Huntley soccer reaches sectional finals with 1-0 shutout of St. Charles North

Huntley boys soccer advanced to the Class 3A sectional finals with a 1-0 victory over St. Charles North on Tuesday night. The win marks the Raiders' second consecutive shutout and their seventh of the season. Tyler Murray scored the decisive goal with 13 minutes remaining in regulation.

Murray secured the ball near the box and fired it into the net to break the deadlock. The goal was the 19th of the season for the forward. Huntley coach Matthew Lewandowski praised the team's resilience, noting that the players dug deep to secure the win. The result improved the Raiders' record to 17-2-2, a four-win improvement over the previous season.

Sophomore goalkeeper Eli Valdez made six saves to preserve the clean sheet. He made a diving stop with 9:30 left in the game. In the final 20 seconds, a Huntley red card gave St. Charles North a free kick from about 25 yards. Valdez headed the ball away and then saved a final bicycle kick attempt to end the game.

St. Charles North finished with a 13-5-2 record. The North Stars scored 13 goals in their previous two playoff games but failed to find the net on multiple chances Tuesday. Coach Eric Wilson said the team left everything on the field. The loss ended St. Charles North's postseason run.

Earlier in the night, St. Charles East fell to South Elgin in penalty kicks, 4-3. The Saints were eliminated without allowing a regulation goal. South Elgin received a red card with 23 minutes left after a foul on forward Huxley Kapoor. St. Charles East failed to score despite playing with a numerical advantage for most of the final 20 minutes.

South Elgin goalkeeper Danny Moscoso made two saves in the penalty shootout. Momo Gonzalez scored the final kick to seal the victory for the Storm, who improved to 18-3-4. St. Charles East coach Vince DiNuzzo said the team created enough chances but did not execute. The Saints lost midfielder Colin Harrington to a leg injury in the first 15 minutes.

St. Charles East finished the season with a 19-5 record after winning the DuKane Conference. The team returned 10 starters and outscored opponents 11-0 in the postseason. Senior Aidan Richbell said the team will remember the losses but will hold onto the friendships formed during their time together.