Dayami Arias was patiently waiting for her chance to get a strike off.

With the score tied between Wheaton-Warrenville South and St. Charles East midway through the second half of the Class 3A St. Charles East sectional, the senior was waiting for any chance to get a shot off.

And in the 59th minute, she got a chance to do so when a rebounded shot went right to her feet.

“I was just waiting for the defense to come to me so that I could fake it and get an opening in the middle,” Arias said. “When I got the shot off, I really didn’t think the ball was going in.”

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St. Charles East's Anika Dodrill battles for the ball with Wheaton Warrenville South's Lucy Jethani at the Class 3A St. Charles East Sectional Final on Friday, May 29,2026 in St. Charles. (Karen Naess for Shaw Local News Network/Karen Naess )

Arias’s shot from 20-yards out ripped into the top part of the net for the go-ahead goal, and Kelsey Clousing would add another in the 71st minute to lead the second-seeded Tigers to a 2-0 victory over the top-seeded Saints for the sectional title.

“Dayami just does what she does with jaw-dropping skill and technique,” Tigers coach Guy Callipari said. “What a great winning goal that nobody could argue was soft.”

It marks the second consecutive sectional title for the Tigers (16-1-5), who won the Class 3A Glenbard West sectional title just a season ago. But for Arias, who missed last season to play for her club team, it meant a little bit more.

“It’s my first year playing with these girls, and it’s been amazing,” Arias said. “They really bought me into this Tiger soccer as like one whole. And bringing each other in really fits that narrative and I just have loved it.”

The win also proved a bit of redemption for WW South, who tied with the Saints 2-2 in the regular season, but lost the DuKane Conference title by a point. A big part of that portion was the defense, who allowed just two shots on goal all game.

“We were just playing a lot more composed this time around,” senior defender Grace Rodakowski said. “We were really nervous heading into that first game against them, but we’re really on a run right now and everybody’s playing their best, which definitely helped.”

The shutout marked the fifth consecutive game where the Tigers have held a team scoreless, and also the 10th time in 11 contests.

“We’ve known we’ve done a good job defensively down the stretch, it was just a matter of finding pressure and making things a bit more predictable,” Callipari said. “And then we had coverage in case someone got a little over zealous in our play and also kept balance, and we did a great job of doing that.”

The shutout marked just the second time all season that the Saints (20-1-5) were held scoreless, with the first being in a 0-0 tie against Batavia.

“We just couldn’t get anything going offensively against them,” Saints coach Vince DiNuzzo said. “We made some mistakes and their two scorers made us pay. And then they were solid defensively and didn’t allow a lot of space and couldn’t develop enough chances to score, and that’s what happened.”

The Saints were looking for their first sectional title since 2021 with a win. Despite falling just short, DiNuzzo was proud of the effort from the team all season, which included avoiding a loss in their first 25 games while also securing a DuKane Conference title.

“From the second game where we lost one of our best defenders, it was a moment where we could see how they responded, and I don’t think any of them thought we were going to respond the way that we did,” DiNuzzo said. “I’m proud of the girls for their effort and what they provided this season.

“I just hope the returners stay motivated with what they put out there and this feeling. It was fun, but it also sucks to get so close and see it slip away right in front of your eyes.”

WW South, meanwhile, will go on to face Naperville Central, who won its sectional 1-0 over Benet, in the St. Charles North supersectional at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The Tigers suffered a 7-2 loss to the Redhawks back on April 21, their lone loss of the season.

“Anything is possible given the fact they took us to the cleaners last time,” Callipari said. “We had a lot to learn about and it’s all about believing at this point in time. And in 80 minutes, anything could happen.”