Girls soccer: Glenbard East tops Huntley to take 3rd in 3A

Huntley was 3-0 in shootouts this season. Glenbard East was 2-0.

For a third place plaque at the Class 3A state finals, one of those streaks had to break. And that's to say the least for freshman midfielder Amy Chiero.

Instead of going right like she does all the time - including the entire Lady Rams in the 5-4 shootout advantage over Huntley for a 1-0 win at Benedtti-Wehrli Stadium on the campus of North Central College - Chiero at the last second broke the ball inside the left post past Huntley keeper Paige Renkosik to finish a thrilling PK and an even more successful season for Glenbard East, who previously had just 1 postseason plaque - a regional championship.

"To be honest I was so glad we went into PKs right away because we had won in PKs twice before and I was very confident going into it," Chiero said. "We all were. We had done this before and we could all do it."

Neither team knew the IHSA rule for the third place game that if the score was tied after regulation it would go straight to kicks instead of the customary 10-minute halves.

But the Rams, who scored first on Paganucci's shot, rallied back from 2-1 and 3-2 deficits on senior Amanda Chlebek and junior Dana Plotke's conversions.

"This one is even better," Rams coach Kent Overbey said. "It's at state for third place so that's awesome. We weren't prepared but the girls finished strong."

Senior keeper Sierra Dana wasn't prepared, either, but she got her redemption after last night's 2-1 loss to Collinsville in OT.

Dana, who blocked 6 previous PKs, made a key save on Taryn Jakubowski's attempt for Huntley (22-5-2) that would have given the Red Raiders a 4-2 PK win. Instead, Dana guessed left and stopped the shot, which allowed Holly Ward to tie it at 3-3 on a boot that hit the right post but tricked left inside the left post to extends the kicks.

"Honestly, I do what I can to get into their heads," Dana said. "There's absolute no pressure on me so I try to do whatever I can to get into their heads and remind them of the pressure and it comes down to ones that I save. It's instinct. You can study whatever you want but bottom line I get a gut feeling and I go. And if I'm wrong I'm wrong and if I'm right I'm right and I know I'm there. "

"She's been great all year and she's mentally tough all year," Overbey said. "That was a tough goal against (Friday) and to come back and make saves and intimidate, that's been huge for us the last three years and we'll miss her."

East watched Katie Hansen answer Brady Ceh's boot in the sixth round setting up Chiero's heroics, but Glenbard East (24-5) had its chances in the last 4 minutes to go out with a win much earlier. Mimi Camacho had a header stopped by Renkosik from 6 yards out with in the 76th minute. Sammie Sarles' corner kick was almost booted in by Faith Davies, whose shot went wide with 1:15 on the clock.

Shots were at a premium and even at 6 (East had a 5-4 edge on frame) but it was definitely Huntley's grind out style. In fact, the Red Raiders shut down 30-goal scorer Brittany Paganucci and for the most part dictated the pace with a solid defensive outing and midfield play.

"We defended their long throw well and they only had the one corner and we defended that well," Huntley coach Kris Grabner said. "I thought the girls really stepped up and cut some holes down trying to play and I thought they really stepped up well."