Naperville North senior midfielder Diego Hernandez does not play competitive soccer year-round as nearly all of his teammates do.
By economic necessity, Hernandez works in his father Juan’s restaurant. But he brings a lunch pail mentality to the soccer field.
“He’s a special kid,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “Diego is one of the kids who isn’t a part of the club system here in town, but he’s grown up like his cousins and uncles because soccer is a part of his culture.”
Hernandez doesn’t see his relative lack of experience as a disadvantage.
“Not really,” he said. “Ever since I was little, my dad would always take me to parks and train with me.”
And now?
“Mostly I come to practice and I train with (teammates) every time,” Hernandez said. “I feel like it gives us more of a chemistry on the team. We improve together.”
Hernandez proved his value on Saturday. He scored the game-tying goal in the second overtime and then tallied the clinching penalty kick in a shootout as the fifth-seeded Huskies rallied to stun third-seeded Naperville Central 3-2 in the Class 3A Naperville North Regional championship game.
The defending state champion Huskies (12-3-5) advance to play second-seeded Benet (11-1-4) in the East Aurora Sectional semifinals at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Hernandez was a little-used reserve during Naperville North’s unbeaten 2025 season. But waiting his turn motivated him.
“Seeing my team play good made me want to train more in the summer,” he said. “Coach would always tell me I was in great shape, that I was good, and I believed in myself.”
That belief sustained Hernandez and the Huskies against the Redhawks (11-6-2), who grabbed a 1-0 lead on senior forward Brady Strang’s goal at the 22:03 mark of the first half.
Naperville Central was poised to avenge a 3-0 regular-season defeat to the Huskies, who capitalized on a gift with a stunning play. Senior midfielder Dylan Healy intercepted a short punt and sent a 40-yard rocket dipping under the crossbar with 4:22 left in regulation to tie it at 1-1.
“I turned around, I see the ball and I saw it was coming to me,” Healy said. “I took a touch, and I saw the goalie was a bit out of his line, so I had to strike it a little bit harder.
“I put topspin on it so it went over his head.”
The Redhawks retook the lead when junior midfielder Sebastian Martinez
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scored with 3:04 to go in the first overtime. But Herandez answered just 28 seconds into the second overtime when he ripped a 17-yard shot to the upper left corner of the net for his second goal of the season.“I saw the one-on-one,” Hernandez said. “I’m a lefty, so I had to cut in, and I saw that shot open, so I took the shot and scored it. It felt amazing.”
Konrad has been impressed with Hernandez’s all-around skills.
“Diego has been a force this year,” Konrad said. “He does a lot of things that other kids don’t do.
“He’s just so tough clever on the ball. He reads the game well. He also is so responsible at tracking. Often times kids who are so gifted with the ball at their feet aren’t defensive-minded.”
Opponents must be defensive-minded when Hernandez attacks.
“When he’s on the ball, you give him an inch of sunshine, he’s going to (shoot),” Konrad said.
Hernandez is particularly dangerous on set pieces.
“He’s a robot,” Konrad said.
In the shootout, sophomore midfielder Parker Brignac converted to give the Redhawks a 1-0 lead, but Naperville North junior goalkeeper Ziden Elganzouri stopped the next three shooters.
Hernandez ripped his penalty kick into the left corner to give Naperville North a 3-1 shootout lead. He also converted a penalty kick during the Huskies 2-1 shootout win over Plainfield East in the regional semifinals.
“He is a super humble guy,” Healy said. “Every day, he comes to practice, and he’s the one of the nicest guys, and he works the hardest even though he might not get as much recognition as other people.
“Obviously, it shows because of what he did tonight. He’s helping the team in every way possible.”
Hernandez will not play soccer beyond high school. He plans to attend trade school and become an electrician.
“I couldn’t be prouder of him,” Konrad said. “So happy for him.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.