4-seed Naperville North hosts an IHSA Girls Soccer Sectional Final against 3-seed Neuqua Valley! A spot in the SuperSectionals against Wheaton Warrenville South is on the line. North enters off a comfortable 3-0 win over Benet, while the Wildcats beat Naperville Central for a second time this year. In the regular season meeting, Selma Larbi scored a late goal to lift Neuqua past North. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Naperville North and Neuqua set up early opportunities in the Sectional Final
Eight minutes in, and Haley Linden sends a ball into the box for Neuqua, but North defender Lucy Fitzgerald is there to clear it out twice, to deny the Wildcats.
Selma Larbi has possession for Neuqua and sends one over the top to Alexis May, but North is ready for it as Olivia Ochsner comes out of the box for the clearance.
Addison Guskey now sends one into the box for the Cats, where North’s Kennedy Bertsch heads it away. Larbi battles through the Huskie defense, sets up a shot for Allessandra Russo, but Emily Buescher blocks it. 20 minutes in and we’re still scoreless.
Huskie Claire DeCook flicks one over a defender and is off towards the goal. She heads down the right and tries to curl one in, but Neuqua goalie, Quinn Sigal makes the save.
Kennedy Bertsch heads one across the box to Claire DeCook, who breaks the deadlock in the IHSA Girls Soccer Sectional
North has a corner, and like we’ve seen all year, Abby Penn sends in a nice cross to the box. Bertsch heads one across to DeCook, who volleys it past the Wildcats! A nice set-piece from the Huskies and they lead 1-0 with 14 minutes left in the opening half.
The Huskies are on the attack again. Kathryn Rohr sends one up to DeCook, who uses a nice first touch to break free. She crosses one to a dangerous spot, where Wildcat Haley Linden makes a nice clearance to deny the chance.
Neuqua Valley generates multiple chances before Sydney Michalak ties the game at 1-1
After halftime, the Wildcats put in their second-half goalie, Elizabeth Fried, and she immediately gets involved by clearing it away.
Three minutes into the second, Guskey throws it in to Larbi, who makes a move inside the box, and crosses it—but Penn is there to erase the chance.
Guskey sets up another Wildcat opportunity. The cross finds the foot of May, who does well to break free for a curling shot, but Ochsner rises up and holds on for a nice save.
Neuqua is on the corner kick, and Russo swings it out to the box. The balls cleared right to the foot of Sydney Michalak, who uses two touches and fires a roller into the bottom left corner! The Wildcats tie it up at one with 25 minutes left in the second half.
Two minutes later, Huskie Alexa Surdyk volleys one first time over the top to DeCook. The Junior forward gets a shot off, but Fried makes a nice stop to keep it deadlocked at one.
Buescher sends in a free kick, and it’s a nice one, but Freid does even better with a great catch in traffic.
DeCook sends Naperville North girls soccer to the IHSA Super Sectional with a last-minute penalty
Nine minutes left in the second, and Russo sends one to the back post. Larbi is there, but she can’t guide her header on target.
Buescher is up again on the free kick, where the ball deflects off the arm of a wildcat! A tough break for Neuqua, as North is awarded a penalty, and Claire DeCook steps up to the spot. She sees the keeper go left and sends the shot low right for the winner! North holds on in the final three minutes and wins its first sectional title since 2021. The Huskies are back in action on Tuesday night in the Supersectional against Wheaton-Warrenville South.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.
