Girls soccer: Huntley’s Chloe Pfaff scores late in double overtime to top Cary-Grove 3-2

CARY – Huntley’s Chloe Pfaff only had one thing on her mind when she shot the ball toward the goal in the final seconds of double overtime against Cary-Grove on Thursday.

She wanted to go home.

The Red Raiders were in their second straight overtime match and fourth of the season, and Pfaff was tired of overtime. So with 40 seconds left in double-OT, she shot the ball and it bounced in, securing a 3-2 Fox Valley Conference win.

“I think the feeling is absolutely amazing,” Pfaff said. “With the clock counting down, you’re just watching it, holding your breath the entire time, hoping that something is going to get in. It’s a great feeling.”

The winning goal came after Huntley (11-3-2, 3-1-2 FVC) and C-G created great scoring chances in the final minutes. The Trojans had a free kick near the top of the box that went over the net with three minutes left, while the Red Raiders had a free kick just to the side of the box that went wide with a little over a minute left.

Pfaff brought the ball up just past midfield and shot it toward the net with 40 seconds left, figuring it was worth a chance to see what would happen.

“Getting every chance, it doesn’t even matter where it’s going, what you’re doing, how small the chances are,” Pfaff said of taking the shot.

The Red Raiders had to get into comeback mode quickly after falling behind 1-0 with 38:48 left in the first half. Huntley pressed and Pfaff tied the match 1-1 with 37:30 left in the first half.

Huntley took a 2-1 lead when Karen Reyes-Villanueva scored on a scramble in front of the net off a corner kick with 16:10 left in the match.

Despite the win, Huntley coach Matt Lewandowski was exhausted from his team playing its fourth overtime match of the year. He felt like his team became too comfortable because the Red Raiders are a possession-based team and opponents have found ways to capitalize on their limited opportunities.

“I think the feeling is absolutely amazing. With the clock counting down, you’re just watching it, holding your breath the entire time, hoping that something is going to get in. It’s a great feeling.”

—  Chloe Pfaff, Huntley senior

Lewandowski hopes they’ve gained enough experience from overtime matches and can move forward now.

“I think every time we’ve gone to overtime, we’re learned something,” Lewandowski said. “Hopefully we’re done learning and can apply what we’ve learned here going to the future.”

C-G (5-5, 3-2 FVC) got off to a perfect start when Grace Apgar scored just 1:12 into the match. After giving up its lead, the Trojans kept battling, and Alissa Penrod tied the match with 2:09 left in regulation when she scored off a corner kick.

Despite the loss, Trojans coach Ray Krystal was thrilled with his team’s resiliency.

“I’m proud of the effort of my team, the entire time,” Krystal said. “Having to battle back, force it into overtime and to be able to play those periods as strong as we did. I’m proud of that effort.”

The Trojans get back to FVC action at Jacobs on Tuesday, while the Red Raiders will host Hampshire the same day. Huntley remains seven points behind Crystal Lake Central for the FVC lead after Thursday’s action, but the Red Raiders are excited for what a win like Thursday’s can do heading down the stretch into the postseason.

“It feels so amazing,” Pfaff said. “I think it’s really going to bring up our mentality and our confidence, especially knowing that it’s coming to the last second and we can put it in no matter how much time is left.”