NORMAL - The later a soccer match's first goal is scored, the more exciting it is. Few goals could have been more exciting than the one Sam Napolitano hammered for Normal Community High School in a 1-0 win over Collinsville in the NCHS Class 3A sectional semifinals Tuesday. | Photo gallery

The junior forward found himself in a one-on-one situation with goalie Robert Randant with 12 seconds left after a length-of-the field punt by NCHS goalie Ethan Cashen and a pass from Connor Donath.

"Connor Donath had a great header to me that put me in position," said Napolitano after his team-leading 16th goal of the year and 31st of his career.

Napolitano drilled the 10-yarder to the left of the goalie.

"That was the latest goal I've ever scored and one of the first game-winning goals," he said.

Napolitano has a knack for staying calm during those rare scoring chances when others rush.

"He's pretty automatic if he's there," said NCHS coach Don Ideran.

"You've just got to know you're going to score," Napolitano said. "If you miss, you miss. That's life."

The Ironmen remain alive at 17-3-5 ahead of Saturday's 11 a.m. sectional final at home against Edwardsville (17-4), which topped East Moline, ?-?, Tuesday.

Saturday's winner advances to Tuesday's 6 p.m. Normal West Super-sectional. NCHS, a seven-time regional winner, has never won a sectional.

Collinsville (14-5-3), which had gone nine straight games without a loss, dominated time of possession and outshot NCHS, 20-3.

"Most of their shots were from outside the box and we've got a keeper who is 6-7," Ideran said. "He lives for those kinds of games."

Playing well wasn't enough for Collinsville.

"The lesson here is the best team doesn't always win," said Kahok coach Chris Digirolamo. "It's a tough lesson to learn, especially for the (nine) seniors, who have been a part of this program for four years."

Their careers might still be going if not for a no-call with 17 seconds remaining when an NCHS defender appeared to make contact with a Kahok in the box.

"I would hate to see a game decided by a PK, but there was a lot of commotion around the goal and unfortunately they took advantage of it because that's how the goalie got the 80-yard punt off," Digirolamo said.

"Should it have been a foul? I honestly don't know, but the overwhelming response by our players and even their players was something happened in there."

Ideran felt Collinsville was off-side so any contact was irrelevant. Cashen cleaned up the mess with his third assist of the season, an NCHS record for a goalie.

"It was very exciting," said Cashen, whose punt bounced once before Donath redirected it. "It was just an unlucky break for them. We caught them on the counterattack and they just weren't ready for it."