Naperville Central’s girls varsity soccer team had a DVC faceoff against Neuqua Valley on April 12. The team was led to success by senior Megan Norkett and freshman Malia Shen, scoring a goal which gave them a final score of 2-1. 

The team has started their season with a record of 6-1-1 and are currently rank third in the DuPage Valley conference. 

In the first half, goalie freshman Erin Hackett had several saves for the Redhawks including a save during a penalty kick for the Wildcats. 

Four minutes after the penalty kick Neuqua was able to earn a 1-0 lead with a shot off the post.

With under 19 minutes remaining in the half, senior Taylor Walk was knocked to the ground, causing her shoulder to be dislocated. Due to this injury, Walk was out for the rest of the game. 

“Seeing a teammate get hurt is never good, especially when it was Taylor,” teammate senior Natalie Jordan said, “She is a major asset to the team. She’s aggressive, hardworking, and has amazing free kicks. We hope to have her back very soon”

Central bounced back quickly from the injury, with senior Megan Norkett tying the game at 1-1 with just under two minutes remaining in the first half. 

Central came back from the break strong; freshman Malia Shen  was assisted by junior Lauren Thorne, putting the Redhawks in the lead. 

“It felt great to score the goal, but our whole team contributed to it including Lauren with her amazing through ball,” said Shen. 

The Redhawks held Neuqua scoreless for the remainder of the game, securing their 2-1 victory.

“It felt good to get the win,” Shen said.  “Overall it was a great team effort. Our defenders shut down some of Neuqua’s very talented players.”