What a Game!

14-13 Last Second Final in what could be the best game of the year!

(pictured) #3 for Naperville Central - Sr Attackman - Jake Stegman (4g, 6a) #15 for Wheaton North - Fr Midfield FOS - Kaiden Libby (22 wins on 30 attempts at FO) WN prevails as time elapses in Naperville just before Naperville Central scores, and goal does not count as time had just run out in what may have been the best game of the year! Goalies WN - 22 Nathan Ritscherle - Sr - 13 saves on 28 shots NC - 60 Tyler Swanson - So - 11 saves on 40 shots Face off WN - 15 - Kaiden Libby - Fr. Middy - FOS - 22 wins on 30 attempts WN - 4 - Braden Aguiar - Jr. Middy - FOS - 0 wins on 1 attempt NC - 8 - Jack DeStefano - Sr. Middy - FOS - 9 wins on 31 attempts Goals/Assists WN 9 - Nic Richardson - Jr. Attack - 3g, 3a - 2GB, 4 shots 17 - Ben Farraday - Sr. Attack - 3g, 2a - 6 GB, 4 shots 3 - Alex Blum - Sr. Attack - 3g, 1a - 1 GB, 9 shots 23 - Tate Moorhouse - Sr. Midfiled - 2g, 1a - 1 GB, 11 shots 2 - Matt Gemkow - Jr. Attack - 2g - 10 GB, 4 shots 28 - Will Clemens - Sr. Attack - 1g - 1 GB, 10 shots 4 - Braden Aguiar - Jr. Midfield - 11 GB 15 - Kaiden Libby - Fr. Midfield - 12 GB 26 - Lucas Pacer - Fr. Defense - 1 GB 30 - Haven Hofffenkamp - Sr. Defense - 2 GB 18 - Hudson Moss - So. Defense - 1 GB 22 - Nathan Ritscherie - St. Goalie - 3 GB 29 - Skyler Weil - Sr. Goalie - 1 GB Team - 33 GBs, 11 clears on 13 attempts, 42 shots NC 3 - Jake Stegman - Sr. Attack - 4g, 6a 12 - Zachary Rimbos - Sr. Midfield - 4g 19 - Matthew Kaszuba - Jr. Midfield - 3g, 1a 4 - Greg Turner II - Sr. Midfield - 1g 6 - Maxwel Feudo - Sr. Attack - 1g Team - 16 GBs, 15 clears on 19 attempts, 28 shots The game seemed to be well in hand for Wheaton North as they led 6-3 after the first quarter, and 10-5 at half off of Libby's 13 Face off wins out of 17 attempts, as the Falcon's Nic Richardson and Ben Farraday, were flying high at Naperville Central Stadium, lighting up the cage with seemingly no end in sight. Naperville Central's Senior Attackman, Jake Stegman had answered in his own right, with a hat trick. But the Redhaws were simply out-gunned, and so, trailing by five after the first two quarters of play in downtown Naperville on a brisk Tuesday night, they needed a better game plan. The adjustment by the Red Hawk coach, Jay Havanaar, at half however, of making Stegman primarily into a feeder rather than simply a shooter, definitely paid off, as Naperville Central, led by Stegman's feeds, scored six to Wheaton North's two in the third, bringing the game to within just one point (12-11) going into the fourth. Anticipation was mounting as Matt Blum (3) scored first in the fourth, giving North a two point edge and some breathing room. But Central's Stegman answered, finding Rimbos to bring it back within one with 6:27 left on the clock, which was still plenty of time for a Red Hawk offense that had dominated the last quarter. North's Richardson then threaded a pass to Farraday for a nice finish, as North went up again by two. But Stegman, passing to Rimbos answered, and thus with 2:38 left, it seemed that Central had shifted the momentum, and was about to overturn even the most dominant Face off performance by Wheaton North yet in the season. But then a great defensive play by the junior tandom of Matt Gemkow and Braden Aguiar, who teamed up to strip the ball from Central on a sideline ride, kept the game out of Stegman's hands, allowing North the opportunity, with 2:10 left on the clock, to try to simply possess the ball and run the clock. Central however, with their own defensive answer, rode North out of the box, recovering the ball, and sure enough, the Red Hawks put the game into Stegman's hand for the tying shot. But Hudson Moss, defending Stegman, was not going to allow it so easily, and North's goalie met the challenge like a wall meets an invasion, stopping the Red Hawk shot, and swinging the momentum once again back to the Falcons. North cleared, and proceeded to carry the ball behind Central's cage, putting the ball securely into Matt Gemkow's hands. The ball moved up top to Alex Blum, who was having a great night with three goals and an assist, and who must have felt he could put the game away, and so rather than riding out the clock, he shot - and the goalie for the Hawks made yet another great save. But the ball bounced off his stick and was loose, and then was recovered by the Falcons, who then shot again. This time however, Naperville's goalie grabbed the save, and with time running out, heaved the ball down field for one last try at the goal. The ball bounced into Falcon Goalie Nathan Ritscherle's stick...and then...miraculously...rolled across the line..for a score! However, between the time Nathan touched the ball, and the time it crossed the plane, time had just expired, ending the game right where Aguiar and Gemkow had left it when they took the ball away nearly two minutes before, on a game winning ride, that led to the turnover that finished the game, 14-13, in favor of the Falcons! What a game!