Wheaton Academy regroups, wins in second OT

Peoria Notre Dame netted a game-tying goal with 28 seconds left in regulation of Tuesday's Class 2A Lewis University supersectional to stun Wheaton Academy.

Warriors junior Jacob Kapitaniuk then blasted in the game-winner with only 1:06 remaining in the second overtime to thrill his teammates, as well as the many Wheaton Academy fans who made the trip to Romeoville.

It was an emotional roller-coaster ride of a game, but the Warriors were left standing with a 3-2 victory and their third consecutive trip to the IHSA finals.

"It was a tough game and they deserved to be here," Wheaton Academy senior Reid Culberson said. "They gave us a good battle, but we kept on fighting and were able to pull it out."

Peoria Notre Dame (16-5-4) was on the cusp of losing 2-1 in regulation, but Tommy Driscoll's rising shot sailed out of the reach of Wheaton Academy keeper Drew Sezonov.

"We have to finish games, but I thought we responded great because it would've been easy to give up and hang our heads," Sezonov said. "We've tried all year to stay positive in everything so I think that was huge for us, because we hung in there during the overtimes."

Wheaton Academy (23-2-1) didn't succumb to the adversity; rather they regrouped and stayed positive.

"Anytime something like that happens I think you're watching the game as a spectator and assume momentum has shifted entirely," Wheaton Academy coach Jeff Brooke said. "I told the guys we had a chance to catch them and we've trained for moments like this. There's 20 minutes on the clock and we're playing until the final whistle. I'm real proud of them."

The Warriors outshot the Irish, 4-3 in the overtimes and 21-12 overall. That fourth attempt in the second overtime was the successful one. It was sent to Kapitaniuk from Jha'Lon Johnson.

"He settled it and saw me in the middle," Kapitaniuk said. "I took a touch and I finished it."

He had no doubt it was going in.

"I take every shot with confidence," he said. "You've got to know what you're doing before you get the ball."

The Irish went ahead in the 11th minute on an unassisted goal from Cullen Kuntzman, but the Warriors drew even on Johnson's PK in the 55th minute.

About six minutes later Culberson put the Warriors ahead, when he was able to secure a deep cross from Ty Seager.

"I don't know how Ty kept that in," Culberson said. "I saw the ball flying kind of high and my man kind of lost it in the air. I snuck around and slid for the poke and then saw it go in barely above the line."

Now they'll go to Hoffman Estates on Friday afternoon for a state semifinal.