In the home stretch on the road to state, varsity soccer pulled ahead and beat Evanston 1-0 in the Supersectional match this past Tuesday at Barrington High School, but the Wildcats’ win against the Evanston Wildkits was no easy feat.
It wasn’t until senior Nate Edmunds scored the game-winning goal in the 78th minute before the Wildcats could focus all of their attention on defense. Up until Edmunds’ strike, it was nearly impossible to determine which team would advance to the Class 3A state tournament later this weekend.
Both sides gave their all in the first 40 minutes with impressive possession from Libertyville’s Kevin Reilly, Liam O’Connell, Ryan Wittenbrink and Edmunds. Despite making use of the extra-wide width of the field at Barrington, which provided multiple opportunities for both teams out of the backfield, the first half ended with zeros across the board, leaving only 40 minutes in the second half for someone to claim the Supersectional title.
After the break, it seemed that Evanston had taken over the field by controlling the play and forcing goalkeeper Brant Kym out of the net in order to regain control in a few troubling situations. However, defenders Daniel Marks, Grant Widmark and Michael Quigley did their job and were a major part in keeping the Wildkits’ offense in check.
After a shaky start to the second half, the Wildcats slowly began to take over with impressive corner kicks from O’Connell and shots on goal by Wittenbrink and senior Tucker Goebeler, who unloaded a low drive to the net; both were blocked by Evanston keeper Adam Masters. Still, neither team managed to put up any points heading towards the end of regulation time.
That’s when Edmunds clinched the Wildcat victory. With only two minutes left in the match, the Wildcats turned defensive, knowing that anything was still possible, especially from Evanston, who had 21 shutouts in 26 matches going into the Supersectional match.
As the clock ran down to the final seconds, teammates, coaches, parents, and fans prepared themselves for the celebration that would surely ensue. When the victory was made official, it marked the Wildcats’ first return to the final four state tournament since 2010, when the Wildcats brought home a second-place state trophy.
Libertyville (17-3-1) will go up against Morton (25-2-0) on Friday, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m. in the semifinal match hosted at Hoffman Estates High School. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, and students can sign up in room 1103 for the Libertyville fan bus which will leave at 3:30 Friday after school.
