By Bobby Narang
In fitting fashion, the final soccer game of the 2024-2025 season required some additional time.
O’Fallon High School and Naperville North were in a battle in the Class 3A girls State championship game at North Central College Saturday, June 7. O’Fallon relied on a reliable and veteran player in the key moments of the game, as forward Allie Tredway, for the second time in three years, came up clutch for her team.
Tredway drilled a left-footed shot from just over 11 yards in the 90th minute to lift the Panthers to a 1-0 double-overtime win over Naperville North.
O’Fallon (23-1-1) won its third state title in the last five years. Two years ago, Tredway had the winning assist in the 98th minute in a double-OT win over Barrington.
“So, I knew I was like at the center of the field and my back was to the goal, so I didn’t know, like how far out I was, but I knew I could get around the defender,” Tredway said. “I was able to turn and just hit a shot and it just luckily went right through the keeper’s hands up top.”
The Naperville North Huskies ended the season with a 17-6-3 record.
Naperville North junior forward Claire DeCook, a Tennessee recruit, wrapped up her stellar career with a second-place trophy. DeCook plans on graduating early next season, allowing her to enroll early Tennessee and miss her senior soccer season. DeCook sparked the Huskies with two goals in the state semifinal win over Lane Tech.
“I’m just so glad we were able to play our night together,” DeCook said. “I know this night was so special for all of us, especially because we were the only people that believed we’d get this far. It doesn’t feel good that we lost.”
O’Fallon’s backline was stellar all game, not allowing the Huskies to get any momentum and attempt just four shots all game.
“Watching game film we knew we were going to have to be really, really good to give O’Fallon a run,” Naperville North coach Steve Goletz said. “And then we came out and took it to them in the first 20 minutes of the game.”
Goletz said his players fought hard all season, enduring numerous ups and downs, but nearly walked away with a State title.
“That’s because of how great these kids are and how they want to fight,” Goletz said. “They’re willing to check their ego at the door and do whatever we ask them to do and work so hard for each other. And hard work matters. We say that all the time in our program, and if you can consistently work hard and not make excuses, great things happen for you.”