For Lincoln-Way Central’s Jaylin Sustr, the finished product was just perfect.
The senior midfielder scored the game-winning goal Thursday night on a penalty kick to stun Lockport, and all was well in the world for the Knights.
But to get to that point? That’s another story.
“We actually called out two other players’ names to take the kick,” Lincoln-Way Central coach Sean Fahey said. “Either they didn’t hear or our captain, Abby (Sudkamp), gave it to her.”
Despite the merry mix-up, Sustr successfully put the ball in the net with 21:17 left for the Knights, who held on for a 2-1 victory in a Windy City Ram Classic second-round game in New Lenox.
Madi Watt also scored a last-second goal in the first half for Lincoln-Way Central (2-0), while junior goalkeeper Flynn Meyer came up with six saves, including one in the final minute.
Sophomore Yuridia Hernandez opened the scoring for Lockport (1-1) with 15:06 left in the first half. Last season, the Porters won their first 24 games before losing in the sectional.
The Lewis-bound Sustr, however, lifted the Knights past Lockport with her heroics.
“Jay has always been perfect on PKs,” said Watt, an Eastern Illinois recruit. “She was feeling it, and she had a strong, powerful shot as always.”
Sustr confirmed her teammates were asking who should take the shot and she volunteered.
“I said I would take it,” she said. “You have to have full confidence. You can be nervous, but you need full confidence and I knew where I was going. Two seconds later, I made it.”
Lincoln-Way Central, Lemont, De La Salle, Stagg, Lincoln-Way East, Andrew, Lincoln-Way West and Oak Park are also alive in the quarterfinals of the 32-team tournament hosted by Reavis.
Watt’s buzzer-beating goal to tie it at 1-1 loomed large. Watt also had a clutch goal in the closing minute of the second overtime of a 1-0 win over Lincoln-Way East in the sectional last season.
“The reality is we have a lot of new faces in a lot of new places,” Fahey said of his team. “They are going to make rookie mistakes and they are going to learn from them.
“When that goal went in, that helped some of the new players because we were back to being even going into the second half and they were able to go back out there with a fresh mind.”
Sustr, meanwhile, enjoyed the development of Watt’s goal, which started at the 10-second mark and ended up finishing high into the net.
“I was like, ‘Go Madi, go Madi, go Madi,’’’ Sustr said. “I had full confidence she would make it — just like she did in the Lincoln-Way East game.
“It’s like a one-in-a-million situation, and she’s done it twice.”
Although it’s not planned, Watt loves being reliable for the Knights during crunch time.
“I’m just scrapping,” she said. “Every ball I can get to, I’m trying to get a toe on it. It will either be a pretty goal or an ugly goal like that. Everything counts. Everything goes on the board the same.”
Lincoln-Way Central also was missing three regulars due to injury, so beating a program like Lockport that was nationally ranked in 2024 while shorthanded is a good way to start the spring.
Sustr had a big hand — or foot — in that.
“We’ve both been on varsity for all four years and I love her,” Watt said of Sustr. “I know she’s willing to work every single day. I have full confidence in her, and I know that she will put in 110% every single time.
“She’s always there.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
