Chavez's OT goal lifts Morton

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:18PM

Ivan Chavez isn't the type of player who scores a ton of goals, but he makes opponents do a lot of things they don't want to do in order to account for him.

And when teams don't pay attention, Chavez punishes them.

Chavez pounced on a rebound off a shot from Joel Salmeron 2:08 into double-overtime to lift No. 7 Morton to a 1-0 victory Friday over Hinsdale Central in a Class 3A regional final in Berwyn.

The Mustangs claimed their 10th consecutive regional title and finally got past the Red Devils, who had eliminated Morton in the playoffs the previous two seasons.

‘‘They beat us last year and two years ago, so it feels great to beat them," said Chavez, who scored his ninth goal of the season. ‘‘A couple of my friends from my club team are on that team too. So it's good to beat them and go to the next round.''

Hector Ibarra set up the game-winning goal with a steal near midfield and then a determined effort to keep the ball from going out of bounds before harassing a Hinsdale Central defender into a turnover.

‘‘[Ibarra] is one of our hardest workers. He's always working for the ball, he doesn't give up,'' Salmeron said. ‘‘He got the ball, kept it in and pressued their player into a bad cross into the middle of the field. I was able to get to it, got the shot, Ivan got the rebound and it's a goal.''

Said Ibarra: ‘‘I just gave it my all. We tell each other, ‘Don't play for yourself, play for the team.' I try to scarifice whatever it takes for the win.''

Kenny Kucinski had five saves for Morton (20-3-3), which will play Oak Park in a sectional semifinal 4 p.m. Tuesday at Argo.

Hinsdale Central came close to winning 1:48 into the first overtime when Taylor Cole set up Phillip Gutman, who blasted over the bar from about 12 yards.

‘‘That was the moment right there,'' Hinsdale Central coach Mike Wiggins said. ‘‘We can point to a number of different times throughout the course of this game where it could have gone either way. But [losing] was not for lack having opportunities to finish it off ourselves.''

Will Meyer made 12 saves for Hinsdale Central (11-8-2).

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