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Sectional final doubleheader at Naperville North on Saturday
By Curt Herron Area soccer fans who thought that they'd have to pick between one or of the other Class 3A sectional championship match caught a break on Friday. Due to unplayable conditions at Hinsdale Central's Centennial field, the Hinsdale Central Sectional final between the Red Devils and Lyons Township is being moved to Naperville North. That's already the site of the sectional championship between Neuqua Valley and Wheaton Warrenville South at noon. The Hinsdale-LT match will be played before that one at 10:00 a.m. As a result, the doubleheader at Naperville North will serve as a preview of Tuesday's Benedictine University Super-Sectional, since that's where the winners will play next. Besides the two matches at Naperville North and the Hampshire Sectional showdown (see story) on Saturday, two other teams that we cover play for sectional titles on Friday. While the switch in sites would seem to be a disadvantage for Mike Wiggins' Red Devils, they've shown Lyons that they can put up a fight whether they're on the grass or the turf. In the earlier meeting between LT and Central on September 29 at LT's Bennett field, the Red Devils had the better of the play in the first half but trailed 2-0 midway through. The Lions went on to claim a 3-0 victory which helped them to eventually finish ahead of Hinsdale and claim the West Suburban Conference Silver championship. Coach Paul Labbato's Lions (22-3) enter with an 11-match win steak, which features eight shutouts. Their last loss came to Marquette University High and their other two defeats were to Neuqua. LT has been eliminated by Hinsdale during the last two years in sectional play. The Red Devils have claimed two straight sectional titles while the Lions last won a sectional title in 2005. The Red Devils (16-6-2) own a nine-match winning streak since falling to LT. They've posted four straight shutouts and have blanked six of their last seven opponents. Their most recent win was a 1-0 overtime thriller over Morton on Tuesday. A day later, LT blanked Fenwick 2-0 in the other sectional semifinal match. Leading the way for LT are All-Staters Billy McGuinness and Chris Meingast and all-sectional pick Kyle Kurfirst. Hinsdale is paced by all-sectional performers Robbie LaRocque and Mike Oleszkiewicz. Naperville North Sectional Championship While many of the area's top teams have met up with one another this season, Neuqua Valley and Wheaton Warrenville South will be seeing one another for the first time on Saturday. The two squads could have met up in the Pepsi Showdown but the Tigers lost to Morton in the quarterfinals, depriving them a chance to face the state's top-ranked squad. Tony Kees' Wildcats (26-0-1) have won their last 23 matches since playing to a 2-2 draw in regulation before beating Naperville North in a shootout in the Best of the West. They've recorded 11 shutouts in their last 13 matches behind the play of All-Staters Bryan Ciesiulka, Keegan Balle and Jack Turanchik and all-sectional pick Scott Davis. The Wildcats had a fight on their hands in the sectional semifinals before advancing with a 2-1 victory over Naperville Central on Wednesday. South (20-4-2) has responded nicely from a three-match losing streak late in the regular season by winning its next four matches, including three 1-0 playoff victories. Coach Guy Callipari's squad claimed their latest victory during that stretch with a hard-fought four overtime triumph over Naperville North on Wednesday. Leading the way for South are All-Stater Drew Bellmer in addition to all-sectional selections Alden Marton and Ricky Munguia. Neuqua Valley has captured back-to-back sectional championships while WW South its seeking its first sectional title since 2003. Friday's sectional championship matches Wheaton North hopes to keep its unlikely playoff run while Saint Viator anticipates taking another step forward in its quest for the Class 2A championship. The Falcons (8-9-5) meet up with Schaumburg (12-5-1) in Friday's 6:00 p.m. Hoffman Estates Sectional finals. The winner earns a trip to the Barrington Super-Sectional. Coach Bryce Cann's squad went 1-7-2 and dropped five straight matches late in the season before rebounding with a season-high of four straight victories. But the Falcons are coming off a pair of 2-1 wins, with the latest being an overtime victory over St. Charles North in Tuesday's sectional semifinals. All-sectional selection Pat Langan leads the way for North, which has played in 18 matches that either ended in a draw or were decided by one goal. The Saxons, who are led by All-Stater Declan Geraghty and all-sectional pick Erhan Caglayan, earned their spot in the finals with a 2-0 win over Geneva. Wheaton North's only sectional championship was won in 2005 while Schaumburg's lone sectional title was captured two years after that. Saint Viator (20-4-1) has won four straight matches since seeing its East Suburban Catholic Conference hopes slip way following a loss to Carmel. Coach Mike Taylor's squad has outscored its opposition 19-1 in the playoffs, which includes a 3-0 sectional semifinal victory over Fenton. The Lions meet up with Wells in Friday's 4:00 p.m. Elmwood Park Sectional finals with the winner moving on to the Benedictine University Super-Sectional. Saint Viator, which last won a sectional title in 2004, is led by All-Stater Trevor Wheeler and by all-sectional picks Alan Aboona and Kevin Cavers.
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FRIDAY'S SECTIONAL TITLE MATCHES Class 3A Barrington Sectional Championship
Elmwood Park Sectional Championship
Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional Championship
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