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Neuqua Valley knocks off defending champs
Mary Beth Nolan~For Sun-Times Media
Updated: May 24, 2011 9:48PM
A new girls soccer state champion will be crowned next week.
Top-ranked Neuqua Valley demonstrated why it is the No. 1 ranked team in the nation by destroying defending Class 3A state champion Waubonsie Valley 5-1 Tuesday night on Waubonsie’s home field.
The Wildcats (24-0) advance to Friday’s Waubonsie Valley Sectional title game against Naperville North, which edged Naperville Central 1-0 in the other semifinal. Waubonsie (17-6), which was seeking its third state title in four years, had won 10 straight matches and 14 of its last 15 before getting blown out.
“We’re saying we took the torch from them,” Neuqua Valley senior defender Megan Oyster said. “It means a lot. We put it out on the field today and we’re really proud of what we did. 5-1 is a pretty good game and we’re really happy about it.”
The Warriors, who didn’t score until Caroline Soyars tallied with 7.9 seconds left in the match, thought they were going into halftime down just 1-0, but the Wildcats’ Zoey Goralski was dumped in the penalty area with 13.3 seconds remaining.
Oyster converted the ensuing penalty kick to give Neuqua a 2-0 lead and that changed the complexion of the game.
“It was an intense moment and I just had to put it away and I think it was a start to the rest of our (performance),” Oyster said. “I think it definitely topped off the first goal.”
The opening goal was scored by sophomore Hope D’Addario 6:36 into the contest. D’Addario’s corner kick from the left side was headed out by the Warriors, but D’Addario hustled back up the field, corralled it and quickly sent a 28-yard shot skittering through the box past Waubonsie goalie Jordan Myers and just inside the right post.
“It was a bomb,” Oyster said. “She has a great shot and we know she can do that. She did it again.”
Despite playing into a tough wind, the Wildcats continued their dominance in the second half. Goralski scored twice, the first on a rebound of her own shot after Myers made a great diving save, and the second on a run along the right end line in which she squeezed a short shot past Myers from a sharp angle.
Freshman Olivia Schmitt made it 5-0, burying a rebound with 1:43 after Myers had parried a shot from Shannon Pimmel.
“At halftime we talked about just playing our game and we just came out with a lot more heart,” Goralski said. “We knew it was (still close) so we knew they would play up to us, so we just tried to do our best and we definitely finished.”
Neuqua Valley, which actually trailed before edging the Warriors 2-1 on the same field on April 5, got off 28 shots and would have scored several more goals if not for the play of Myers, who made nine saves. Freshman Courtney Keefer came up with five saves for the Wildcats.
“We wanted to play smart and we did,” Neuqua Valley coach Joe Moreau said. “Five goals against Waubonsie is not heard of because they’re such a dangerous team. They’re a good defensive team.”
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