KANKAKEE, IL – Peoria Notre Dame had the cards stacked against them in Tuesday’s Class 2A Kankakee Super-Sectional game against Lemont.
The Irish were without Kayden Hudson, who could not play after receiving two yellow cards in their sectional title game.
They dealt with unfavorable conditions, with rain pelting the field for most of the game.
They lost defender Declan Schuler to an injury early in the match.
And despite it all, the Irish’s hardest effort nearly gave them a third consecutive trip to the Class 2A State Finals in a loss that was decided by a 12-round marathon of penalty kicks.