Plenty of heroes for Neuqua Valley

With so much talent, some players can be overlooked for their contributions to Neuqua Valley’s 19-0 start.

Everyone seemingly knows about UCLA-bound Megan Oyster and U-17 national teamer Zoey Goralski.

Sophomore Gianna Dal Pozzo has jumped right in this season for the Wildcats, while fellow sophomore Hope D’Addario recently scored the game-winner in a 1-0 victory against Lyons Twp. in the Naperville Invitational championship game.

But what about some of the names that don’t get as much press but have contributed greatly to the Wildcats’ success — they’re ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 2 nationally — even if overlooked by the casual fan?

“I think our two unsung heroes are the two outside backs, Sydney Tappin and Lisa Nuccio,” Neuqua Valley coach Joe Moreau said. “They are just two solid players. They’re not flashy but they shut down the players they are matched up against and they distribute the ball when they play it.”

Another player who has been somewhat overshadowed is senior co-captain Morgan Mulcahy, who has started at times this season and at others been the first player off the bench.

“She’s a four-year player that does everything we ask of her,” Moreau said. “She works her tail off and annoys the opposing team in a good way. She’s just a great leader. A natural born leader.”

While Oyster, Tappin and Nuccio are limiting opponent’s scoring chances in back, that still doesn’t mean that Moreau can just put a lawn chair in front of the goal. Freshman Courtney Keefer has been the team’s primary keeper, but fellow freshman Maddie Thielsen has also received time in net. The Wildcats have only surrendered 9 goals all season and have given up more than one goal in a contest just once this spring.

“They haven’t got a lot of action, but both are only freshmen,” he said. “They’ve still had to stay on their toes even with fewer chances.”

The only team standing in the way of the Wildcats’ finishing a perfect regular season is Lake Park. The Wildcats will face the Lancers on Tuesday.

Uh-oh for Urban:It#146;s been a rough year for Lisle and senior Nicole Urban.The University of Iowa recruit had missed some time early on in the season as the Lions struggled to a 1-7 start. The team battled all the way back to get its record to .500, but Urban is out again with an injury and the Lions have dropped three straight and are closing their season on a decline at 8-11-1.#147;I think the soccer gods gave us so much last year, but nothing this year,#148; Lisle coach Paul Kohorn said. #147;Nicole#146;s out for the rest of the year and you know how big of an impact she has on the team.#148;Kohorn has only used the same lineup three times all season as Urban isn#146;t the only player who has missed time. The Lions have also played a lot of freshmen and sophomores, who as newcomers to varsity are often inconsistent.#147;It#146;ll help develop for the future, but even next season we#146;ll be pretty young,#148; Kohorn said. #147;We#146;ll have another good group of freshmen coming in next year, so it should be pretty good.#148;Lisle isn#146;t looking ahead to next year quite yet anyway. The Lions open postseason play on Tuesday against Elgin Academy.For what it#146;s worth:Talk about going up and then going down. It#146;s been that kind of season at Wheaton North. The Falcons won their first three games and then dropped their next three to even up at 3-3. But the beginning has nothing on what happened soon after. Wheaton North edged Wheaton Warrenville South 1-0 at Red Grange Field on April 18 to improve to 7-4. It was the team#146;s fourth win in five games, and things were seemingly going very well.The Falcons have not won since.#147;We came out on the field and we knew we didn#146;t have to be magical tonight,#148; Wheaton North coach Tim McEvilly said. #147;We#146;re as good as a Wheaton South and we can play with these teams. Our schedule gets tougher, and it#146;s important to know as player that you can compete.#148;Winless in their last six games, the Falcons sit at 7-8-2. Their game against Naperville North on Thursday was suspended due to the weather, with the Huskies leading 1-0 very late in the first half. Games with Glenbard East and West Aurora next week will conclude the regular season.Almost as hot as Neuqua:Downers Grove South has won 11 of its last 12 games to boost its record to 16-2-1 on the season. The Mustangs#146; last loss came to Naperville Central in a 1-0 decision on April 21. During their current streak they#146;ve shut out nine opponents and outscored them a combined 49-5.The Mustangs finish against Leyden and York next week before heading into the post-season. They#146;ll get No. 12 seed Oswego East to open the Bolingbrook regional on May 17 and a potential regional title match against defending Class 3A Waubonsie Valley looms on May 20.It#146;s the Redhawks: If Naperville Central can finish off Glenbard North on Tuesday in the team#146;s regular-season finale it will win the DuPage Valley Conference outright. Regardless, the Redhawks will at the very least share a conference title, and this year will mark the fourth consecutive season they#146;ve won the DVC.#147;It#146;s always something we strive for,#148; Naperville Central coach Ed Watson said. #147;We#146;ve had great success in the DVC and take great pride in being conference champions. The girls look at that with a great deal of pride, and then other goals you play for is to be playing your best soccer when heading into the state tournament.#148;Watson feels the team has tested itself time and time again with a solid schedule to prepare for the postseason. The team beat Palatine and Downers Grove South, tied New Trier and lost to Lyons Twp. during the Naperville Invitational while also fighting to a draw against Naperville North and beating Wheaton North during the same time period.#147;We#146;ve had a tough stretch in terms of competition with our two-week stretch of our own tournament and then other opponents, Naperville North, Wheaton Warrenville South and Wheaton North,#148; Watson said. #147;I felt we came through pretty well.#148;The Redhawks remain young with just five seniors on their roster. It#146;s finally been a changing of the guard at Naperville Central. Watson asked his team how many were there in 2009 when they ended Waubonsie Valley#146;s 59-game winning streak. Only a few hands were raised.#147;You get a young team looking around and finally recognizing who is supposed to take the shot and do this,#148; Watson said. #147;We#146;re getting there and it#146;s a fun group. We turned over a great deal last year with 11 seniors graduating, so the team became young again real fast.#148;Naperville Central (11-6-3) will host its own regional. They Redhawks will battle either Plainfield Central or Romeoville on May 18 and then would challenge Plainfield North or Plainfield South for the regional title on May 21.