VALPARAISO | Stephanie Moricz said she couldn't think watching the ball trickle into the net to end a girls soccer sectional marathon.
The ball crossed the goal line, then reality hit.
"My mind was blank, and then when it went in I was so happy and I started screaming," Moricz said, who scored her 19th goal of the season as Wheeler beat Boone Grove 1-0 in overtime on Thursday.
The Bearcats will meet Valparaiso, a 4-2 winner over Kankakee Valley, for the sectional title Saturday.
"We wanted this win so bad," Wheeler coach Todd Syren said.
Boone Grove (14-2-1) gave the Bearcats (13-1-3) their only loss of the season, when the Wolves won 4-1.
Wheeler had plenty of opportunities to score during the game. Moricz had three of her own chances, but each time the ball skimmed wide of the net.
The Wolves also had scoring chances of their own in the second half. Paige Aguliera had two big misses; one that hit the cross bar, and another on a breakaway that skirted just left of the net. Bearcat keeper Christina Gandy made a key save with 14 minutes to go that prevented Boone Grove from scoring.
"It was a battle at both ends," Syren said.
In the first game of the night, Valparaiso got its revenge from last season's sectional loss over the Kougars.
Scoring quickly, the Vikings (12-4-2) got on the board 12 minutes into the game as Kougar goalie Tiffany Conley came out of the net, and Valpo's Anneliese Trapp took the open shot. In the second half, Kankakee Valley (9-4-5) tied the score, a goal off of a penalty kick, courtesy of Hanna Wilder.
"Playing Kankakee Valley is always a competitive game," Valparaiso coach Rob Cespedes said.
After a 2-2 tie, Kate Johnson scored her second goal of the game to give Valpo the permanent lead, and Regan Weber added an insurance goal.
"We had plenty of times to win the game," Kougar coach John Hufnagel said. "I'd play that game again. That was a lot of fight."
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