Naperville North overcomes Oswego

The boys soccer postseason usually means not only overcoming your opponent but the weather and nerves as well.

Top-ranked Naperville North never could shake the 45-degree temperatures, driving wind and steady rain, but it quickly put any upset concerns and Oswego behind it, claiming a 6-1 victory in Wednesday’s Class 3A Metea Valley regional opener.

“I’m glad we won,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “Obviously, it was tough conditions. I give the boys credit, they toughed through it. The cold was more a factor than the wind tonight. The guys were just frozen, and I think they were tentative to tackle hard because of it.”

Naperville North got its first goal in the fourth minute when senior Kyle Lindberg drove a cross off the leg of an Oswego defender and into the goal. In the 10th minute Evan Trychta pounced on a rebound to give the Huskies (19-0-1) a 2-0 lead.

“Us working hard off the bat, putting a couple away early, definitely set the tone,”a shivering Lindberg said. “We didn’t want it to be a big factor for them that they got a cheap goal and beat us. It’s good we put it away early.”

“You never know what’s going to happen in these games,” Konrad said. “We were lucky to get a few early and take the pressure off.”

Naperville North didn’t let up, controlling possession and outshooting Oswego 16-0 in the first half and 24-3 for the game.

Lindberg made it 3-0 in the 17th minute when he was tripped in the penalty area and converted the penalty kick. In the 35th minute Lindberg’s perfectly weighted through ball found Trychta on the run, and Trychta used the outside of his right foot to slot the shot into the net.

In the second half Trychta assisted on a Max Auden goal, and Joe Sullivan concluded the Huskies’ scoring.

Oswego got its goal in the 54th minute, a Mitch Lewis blast from distance becoming only the seventh goal the Huskies have allowed this season.

The Huskies will meet host Metea Valley at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the regional final. Metea Valley defeated Oswego East 1-0 in Wednesday’s second semifinal.