St. Ignatius beats the clock to topple Nazareth in Class 2A semifinal

NAPERVILLE – Nazareth sophomore goalie Ana Djurasovic showed her vast abilities on Friday afternoon.

As one of nine returning starters for next season, Djurasovic received a baptism under fire throughout the season.

She needed every minute of experience to handle the roller-coaster of emotions in Friday’s Class 2A state semifinal against St. Ignatius at North Central College’s Beneditti-Wehrli Stadium.

Not only was the pressure-cooker game her first state appearance, Djurasovic had to deal with battling St. Ignatius high-scoring forward Kayla Washington.

Plus, besides Washington sending shots all game toward the net, Djurasovic had to battle the waves of emotions due to countless missed shots – from all angles, including a penalty kick – by Washington.

Washington, a Western Michigan recruit, entered the state semifinal with 31 goals and eight assists.

In other words, when Washington was on the goal line, she rarely missed all season.

But Friday was a different story – one which thrilled and amazed the large crowd on a sunny, picture-perfect day for state soccer.

Djurasovic finished with 10 saves, but Washington scored the game winner with 13.2 seconds left in regulation to lift St. Ignatius to a thrilling 1-0 victory over Nazareth in the opening 2A state semifinal.

The Roadrunners (16-11-1) will play Springfield in the third-place game on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

“I just tried to finish strong and find the back of the net,” Washington said. “I kept trying to score and score, but got a few great passes at the end, and was finally able to score late in the game.”

Washington’s goal was set up by a pass from teammate Lili Garcia, who slipped a pass to Washington. The senior forward made a few quick 1v1 moves to find an opening, blasting a shot from 12 yards away that Djurasovic deflected at the near post but the ball squirted into the net for the game winner.

“It was a tough game,” Djurasovic said. “We all played hard. The backline was amazing. (Washington) is a great player. I tried to stop her all game. She made a great move at the end and the ball slipped out.”

The Roadrunners’ first trip to the state tournament in Coach Rob Cianci’s fourth season is a building point for the program. The Roadrunners struggled finding open spots against the Wolfpack’s strong backline, but stayed in the game behind a sterling effort from their goalie and backline.

“We made some positive steps this season,” Cianci said. “The girls played so hard and it was an unfortunate way to end the season. Washington is a very, very good player. The backline was strong and played so well all game long. This (loss) will help us in the long term. Everyone played hard.”

Djurasovic set the stage for a memorable afternoon with a pair of stunning saves early in the first half, including one off a bullet shot by Washington in the 15th minute.

Two of Washington’s shots that looked like goals – one in each half – were deflected by a Nazareth defender to save goals. Washington missed her second PK attempt of the season in the 31st minute, drilling a shot too high.

Washington even clanged off a few shots off the post and the top bar – and the football crossbar – that led to several groans from the crowd. Djurasovic said she learned many lessons in the stinging loss.

“I’m very happy with how we played,” she said. “It’s unfortunate, but I will learn from this game. This helps me with my confidence.”

Nazareth sophomore forward Molly Moore had a few chances to score, but also suffered an in-game injury that sidelined her for several minutes. Moore showcased her speed to get open on a few shots, as St. Ignatius goalie MC Galante had three saves in the win.

“We bring back most of our team next year, so they should be ready and motivated after the offseason,” Cianci said. “It was a great season for the program. We made big strides. We are now playing for third place.”

Nazareth