NORMAL - Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. In the case of University High School's soccer team, its offense was potent and its defense impenetrable in a 3-0 victory over the host school in the Normal Community Class AA Sectional championship game Thursday night.

"If we put pressure on them, that takes pressure off us," said junior midfielder E.J. Schiller, who scored the last of U High's goals, which all came within an 11:20 span in the first half.

U High (18-2-4) advanced to Monday's 7 p.m. Morton Super-sectional to face Dunlap (19-5-1), which upset previously unbeaten Peoria Notre Dame, 1-0.

Big 12 Conference champion NCHS ended the year 22-2-2. The No. 1-seeded Ironmen had tied No. 3 U High, 2-2, in the Intercity Tournament Aug. 31.

"The way we moved the ball at the beginning, I think we surprised a few people," said U High coach Bodo Fritzen, whose school won its seventh sectional in school history and first in Class AA.

"We went from one station to another and another and attacked on the sides and passed it into the middle. It was beautiful soccer."

An ugly NCHS pass near midfield was intercepted by junior Zach Wall, who passed to senior Josh Rule for the first goal just 7:07 into the game.

"It was a perfect through ball right to me," said Rule after his 15th goal of the season. "I kind of actually messed up a little bit and caught it to the outside, but luckily I got a good shot in on the goal."

"We gave them too many balls to their feet," said NCHS coach Don Ideran. "They are too good of a team to give that advantage to and expect you're still going to win."

A mere 7:06 later, senior Sean O'Malley made it 2-0 with his eighth goal of the season.

"E.J. Schiller played me an excellent through ball and it was open so anyone would have put it in," O'Malley said. "I just kicked it far post and it went in.

"Normal is a really good team and their record shows it. We knew if we attacked the outsides, we'd play the ball in and we would have open shots."

NCHS goalkeeper Bryce Johnson had no chance on Schiller's goal, his third of the year, which came 21:43 prior to halftime.

"Rule played a ball and I just tried to get control of it," Schiller said. "I tried to put it in the corner and it went in."

U High, which used 12 men, outshot NCHS, 15-7, including 5-2 in the second half.

"Our defense let hardly any shots on Jairon (Crosson)," said Rule referring to U High's senior goalkeeper. "He was probably bored out there."

Fritzen was entertained.

"We moved the ball very nicely," he said. "All three goals that were scored were good goals.

"We had a plan. We wanted to start out hard and we succeeded. Normal is a strong team and you have to give them credit for staying in there and not giving up."

Fritzen thought his scheduling philosophy also held up.

"We had a tough schedule and I think the tough schedule paid off tonight," he said. "It is the steel that is made in fire that is the best."

The Pioneers showed Fritzen their mettle all season.

"I can't be happier because this is one of the finest bunches of kids I've had for a long time," he said. "They are coachable, have good character and they are just good guys. They all fought for each other."

Ideran, who had never had a team advance this far, thought the heavy mist would be in his team's favor.

"We thought with the weather, that would help us because we knew they were fast," he said. "Basically, it didn't help us. It helped them.

"When you get down 3-0 in 15 or 20 minutes, it makes for a long day. We didn't compete well at all that first 30 minutes, but then it got better."

Ideran, who started six seniors, thought this would be a rebuilding year after going 16-2-5 last season and 20-2-2 the year before.

"This is another step to where we want to go as a program," he said of the campaign. "We're playing much better than we have in the past. We just have to get over the hump."