Naperville North senior Elizabeth Cablk is the most highly touted goalkeeper in the area, and with good reason.
The Illinois recruit recorded 19 shutouts last season, and she has nine this spring.
But Neuqua Valley junior Yanel Ortiz is quietly putting together a fine resume of her own.
Ortiz came up with six saves to help the visiting Wildcats hold Naperville North to a 0-0 tie Tuesday night.
Ortiz has had a hand in six shutouts, including four straight, and Neuqua Valley remains in contention for the DuPage Valley Conference championship.
“I’m definitely more comfortable because last year was more getting to know how everything worked,” Ortiz said. “This year I felt like I jumped right into it.
“I didn’t have to take two or three games to get used to it. First game I was already ready.”
Ortiz made two diving saves and also rushed off her line to clear a ball out a split-second before being leveled by Naperville North midfielder Morgan Krause.
The Wildcats (6-2-3, 3-0-1) extended their unbeaten streak to seven games and became just the second team to shut out the Huskies (11-0-2, 4-0-1) this season.
“They had a fast girl up there, I think it was (Caroline Weiss), so we always wanted a person on her and I just told Kailey Serna to be on her and to Nicole Mondi to drop back a bit,” Ortiz said. “They did that and it worked out.”
Both teams had chances. The Huskies, 28-0-3 in their last 31 regular-season games, held a 15-8 edge in shots and dominated the second half. They nearly scored, but Morgan Lockridge’s 53-yard free kick one-hopped the crossbar.
Neuqua Valley controlled most of the two overtimes and had a shot go off the crossbar. The Wildcats were dangerous up, but the Huskies’ back line of Lockridge, Emily Wilhelm, Jessica Siebers and Alyssa Siebers held firm in front of Cablk, who made one save and had two key punch-outs.
“Our back line has been phenomenal this season and I thought our outside backs, Liz Siebers and Emily Wilhelm, did a fantastic job of containing their wide mids, because that’s what (the Wildcats) love to do,” Cablk said. “They love to get wide, get end line and get crosses in.
“We knew this game was going to be for the DVC championship. Neuqua is always one of the toughest teams we play.”
The two teams could meet two more times, including in Friday’s Naperville Invitational semifinals. It’s something both sides want.
“Yeah, it does give us some confidence because they’re a really, really good team,” Ortiz said. “We’ve just got to be ready if we do play them again.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.
