Junior defender Maggie Fitzgerald is one of the least noticed — and thus least heralded — players in Naperville North’s starting lineup.
Playing outside defender like Fitzgerald does isn’t glamorous and rarely draws attention, but she’s fine with that.
“I don’t mind just doing the dirty work,” Fitzgerald said. “It doesn’t matter to me as long as we win.”
The Huskies have been doing a lot of winning this season. Fitzgerald has played a significant role, and not only on defense.
She scored her third goal of the season Friday night off a long throw-in from senior defender Norah Barry, and that was all Naperville North needed to knock off previously unbeaten and top-ranked Lyons 1-0 in the Naperville Invitational semifinals at Memorial Stadium.
The third-ranked Huskies (13-1-2) thus avenged their only loss of the season, a 2-1 shootout loss April 16 at the Lou Malnati Deep Dish Classic. They also advanced to Saturday’s championship game against Barrington (14-1), which edged Naperville Central 1-0.
Fitzgerald’s goal came with 36:59 to go in the second half.
Barry’s heave from deep on the right side bounced into the box, where junior midfielder Cameron Dinkla let it go through to Fitzgerald, who was waiting on the far post.
Fitzgerald settled the ball and sent a short shot inside the left post just a split-second before Lyons goalkeeper Izzy Lee could get there.
“I just saw it go under Cam’s legs, and we just stress being in the right spot at the right time,” Fitzgerald said. “I was just there when Cam let it go through on her near-post run.
“It was a great ball in. All I had to do was tap it.”
Fitzgerald also had a game-winning goal against Evanston, so Naperville North coach Steve Goletz wasn’t surprised to see her deliver.
“Maggie is just a solid player, so smart, knows where to be, but also is so calm on the ball,” Goletz said. “She does such a great job under pressure and that’s why we moved her into the box. We know if a ball falls to her foot, she’s going to put it away.
“I’m just so happy to have a kid with such positive energy, that gives us everything she’s got every game, like so many of the girls do.”
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Fitzgerald, of course, expends most of her energy on defense, where she has combined with Barry, Lucy Iverson and Peyton Hegner to form a brick wall of a back line in front of senior goalkeeper Abby Haskell.
The Huskies have allowed only four goals and have 12 shutouts.
But Fitzgerald relishes every chance to get forward.
“I want to make a difference for my team,” Fitzgerald said. “Obviously, my first priority is to be as good of an outside back as I can be, focusing on the defensive end.
“But it’s fun when I get to go in and be in on set pieces and corners.”
Lyons (13-1) had given up only two goals this season and just three in the past two seasons with the Illinois-bound Lee in the nets.
Lee made five stops, including a point-blank kick save on Fitzgerald, so scoring just three minutes after halftime with the wind at their backs proved crucial for the Huskies.
“It was really big because we had been focusing on defending in the first half,” Fitzgerald said. “We had to focus more on finishing our chances and putting stuff away.
“We were getting closer and knocking on the door, so we just had to put our heads down, get a goal and then we’d be set.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.