Senior Will Boniface is listed as a forward on Naperville North’s roster, but he’s much more than just an attacker.
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In fact, offense hasn’t been the main focus for Boniface in his first season as a starter, although that may be starting to change. That was evident by the goal the Wisconsin-Platteville commit scored against Glenbard West on Thursday night in Naperville.
“This is Will’s best game of the year,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “He played great. We’ve been trying to have him find the ball, do some skill things like a hard cut. He’s a great ball striker, so he’s been super dangerous. I’m glad he got one tonight.”
The Huskies were clinging to a 2-1 lead when Boniface received a pass from Kenyon-bound senior midfielder Dylan Healy and ripped an 18-yard shot under the crossbar with 11:07 left in the second half. The goal put an exclamation point on the Huskies’ 3-1 nonconference victory.
“It was amazing,” Boniface said. “I haven’t had a goal for quite a bit, so it was really exciting to get that goal.”
Boniface has four goals this season and is tied with Healy for second on the team behind senior forward Jake Hadaway, who scored his seventh goal in the first half. Healy provided the other goal for the Huskies (8-3-4) on a penalty kick.
“One of our defenders hit a long ball, and then it was deflected, and they were trying to clear it,” Healy said of Boniface’s goal. “Obviously, I saw it, so I reacted to it quickly, and then I saw Will right away running through, so I was like, ‘I’ve got to play him.’
“As soon as I slipped him through, I’m like, ‘Yeah, he’s scoring.’”
The defending Class 3A state champion Huskies have had difficulty scoring this season. They have only 19 goals in 15 games.
But the defense has been terrific, allowing just 10 goals, and Boniface has played a key role in that. He has played mostly in the midfield alongside Healy and senior Alec Schwanebeck.
“This year, we knew that he’d have to be the guy,” Konrad said of Boniface. “He had to be part of the attack. We had to come through him.”
Boniface came off the bench during Naperville North’s state championship season in 2025, and some of that action was in the midfield, so he was ready for a starring role.
“It’s been great,” he said. “I learned from Kalan Gaccione, who played the 10 last year. He really helped me learn that it’s not just about offense at Naperville North. It’s about being hardworking, and then when I get the chance, going to goal. I felt like we tried that a lot tonight, and it worked out.”
With the postseason right around the corner, Konrad hopes it’s a sign of things to come. He called the win over the Hilltoppers (14-5), who have scored 52 goals, “probably” the best game the Huskies have played this season.
“More impressive is how Will defended today,” Konrad said. “He just got up in the air, he battled and fought, went for balls, so his ability to win balls tonight and fight in the back was awesome.
“Then he was really good in transition, waiting for the right time, and then going himself 1v1. We need more of that for us to have a chance.”
Boniface knows that and is willing to do anything he can to help.
“We have to work on our offense all day,” he said. “We can definitely score more goals.
“Our defense has been outstanding. They’ve had no games where they’ve been playing bad, so we’re working on scoring goals for them.”
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Healy appreciates Boniface’s efforts.
“Even in practice, you know he’s going to give 100%, and he’s not only going to lift himself up to work hard but the team around him,” Healy said. “He’s getting himself better, he’s getting the team better and then obviously it shows on the field.
“He’s helping us win. Now finally to see him start to shine on the attack and get us goals is awesome.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.