Flynn was there to pounce on the rebound. Prince and Art Garza caused problems for the Wildcats defense all night.

"They're a dangerous team, I'll tell you what," Ciesiulka said. "Art and Prince, they do some stuff we haven't seen this year. Our defense played really well. We got a lot of big tackles out of some players. Jack had an awesome game back there clearing balls off the line."

Neuqua (26-0-1) didn't wait long to grab the lead back, with Ciesiulka scoring with a left-footed shot off a tough angle to the left side.

"I just got a really good ball from (Brandon) Loncar just over the top and I just tried to redirect it back toward the goal, and somehow it went back corner," Ciesiulka said. "We'll take it."

They'll take it, but only because Naperville Central ended their streak of 5 straight shutouts, forcing the Wildcats to "gut out" the win, in Kees' words.

"Credit to our boys, they worked their tails off," Redhawks coach Jay Konrad said. "I've been bragging up the quality of character of our boys all year, and they showed it tonight. They never quit. We played against the No. 2 team in the nation and (the Wildcats) were nervous. That's credit to our boys. That's credit to them working hard and accepting roles. Not every team can do that.

"Boy, they're good, though. When you play Neuqua you have to take eight guys, nine guys out of the game offensively. They have so many guys who come, and they're all good. Every kid, they're good, they're flat-out good."