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Naperville North shuts down Conant
Updated: June 3, 2011 9:59PM
Naperville North is used to doing the dirty work of eliminating some the nation’s top teams from the Class 3A playoffs. This time the Huskies want to reap the rewards.
The Huskies are one game away after Zoe Swift scored an early goal and Naperville North’s defense grinded out its fifth 1-0 victory of the playoffs in a Class 3A state semifinal Friday at Naperville Central.
It was the 15th shutout of the season for the the Huskies’ defensive core of Adrienne Schertz, Jamie Meno, Kirsten Anderson, Angela Widlacki and goalie Abby Green (nine saves).
“We’ve done a great job getting here, but we want a ring,” said Swift, who scored from 16 yards out 3:28 into the first half after she sprinted on to a flick from Hunter Drendel. “We want one of those big trophies you can’t even step over. We’re glad we’re in the finals now, but we actually want to win it.”
The Huskies (18-5-1) will play Granite City in the state championship game Saturday at 7 p.m.
The opportunity for the program’s first state title since 1988 comes two years after Naperville North lost to eventual 3A champion Hinsdale Central in the supersectionals – one game after the Huskies did the hard work of ending Waubonsie Valley’s two-year reign.
“We felt two years ago we let a chance slip by,” Huskies coach Brent Terada said. “We beat the No. 1 team in the country two years ago and then we lost the next game and for our seniors, that kind of gnawed at them for a long time.”
This season Naperville North spoiled Neuqua Valley’s perfect season in the sectional finals after the Wildcats entered the game with 24 consecutive wins.
It’s a result Huskies defender Jamie Meno says has inspired Naperville North to reach its first state final since 1998.
“We’re representing the sectional that has so much talent in state,” Huskies defender Jamie Meno said. “We owe it to all those teams to win it. We’ve come this far, which is awesome, but we all definitely have our eye on the prize. We want first place.”
Lindsay Fillingim had two saves and midfielder Alyssa Rawleigh cleared a sure goal off the line for the Cougars (20-5), who had won nine of 11 since a 1-0 loss to the Huskies on April 28.
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