Waterloo Gibault ignored logic to earn its third consecutive Class A final after a 4-0 drubbing of 2006 third-place finisher Rochester in the second semifinal at North Central College in Naperville on Saturday.
Apparently unfatigued by a quarterfinal game that went to penalty kicks, an 11 p.m. dinner and 12:30 a.m. lights-out, the Hawks out-energized Rochester, which was the only Friday winner that didn’t play overtime.
“We thought we’d be flat coming out after that late game,” said Justin Billmeyer, who opened the scoring in the 6th minute. “We came out hard. We usually don’t score that early. It was good that we got that first goal. We were able to get them off their game.”
Billmeyer, who has scored three goals in Gibault’s two victories, credited the Hawks conditioning program, which routinely drills them to be fit beyond an 80-minute high school game.
The Hawks added a tough-angle goal from along the end line by Mike Kentch to build a 2-0 halftime lead. They punched in the back-breaker on a header from Kyle Lane at 42 minutes after Rochester applied good pressure after the break.
Billmeyer capped the scoring with a 15-yard free kick in the 45th minute. Starting keeper Ty Schutt recorded 3/4s of a shutout after leaving Friday night’s game after a collision.
“I went to the emergency room, didn’t get back until 1 a.m.,” the senior said. “No concussion. I improved a lot from last night. My neck was really sore this morning. But once I got on the field it all went away.”
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Gibault (14-12) will meet Winnebago in the final. The Hawks ousted the Indians 1-0 in the quarterfinals last year.
Rochester (19-6-3) will face Francis Parker at 5 p.m. for third place.
“We didn’t try hard enough,” Rochester leading scorer T.J. Keys said. “What went right? Basically nothing.”