Fresh off a 17-6 victory over rival Naperville North, three-seed Neuqua Valley lacrosse is back in action against the top-seeded Huntley Red Raiders in the sectional finals. The Wildcats are seeking their first sectional championship since 2022 when they finished fourth in the state. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Neuqua Valley lacrosse opens the sectional with four goal lead at halftime
Just 20 seconds into play, Jonah Frank bursts through the defense and goes top right corner for the no-look goal! He gets the Wildcats going early.
After a few scores, Neuqua has a 2-1 lead. Nico Andrews give it up to Bobby Pupich and his shot is nothing but net. That one ties the game up at 2-2 with 1:30 left in the first quarter
On to the second quarter, Cary George is circling the perimeter. He finds Brady Elliot right in front of the net and he converts from point-blank range.
Later in the quarter, George has possession again. This time, he speeds around his defender and wins the one-on-one battle with the goalie for another score. His second goal of the night gives the Wildcats a 5-2 lead with seven minutes left in the half.
On the other end of the field, Cameron Abordo takes a shot on goal but Owen Barth is there to deflect it away. Some solid goalkeeping holds the Red Raiders offense in check. Neuqua Valley goes into halftime with a 6-2 lead.
Jonah Frank and the Wildcats continue to pile on goals, but Huntley trims the lead
Following a lengthy weather delay, the teams take the field nearly four hours after the original start time. Jonah Frank picks up where he left off and puts another one into the back of the net. The Wildcats extend their lead to 9-3 with less than five minutes to play in the third quarter.
Huntley back in possession. They swing the ball to Cole Copersmet, he makes a quick move to get the edge and then unleashes a bouncing ball that finds its way into the net. With that, the lead is cut to 10-6 with three minutes left in the third.
Shortly after that, it’s Frank on the attack again. He approaches from behind the net, circles towards the middle, and shoots one through the Huntley defense. His eighth goal of the night gives Neuqua Valley an 11-5 advantage in the late stages of the third.
Neuqua wins the IHSA Sectional Championship and faces Libertyville in the Super-Sectionals
In the fourth quarter, the Wildcats swing the ball around until Benjamin Stefanski steps forward and unloads a missile into the back of the net. That one makes it a 14-5 lead early in the fourth. The Wildcats hold on to win 16-7 for the Sectional Championship! They’ll play Libertyville in the Super-Sectionals on Tuesday evening.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!