Girls soccer: Top-ranked Naperville North eludes Neuqua Valley

Alexis Dandridge thought she shot too far wide.

Sometimes being wrong is right.

Dandridge's goal with 29:05 left in the second half proved to be all that Naperville North needed during Tuesday's Class 3A Metea Valley sectional semifinal against Neuqua Valley.

The top-seeded and top-ranked Huskies tacked on a late insurance goal and prevailed 2-0 to move on to Friday's girls soccer sectional championship against Metea Valley.

"I thought I missed it wide, but it skimmed just inside of the post, which was a great feeling to just get that first goal," Dandridge said. "I knew (their goalkeeper Yanel Ortiz) was on the front post with me so I had to get it wide."

Dandridge received the ball on the play from Shaina Dudas, who admitted that the Huskies were inspired in the second half after a lengthy discussion from coach Steve Goletz at halftime.

"He told us to work as hard as we could," she said. "I just did what he said and put my head down."

She raised it exultantly when Dandridge found the back of the net.

"Shaina had a great game today," Dandridge said. "She played a great ball into me to the right spot at the right time and I was able to put it away for us."

Naperville North (20-1-1) wasn't challenged much the rest of the way.

Whatever hopes the Wildcats had to drawing even were all but eliminated with 4:21 left when Dudas cleaned up a rebound off a Dandridge shot.

"Our biggest goal was that we wanted to get down to four games (left) to play," Dandridge said. "I felt like that was the big motivator for me as a captain and a senior. I didn't want the season to end and I tried to carry my team in a positive manner."

Neuqua Valley (8-10-2) almost sliced its deficit in half with 3:30 remaining, but Veda Tappin's shot was batted away by Naperville North goalkeeper Elizabeth Cablk.

"We rocked the crossbar in the first half and if that goes maybe it's a little bit different," Wildcats coach Joe Moreau said. "There were only a few games we weren't in this year and the first time we played North we weren't in it, but this time I thought we were for the most part."

That previous meeting was also a Naperville North 2-0 victory on April 26.

"A lot of times this year we couldn't crack the goal and that happened again today," Moreau said. "But North is a good team. They're the No. 1 team for a reason."