Girls soccer: Scouting the Class 1A Westminster Christian regional

Class 1A Westminster Christian regional

Schedule: Game 1) No. 1 St. Edward vs. No. 4 Harvest Christian, Tuesday 4:30 p.m.; Game 2) No. 2 Willows Academy vs. No. 3 Westminster Christian, Wednesday 4:30 p.m.; Game 3) Winner of Game 1 vs Winner of Game 2, Friday, 4:30 p.m.

Outlook: As back-to-back Westminster regional champs, St. Edward returns as the top seed for the third-straight year focused on a repeat state tournament appearance. Last year's third-place squad in Class 1A graduated a bulk of its offense which resulted in some question marks up front. Maybe best described this season as a "work-in progress," by now you may not be able to say that about the Green Wave offense. The Wave found their mark with 16 goals during a streak of 5-straight wins to end the season. To boot, the defensive savvy Kathleen Duffy moved up to midfield and cohesion between top Fox Valley scoring leaders, forwards Megan Kearney and Chelsea Gnan, couldn't have come at a better time. "We've been tinkering all year," Wave coach Tim Brieger said of his attack. "Once we finally got them set in their roles, now we're refining it and we've got a good rotation going. (I'm) very, very pleased." Kearney, a speedy senior midfielder, has exploded for 12 goals and 4 assists this season while the technically sound touch of Gnan, the St. Edward record holder for goals scored, has 10 goals and 9 assists. "In previous years we were rich up top so we used (Kearney) more as a defensive, marking-mid and I think this year we saw what Megan is capable of. It's taken a lot of pressure off Chelsea," Brieger said. "It took a little while to click because they're two different players … took a while but they've been clicking." Defensively, St. Edward still bolsters a solid defense and Paige Dykstra in net. The Wave went through Elgin Academy and Westminster in last year's regional and the teams know each other well again, as this year's Green Wave Invitational featured everyone minus Elgin Academy and St. Edward was victorious in both games. Harvest has its hands full yet again but will counter with its own combination of strikers in Amanda Moore (18 goals, 2 assists) and Morgan Lockwood (12 goals, 4 assists). It's been a bumpy ride the last 5 games (3-2), as Harvest lost to Larkin 4-0 and Willows 6-1. But Ellie Burzlaff returned from a concussion for the final two games and scored twice in a win against Christian Liberty and getting an all-area forward back is a shot in the arm. And although healthy, Lions' coach Jason Acres admits a little luck wouldn't hurt in the regional. "We need a little bit of luck on our side," Acres said. "We're going to need a couple of good luck chances come our way and hopefully the ball will drop for us at times. (St. Edward is) not as strong as they usually are but they're still a really good team. Tim's always got them well-prepared and they'll be a handful for sure and they're not going to want to lose in that first game." Combination plays and staying connected will be important for Harvest, which Acres says will throw the kitchen sink at the Wave. The Lions hope to be quicker in attack and multidimensional in creativity now that they have Burzlaff, Lockwood and Moore together in the lineup. Senior defender Alex Rayappa will have an extra defenseman on the line to help key in on Kearney and Gnan. "We want to be a great, competitive team against St. Edward and give ourselves a chance to win and that's what we're trying to do," said Acres.

Wednesday's matchup includes a well-prepared Willows Academy squad according to Brieger, and the Northeastern Athletic Conference champion Warriors. One of the luxuries of Westminster's location is its proximity to Harvest, and coach Erik Schwartz had the opportunity to scout Willows' 6-1 win over the Lions. Schwartz noted the Eagles' ability in the midfield and on defense but came away from the game confident. "We can play with them," Schwartz said. "If we can handle their attack we can be in good shape to win the game." What worries Westminster is if the physical play from Willows, which the NAC doesn't primarily feature, shows its fangs. That's why the 2-1 loss to a similar opponent in Indian Creek last Thursday was sort of a barometer for Schwartz to end the regular season. But the Warriors won't make serious adjustments. "If we play our game and we finish then we'll win," said Schwartz. What gives Westminster a chance is its sneaky defense, which held Streamwood scoreless at the Green Wave Invite until Drake-bound striker Tawny Carroll helped edge the Warriors 2-1 in the second half. Another thing going for Westminster is freshman midfielder Mattea Huerta and forward Whitney Woodhouse, who leads the Warriors with 12 goals. When Westminster wins, it's due to Woodhouse finding the net. "If Whitney is scoring goals, that's a good thing for us. That means our forwards/mids are holding the ball well and working it around and able to get her involved," Schwartz said. "If she's not involved in the attack our defense is going to be in for a long game of trying to clearing the ball and clearing the line." Possession and play in the midfield are key and that's where Huerta comes in. The freshman has 6 goals and 7 assists on the season and she has the ability to find scorers like Lindsey Vanden Bos (10 goals) and Alexa Pederson (7 goals). "It all depends on how bad these girls want it, and we have six seniors on the team who are leaders and five of them start, and a good group of freshmen. There's a good healthy mix of veterans and newbies," Schwartz said. "We're just taking it one game at a time." And for the first time in three years, the Westminster regional will not feature the four Elgin private schools. Willows will travel from Des Plaines to join the fray a round earlier, as it usually joins the Westminster winner during sectionals. "You got St. Ed's, you got Willows, you got Harvest," Schwartz said. "I still think it's St. Edward's regional to lose. They're still going to be the toughest team we face and Willows is good as well. It is wide open. But those two teams are from programs who have a lot of history." Brieger added: "Any of the four could be playing Friday for the title. There's familiarity with coaching styles and familiarity with the teams."

Advancement: The Westminster Christian regional winner advances to the Class 1A Westminster Christian sectional Wednesday, May 20 at 4:30 p.m. against the winner of the North Shore Country Day regional.