Sullivan, Lindberg lead Naperville North

Updated: September 3, 2011 9:55PM

Joe Sullivan and Kyle Lindberg have an unspoken connection on the soccer field, one that speaks volumes for Naperville North.

That connection worked wonders Saturday night, as the pair teamed up on the game-winning goal as the Huskies knocked off Sandburg 2-0 to win the Best of the West Tournament at Naperville Central.

After 63 minutes of scoreless soccer, Lindberg sent a through ball into the Sandburg penalty area to a streaking Sullivan, who lifted a 12-yard shot over charging Eagles goalie Adam Zehme with 17:00 left in the second half. It was the second goal in as many games and fourth of the season for Sullivan, a junior midfielder, and finally broke the ice after Naperville North (5-0-1) had controlled much of the action but had nothing to show for it.

“I felt like we were tapping on the door for a while,” Sullivan said. “[Lindberg] and me have been hooking up this whole year. Kyle was coming down and I kind of saw him look at me, so I just knew.

“I cut across, he played me a perfect ball, the goalie came out and I was just able to chip it over him.”

“What an incredible, incredible finish,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “It was beautiful.”

Nanad Komljenovic added an insurance goal with 4:21 to go when he tallied his third goal of the season off a cross from star forward Evan Trychta. It was Trychta’s second game back after missing the first four games of the season with a broken foot; he had a goal and two assists in North’s 3-1 victory over Benet Saturday morning.

It was North’s first appearance in the tournament final since 1996. The Huskies dedicated it to Konrad, who is stepping down after this season after nine years at the helm.

“We really wanted to do it for our coach,” Sullivan said. “This is his last year and he hasn’t been in this spot his whole entire career, so it meant a lot for us to come out here and do it for him and do it for our team and our school.”

Naperville North goalie Kevin Anderson made two saves to record the shutout for the Huskies, who did an impressive job in stopping Sandburg captain Danny Lojek, a Notre Dame-bound midfielder.

“They’re a great team,” Konrad said. “I would not be surprised if they are Downstate. [Lojek] is a special player, one of the best we’ve seen all year.”

Sandburg (2-2-2), which nearly scored with 5:00 left in the first half when a shot by Mike Gentile skimmed the top of the crossbar, earlier played to a storm-shortened 0-0 tie with Fremd in a match that took four hours to play because of weather delays.

“We told [the Eagles] at the end of the game that this is the hardest team we’re going to see probably the rest of the regular season,” Sandburg coach Desi Vuillaume said. “This gives us a good idea of where we stand right now and what we need to work on.

“I’m very, very proud of how we played defensively and we’ve just got to work out a few minor things and I’ll look forward to hopefully seeing [the Huskies] in the future.”

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