Naperville North boys soccer takes the field at East Aurora High School on Tuesday, Oct. 27, for a 6 p.m.

IHSA Class 3A sectional semifinal against second-seeded Benet Academy.

The fifth-seeded Huskies (12-3-5) arrive after back-to-back shootout victories in the regional round.

North captured its 35th regional championship on Saturday, Oct. 24, rallying past crosstown rival Naperville Central 3-2 in a shootout at the Naperville North Regional.

Senior midfielder Diego Hernandez delivered the decisive moments. Central's Sebastian Martinez had given the Redhawks a 2-1 lead with 3:04 left in the first overtime.

Then, 28 seconds into the second overtime, Hernandez ripped a 17-yard shot to the upper left corner to force penalty kicks, as first reported by the Chicago Tribune. He then buried the clinching penalty kick to seal the comeback.

Hernandez doesn't play competitive club soccer year-round like most of his teammates. He works in his father Juan's restaurant, according to the Tribune's coverage of the regional final. In that same coverage, coach Jim Konrad called him "a special kid" who grew up with the sport as part of his family's culture.

The comeback started with senior midfielder Dylan Healy. He intercepted a short punt and launched a 40-yard strike that dipped under the crossbar with 4:22 left in regulation, tying the match at 1-1 after Central's Brady Strang had opened the scoring.

In the shootout, junior goalkeeper Ziden Elganzouri stopped three consecutive Central shooters, according to the Tribune, giving North a 3-1 edge in penalty kicks before Hernandez finished it.

North won last year's 3A state title under Konrad, finishing 25-0-4 and claiming the program's fifth state championship. Hernandez was a reserve on that unbeaten squad.

Benet (11-1-4) won the Oswego Regional championship on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Plainfield North. Marco DeSimone and Evan Doy scored for the Redwings, with Declan Crist adding two assists, according to the Tribune's scores roundup.

The winner advances to the sectional final. Kickoff is 6 p.m. at East Aurora High School.