Girls soccer / DuPage County-Area Team
By Chris Walker
Daily Herald Correspondent
Angela Bianca, York
First-year coach Krzysztof Halupka knew he was inheriting scoring from Christina Ordonez, but he wasn’t sure what he was getting from Angela Bianca. “She has great speed and aggressiveness and was one of those hardworkers on the field that you can’t get enough of,” he said. “She scored the game-winner against Lyons Twp. to win conference and had a very good season.” York finished 21-5-1, winning regional and sectional titles, before falling to Class 3A runner-up Naperville North in the supersectional.
Madie Burke, Benet
The junior forward led Benet with 11 goals and 6 assists. The Redwings won eight straight before seeing their season come to an end with a 1-0 loss in the Neuqua Valley regional title game to the hosts. “She was deadly on restarts and had four goals off restarts and some others against Neuqua Valley that she just missed,” Redwings coach Henry Wind said. “She did a pretty good job of crossing the ball in front of the goal. She’s a team player that works extremely hard and is willing to play where we need her to.”
Hope D’Addario, Neuqua Valley As a freshman last season, D’Addario was more of a role player. This season Wildcats coach Joe Moreau expected a lot more out of her and she delivered. “She was so consistent on headballs, and it didn’t matter if it was long free kicks, she was just very consistent,” he said. “But where she made the biggest difference was defense. She was much improved and whenever we wanted an individual marked, she was the player that did that. I see a tremendous future for Hope.” She finished with 15 assists and 4 goals.
Jill D’Amico, Naperville Central
This junior goalkeeper’s goals-against average was distorted after a 6-2 loss to Neuqua Valley and some defensive letdowns at times this spring, but she was just as spectacular for a Redhawks team that shut out 10 opponents while compiling a 14-7-3 record. “I think she was disappointed that her numbers weren’t better, but she recognized us winning was the reason why we play,” Naperville Central coach Ed Watson said. “She stayed with it, made some unbelievable saves, but the irony was that not too many teams put that much pressure on her and most of the goals we gave up were silly.”
Dani DiGioia, Lake Park
Things didn’t look too good for the Lancers when the season started. Winless in their first four games, things just weren’t clicking. The team would go on to win nine straight at one point and culminate in the postseason with an upset over No. 4 seed Geneva. Senior forward Dani DiGioia was pivotal to the team’s success, creating scoring opportunities and finishing with 4 goals and 3 assists. The team’s MVP for the second consecutive year, DiGioia will play at Lewis University. “Dani is a tremendously talented player who loves to compete,” Lancers coach Chris Fruehling said.
Zoey Goralski, Neuqua Valley
A lot of teams got zoeygoralskied this spring. Sure, it’s not a verb, but sophomore forward Zoey Goralski, who had 18 goals and 14 assists, was so quick and fast that she created plenty of matchup problems. “She was dangerous every time she touched the ball,” Wildcats coach Joe Moreau said. “Some players are fast or quick, but she’s that rare combination of the two and has tremendous touch on the ball.” Goralski became a better distributor as the season wore on making her even more impressive. “If I was the opposing team I would hate to see her facing up to the goal,” Moreau said. Megan Green, Waubonsie Valley
The Warriors finished the regular season with a seven-game winning streak, and senior Megan Green had a lot to do with the team’s success. She scored or had an assist in all seven contests and often more. Highlights included 3 assists against Streamwood, an assist and goal against Lake Park, Lemont and St. Charles and the lone goal in a 1-0 win against Sandburg. The University of Illinois recruit finished the year with 12 goals and 12 assists and had 40 goals and 32 assists in her career.
Krissy Many, Naperville Central
A wet and cold spring did little to help senior Krissy Many overcome a season where she played through nagging injuries. “She was able to battle through the injuries, and whenever she was healthy we were playing our best,” Naperville Central coach Ed Watson said. “She was everywhere for us. She led the attack and was instrumental in letting us defend. She was a true center mid.”
Andi Matichak, St. Francis
St. Francis won its first sectional title in program history, and Andi Matichak once again led the way. While her 20 goals were her lowest output in her three years on the varsity, Matichak certainly helped spread the wealth to her teammates, with the result being a sectional title. The Spartans finished 18-7-2 with their only 2A losses coming to Wheaton Academy. “As adept as she is at (scoring), she will actually attend the University of South Florida to be a central defender,” St. Francis coach Jim Winslow said, “which is what she plays with her club team.” Matichak now has 82 varsity goals.
Jamie Meno, Naperville North
As a four-year starter for the Huskies, Meno has risen to become one of the top defenders in the state. She was moved in from the outside because of injuries and shored things up for a Huskies team that picked up nine of its 18 victories in May alone. “She’s great in 1v1 and organizing the back line too,” Huskies coach Brent Terada said. “She’s very dangerous on the restarts, wins the stuff in the air and really is as good as they come.”
Claire Munaretto, Benet
The Illinois State Scholar takes care of business in the classroom and protects the goal painstakingly on the soccer field. “She just had an excellent season,” Redwings coach Henry Wind said. “She has such great instincts and commands in the box. She was one of the best goalies in the area, if not the state.” Munaretto had the ability to dive to her left and right and made solid decisions all spring, posting 14 shutouts and a 0.55 GAA. “You really saw her at her best against the really good teams,” Wind said. “She made some incredible saves against Neuqua Valley.”
Christina Ordonez, York
York first-year coach Krzysztof Halupka doesn’t back down when he talks about how special this junior is for the Dukes. “She’s one of the best players I’ve seen in girls soccer and is certainly one of the best players York has ever had,” he said. “She’s able to handle the spotlight and everyone knows when she’s on the field that she’s dangerous.” Ordonez scored 28 goals, which was down from last year’s 34, but she was even more dangerous in creating opportunities for her teammates, finishing with an impressive 16 assists. “I was fortunate to have such a dangerous player who is also coachable and has a great attitude.” Megan Oyster, Neuqua Valley
The captain of this year’s All-Area team, Oyster anchored a defense that shut out 15 opponents and allowed more than one goal in a game just once all spring while compiling a perfect regular season. She still managed to contribute 10 goals and 5 assists while being named the Gatorade Illinois Girls Soccer Player of the Year. She’ll play at UCLA.
Meagan Radloff, West Chicago
The West Chicago girls soccer program came to life this spring and this senior forward had a lot to do with it. The team finished 10-10-3 and was competitive throughout the difficult DuPage Valley Conference schedule, hanging with Class 3A runner-up Naperville North. Radloff became the first all-state player in school history and scored a school-record 25 goals. “I think she came into the season very focused on what she wanted to do on a personal level but as a team member first,” Wildcats coach Cesar Gomez said. “That was the big difference with Meagan. She put the team first and personal accolades second.”
Jenna Romano, Waubonsie Valley
Waubonie Valley struggled at the beginning of the season, looking to replace the scoring opportunities by 2010 Daily Herald Captain Vanessa DiBernardo, now at the University of Illinois. The Warriors were limited to one goal or less in five of their first seven games but responded, thanks in part to the play of Jenna Romano. The sophomore finished with 6 goals and 6 assists while helping the Warriors finish 17-6.
Adrienne Schertz, Naperville North
As a senior captain, Schertz moved to center back this season after the Huskies dealt with lost players to graduation and injuries. “She did great and was willing to do anything to help the team,” Huskies coach Brent Terada said. Opponents had a difficult time getting behind Schertz, who also kept the team organized and was a premier ball winner. She helped the Huskies win nine straight, while yielding just four goals, advancing all the way to the Class 3A state title game.
Zoe Swift, Naperville North
No player in the state has a name that better suits her. Definitions of “swift” include “quick to act or react” and “moving with great speed; fast.” Undeniably one of the premier strikers in the state, Swift scored both goals in the supersectional win against York and the game-winner against Conant in the semifinals. “There’s no denying how athletically gifted she is and she sees the game very well,” Huskies coach Brent Terada said. “She always gives you the chance because she’s one of the those rare, dangerous kids who’s a threat with either foot and can take you off the dribble.”
Crystal Thomas, Wheaton Academy
The Warriors finished fourth in the state in Class 2A and this junior had a lot to do with this success. After a 17-goal, 11-assist season in 2010, Thomas’ numbers were even more impressive this season as she tallied 23 goals and 13 assists. “Crystal is invaluable to our team,” Wheaton Academy coach Scott Marksberry said. “She has a uniquely high level of technical ability and that opens up so much for our team around the field.” A fierce, hardworking competitor, Thomas is always working to get better. “Crystal is not willing to settle,” Marksberry said. “She wants to get better every day.”
Alexa Wilde, Neuqua Valley
Controlling the midfield was one of the many different aspects of the game that made Neuqua Valley so impressive this spring. Senior midfielder Alexa Wilde was in charge for a Wildcats team that went 24-1 with hard-fought wins against Conant and Lyons and routs against perennial powers, Barrington, Naperville Central and Waubonsie Valley. She scored 21 goals. “She dominated the midfield, especially in the air,” Wildcats coach Joe Moreau said. “Very seldom did anyone challenge her with headballs through the season. She was a huge force for us in the middle.” Wilde will play at Baylor University.
Stephanie Zurales, Downers Grove South
Great things were expected out of the Mustangs this spring as they basically returned their entire team, including senior forward Keri Kujawa. But, arguably, the biggest gain this spring for the Mustangs was the addition of freshman Stephanie Zurales. “She’s one of the best freshmen we have had in many years,” Downers Grove South coach Barry Jacobson said. “Her outstanding ball skills and ability to create shots, sets her apart from other players.” She tallied 18 goals and 5 assists in her debut season.
Honorable mention:
Mary Kate Cicinelli, York, Sr., M; Gianna Dal Pozzo, Neuqua Valley, So., F; Hunter Drendel, Naperville North, Jr., F; Mallory Feinstein, Hinsdale Central, Sr., F; Megan Geldernick, Metea Valley, So., GK; Kelsey Graham, Wheaton Warrenville South, Sr., GK; Kimmy Grimmer, Downers Grove South, Sr. D; Erin Mrazek, Glenbard East, Jr., M; Jordyn Myers, Waubonsie Valley, Sr., GK; Lindsey Paganucci, Glenbard East, Jr., M; Dani Pitaro, Glenbard South, So., F; Brittany Pullen, Benet, Sr. M; Maria Schwabe, Benet, Sr., D; Katherine Short, Naperville Central, Jr., M; Caroline Soyars, Waubonsie Valley, Jr., M; Christa Szalach, Naperville North, So., M; Kristina Tomaras, Metea Valley, Jr., M; Danielle Vujovic, York, Sr., M; Kate Wiegman, Wheaton North, Sr., F/GK; Ally Witt, Wheaton Academy, Jr., F.