A unique moment for St. Charles North’s Kaitlyn Nudera unfolded right before her eyes.
With the ball at her feet, the junior forward found herself in front of a wide-open net.
“In games like this, there’s so few shooting opportunities and so few chances that you could take,” Nudera said of her scoring scenario in the 51st minute Tuesday night. “I definitely felt the rush.
“Knowing I was going to get that goal really helped with my momentum and confidence.”
Nudera converted the game’s only goal in the second half , lifting the fourth-seeded North Stars to a 1-0 win over archrival St. Charles East in a Class 3A Glenbard West Sectional semifinal.
It was the seventh goal of the season for Nudera, who pulled senior goalkeeper Sidney Lazenby off her line. It helped St. Charles North (11-5-3) advance to play second-seeded Wheaton Warrenville South (18-1-2) at 5 p.m. Friday for the sectional title.
Freshman forward Mya Leon had scored all four goals in the previous two games for St. Charles East (19-7-2). She finished her debut season on the varsity with 34 goals.
Sophomore Aubri Magana was the primary defender shadowing Leon, who also scored a hat trick for the Saints in a 3-0 win over the North Stars on March 29 in the championship game of the Rose Augsburg-Drach Invitational.
It was the third time the two teams played each other this spring and the seventh consecutive season they have played each other in a state playoff game, something that Nudera embraced.
“I think we all went into this game knowing what we could bring and how hard we could push,” she said. “That’s what really solidified our performance and helped us want it even more.”
Nudera, a second-year varsity regular, helped St. Charles take second in the state last spring. Despite dealing with the complications of a shoulder injury, she had five goals and three assists.
She’s gone two better in the goal department this spring as a strong complement to senior forward Kaitlin Glenn. Their ability to cash in on their chemistry makes the North Stars’ attack flourish.
“You probably caught up on it, but she’s fast,” Glenn said of Nudera. “Any ball I play her, she is able to slip through and beat defenders or the goalkeeper.
“We work so well together. She has a positive attitude and a strong mindset. It’s hard to play 80 minutes. She keeps working, never gives up and helped us win.”
Following the graduation of multiple attacking players, Nudera saw the chance to expand on her offensive role for the North Stars.
“I think she just dedicated to challenging herself in the offseason,” St. Charles North coach Brian Harks said. “She got stronger and more physical, and that has definitely paid off.
“As fast as she is, she gets fouled a lot. She’s learned to shake herself off, go back and do it again.”
Last year marked the third time in program history the North Stars played in a state championship game. And that history matters deeply to Nudera.
“I’m doing this for the people now and those who played before us,” she said. “The legacy is something we’ve been trying to uphold. The people and the program are what made it.
“I’ve been with some of these people since I first started playing.”
According to family lore, Nudera played in her first soccer game at the age of 18 months. She was a trailblazer, the first in her family who take up the sport.
Now, Nudera is incapable of considering an alternate path.
”I come from a very competitive family where they get mad if you lose,” she said. “It always matters if I play as hard as I can. I’d be more upset if I didn’t think I brought my full potential.
“Winning or losing, what makes me really happy is how hard I fought.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
