ARLINGTON HEIGHTS — Shortly after bludgeoning the ball to score Monday night’s clincher in the first overtime, Saint Viator junior midfielder Monica Correa executed a “Awwwww” moment.

The Lion sprinted to midfield, spotted her throng of family members in the Forest View Stadium stands and raised her arms above her beaming face to form the image of a heart with her hands.

Guess what determined Saint Viator’s 3-2, overtime defeat of visiting Nazareth in a highly competitive East Suburban Catholic Conference match in pleasant conditions.

“Heart,” said Lions senior forward Allison Konopka. “Our team has a lot of heart.”

The Chicagoland Soccer All- State Watch List selectee scored Saint Viator’s first two goals, the second via a penalty kick in the 69th minute after a foul drawn by freshman reserve Camila Fuentes.

Saint Viator — ranked no. 1 in Chicagoland Soccer’s Class AA Super 7 poll — rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit to preserve its pristine 7-0-0 record in its league opener.

Nazareth three-sport athlete and Dartmouth-bound basketball player Olivia Austin, a 6-foot forward in soccer and hoops, and another All-State Watch List pick, struck for both of the Roadrunners’ tallies, including a PK in minute 11.

The visitors slipped to 4-4-0, 0-2-0 with the loss.

“Every team in our conference comes ready to play, no matter their record,” Lions coach Byron DeLeon said. “We’re a young group of kids with speed and finishers up-top and outstanding balance in the middle.

“But the most beautiful part about tonight was the leadership of our players, especially in the second half. They were coaching out there, coaching exceptionally well, which helped them come together and rally to force overtime.”

That on-field leadership set the stage for Correa’s entertaining goal in the final minute of the first of two five-minute OT periods. After gathering a feed from selfless and talent-laden senior midfielder Taylor Brackett, Correa zigzagged, zigzagged and zigzagged some more through traffic before blasting a sharp, 20-yard ground ball past senior goalkeeper Audrey Moster (13 saves), who made more than a handful of brilliant stops Monday night.

Correa might have the most dangerous left foot in the East Suburban Catholic Conference.

She used it to bust the 2-2 tie and would have made Daniel Day Lewis proud had the actor been able to attend the clash on the campus of Roosevelt University.

“Money” — Correa’s nickname since her freshman season — was priceless in a pivotal moment.

“’Money,’” Brackett said, “dribbled through and weaved her way around a lot of people before scoring her goal.”

Saint Viator started its way to the overtime periods after Konopka cut Nazareth’s two-goal cushion in half in the 49th minute. She solved Moster by hammering a 15-yard, back-post shot after a pass from sophomore midfielder Jenna Caputo, whose speed played a prominent role before the equalizer 20 minutes later.

It was then Caputo sprinted alongside a foe for about 25 yards to catch up to a ball that had “Nazareth goal kick” written all over it. Despite the Roadrunner’s valiant attempt to shield the ball in the hopes it would roll out of bounds, Caputo, and her jets, would not relent.

Moments later, Fuentes got the ball at her feet and took a foul inside the edge of the box. Konopka converted the PK.

“I’m exhausted,” Caputo admitted after the 90-minute contest. “I’m going straight to bed.”

Nazareth coach Roberto Cianci knew his club couldn’t rest with a 2-0 advantage at the start of the second half.

“You know what they say about a 2-0 lead in soccer — it’s the worst,” Cianci said.

“Great game,” he added. “Our goalkeeper made great saves, and Liv (Austin) … God blessed us with a talented player like her.”

Austin, a Class 3A state champion hoopster in 2023 and a member of Nazareth’s 4A basketball state runner-up squad this past season, drew the foul that preceded her PK. 

Some 17 minutes later, Roadrunners senior midfielder Layden Almer delivered the pass that led to Austin’s second goal. She cut quickly toward the top of the 18, found some space and then drilled a 25-yard, left-footed laser that secured a 2-0 advantage for the side from LaGrange Park.

“I’m very proud of the way we fought tonight after our (spring break),” Austin said. “It’s hard enough, going hard for 80 minutes against a team like Saint Viator. Then, to go for 10 more minutes of overtime … .

“My teammates,” she continued, “worked incredibly hard in the offseason, lifting weights and doing yoga, while I played basketball.”

Nazareth junior backs Annie Trayser and Izzy Strnic thwarted rushes and recorded countless steals, particularly in the first half against the Saint Viator attack. DeLeon’s Lions enjoyed the run of play for most of the second 40 minutes, maintaining possession for lengthy spans and peppering a plethora of potent shots, some wide, some high, some right at Moster.

The Saint Viator trio of Brackett, Correa and Konopka shared Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honors for having each played an indispensable role in the triumph.

Victorious sophomore keeper Alex Radlinski, filling in for injured Lions junior Kyli Ziebka, made two saves.

Up next for Saint Viator is a trip to Waukegan’s Greg Petry SportsPark to face Warren in its BodyArmor tournament opener at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Nazareth hosts league foe Marian on Senior Night at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Footnotes

Austin averaged nearly 12 points and seven rebounds for the Roadrunners’ girls basketball team in 2023-24. She poured in 16 points in Nazareth’s 44-40 loss to Loyola in the Class 4A state championship game last month in Normal. In her junior season, Austin scored 23 points (9-of-10 from the field) and grabbed 12 rebounds in Nazareth’s 63-52 defeat of Lincoln in the Class 3A state title game. … Caputo, on Saint Viator’s collective temperament: “We don’t quit. Winning is everything.” … Correa, on Caputo: “She’s the fastest player on our team.” … DeLeon, on Fuentes: “Camila has been a nice surprise for us this spring. She’s quiet. She’s also dynamic and explosive.”

Starting lineups

Nazareth
GK Audrey Moster
D Izzy Strnic
D Evelyn Siffermann
D Annie Trayser
D Hannah Hesser
MF Samantha Rozmus
MF Layden Almer
MF Olivia O’Neill
F Sarah Owen
F Olivia Austin
F Lucy Jocovics

Saint Viator
GK Alex Radlinski
D Kate Ziebka
D Meghan McLaughlin
D Frannie Drake
D Emma Mikrut
MF Monica Correa
MF Kiley Wrzos
MF Taylor Brackett
MF Maggie Drake
MF Jenna Caputo
F Allison Konopka

Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Taylor Brackett, sr., MF, Saint Viator; 
Monica Correa, jr., MF, Saint Viator; 
Allison Konopka, sr., F, Saint Viator

Scoring summary

First half
Nazareth — Austin (PK), 11’
Nazareth — Austin (Almer), 28’

Second half
Saint Viator — Konopka (Caputo), 49’
Saint Viator — Konopka (PK), 69’

First overtime
Saint Viator — Correa (Brackett), 85’

Second overtime
No scoring