Injured All-State midfielder Bri Rodriguez was not in the lineup when Waubonsie Valley took the field for its Class AA girls soccer semifinal at North Central College on Saturday.
But her absence made little difference as the Warriors remained undefeated after a 1-0 victory over Normal West in a matchup of national powers.
Vanessa DiBernardo, the sophomore All-State forward, came up with the only goal Waubonsie needed in the 45th minute. She received the ball from Rachel Bostick about 10 yards out, then rolled it past charging Normal West goalkeeper Erin McGinnis.
Goalkeeper Claire Hanold made two saves for her 21st shutout of the season–one of them critical. With 19:52 left, she made a diving stop on Normal West’s Rachel Wright. Hanold, a junior, has 63 shutouts for her career–seven off the state record of 70.
The Warriors (25-0-1), defending Class AA champions, stretched their unbeaten streak to 57 games–second best in IHSA history. St. Charles, before it split into East and North, didn’t lose in 88 straight games in the late 1990s.
Waubonsie Valley can make it 58 with a victory over Belleville Althoff in Saturday’s 7 p.m. state title game.
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An MRI on Saturday revealed Rodriguez tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. She suffered the injury in Friday’s quarterfinal victory over Maine South. The junior, who had 13 goals and 25 assists for the nation’s third-ranked team, already has made an oral commitment to West Virginia.
In the first semifinal Saturday, Belleville Althoff (25-3-1) knocked off Downers Grove South 2-0.
Althoff got its goal in the ninth minute on a shot by Megan Jaskowiak. The ball, hit from 20 yards away, sailed over goalkeeper Kelli Kubal’s head and inside the far post.
Kelsey Dinges scored her third goal of the tournament off a flip throw-n from teammate Megan Pawloski to give the Crusaders a 2-0 lead in the 70th minute.
Downers Grove South (21-7) will play in the third-place game at 5 p.m. against Normal West.