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Andrew’s Megan Nemec had a suggestion for coach Loren Zolk at halftime Friday.
“I asked if I could move to outside left,” Nemec said. “I was playing mid and I felt like I wasn’t getting the ball. Moving to outside left would give me more room to run and attack.”
Zolk obliged with the request. And Nemec, a Loyola recruit, did plenty of damage.
Nemec used her blazing speed to set up a pair of goals, leading the host Thunderbolts to a 2-0 win over rival Sandburg in the Class 3A Andrew Sectional championship game.
Andrew (21-5-1) advanced to play at 4 p.m Tuesday in the Reavis Supersectional against the winner of Saturday’s sectional final between Young and Lyons.
Senior midfielder Alex Dennis and junior forward Erin Jaskierski converted Nemec’s passes into goals against Sandburg (16-5-1).
Zolk gave Nemec, a senior, credit for coming up with the idea of changing positions, which made a huge difference.
But he wasn’t about to give her all the credit.
“I listened to her,” Zolk said with a laugh. “Hey, it’s their team, their game. A player who’s been around as long as she has and comes to you and says, ‘Let’s do this,’ you listen. In the end, it’s not about me.”
Nemec set up both scoring plays by taking advantage of the space she desired on the outside to make runs toward the net.
She first sent a pass into the middle to Dennis, who buried a one-timer just under the crossbar for a 1-0 lead at 7:58 of the second half.
“Alex was asking for the ball,” Nemec said. “She was wide open and she made a great shot.”
Just 3:55 later, Nemec again made her way down the left side, this time sending a crossing pass to Jaskierski, who buried an 18-yard shot for the 2-0 spread.
“I kind of did the same thing, except I crossed it hoping someone would be there,” Nemec said. “Erin was there to score.”
Senior midfielder Megan O’Neill isn’t surprised by anything Nemec does on the field.
“Playing against her is one of the worst experiences and playing with her is one of the best experiences,” O’Neill said. “She’s so fast and athletic.
“It’s crazy the way she moves. There’s no one comparable to her that I’ve ever played against.”
Sandburg coach Tom Kubowicz wasn’t about to dispute that.
“Nemec is a great player,” Kubowicz said. “She got away from us twice. Great players make you pay.”
Andrew overcame some controversy. With starting goalkeeper Gabby Sportiello forced to sit out the game due to a red card Tuesday, sophomore Katherine Prochnow stepped in.
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Prochnow had played three games this season, including the second overtime of Tuesday’s win over Lincoln-Way Central.
She resembled a seasoned veteran against the Eagles. And led by Addison Lim, Nicole Koppers and Diana Carbajal, Andrew’s defense was outstanding.
Zolk had complete confidence in Prochnow.
“I wasn’t worried at all,” he said. “I knew Katherine would rise to the challenge.”