Bryan Higgs is the least known of Naperville North’s three starting midfielders.
Keegan Flaherty is the least known of the Huskies’ forwards.
It’s kind of like being the fifth Beatle, a session musician that few people have ever heard of but whose contributions are vital to a band’s sound.
The two seniors were a hit with the fans Thursday night as both scored sensational goals to help Naperville North notch an impressive 3-2 victory over host St. Charles East.
Flaherty opened the scoring at the 22:53 mark of the first half when he ran under a long diagonal ball from Cole Ritzmann.
With his momentum carrying him away from the goal, Flaherty fired a shot over the head of St. Charles East goalkeeper Jordan Rolon for his fourth goal of the season.
“It was weird,” Flaherty said. “It kind of got stuck between me and another guy, and it came down on my knee and I just flicked it over the goalie. It all happened so fast.”
Higgs made it 2-0 with his fourth goal on a similarly fast-developing play. Cameron Radeke sprung Higgs with a lead pass and Higgs scored on a 25-yard rocket of a shot with 36:43 left in the second half.
“Me, Keegan and Cam had a combination around the 25-yard line,” Higgs said. “I was on the far side, so I made a run in behind the defenders and Cam just threaded it through.
“It hit off my knee and I half-volleyed it near post.”
Higgs was mobbed by his teammates, including fellow midfielder Jacob Ryu.
“I had a beautiful angle of Bryan’s goal,” Ryu said. “I loved it. I went crazy, and the whole team did.”
Naperville North (13-5-2) has plenty of star power on offense.
The Wright State-bound Radeke and Indiana recruit Alex Barger draw plenty of attention from defenders and get most of the publicity, while Ryu and Tyson Amoo-Mensah are the leading lights of the midfield.
That leaves Higgs and Flaherty to toil in relative obscurity, though that might be changing.
“We’ve been waiting for Bryan to score because, as you saw, Cam gave him a great ball and he took a great touch and buried a great shot,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “I want to see more of that from him.”
Ryu wouldn’t mind, either.
“It’s definitely another person to look for,” Ryu said. “We’ve always been looking to play the ball to every person because we know we’re all lethal.
“Definitely the more people who can score, the better for our team.”
The Huskies needed everyone’s contributions because St. Charles East (14-3) rallied to force a 2-2 tie by scoring on consecutive shots.
Sebastian Carranza converted a penalty kick and Luca Avendano scored after a giveaway by a defender with 24:57 left.
But Ryu bagged the game-winner — his fifth goal of the season — when he headed home Barger’s corner kick with 17:55 to go.
“We had a little bit more energy and enthusiasm in the second half,” St. Charles East coach Vince DiNuzzo said. “But we still lack that ability to win that ball in the air, get it down and play the soccer we want to.”
“Credit to Naperville North. We were forced into a lot of tough decisions today and couldn’t really get in a rhythm.”
Flaherty has played three different positions this season, so he can be excused if he doesn’t feel in rhythm. But he’s loving it.
“I’m playing all over the field, but I think it’s fun,” Flaherty said. “So is scoring goals.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.