Senior forward Laney Stark had been down this path before while playing for St. Charles North.
So had a generation of North Stars.
After years of running into the dead end of disappointment, Stark willed her team Tuesday night to take a different route — the road to glory. And coach Brian Harks didn’t go wild at halftime, either.
“I didn’t say much,” Harks said about his motivational speech. “I reminded them just to recommit to the details. That energy, effort and spark, that was all them. And that was really enjoyable to see.”
After trailing Naperville Central 1-0 at halftime, the North Stars were a sight to see, scoring on their first two shots of the second half for a 2-1 victory in the Class 3A St. Charles North Supersectional.
Senior midfielder Juliana Park forced a 1-1 tie only 28 seconds into the second half on a 20-yard shot off an assist from Stark, who then scored the winning goal for St. Charles North (17-2-6).
“She was open,” Stark said of Park. “She’s usually open, and I saw her, and I passed to her. I trust her with everything.”
Naperville Central’s Nicole Sacek (22) heads the ball in front of St. Charles North’s Juliana Park (18) in the second half during the Class 3A St. Charles North Supersectional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)
The North Stars trust Stark with everything — and with good reason. She has delivered the goods time and again this season, but her biggest goal came with 34:27 remaining.
Stark got loose in the middle and latched onto a cross from the left side. As she was falling down, the Green Bay recruit somehow managed to slide a shot into the net past goalkeeper Erin Hackett.
That stood as the winner, sending the North Starts to the state semifinals for the first time since 2012. They will play Fremd (16-4-4) at 6 p.m. Friday at North Central College in Naperville.
“I don’t remember who it was (who passed it), but I just saw the ball go over the top and my thought was, ‘Just get a touch on it,’” Stark said. “And that’s all that matters.
“You have to have that mindset that you’re going to get it, and it going to go in, and it will happen.”
St. Charles North’s Kayla Floyd (2) leads her teammates as she carries the plaque after beating Naperville Central in the Class 3A St. Charles North Supersectional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)
Stark regularly makes things happen.
“What makes her a great player is her speed and her overall effort,” Park said of Stark. “She has a great first touch to get around a defender.”
Naperville Central’s Eleanor Kane, one of the best freshman defenders in the state, has firsthand knowledge of that.
“She’s definitely one of their best players,” Kane said. “Her kind of tactic is to run around people, play off of people, and the whole team just wants to get the ball to her.
“She helped them gain corners and goals.”
Indeed, Naperville Central (14-6-1) had no answer for that. The North Stars earned 10 corner kicks, while the Redhawks had none.
St. Charles North’s Juliana Park (18) reacts after defeating Naperville Central in the Class 3A St. Charles North Supersectional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)
It eventually took its toll on underdog Naperville Central, which didn’t muster a shot in the last 38 minutes. For the final 34 after Stark’s strike, the Redhawks chased a tying goal that never came.
“She clearly has skill, which is difficult to deal with,” Harks said of Stark. “But I think it’s her will out there, her ability to just say, ‘I’m going to find a way.’
“That goal that she scored was her refusal to be stopped. That’s all it was. She’s got a knack for getting herself in those situations and making the most of them.”
Because of that, the North Stars snapped a frustrating streak. They had played in six supersectionals since 2012, including last season, and lost them all.
“It’s awesome because this program has been fighting since that time to get past this round,” Stark said. “I think the people before us would be very proud of us and they’re rooting for us.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
