PLAINFIELD -- The past two seasons, Plainfield North was eliminated from the Class 3A postseason by the eventual state champion.

This year the Tigers eliminated the team that many thought could be the Class 3A state champion.

Katelyn Haiser scored the game-winning goal with 7:02 left in regulation to down top-seeded Lockport 2-1 Wednesday evening in the opening semifinal of the Class 3A Plainfield North Sectional. 

The victory was the 15th-straight win for Plainfield North (22-2-1) which is undefeated (21-0-1) in its last 22 games. The fourth-seeded Tigers advance to face no. 7-seed Naperville Central (13-5-1) which upended third-seeded Naperville North (13-6-4) 2-1 in the second semifinal. The championship match was originally set for 4:30 p.m. Friday (May 24) but was moved to noon Saturday due to the weather forecast.

Lockport (24-1-0), which was ranked no. 1 locally in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 and no. 1 in the state by MaxPreps, saw its amazing season end. To start the season, the Porters surrendered two goals in a season-opening 4-2 win over Hinsdale South. Plainfield North became the only other team to accomplish that feat.

"The last two years we lost to the state champion," Plainfield North coach Katie Monterosso said. "So, I think we understand the pressure and know how to handle that. I'm so proud of them. We're a quick team and take pride in how organized we are. I thought our defense played great."

The loss was a hard pill for Lockport to swallow after such an outstanding season.

“We waited a long time to have a bad game, and we picked the wrong time,” Lockport coach Todd Elkei said. “It’s not going to define their season. They’re still the greatest group of girls we’ve ever had.”

History backs that up. The team became the fifth in modern times (since 1950) for Lockport that participated in a sport with a bracketed state tournament that finished the regular-season undefeated. 

Two of the others, the 1977-78 Class AA boys basketball team (33-0) and the 2016-17 Class 3A boys wrestling team (29-0) took state championships. 

The girls soccer team joins the 2004 football team (9-0 before losing to Lincoln-Way East in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs) and the 2022 girls lacrosse team (22-0 before losing to 18-14 to Lincoln-Way/co-op in the sectional final) as those who fell in the state playoffs.

Fifteen seniors led the Porters this season.

“I think I can take away the leadership from this year,” Lockport junior defender Alyssa Flood said. “We had some great seniors, who we’re really going to miss, who set a great example for us."

With her team trailing 1-0 just before the midpoint of the second half, Flood helped the Porters set up their scoring play. While trying to make something happen in the right side of the box, after a pass from senior midfielder Natalie Zodrow, she was taken down.

“I was just really hoping I’d get the ball, and get a cross and get a goal in,” Flood said. “It ended up working out that we got a PK and got a chance to score.

"When they had scored (in the 36th minute), I don't think it was panic. We just dropped our heads, but our energy was high again after we scored."

Defender Meghan Mack punched her kick just past keeper Sam Jurgens, who got a finger on it, into the right corner. That knotted the game at 1-1 in the 59th minute.

"All I thought about was scoring," Mack said. "I think our momentum went up after we scored. It fired us up a little bit. But the more time went on and we didn’t get another one, it was tough.

"They (the Tigers) played us well. What I'll remember about our team is the closeness, the bonds that we had."

Lockport had a pair of golden opportunities to take the lead. The first came when junior forward Ava Kozak, who led the team with 24 goals, had a point-blank opportunity in front near the left post in the 67th minute.

Her shot was saved by Jurgens, but a rebound opportunity presented itself. Kozak had another attempt, but Jurgens was once again there to stuff it and keep the score tied.

"I had a couple of chances," said Kozak, who was in her first season playing for the Porters. "I have to put them away, and I failed to do that. 

"But we just had an amazing team. I'm going to miss everyone and never forget it. I'm going to come back even stronger for next year."

Plainfield North keeper Jurgens, who was a JV player last season, made seven saves. She has stepped up big time in the net for the Tigers, who have not allowed more than a goal in any game this season.

"She was behind two seniors and on the JV team the first three years," Monterosso said. "Now she's in the show and wants to do everything she can to keep the train rolling." 

Early in the 72nd minute, Lockport had another good opportunity. Senior defender Emma Czech, who takes all the restarts, had a free kick opportunity tipped over the bar by Jurgens. Before the corner kick from the right side had a chance to be struck, a whistle blew and an infraction turned the ball over.

Plainfield North took possession and then the lead in the 73rd minute. The Tigers got the ball ahead to freshman midfielder Nora Roche, who found Haiser on the right side. Junior keeper Liz Rock, who made six saves, came out to try to cut off the angle, but Haiser found a path and hammered the game-winning shot home from 30 yards on the right side. 

It was the first and last goal the Porters surrendered this season that was not a set piece. 

"We looked for her coming out, and I knew I had to put it away," Haiser said. "I had been trying all game, and that felt good.

"We've all worked very well as a team. Last year we had a lot of very skilled players, now we just play as a family. We didn't want to come in scared. We knew that we could do it."

Czech had a final restart opportunity at the start of the final minute, but Plainfield North headed the ball away and put an end to Lockport’s season.

"It started to," Elkei said when asked if tying the game gave the Porters the momentum back. "But we never quite clicked. We couldn't get it going. We got out of character. We needed to be more ruthless. We didn't create opportunities like we normally do.

"It's just a tough sectional and everyone here is a good team. They (the Tigers) played hard. No. 6 (Haiser) and no. 10 (freshman forward Ilyana Barriball) were good, got some opportunities, and we didn't have an answer." 

Plainfield North matched Lockport’s speed from the get-go to signal it was going to be a formidable foe. After each team had opportunities, the Tigers took advantage of a corner kick late in the half.

Junior midfielder Sarah Anghel sent her feed to the near post. Rock appeared to get a hand on it, but sophomore forward Lauryn Amico knocked it into the net in the 36th minute.  
  
"Me and the defender were there and I had to get it. I knew I couldn't let her get there," Amico said. "She was sliding, and I jumped over her and got it.

"I think we all work together very well. Everyone is so skilled, and we've come together to play better and better. We knew Lockport was a good team, and we respected them so much. We just had to give our all and come out to play at that high level."

Almost a minute later, Lockport almost got the equalizer. Czech, who had a trio of assists on corner kicks in a 3-0 win over Oswego East in the regional title game, took a corner from the left. It found Meghan Mack by the near post with an opening window on the goal line. She put the ball there, but sophomore defender Delaney Harwood made a great non-goalie save to preserve Plainfield North’s lead at halftime.

Monterosso, who didn't get to coach a game in her first season at the helm in 2020 because of COVID-19, got her second playoff win over the Porters. The first was 1-0 in a regional semifinal in 2021. But this one dwarfed the other.

"I think the girls are surprising themselves, and this is the best time of the year to find it," she said. "Now we have to carry that momentum into (Saturday)."

In 2022, the Tigers lost 3-2 to host Metea Valley in a Class 3A regional final. The Mustangs went on to win the state. With many players back from that team, Plainfield North was among the favorites to win state last season. The Tigers got to the Bloomington Supersectional, where an O'Fallon goal late in regulation tied the game 1-1 before the Panthers took the shootout and went on to become the Class 3A champion.

Plainfield North graduated 15 seniors from that team. 

Lockport, which recorded 17 shutouts and outscored opponents 102-10, will graduate 15 seniors from this season's team: Heather Canny, Julia Chlebek, Sophia Cohen, Claudia Cronin, Czech, Julia Czubiak, Kaylin Klutcharch,  Abbey Mack, Meghan Mack, Brinlee McNabb, Megan Posmer, Rachel Rosier, Karolina Skubisz, Kaida Valdez and Natalie Zodrow. 

"We just wanted to play a little better," Zodrow said. "We had our momentum down, but after we got the PK our spirits were high. But they're a good team. 

"I'll just remember our bonds with each other. It was a joy to come to practice and to be with everyone."

Elkei, who completed his 14th season at Lockport, agreed. 

"There are so many good memories of this team," Elkei said. "They were such a joy to see at practice every day. We played good teams and beat them. We just didn't do it today."

Starting lineups

Plainfield North
GK: Sam Jurgens
D: Delaney Harwood
D: Mackenzie Harriman
D: Kaia Miller
D: Grier Isaacson
MF: Lauren Mrugala
MF: Kyla Seifert
MF: Claire Wilson
F: Katelyn Haiser
F: Lauren Amico
F: Ilyana Barriball 

Lockport
GK: Liz Rock
D: Brinlee McNabb
D: Emma Czech
D: Karolina Skubisz
D: Meghan Mack 
D: Alyssa Flood
MF: Kaylin Klutcharch 
MF: Natalie Zodrow 
MF: Tiffany Giannese
F: Ava Kozak
F: Yurida Hernandez

Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Katelyn Haiser, so., F, Plainfield North 

Scoring summary

First half
Plainfield North: Lauren Amico (Sarah Anghel), 36’

Second half
Lockport: Meghan Mack (penalty kick), 59'
Plainfield North: Katelyn Haiser (Nora Roche), 73'