Jake Hadaway didn’t feature in Naperville North’s Class 3A state championship team last year. He didn’t even play on the top junior varsity squad. However, Hadaway is now making a significant impact in his lone varsity season. His performance on Tuesday against Naperville Central marked his team-leading third goal.
Hadaway expressed his emotions, saying, “I don’t think I’ll have any better feeling this season. Scoring to put us ahead against our rivals as underdogs means a lot to me.” With just eight seconds left in the first half, Hadaway received a long pass from Will Boniface, netting the ball. The duo connected again early in the second half with Hadaway’s deep cross setting up Boniface’s goal. Naperville North added another goal to shock the visiting Redhawks, winning 3-0 in the DuPage Valley Conference clash.
Naperville North coach Jim Konrad commented, “Soccer’s funny. We’re not three goals better than Central.” Despite this, the Huskies performed well enough to secure a win by that margin, while the Redhawks controlled most of the first half yet failed to score.
Naperville Central coach Troy Adams noted, “Soccer’s a cruel game. Today, we weren’t the better team. We played well in stretches, but who finishes matters.” Naperville North’s Dylan Healy, the only returning starter, demonstrated this with a goal following a rebound off the crossbar.
Hadaway praised the team’s efforts, saying, “Everybody built off each other, and did the little things right. Our first touches were on point. We don’t have many amazing players, but our collective effort led to three goals against our rival.” Hadaway played with many of his current teammates on the JV2 team last year, acknowledging their chemistry.
Hadaway epitomized Naperville North’s determination, scoring 28 goals for the JV2 team last year. Coach Konrad remarked, “Jake is a good soccer player who wants to win. He worked tirelessly tonight.” Meanwhile, Will Boniface also appreciated his expanded role this season, as many team members had graduated. He said, “Jake has been amazing. We don’t have a superstar, but we play together for each other.”