Neuqua Valley’s Bret Hruby notched a hat trick to help the Wildcats avoid an upset with a 3-2 victory against Champaign Centennial Friday in the state Class AA quarterfinals at North Central College.
The 5-foot-8-inch Hruby, nicknamed “Shrubbery” by his teammates because of his smallish size, had his second three-goal game of the season after getting the winner with eight minutes left.
“I was getting nervous,” said Hruby. “I just wanted to score so bad.”
The senior came up big after a Bryan Gaul corner kick. Tanner Fink took the ball at the far post and headed it back to the near side. Hruby headed the winner home from five yards out.
“They surprised us. They were a really good team; they came out right off the bat” said Hruby, whose team trailed 1-0 after a Kyle Bullock goal at 20 minutes. “They had real good possession and they wanted it real bad as well.”
Hruby tied the game in a hurry, connecting on a bicycle kick 59 seconds later off a Paul Box pass. And another goal at 32 minutes on an assist from Gaul gave Neuqua a 2-1 halftime lead.
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“We have such fire in our team,” said Hruby, who has 25 goals this season. “Even if we’re down a goal like today we want to come back. There’s no letdown. We’re always fighting.”
“He’s a gutty guy, isn’t he?” said Neuqua coach Jim Johns of Hruby. “Bret is always just hustle, work. That guy’s got to be playing in college somewhere. He shows up at the right time and he’s got a nose for the goal. He pounces. He’s the shrub.”
Hruby’s effort put the Tribune’s top-ranked team (23-1-4) in the final four for the second time in its 10-year history; the Wildcats, who won the state title in 2003, play Rockford Boylan at 9 a.m. Saturday in the state semifinals.
Centennial (21-3-3) left the pitch with Neuqua Valley’s respect.
“It was a really good game,” said Centennial junior Victor Martinez, whose second goal of the year tied the game 2-2 in the 65th minute. “We didn’t start so well but I think we picked it up a lot. I missed two header goals coming into state so I was just happy to put it away. I bet everybody else was happy because we’ve won our last games in overtime. When they scored the third one it was a letdown.”