Soccer Game Preview: Joliet West vs. Naperville North

Joliet West hasn't had much luck against Naperville North recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Tigers will be playing at home against the Huskies at 6:15 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Joliet West took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They beat Joliet Central by a goal, winning 2-1. The score was all tied up 1-1 at the break, but Joliet West were the better team in the second half.

Meanwhile, Naperville North kept a clean sheet against Waubonsie Valley on Tuesday. They walked away with a 2-0 victory over the Warriors. The final result isn't all that surprising considering Naperville North's considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois soccer rankings (they are ranked first, while Waubonsie Valley are ranked 87th).

Kalan Gaccione and Josh Pedersen scored both of Naperville North's goals, bringing their combined season tally to 16 goals.

Naperville North's win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-0-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they scored 19 goals over those seven contests. As for Joliet West, they now have a winning record of 7-6-2.

Joliet West might still be hurting after the 4-1 defeat they got from Naperville North when the teams last played back in October of 2024. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Tigers were down 4-1.