Scouting DuPage County girls soccer
Top teams: Benet, Hinsdale Central, Naperville North, Neuqua Valley, Waubonsie Valley, Wheaton Warrenville South.
Top players: Kerry Abello (Benet, so., F), Fiona Baezinger (Naperville North, sr., GK), Abbie Boswell (Naperville North, sr., F), Tori Christiansen (Waubonsie Valley, sr., MF), Kiley Czerwinski (Neuqua Valley, sr., MF) Ariana DePinto (Glenbard North, sr., GK), Courtney Dugan (Glenbard West, sr., MF), Jade Eriksen-Russo (Metea Valley, so., F), Sydney Griffin (Hinsdale Central, sr., F), AJ Jakuszewski (Wheaton Warrenville South, sr., MF), Morgan Kemerling (Waubonsie Valley, sr., MF), Kayla Kirkwood (West Chicago, sr., F), Megan Kostolansky (Glenbard West, sr., D), Brittany Paganucci (Glenbard East, jr., F), Hannah Parrish (Neuqua Valley, sr., GK), Gretchen Pearson (Wheaton Academy, so., F), Lexi Pelafas (Wheaton North, sr., F), Ava Porlier (Downers Grove South, sr., MF), Emma Rigby (Waubonsie Valley, sr., GK), Lexi Ruffolo (Lake Park, sr., F), Jenny Saviski (Hinsdale Central, sr., MF), Alena Sidwell (Metea Valley, sr., MF), Allison Svoboda (Naperville North, sr., MF), Meredith Tunney (Naperville Central, sr., MF).
Outlook: Waubonsie Valley only lost a handful of seniors from last year's team, which placed third in Class 3A. Those seniors were impact players, though, with Kristen Dodson, Rachael Brots, Kristen Brots and Mackenzie Fuller all now playing at the next level. While they'll be missed, the Warriors have a great deal of talent returning, which should allow them to be play at a very competitive level. A pair of Iowa recruits, goalkeeper Emmy Rigby and midfielder Morgan Kemerling return, along with fellow senior defenders Maddie Pokora (Toledo) and Tori Christiansen (Miami, Ohio). Good luck trying to score on the Warriors. Sophomores Sarah Griffith (Purdue) and Maggie Roe (Illinois) also will be significant contributors along with junior midfielder Paige Filipek.
Neuqua Valley looks ready to battle the Warriors in the Upstate Eight Valley. The Wildcats also had some big losses to graduation but return a great defense, with Purdue commits, Dannah Williams and Nicole Mondi as well as senior defender Sophia Moreau (Bowling Green) as the leaders of the back line for senior keeper Hannah Parrish (Baylor). They'll look for Kiley Czerwinski (Illinois State) to lead the offense. She had 9 goals and 4 assists last year. "We will be strong defensively," Neuqua Valley coach Joe Moreau said. "The question will be who will be the player that steps up to be a goal scorer."
Metea Valley lost coach Pat Feulner as well as standouts Jenna Kentgen and Nikki Hernandez. Kentgen graduated and Hernandez is dedicating her sophomore season to club play. The Mustangs anticipate another big year from senior midfielder Alena Sidwell (Toledo) as well as junior Megan Morris. Look for sophomore forward Jade Eriksen-Russo (DePaul) to pick up the scoring slack. Chris Whaley takes over the coaching reigns. "Although we aren't necessarily a big team, we will play with intensity and toughness," he said. "We are also a pretty young team, but not necessarily lacking experience."
Glenbard East is new to the conference and will field one of its most experienced teams; the Rams only graduated three players. Junior forward Brittany Paganucci scored 18 goals and had 17 assists last year, while senior Jordyn Fulton had 11 goals and 7 assists, so the Rams have some proven offense. Seniors Megan Mrazek, Corie Ewoldt and Maria Berrum each have 45 varsity starts so they'll solidify the midfield and defense. "Our goalkeepers have 17 shutouts between them at the varsity level," Rams coach Kent Overbey said. "We have six players that are going into their third year as varsity starters."
West Chicago will look to be in the mix in the Upstate Eight River conference. The Wildcats opened the season with losses to Hinsdale Central and Schaumburg, but coach Cesar Gomez has been pleased with how they've progressed already. "To open against an incredibly good team like Hinsdale Central and then to make a huge change from one game to the next was pleasing," he said. Junior forward Kayla Kirkwood is going to draw a lot of attention, so for the Wildcats to be successful they're going to need others to contribute around her, and they're going to have to grow up quickly. Kirkwood and Stephanie Mata are the team's only two seniors.
Naperville North's amazing run of three consecutive state finals appearances came to an end last season. The Huskies still had a great season, winning the DuPage Valley Conference, and with senior Abbie Boswell and her 58 varsity goals returning, they've got reason to believe that another fantastic season is about to begin. "We have some great senior leadership and a very talented group of underclassmen that gained valuable experience last year on the varsity level," Huskies coach Steve Goletz said. "We have also added in some newcomers that are going to push to make an impact on the field from Day One, which will force everyone to be as sharp as they possibly can be each and every day in practice and games." The Huskies should be solid in the midfield with Allison Svoboda (Belmont) and Olivia Stapleton, and in back with sophomore Megan Krause and senior Jen Fortman protecting three-year starting keeper, Fiona Baezinger. Early matches against Barrington, Neuqua Valley and Hinsdale Central should provide a very nice gauge. "It should be a very exciting and fun year for the program as we have some great athletes across the field who are ready to make their mark on the season," Goletz said.
Naperville Central will be young, but that shouldn't slow the Redhawks. What will be key for them is the same thing that's been key in prior seasons - scoring. "If we can develop a legitimate scoring threat, we should be a tough matchup for the other strong teams in the area," Redhawks coach Ed Watson said. The team has more juniors and more sophomores than it does seniors. One of those seniors is four-year player Meredith Tunney (Charleston). Other key returnees include senior defender Taylor Stenmark (Carthage), junior defender Kayla Roward and sophomore forward Meridith Hannan.
No team in the area, maybe the state, has been decimated by injuries as much as Lake Park the past several years. Perhaps this is the year the Lancers can stay healthy? Senior forward Lexi Ruffolo and junior midfielder Jacey Kent appear to have healed from knee and back injuries, respectively. Unfortunately, senior Caitlyn Ryba is sidelined for 3-6 weeks with a sprained ankle. "We have some good juniors and seniors back and we're sprinkling four freshmen in this year," Lancers coach Chris Fruehling said. "It'll be especially big to have some of the girls back who were out hurt last year." Senior defender Casey Harris and junior midfielder Sarah Cillick are expected to contribute significantly as well for the Lancers.
Glenbard North will need to overcome the loss of eight experienced players from last year's team. "I think we will be competitive with most teams," Panthers coach David Stanfield said. "Given our numbers, it's important that we stay fresh and are able to integrate the new girls as smoothly as possible." Goalkeeper Ariana DePinto, midfielder Arianna Callard and midfielder/forward Emily Dybowski are all fourth-year players. "We have retained a core of experienced players who have grown and matured within the program," Stanfield said. Sarah Peters and Jamie Scott also return and the team has a nice mix if newcomers, including three freshmen and a sophomore, all of whom could contribute offensively, as well as junior Anna Matthew, a transfer from Glenbard South.
Guy Callipari has reason to be excited this spring as the Tigers return a great deal of talented experience, including senior midfielder AJ Jakuszewski and senior defender Tory Adomshick. Both players are in their fourth varsity year while juniors Anna Fank, Allison Harvey and Erin Madigan are third-year players. "Our speed of play should have us competing for a DVC title, regional final and hopefully a sectional final," Callipari said. "We'll have a good mix of young players and experienced players, coupled with team depth should carry us deep into the playoffs, barring injury." The biggest void for the Tigers is in goal, with the loss of keeper Abigail Fuster, who made 302 saves and posted 19 shutouts in 57 games. An experienced backline should ease the transition, though.
Wheaton North finished below .500 last year at 8-10-4 but was very competitive in the always-difficult DVC. The Falcons return one of the best scorers in the state in senior forward Lexi Pelafas (Central Michigan). "We have a team with some very good athletes with good size," Falcons coach Tim McEvilly said. "(We have) a great balance of experienced and new varsity players capable of making a difference at this level. The team is very committed to each other and the program. It is the deepest team we've had in seven years." Sophomore center back Niamh Kane and junior midfielder Gwyneth Phillips return while freshman outside back Kailee Sowers and goalkeeper Zoe Welsh are expected to make their high school debuts. The Falcons will certainly be challenged. In addition to the DVC, they're scheduled to play in the Pepsi Tournament and the 18th annual Naperville Invitational.
Glenbard West will rely on senior leadership from Courtney Dugan (Marquette), Megan Kostolansky (Baylor) Emma Kiel (Knox) and Grace Burrello but will need its younger players to make an impact if it hopes to improve on last year's 7-9-1 mark and 2-4-0 effort in the West Suburban Silver. "Young and motivated group of sophomore and freshmen players will challenge themselves at the varsity level," Hilltoppers coach Maciej Kusmierz said. "Looking for leadership, guidance and experience from the senior players." Their roster features 11 underclassmen as opposed to just eight juniors and seniors.
Hinsdale Central welcomes back a good deal of talent from last year's 13-7-1 squad. What helps is the Red Devils have experience on both ends of the field. Seniors Kaitlyn Livingston and Jenny Saviski (UIC) and junior Margarett Tamm return to the midfield and seniors Erin Smith and Maeve McLaughlin return at center back and junior Katy Cosegia is back at goalkeeper. "The girls have been competing at a high level in practice, while also making time to get to know each other," Hinsdale Central coach Michael M. Smith said. "They want to have a memorable season and are committed to doing the right things every day to make that a possibility." Senior Sydney Griffin (New Hampshire) makes the transition from club to high school and will add a scoring dynamic to the Red Devils, as will incoming freshman Kate Shroyer.
York suffered a big loss with Jamie Kovatchis tearing her ACL during basketball season. Still, her sister Alyssa Kovatchis returns along with Jessica Bianchi, midfielder Carys Hund (Wayne State) and defenders Emily Whitcomb (Belmont) and Annalisa Lappo (Lewis). "We have a good amount of returning players that are looking forward to improving on the team's record from last season," Dukes coach Don Vana said. "If we can find a way to keep teams off the board, we feel that we can have a great season." Look for senior Madison Navarro (University of Chicago) and a few other newcomers to make a big impact.
Downers Grove North should be very strong defensively, which should make them tough to beat. The Trojans landed two big additions in seniors Bianca Romay (Western Illinois) and Jessica Ridderhoff (Washington), both of whom didn't play last season. They'll join seniors Ellie Metros, Emma Krick and Lexi Cittadine to give the team strong senior leadership. "We are going to be a difficult team to score on this year," Trojans coach Bob Calder said. "I look forward to being in competitive games because of our strong team defense."
Hinsdale South is coming off a fourth-place finish in Class 2A, but this will pretty much be a new Hornets team after they lost eight starters from a season ago as well as leading scorer, Cali Vanderplow, who is out for the season with a foot fracture. "We have a lot of talented players who can step in and play multiple positions," first-year coach Jen Belmonte said. "Biggest weakness is experience. We will start eight new players." The Hornets are also still young with sophomores Tess Sonol and Nicole Kilrea among their top returnees.
Downers Grove South is aiming for its 13th consecutive West Suburban Gold title. "We have a very positive team dynamic, which has helped us set a high standard for ourselves," Mustangs first-year coach Chris Hernandez said. "One of our biggest strengths is that everyone is starting over. All players understand that they need to prove themselves all over again." Seniors Ava Porlier (Valpo) and Miyax Leon give the Mustangs strength in the midfield.
Willowbrook looks to improve on an 11-11-1 season. The Warriors return 12 players including third-year goalkeeper Ali Jones. The Warriors are implementing a flat-four defense instead of playing with a sweeper, so that's the big news at Willowbrook, which finished 4-2 in conference last spring.
Lastly, there's Addison Trail. More than half of the Blazers' 17 players are seniors, so the team does have a lot of experience they they hope translates into victories.
Things have changed in the Suburban Christian Conference with some teams moving elsewhere, but St. Francis and Montini remain members. St. Francis is going to be very young. "We've got a very good freshmen class across the board and five of them on varsity," St. Francis coach Jim Winslow said. "We've got a lot of talent and good speed. It's just a matter of getting all of the moving parts going together." Unlike club play where soccer doesn't really have a beginning or end, Winslow is getting the girls to buy into the regular season and then the state series. "We really don't have a conference, so it's like a bunch of preseason games for the kids before the state playoffs," Winslow said. "Many of these kids don't understand the state playoffs, yet, where it's one and done." Because of the makeup of the conference, St. Francis and Montini will play each other, as well as Rosary, three times.
Glenbard South was a perfect 6-0 in the Metro Suburban Conference last spring. In order to repeat the feat, they'll need to a lot of new faces to make an immediate impact. "We are an inexperienced team in terms of total varsity years played," Raiders coach Glen Eggert said. "We will have to make up for our lack of experience with work rate." Juniors Marlena Benner, Julia Rausch and Taylor Ray all return along with senior Sarah Zeigler. "This team has the potential to be a group that really learns what it means to play for each other," Eggert added.
Wheaton Academy, which is new to the Metro Suburban Conference, should battle for a league title. Sophomore Gretchen Pearson, who had 15 goals and 13 assists last year, returns, along with juniors Gabi LaMantia and Jamie Netzley and senior Molly Thorson. "Our biggest strength this year is balance and depth," Wheaton Academy coach Dave Underwood said. "We probably have more depth at every position than we ever have; therefore, we should be pretty balanced." A great mix of returnees and newcomers could have the Warriors poised for a special season. "Our depth should enable us to overcome the grind of the season and certainly creates a more competitive culture," Underwood said. Sophomore Izzy McNally missed last year with an ACL injury but will be back as part of what should be a very strong back line, along with sophomore Emmerson Fuller, a transfer from Waubonsie Valley. The team's biggest questions mark is in goal. The Warriors have two goalkeepers, but both are inexperienced.
Timothy Christian bid farewell to eight seniors last summer but returns three seniors to its backline, as well as senior keeper Juliana Stremler. "We anticipate competing for the conference championship," Trojans coach Jon Hamelinck said. "It is difficult to assess with the new MSC divisions, but our goals to be top two."
Fenton returns eight starters. "It's going to be different this year with the conference," Bison coach Victor Ruiz said. "We've got the stronger side of the MSC, which will be tough with Wheaton Academy, St. Ed's, Riverside-Brookfield and Glenbard South." Senior Daisy Mora and junior Giselle Aguirre return, while a few newcomers should be interesting to watch as well, with junior Jessica Bango, a three-sport athlete who is new to soccer and freshmen Maria Lara and Mia Clavelli.
Benet might have landed the best acquisition in the off-season when sophomore Kerry Abello jumped from club to the team this spring. Abello didn't waste any time showing what she's capable of doing, collecting a hat trick and tossing in an assist for good measure in Benet's season-opening 5-1 win against Oak Park-River Forest. She's already committed to Penn State. The Redwings are coming off a fantastic 18-3-3 season and should be poised to battle for an East Suburban Catholic Conference title and then a lengthy run in the postseason. The team is well rounded with goalkeeper Emma Hlavin as the final line of defense behind a strong back line led by Rachel Bernicky and Sophia Elbchiri.
Nearby at Lisle, the Lions will look to make an impact in Class 1A, playing with seven seniors. "We only lost one starter, but we lost the bench," Lisle coach Paul Kohorn said. "We're very shallow, so we're going to have to stay away from injuries." Senior forward Kelsey Kritman leads the attack for Lisle, while Hannah Prindeville returns in net.