Neuqua Valley takes suspense out of win
The focus of nationally ranked Neuqua Valley was on full display Tuesday night.
The Wildcats have used a one-game-at-a-time approach en route to their undefeated season and a No. 1 national ranking in 2011. They used that focus in a 5-1 win over defending state champion Waubonsie Valley in the semifinal of the Class 3A sectional.
Neuqua Valley will look to continue its quest for its first state title since 2005 during Friday night’s 6:30 p.m. sectional final at Waubonsie Valley against Naperville North, a 1-0 winner over Naperville Central in the first semifinal.
“We never want to think about the next game. We just want to think about winning this game,” Neuqua Valley sophomore forward Zoey Goralski said. “We definitely did that today.”
The Wildcats (24-0-0), ranked first in the May 17 edition of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America national rankings, defeated its district rival, 2-1 on April 5 but had to climb out of a 1-0 deficit. This time around it was the Wildcats who jumped out to the early lead.
“We put it out on the field today and are very proud of what we were able to accomplish,” senior defender Megan Oyster said. “We calmed down and played our game this time around.”
Hope D’Addario got the Wildcats on the board seven minutes in with an unassisted goal from the corner of the box.
Waubonsie Valley’s (17-6-0) best scoring chance of the first half came at the 19:10 mark when Kristen Dodson fed Megan Green in the box, but her shot from 10 feet out sailed just over the goal.
A Warriors penalty with 19 seconds left in the first half led to a penalty-kick goal by Oyster, giving Neuqua Valley a 2-0 lead halfway through the contest.
“It was nice to get that second goal at the end of the half,” Neuqua Valley coach Joe Moreau said of Oyster’s penalty kick. “That goal picked us up a little bit, but it probably was deflating for (Waubonsie Valley) as well.”
Neuqua Valley continued to pull away in the second half. Gorlawski scored the game’s third goal off a deflection from Warriors goalkeeper Jordan Myers in the 54th minute.
Waubonsie Valley had another scoring opportunity seven minutes later, but Wildcats goalkeeper Courtney Keefer used a one-handed deflection on Jenna Romano’s header off a corner kick.
Goralski scored her second goal of the game, unassisted, at the 12:20 mark, followed by the Wildcats’ final goal from Olivia Schmitt with 1:48 left.
“Five goals against Waubonsie Valley is unheard of because they are such a dangerous team,” Moreau said. “Waubonsie is disciplined and they play great defense.”
The Warriors’ Caroline Soyars scored with eight seconds left for the final tally.