Swift’s goal advances Huskies

Updated: May 31, 2011 10:10PM

Naperville North coach Brent Terada is a big proponent of letting his players express their creativity and personality on the soccer field.

Sometimes that backfires and sometimes, like it did Tuesday night, it works wonders.

Junior Hunter Drendel’s back-heel pass in the box found sophomore sensation Zoe Swift in front of the right post and Swift’s six-yard shot skittered inside the left post with 11:21 remaining for the game-winning goal in Naperville North’s 2-1 victory over York at the Lisle Class 3A Supersectional at Benedictine University.

The win sends the Huskies (17-5-1) into the state semifinals for the first time since 2004. They will face Conant, which upset Loyola 1-0, at 5 p.m. Friday at Naperville Central. Naperville North beat Conant (20-4) 2-0 on April 28.

“It was a great pass and I got the goal and I was just so happy,” Swift said. “We worked on that in practice, actually. We did some patterns and it worked out for us.”

Drendel, whose goal ended previously unbeaten Neuqua Valley’s season in the sectional final, didn’t hesitate when she got the ball about 15 yards in front of the York net.

“It was a great ball in and I just flicked it behind me and Zoe was able to get on it and find the back of the net,” Drendel said. “We’ve been working on a lot of those little touches and give-and-gos and me and Zoe work perfect up top together. Her and I have been practicing so much and it just came out in the game and it’s great for us.”

It was also a little bit of redemption for Swift, who had given the Huskies a 1-0 lead when she scored on a penalty kick at the 11:36 mark of the first half but missed on a second penalty kick with 30:46 to go in the second half and the game tied at 1.

“After the (missed) PK I was kind of down but I was like, ‘We still have a whole half to go so I can’t get my head down, I have to keep playing,’” Swift said. “Everyone put their head down and said, ‘Let’s go, guys, the game’s not over.’”

(Missed penalties) happen,” Terada said. “I’m more proud of the fact that she was able to stay focused, rebound, keep positive and really work hard to get forward and then create opportunities. So I couldn’t be more ecstatic about how mentally tough she is.”

York, which was making its supersectional debut, came in riding an 11-game winning streak and had won 18 of its last 19 matches. The Dukes (21-5-1) tied the game 5:05 before halftime on a 40-yard shot by defender Allie Whitcomb.

The Huskies had just cleared a York corner kick when Whitcomb sent her long ball sailing toward the left post. Naperville North goalie Abby Green was in position but the shot went over her head into the upper left corner. The goal ended the Huskies’ 356-minute scoreless streak and was the first goal they had allowed in five playoff games.

“Our goalie thought it was going to go out,” Swift said. “We all thought it was going to go out, so we couldn’t blame her. We had to push our heads up so we could get another goal and go down to state.”

Now the Huskies, who were doubted even by many of their own peers, are two wins away from winning their first state title since 1988.

“We were a huge underdog and underestimated a lot,” Drendel said. “I think it gives us a little more edge the more and more we do it; play hard and keep upsetting people.”

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