PND advances to 2A state title game behind Byrkit’s late goal
ROCKFORD — Peoria Notre Dame’s soccer team is hoping for another update to its wardrobe.
The Irish got new jerseys heading into the 2026 season, an all-white kit featuring a team crest on the left chest with five stars perched above it signifying the Irish’s five IHSA state titles.
PND is one game away from adding a sixth after defeating Glenbard South 1-0 in the Class 2A state semifinals at Guilford High School in Rockford on Friday afternoon.
“We've been working this whole season towards this moment, and it's not done yet,” PND senior midfielder Cal Byrkit said. “ So tomorrow is obviously our main goal, but it feels so good.”
“We had way more chances, we had way more of the ball, we completed way more passes but ultimately, in these games, it's about the big moments,” PND head coach Mike Bare said. “When you create good chances, you got to find a way to finish them.”
After 66 scoreless minutes, the Irish took advantage of a Raiders mistake for the only goal they needed.
A ball that was sent by Jack Miller into the box from over 40 yards out brought Glenbard South goalkeeper Emmett Foster-Simbulan out of the net to try and punch it away. But the ball found the head of a Raiders defender and came to Byrkit.
With a scoring alley as big as it had been all game, Byrkit swung his right foot and lofted the ball over three converging, frantic Glenbard South defenders trying to atone for their keeper’s lone mistake all game and into the back of the net with 13:32 left in the second half.
“Gavin Stickelmaier jumped with it and then it just came out to me, I chested it, and then I noticed the goalie was off his line, so I just placed it in,” Byrkit said. “We had a fun celebration too.”
The Irish stayed aggressive until the final buzzer with No. 7 seed Glenbard South, a heavy underdog, only mustering one last run in the final seconds, but the only time the ball entered the box was headed away by the Irish.
PND will play in its 11th state title game in program history on Saturday against Crystal Lake South, who defeated Washington 2-1 on Friday.
The win added another chapter in PND’s dominant legacy.
A look at the IHSA history books shows Granite City is the only other team to have reached a state championship game 11 times. PND’s 18 state appearances are the most all-time in the IHSA and the team seeking its sixth state championship, which would break its tie with Naperville North for second-most all time.
“It's the goal at the beginning every season, but it seems a little bit more real when you've advanced to play in the game to be able to put that sixth star on the jersey,” Bare said.
“It means so much to play for this great program,” Byrkit said. “Hopefully we can get six.”
The Irish firmly controlled the start of the game and put on four shots, two of which were on goal, in the first 15 minutes. Byrkit had a high-percentage opportunity after he settled a ball from Bret Zeltwanger, but his shot was saved.
“We've used the quote, ‘We don't feel pressure; we apply pressure,’” Bare said. “We’ve been using that the last few games. I think you could see our experience in like the first 10 minutes of the match. You could tell maybe there was some nerves for them, we had them on their heels.”
But encouraged by its defense standing strong, Glenbard South started to find its groove later in the first half.
The Raiders had their only shot on goal of the contest with just over 12 minutes to go in the first half, which was saved by Max Schmidt looking right into the bright shining sun. PND had another opportunity with under five minutes to play in the first half when Johnny Navetta fed Gavin Stickelmaier on the right side of the box, but his shot toward the post was saved by Foster-Simbulan.
“You got to give credit to their goalkeeper, he made a lot of great plays throughout the match to kind of keep them in the game,” Bare said. “It was really just a matter of when we were going to score our goal.”
Glenbard South put together a dangerous run with just under seven minutes to play in the second half as Adrian Maslanka fired in a heart-stopping shot from close range off a cross, but the ball deflected off of the football goalpost to keep PND’s lead intact.
PND had an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks and a 7-1 advantage in shots on goal. The Irish committed 19 fouls to Glenbard South’s seven, but a yellow card to PND’s Luke Bare was the game’s only booking.
The Irish look forward to playing up to their potential and bringing it all home on Saturday with kickoff set for 4:4 p.m.
“This is a legacy game for these guys,” Bare said. “There's been some really great players in the past of Notre Dame that haven't been able to win a state title. It's really hard to do and we're that close at this point.”
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