Consistent pressure and spacing allowed McHenry to seize control during the second half of Tuesday’s Fox Valley Conference match against Prairie Ridge.

Leading by one after scoring in the 38th minute, McHenry maintained possession inside Prairie Ridge territory for nearly the entire second half, where the Warriors dominated the midfield area and capitalized on their front-line speed. Behind a pair of goals from junior Cody Bundy, McHenry shut out Prairie Ridge 4-0, scoring three times over the final 30 minutes.

“We trusted each other, and we know we’re capable of doing great things in the conference,” Bundy said. “When we trust each other and play as a team, we know we can compete against anyone. We got comfortable in the second half, and we trusted the players around us.

“That made a huge difference.”

With senior captain Cole Tapia spearheading the attack, McHenry (9-2-2, 3-1-1 FVC) posted promising shots on goal early. A cross from Tapia in the sixth minute sailed just over the Prairie Ridge crossbar, while a save by senior goalkeeper Chris Zinevich on a shot from McHenry’s Aldair Anglada during the 17th minute kept the Warriors off the scoreboard.

Zinevich tallied six saves for the Wolves (7-5-2, 2-2-1 FVC), who were outpaced 10-2 in shots on goal for the match. Prairie Ridge had a few looks at the net in the first half, with midfielder Conor D’Antonio ripping a shot on goal in the 14th minute and Mason Spengler, a freshman, blasting a long-range shot during the 23rd minute. The Wolves were unable to convert.

“We had to adjust,” said Prairie Ridge head coach Joe Schroeder, whose team was without injured starting forward Trenton Pavoris. “We lost our senior captain a couple of days ago, so we had to change our lineup a bit and put people in different positions. It’s a big learning experience.

“When three freshmen are starting, it’s a whole new world. McHenry’s a really good side.”

McHenry’s steady pressure and spacing finally paid off in the 38th minute, when Bundy took a through-ball into the Prairie Ridge box and ripped a shot on goal that Zinevich deflected away. Finding position inside the box, Anglada booted the ball into the goal to give McHenry a 1-0 lead.

“We knew this was going to be a game,” Bundy said. “We really wanted this one, and I thought we showed what we’re capable of. I think we can build on this for the rest of our games. We believe in each other, and we have plan when we go into the next game, which has really helped us this season.”

Zinevich made another excellent save in the 51st minute to keep Prairie Ridge within striking distance, but the Wolves were unable to maintain pace with the Warriors, who converted back-to-back goals over the 52nd and 53rd minutes. McHenry surged ahead 2-0 when senior forward Nate Caruso crashed the left side of the Prairie Ridge box and finished a cross from Tapia.

“We were just trying to keep possession of the ball as much as we could and move the ball so we could look for those open gaps for our attackers,” Tapia said. “I felt like we executed pretty well. I thought our pace of play and the pressure on their defense really put them under, and they lost their heads.”

The Warriors struck again shortly after, capitalizing on a long pass from forward Miguel Rondon, who found Bundy for the first of his two second-half goals. After an offsides call negated a perfectly executed goal in the 69th minute, McHenry made up for the mistake in the 72nd minute, when Bundy scored to earn his brace and clinch the victory for the Warriors.

“We knew they were losing a lot of players, but we knew they were still going to have a solid team with some solid stars standing out,” Tapia said. “It’s a great confidence-booster for us, especially with the seedings coming out right before the postseason. I think this win puts us in a really good spot.”

With the victory, McHenry moved into third place in the conference and tied its win total from last season, when the Warriors finished 9-12 overall and 3-6 in the FVC. McHenry will face Burlington Central on the road Thursday to try for its 10th win of the year.

Prairie Ridge, which dropped into fifth place with the loss, will return home for a match against Huntley on Thursday.