Warren sophomore forward Brianna Nunez doesn’t have to say much.
Her high-volume scoring is loud enough.
“Brianna is very quiet,” Warren coach Ryan McCabe said. “She lets her play do the talking. She has scored some important goals this year. We see the big smile and excitement, but then she goes back to business.”
Nunez went back to business to score a second time during the Class 3A Barrington Supersectional on Tuesday night, and that was the most important one of all. Her goal in the 78th minute lifted the Blue Devils to a 4-3 comeback win over Fremd.
“I saw the ball, and it was on my feet, and I just took it because I didn’t want to regret not taking it after the game,” Nunez said. “I had to take it.”
Warren (15-4-2), which scored three goals in the final seven minutes to erase a 3-1 deficit, advances to the state semifinals for the first time and will play Naperville Central (21-0-1) at North Central College in Naperville at 7 p.m. Friday.
Freshman forward Kenzie Szczerowski and senior forward Sophie Dolinar also scored during the Blue Devils’ furious rally against Fremd (16-7-1).
Nunez’s first goal, which gave Warren a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute, came on a high-arching shot from 42 yards.
“Their goalie kicked it out to clear it, and I was there,” she said. “I took a shot, and luckily it went in.”
Nunez’s second goal came from 35 yards.
“She had two goals from distance,” McCabe said. “You give Brianna a little space, and she will find the gaps in the defense. She has done it time and time again this year.
“I’m super proud of her ability to stay active today. She could’ve been defeated because Fremd was putting pressure on her with several players.”
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Not Nunez, who has helped Warren overcome the losses of all-time leading scorer Addison Stanciak to graduation and senior midfielder Kate Mondejar to a season-ending injury. Nunez has scored 16 goals this season.
“I learned a lot from Addison, so I knew I had to be stronger on the ball and take on more this season,” she said. “I’m happy how I’ve played this season.”
Nunez and Szczerowski are part of a wave of talented underclassmen for the Blue Devils, who started just two seniors on Tuesday.
“She has done a good job working with Kenzie,” McCabe said of Nunez. “They can be tough to stop.”
Szczerowski, who has scored 21 goals this season, and Nunez played on the same travel team before joining forces at Warren.
“Brianna and me have been able to practice a lot together,” Szczerowski said. “She is very technical and likes to get the ball forward to me a lot. We work well together.
“I feel like we’ve been able to be close off the field, and that helps on the field when we are trying to find each other.”
Warren junior defender Kimberly White, a Louisville recruit, said Nunez always finds a way.
“She takes chances, and she gave us a lot of momentum, which started our run,” White said. “She is aggressive, especially in the attack third. That makes her stand out.”
This story will be updated. Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.