Redhawks blank Tigers to remain in hunt for DVC title

By Curt Herron

When a team is battling for a conference title in a league as competitive as the DuPage Valley Conference, it'll take goals however they can get them.

And that's just what Naperville Central managed to do on Thursday when it hosted Wheaton Warrenville South in a league contest at Memorial Stadium.

The Redhawks, knowing they had to win their final three DVC matches to overcome front-runner Naperville North, figured to have a battle on their hands.

Even though Central entered the contest with a 3-0-1 mark in league play, it wasn't fooled by WW South's 0-4 record and its rare position in last place.

For much of the hard-fought match, coach Troy Adams' Redhawks managed to score one goal, which was actually an own goal by the tough-luck Tigers.

That goal stood until Pat Flynn put in an attempt from close range with only 2:31 remaining as Central wound up capturing a 2-1 victory over WW South.

It was the eighth shutout for the Redhawks (10-4-1, 4-0-1), who got back on the winning track after getting a loss and tie in their last two outings.

Central has a tough match at third-place Glenbard North on Tuesday before entertaining the rival Huskies two days later in the regular-season finale.

Click to hear coach Troy Adams interview

The Tigers (6-10-2, 0-5), who have gone 1-6-1 in their last eight matches, gave Central all that it could handle throughout the entire 80 minutes.

But the Redhawks relied on their dependable defense, led by center backs Sean Stevens and Mike Plant, to help keeper Mike Pavliga record the shutout.

South had a couple of good chances just after the midway point of the opening half but Erik Yamane was denied on both a deflection and a grounder.

Then with around 12 minutes left in the opening half, the Redhawks applied some pressure of their own on keeper Josh Dix with a pair of throw ins.

The first effort was deflected off a defender for a repeat, which bounced off a Tiger defender and into the net with 11:41 left before the break.

Central had more chances shortly before the intermission with Jack Patrick lining a shot over the net and Conner Allen seeing a close try deflected.

Adam Hamielec followed a short time later with a liner that forced Dix to make a diving stop for the host's last good attempt of the first 40 minutes.

WW South had one last salvo just before the break, however, when Joe Holz sent a liner which Pavliga hauled in a few seconds before the whistle blew.

Possessing a 1-0 advantage heading into the final half, co-captain Peter Beasley and his teammates were determined to keep the Tigers from threatening.

And they did a pretty good job of it, allowing only one good attempt before WW South finally got off a few serious threats during the final 10 minutes.

Click to hear Peter Beasley interview

Central had the upper hand in chances following the break, beginning with a short shot by Flynn that was deflected and wound up bouncing off the post.

Allen followed with a liner that was just wide of the net a short time later and Tiger Thomas Schubert sent a grounder to Pavliga not long after that.

Noah Kalbfeld later saw a grounder deflected away by the keeper and Conner Cunningham sent a grounder in the same direction a couple of minutes later.

WW South's best late chances came on a long free kick from Will Huesing that was headed over the net and a close try from Yusuf Yusuf that was halted.