Boys lacrosse: Krebsbach, Glenbard West stop Neuqua Valley

Glenbard West goalie Kurt Krebsbach has settled more scores than Charles Bronson this season - 24 of them, to be exact.

But none was bigger, so far at least, than Tuesday night.

The recently graduated Krebsbach made a flurry of sensational saves late in the fourth quarter in the Downers Grove South boys lacrosse supersectional that paved the way for an 8-5 Glenbard West victory.

It was crucial, because the Hilltoppers went into the fourth quarter down 5-3 to the Wildcats, who looked to punch their own ticket to play in an IHSA semifinal against New Trier at 7 p.m. Thursday at Hinsdale Central.

Instead, it will be Glenbard West, now 24-2.

"He was playing out of his mind, making saves all over the place, cross crease, when there was no chance he should have saved those goals," junior faceoff specialist Ben Frick said of his teammate. "We wouldn't have came out of here tonight had not played exactly how he played."

For a beaming Krebsbach, it was all in a day's work. What's his secret?

"Confidence," he said. "Definitely confidence. If you're down, you're not going to make the saves. If you're confident you can stop these goals, it rolls."

Down 5-3, Glenbard West's Blaise Bishop got his team one closer with a goal off a Frick faceoff win at 11:09.

Then Krebsbach went to work.

He made a big grab off a shot dead center by Neuqua Valley's Caiden Perry at 9:50 and another at 7:20. In the meantime sophomore Josh Crosby equalized for the Hilltoppers.

Krebsbach was just getting started. He snatched another ball out of the air at 5:04 on a shot by Ryan Jaffray, then did the same on a shot by Bryson Bennefield at 3:25.

Eleven seconds later, and on the transition from Krebsbach's latest save, Bishop scored the eventual game-winner, though Parker Michel and Jack O'Grady would tally twice in the final 48.9 to salt the game away.

It didn't help that Neuqua Valley was assessed a slashing penalty with 54.4 seconds left that left the Wildcats a man down the remainder of the game.

"The goalie made a couple of good saves in the end that kept them in it, some big ones in the end near the fourth, there were a couple right on the doorstep," said Neuqua Valley coach Josh Maluta, whose squad finished 21-3. "It switches the momentum real quick when they get a stop and put one in."

Maluta's goalie, junior Michael Gunderson, wasn't too shabby also with 14 saves.

New Trier, which beat Grayslake North 14-6 Tuesday, is the next step for the Hilltoppers. Krebsbach is ready. Why? Confidence.

"We played them early in the year and lost 7-4," he said. "I think we can beat them. It's going to be a huge game. It's going to be fun."

Girls lacrosse

Hinsdale Central 18, O'Fallon 5:

In the early game in the Downers South supersectional, the Hinsdale Central girls lacrosse team breezed past O'Fallon 18-5 behind 3 goals apiece from Jenna Colignon and Alaina Hamood. Five others added 2 goals apiece for the Red Devils, who are 19-5 and will face Loyola in the state semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday.

"Great job by the girls," Hinsdale Central coach Dan Hartman said. "Their goal at the beginning of the year was to make it to the state finals, and we're there, and now it's time to win a couple more."

Ironically, Hinsdale Central is hosting both boys and girls IHSA state tournaments this weekend. Is there a home-field advantage?

"We've played on this field for the past four years, and I guess it's fun to play at home, but I wouldn't say it's necessarily an advantage," Shea Draddy said.