Wildcats hope for rematch with DVC champion Huskies

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By Paul LaTour

One streak came to an end, but the more important one remains intact for Naperville North.

The Huskies gave up a goal for the first time in six games, but still came away with a hard-earned 3-1 victory over host West Chicago on Tuesday night in a DuPage Valley Conference match.

That victory – coupled with a loss by Naperville Central – gave the Huskies (15-2-2, 6-0 DVC) the conference title, while also extending their unbeaten streak to 12 (10-0-2) contests.

Kyle Lindberg scored twice and Evan Trychta added the other goal for the Huskies, who end the regular season Thursday at Central in a game that lost some of his luster.

Had the Redhawks beaten Glenbard North on Tuesday, Thursday’s game would have decided the DVC championship.

Against the Wildcats, the Huskies found themselves in a battle.

The match was tied 1-1 at halftime and the Huskies to fight off a determined comeback attempt until Lindberg provided some insurance in the 70th minute with his second goal of the match.

"We were looking to continue our shutout streak, so when they scored on us it knocked our confidence down," Lindberg said.

"But luckily the second half started with that great goal by Evan and then we got back into it."

Lindberg got it started in the first half, scoring in the seventh minute on a rebound. Austin Maggard took the original shot, but it hit the crossbar and landed in front of Lindberg.

The Wildcats (6-8-4, 2-3-2) ended the Huskies' six-game shutout streak in the 22nd minute.

Junior Esteban Fernandez was left open in the middle for a Jenaro Terrazas centering pass. Fernandez lofted a shot over goalie Kevin Anderson.

It was the first goal against the Huskies since their 1-1 tie with Morton on Sept. 23.

"Most of the goal I have to give the credit to Jenaro for his run," said Fernandez, who left with an injury just 14 seconds after scoring, but he was back on the field before the end of the half.

"I just had to touch it in. That was the positive thing about today's game: we played as a team."

The Wildcats threatened again in the 27th minute with a free kick inside the penalty area. But the attempt to Anderson's left ended up wide of the net on a header.

A few minutes later Jared Perez sent a shot high from 20 yards out.

The Huskies tried to regain the lead in the latter stages of the half when Lindberg put on a dribbling display that took him from the sideline to the penalty area.

Lindberg, who had moved around at least three Wildcats, slid the ball to Trychta, but goalie Adrian Porcayo made a sliding save to deflect the ball out of bounds.

Porcayo made another good save on a header by Auden just ahead of the halftime siren, keeping the score tied at 1-1.

"West Chicago always gives us trouble," Huskies coach Jim Konrad said. "They have been in every game this season, and they possess the ball.

"That kind of team gives us problems. We're used to being more athletic than teams, but that is neutralized when a team can hold the ball like that."

Trychta gave the Huskies the lead with a pretty goal early in the second half. Moving to his right toward the sideline, Trychta sent a shot in the other direction on the run to beat Porcayo with 35:07 to play.

The Wildcats applied a flurry of pressure midway through the final half as the Huskies narrowly held on to their lead. First, Aldair Vega shot wide on a free kick from 40 yards out in the 54th minute.

In the 56th minute, Martin Orozco got free from two defenders, but shot high from the 18. Less than a minute later, Diego Munoz missed on a long shot that bounced off the top of the crossbar and out of play.

"We had a lot of chances," Fernandez said. "We gave them everything we got. We kept pressuring them."

North also had a handful of attempts miss the mark as both teams fought to put shots on frame in the final half.

But the Huskies were able to stretch their lead when Lindberg scored his second of the night, booting a corner kick pass from Auden into the net from 10 yards out while being tightly defended.

"West Chicago was playing zone on it and the ball got through," Lindberg said. "I was lucky it got through, but I finished it. I put some power on it, I guess."

The game was the final home regular-season match for the Wildcats' nine seniors. They'll get at least one more home game, though, as West Chicago is a site for the Class 3A Regionals, which begin Tuesday.

"Every one of our seniors stepped up," Wildcats coach Steve Brugmann said. "I didn't feel like anybody made any glaring errors.

"Aldair really stood up in the midfield as a leader. Jared Perez is another one. As a captain he's been a real leader on the team all year long."

This might not be the final time the teams face each other. The second-seeded Huskies and ninth-seeded Wildcats could play in the regional final October 23. The Wildcats are eager for another shot at the Huskies.

"Playoffs is a different level," Vega said. "If we win our game and they win their game, we'll get a rematch. Soccer is all about rematches and it would be played right here. What more do you want?"