Keeper Wilde scores goal as Wildcats roll past Lake Zurich

By Matt Le Cren

The fans who showed up Saturday to watch Neuqua Valley play Lake Zurich on the final day of the Naperville Invitational were treated to one of the rarest feats in soccer.

Neuqua Valley goalkeeper Alexa Wilde thrilled the crowd by scoring a key goal in the Wildcats' impressive 5-1 victory. It came with the Wildcats (15-2-2) leading 1-0 with 13:04 remaining in the first half.

After Neuqua was awarded a corner kick, Wilde received a signal from the bench and ran 90 yards upfield to the top of the Lake Zurich penalty area.

She and several teammates crashed the net when Hope D'Addario sent the corner lofting in front of the Bears' goal and nodded home a beautiful header from four yards out.

"This is my first 'goalie' goal," Wilde said. "I used to play goal when I was little and sometimes the coaches used to send me up, but I never scored."

Wilde is no stranger to scoring goals. The junior is a midfielder by trade and has earned a scholarship to Baylor to play that position.

But this season she has split time in the field and between the pipes despite not having played goalie in five years.

"I think this is a little bit more exciting [than scoring as a field player]," Wilde said.

"I knew [the coaches] were going to send me up but I had no idea when, so when I got up there I'm like, 'I know I'm only going to get a few chances to put it in, so I have to finish those chances.

"We lined up in a formation at the top and then we each ran our separate slots. I think Hope D'Addario played me the perfect ball. It was a floater right in front of me, so I couldn't imagine anything better."

Those without such a penchant for taking chances could imagine several worse outcomes. Had the Bears controlled the ball, Wilde would have been over 100 yards out of position.

That wouldn't have made a difference if the play had come late in garbage time of a blowout, but this match had been competitive up until that point.

Neuqua Valley coach Joe Moreau, who had never seen a goalie score during his long career except "maybe on YouTube," had decided he was going to risk it at some point in the match.

"We've been talking about doing it," Moreau said. "It's a fun thing to do. She's great in the air. It made us look good."

It also completely changed the complexion of the match. Lake Zurich goalie Maggie Eisenhuth was shaken up on the play and had to leave the game.

She was the only goalie on the roster, so the Bears had to put a field player in the net, one not as accomplished as Wilde.

The Wildcats took advantage, increasing their lead to 3-0 on another great play by star defender Megan Oyster.

The UCLA-bound Oyster scored on a breathtaking 35-yard free kick with 7:13 left in the half, swerving the ball inside-out around the defensive wall and inside the right post. The ball ended up in the side netting.

"We practice dummies in practice and that's where I usually shoot it," Oyster said. "I looked for the back post and I hit it right where I wanted it, so it was right on target."

While some players are adept at hooking their free kicks, only a few can slice it like Oyster did.

"I guess it's the way you put it on your foot," Oyster explained, "so I used more of the inside of my foot and bent it around the wall."

As pleased as Oyster was with her goal, she was beaming when talking about Wilde's tally.

"That was amazing. We love Alexa on the field but unfortunately our other goalie [Lauren Noonan], who usually plays one half, broke her finger," Oyster said.

"Alexa has been stepping up for our team and has been a big attribute in goal and to get a goal of her own was awesome. She's an awesome person and an awesome player."

Wilde wasn't the only Wildcat with a performance fitting that description.

Allie McBride scored twice, starting the scoring with 32:08 left in the first half and finishing it at the 25:23 mark of the second half.

McBride's first strike came when she won the ball in the Bears' box, collided with Eisenhuth and then shot the ball from eight yards out.

Lake Zurich defender Kate Arends got her head on it but couldn't stop it from going in. Noelle Leary, who scored Neuqua's fourth goal on a breakaway, assisted on McBride's second goal.

The Wildcats had several other chances. Jessica Pinto had a shot tipped over the crossbar early in the second half and D'Addario's penalty kick was saved with 16:39 left.

Lake Zurich's Molly Murrin ended Neuqua's shutout bid with a breakaway goal with 17:05 remaining.

"I think this game was a big improvement for us," said Wilde, who made two saves. "I thought we came together as a team and trusted ourselves.

"I think all the goals today were good goals and everybody was really excited about it. Everyone had a good game and it feels good to have one of these."

Moreau was also pleased with what he saw.

"We played really well offensively," he said. "That's where we've been struggling is the final third. Our forwards were making some great runs and the midfielders are finding them."

That could bode well for a team that, despite its record, has been flying somewhat under the radar.

"I like being the underdog," Oyster said. "We've sometimes been kind of inconsistent lately, but when we do well we show people who we are and I hope we keep it up."

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