Lockport breaks through, edges Redhawks

Updated: May 7, 2011 12:12AM

Lockport’s girls soccer team has made tremendous progress this season, but the Porters still lacked a victory over one of the area’s top teams.

They got one Friday night. Senior Cassie Pullia scored on a 23-yard shot with 11:43 remaining in the second half as Lockport stunned host Naperville Central 2-1, ruining the Senior Night of a team that had crushed the Porters 8-0 a year ago.

It was the seventh goal of the season – and first game-winner - for Pullia, whose shot from just outside the top of the circle grazed the fingertips of Naperville Central goalie Jill D’Amico and the underside of the crossbar before going in.

“I just turned around and went for it, gave it my all and it went in,” Pullia said. “I think we just wanted it more. From where we’ve come from, it’s huge.”

The Porters were a .500 team last spring but are now 13-4 with a roster that has only four seniors. They beat the Redhawks (11-6-3) despite losing starting goalie Alyssa DeYoung to a knee injury 15 minutes into the game. Defender Julie Divita played between the pipes for three minutes before sophomore backup Jenny Meyer, who was not expecting to play, came out of the stands and made seven saves the rest of the way.

“It’s a signature win for us,” first-year Lockport coach Todd Elkei said. “Like I was telling (the Porters), (the Redhawks) have that tradition that we want to build at Lockport. We want people to think of Lockport the same way they think of Naperville Central, Naperville North, Waubonsie Valley and New Trier. We needed that one win to get us over the hump.”

The Porters, who were outshot 16-6, took a 1-0 lead with 18:55 remaining in the first half when junior Lexi Cozzi took a pass from defender Sam Spencer, raced unmarked into the Naperville Central box and eluded D’Amico before scoring from eight yards out.

“I went wide at first and looked up and got it to the back of the net,” Cozzi said. “I just had to touch it to the outside and look for the shot. (I thought) it was a little too far at first, but thank goodness it went in.”

The Redhawks stepped up the pressure after that and tied the game at the 31:22 mark of the second half when Alyssa Angelo headed home a corner kick from Ashley Tegge. Naperville Central had plenty of chances in the box after that, but missed three close shots and had other dangerous plays turned away by Lockport’s back line of Spencer, Divita, Lauren Labanauskas and Brynn Feeley.

“We had the energy,” Pullia said. “We’ve worked for this. We just went for it and got it.”

Elkei, whose team is seeded 10th at the Class 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional (Naperville Central is the No. 3 seed), was especially happy for Pullia.

“Cassie Pullia, who has been struggling a little bit this year with her confidence in her shot, for her to step up in a game like that, I couldn’t be more proud of her,” Elkei said. “I think (the Redhawks) probably controlled the ball a little more than we did, but our girls showed their heart and their character.”

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