Boys soccer: Fremd stuns Libertyville in PKs

One year after its heartbreaking loss in penalty kicks to Libertyville, Fremd would turn the tables on the North Suburban Conference champs with a stunning 7-6 advantage in penalty kicks and a 4-3 victory Tuesday night in a thrilling boys soccer sectional semifinal at Walter R. Johnson Stadium in Libertyville.

Each side would take a one-goal advantage during the course of regulation, with top seed Libertyville (16-3-3) striking first near the half-hour on a Luke Underwood goal, only to see Leo Ashana come off the bench to equalize for Fremd before the intermission.

Early in the second half, Jack Brennan's blistering smash gave the Wildcats the lead at 2-1, but once again, the Vikings (14-1-4) would cancel that lead when Eli Schoffstall came through for the Mid-Suburban League champions

When it appeared Kaelan Conway's 76th minute strike would send the Vikings through, Mickey Reilly drew the home side back even with 22 seconds left in regulation.

Two 10-minute extra sessions failed to settle things, sending the contest into kicks, where each club went a perfect 6-for-6, until Fremd's Russell Beaupre drove his spot kick in after a Libertyville miss to send the huge crowd into a frenzy.

"It was like a flashback to last season, only this time around, things went our way," said Beaupre.

The Vikings will meet Warren Township (16-3-4) in the sectional final Friday at 5:30 p.m. after the Blue Devils defeated Buffalo Grove 4-2 in the second game of the night.