Boys soccer: West Aurora advances to sectional championship
It hasn't been the easiest of months for West Aurora's boys soccer team.
However, it has turned into one of the most fulfilling.
The second-seeded Blackhawks (18-3-1) shook off back-to-back, late-season losses to Elgin and Larkin to earn their first regional title in 16 years - a 2-0 victory over Bolingbrook last weekend.
They'll be playing for their first-ever sectional championship at 6 p.m. Friday against top-seeded Naperville North following Tuesday night's 1-0 Class 3A sectional semifinal triumph over third-seeded Oswego (18-3-2) at Burgess Field in Geneva.
"We've been beaten up in the month of October and we finally regained ourselves together as a group," said Blackhawks coach Joe Sustersic. "You don't normally do it in Game 3 of the state tournament.
"We actually had as many as five guys out when we played against Elgin (1-0 loss on Oct. 6). To get a bunch of kids who have never really played together until like last summer and to work this hard and have each other's backs - wow," added Sustersic.
Both teams enjoyed several solid scoring opportunities but were denied by West Aurora keeper Alejandro Barrios (10 saves) and his Oswego counterpart, Kade Gutierrez (11 saves).
That changed in the 67th minute when Blackhawks senior standout forward Patience Yuha delivered a picture-perfect 24-yard free kick just over the outstretched fingertips of Gutierrez and into the upper right-hand corner of the net to break the scoreless duel.
"It was amazing," said Yuha, who now has 22 goals this season. "I saw the keeper and that right side was open so I tried to shoot it there. I didn't imagine it going in. I was a little bit surprised."
Alejandro Barrios came out of the net to thwart Oswego leading scorer Omar Carreno (35 goals) with 4:45 remaining, and received support from teammate Santiago Barrios, who helped clear the ball away from the Panthers' Martin Imbronjev in the final minute.
"Alejandro (Barrios) had five or six quality saves today," said Sustersic. "If he gives up one of those early, we're down 1-0, it's a different game, and we're handing in uniforms tomorrow.
"That's his best game of the year and he waited until Game 22 to do it."
The Blackhawks also received stellar work from defenders Monoj Chuwan, Raul Magana, Elijah Hardersen, and Zachary Thompson while recording back-to-back postseason shutouts.
"Three weeks ago, none of them (sophomores) were playing defense," said Sustersic. "To have them all come back and get the job done - it's a tribute to what the kids have been doing. They've been adaptive to whatever needs to be done."