Crystal Lake South falls to Peoria Notre Dame, places runner-up in Class 2A

Crystal Lake South seniors Will Prus, Zach Vallicelli and Ethan Nawracaj were among the last Gators to leave the field at Swanson Stadium following a 1-0 defeat to Peoria Notre Dame in the Class 2A state boys soccer championship Saturday at Rockford Guilford High School.Prus received a big hug from coach Brian Allen before walking off, while Vallicelli and Nawracaj were helped off the turf by assistants. A talented group of 15 seniors, including Prus, Vallicelli and Nawracaj, nearly led the Gators to their third state championship since 2018. South (18-6-2) settled for its second runner-up finish instead. All six losses the Gators suffered this year, including Saturday’s state final against the nationally-ranked Irish (22-1-3), were by one goal.“Honestly, I couldn’t ask for a better team,” said Prus, South’s leader in assists. “We made it to the last final day of the season that you possibly can. I’m happy. Even though we lost, I’m happy.“I think we’ve set the bar high for next year. W