Girls soccer: Fox Valley All-Area team

Kaitlin Brohan BartlettBack after a basketball stint the previous 2 seasons, this 1,000 point scorer was an all-UEC selection on the pitch and gave the Hawks an added boost with 15 goals and 2 assists. Brohan, a holding mid, could score anywhere on the field and had the ability to win the ball in the air and was dangerous on set pieces. “Kaitlin's competitive nature makes for a very aggressive and hardworking player in the middle of the field,” coach Vince Di Nuzzo said. “She is an athlete who really loves competition.”

Gabby Cano KanelandThis 2-time all-area selection earned all-Northern Illinois Big 12 honors and all-sectional honors, as she stepped up when injuries flared up for the Knights the second-straight year. Cano, who heads to Northwestern academically, was known for her footwork, intel and distribution. She went back to her natural position and became leading scorer with 13 goals. “When we needed a goal she was there for us,” Knights coach Scott Parillo said. “We weren't asking her to score we were asking her to play good defense in the midfield. We told her to go box to box, passing, distributing, defense and then when Holly went down she had to pick up the slack in the attacking department.”

Chantel Carranza St. Charles EastThe Saints' main threat in the attack, this first-time all-area selection was an all-UEC, all-sectional selection exemplified best by her speed, mobility and natural movement. Pulling defenders out of position, Carranza totaled 20 goals and 7 assists. “She led the line fantastically well, played far more of a chewer than her age suggests and has turned out to be an excellent player for us all around,” Saints coach Paul Jennison said. “Definitely one of the most dangerous players in the state and I expect her to get better the next couple years. There's a lot of players that are quick but that don't have any where near her talent or soccer IQ.”

Emily Chapman KanelandThe Knights graduate a 4-year keeper who totaled 16 shutouts and 46 overall. Another tale-telling stat for the 2-time all-area selection was that she allowed just 9 goals against this season in 24 games for an average of 0.37 goals allowed — good enough for an all-NI Big 12 selection let alone the MVP of the conference. This PepsiCo Showdown all-tournament honoree made tough saves look easy as opposing teams ripped shot after shot. “She outworks people and that's something we stress at Kaneland,” coach Scott Parillo said. “She saved us in a lot of games and she's a great person, too. She was a good leader for us. Just a phenomenal talent.”

Kyleigh Dominguez Geneva This all-UEC, all-sectional honoree en route for Cincinnati led the Vikings with 20 goals to go along with 5 assists and a regional title. Despite missing 4 games due to a back injury, Dominguez excelled in 1v1 opportunities while defenses were forced to keep an eye on her, which created space and opportunities for others. “She is a difference-maker out on the field,” her coach Megan Owens said. “(Kyleigh) has excellent field vision and does a great job of setting up her teammates. She's a very special player and I have no doubt she will be successful in college. The Bearcats are lucky to have her.”

Elizabeth Gousios Burlington CentralThis repeat all-area, all-Big Northern Conference selection boosted her numbers from 17 goals and 7 assists as a freshman to 31 goals and 13 assists this season. Her 75 points were good for second in the area next to teammate Jordan King. “She continued to increase her goals and her versatility on the field,” said her coach Jess Arneson, who mentioned Gousios' work off the field as well. “She has several strengths, including organizing a march for a fellow teammate whose family is struggling against a deadly disease.”

Sam Heustis Huntley Another first-tim all-area choice, this all-Fox Valley Conference defender brought crazy speed to the 4-headed Red Raider back line. A good tackler, she greatly improved her ability in the air. “Throughout the season she just cleaned up messes,” her coach Kris Grabner said. “When we let people through she has the ability to run them down and that's one of the biggest things. You'll push and push and she'll explode on the ball. Explodes on the tackle, wins the ball and sets it out the other way.”

Corrine Hildebrandt South Elgin This repeat all-area defender, Hildebrandt ended the season with 6 goals, 11 assists and an UEC all-conference honor to boot. She led the Storm in points despite playing left back. A team captain and a 4-year varsity starter, Hildebrandt was a solid contributor to the past 3 regional title teams. “Corinne led our team with a positive attitude and always worked hard no matter what,” her coach Tiffany Disher said. “She took pride in sending pristine passes to her teammates and is completely selfless.”

Taryn Jakubowski Huntley Committed to Creighton, this technical, 3-time all-area selection added 30 goals and 11 assists this season to total 80 goals and 49 assists plus a trip to the state finals to boot. For that, Jakubowski is the 2016 Daily Herald Fox Valley all-area captain. “She understands when to shoot and when to pass and she's the complete package from that standpoint,” coach Kris Grabner said. “You just don't see incredibly intelligent players that often and her soccer IQ is crazy high.”

Jordan King Burlington Central This repeat all-area, all-BNC selection turned in back-to-back 30-goal seasons, topping last year's total by 2. King also topped her assist output by 15, making her the leading scorer in the area with 32 goals and 22 assists — 86 points. “She is a natural scorer and someone who makes a huge difference both on and off the field,” her coach Jess Arneson said. “She truly understands what it takes to be a good athlete.”

Hannah Kolb St. Charles EastWith 11 goals and 7 assists, including some big goals for the Saints this season, this first-time all-area choice has a knack to come inside for a pocket of space and create opportunities for her teammates. “She has a natural creative movement up the outside, not a traditional winger that's going to hold the line,” Saints' coach Paul Jennison said. “She's a very smart player with quick feet.”

Shelley Lyjak Bartlett A first-time all-area selection, this Drake-bound forward was all-UEC and all-sectional by being a good finisher. A tone-setter for Bartlett, Lyjak made it difficult for opposing defenders to distribute with her pace, scoring 14 goals and 6 assists. “Shelly has enough pace to beat anyone and she understands how to beat players one-on-one,” coach Vince DiNuzzo said. “She's also very good with her back to goal, she does a great job of holding up play when the situation requires her to do so.”

Keegan Maris Batavia Known as the ‘energizer bunny,' this all-UEC, all-sectional honorable mention finished with 13 goals and 9 assists and played at a high pace no matter the score or the time of the game. Maris was never afraid to mix it up and take people 1v1, as her career totals (18 goals, 15 assists) saw a major uptick this season. “Her competitiveness in training and games separate her from other players,” her coach Mark Gianfrancesco said. “She created a nice tandem with (Megan McEachern) this year and did a lot of the dirty work up top for our team.

Megan McEachern BataviaWith 20 goals and 16 assists this season, this Illinois State-bound all-state, all-Midwest, all-UEC selection ended her 4-year Bulldog career a 3-time all-area selection with 64 goals and 36 assists. Known for her 1v1 ability and smoothness with the ball, McEachern was a dual threat scoring and passing. “Megan's greatest feature is how humble she is about her play; she never wants to be the center of attention … she will never put herself on a pedestal,” Bulldogs coach Mark Gianfrancesco said. “And that has allowed her to connect with all of her teammates, regardless of her level of play.”

Lauren Neslund St. Charles NorthThis all-UEC, all-sectional defender who scored 4 goals off set pieces heads to NIU a master of the North Stars back line. Neslund used her height, strength and quickness to help St. Charles North total 13 shutouts en route to UEC River, regional and sectional titles. “Lauren continually shuts down other teams' star players,” coach Brian Harks said. “She is the leader of our defense and makes it difficult for other teams to score. She wins the air game and controls the box.”

Julia Peterson St. Charles East On her way to Saint Louis University, this mobile, athletic defender played more right mid this season and garnered her first all-area selection along with all-UEC and all-sectional honors, while accumulating 8 goals and 4 assists. A tremendous work rate according to coach Paul Jennison, she was one of the few who scored on 3-time defending state champ New Trier. “Her versatility made her effective wherever we needed and her ability to win the ball and distribute quickly is a massive plus for the girl,” Jennison said. “But her athleticism and her work rate is something that's going to take her to the Division I level and the ability to strike the ball anywhere on in on goal, she's very dangerous. She can deliver and have a good service for the players in the box.”

Claire Rasmussen St. Charles East Asked to set up the attack from the deep line area, this first-time all-area selection used her range in the passing game to become a threat and an all-UEC honorable mention choice with 8 goals and 16 assists. “There's no doubt her set pieces were quality for us,” coach Paul Jennison said. “But she responded massively this year and she definitely got the ability to find the through ball or get it over the top and she does so with accuracy and purpose as well.”

Paige Renkosik Huntley This first time all-area selection was all-conference and amassed 18 shutouts for Huntley's Class 3A fourth place team, the most by a single keeper in a single season at the school. Renkosik, who heads to Limestone in South Carolina, totaled 136 saves this season, highlighted by the 4 shutouts at Pepsi. “She's gotten better and better at reading the ball in the air,” coach Kris Grabner said. “Her basketball skills don't hurt. She's a pretty solid rebounder on the court and it takes a little of that on the soccer field, too. Her distribution has gotten a lot better as well.”

Morgan Rerko St. Charles NorthThis first-time all-area selection was a dual sport athlete, garnering all-state honorable mention in tennis. On the pitch, she scored 10 goals and 4 assists, garnered all-UEC honors and was a true leader on and off the field for North. “Players on our team look to her as a leader for her communication and intensity,” coach Brian Harks said. “Morgan is an aggressive player with a defensive mindset but adds to our offense.”

Hailey Rydberg St. Charles North A versatile forward who is Iowa-bound in 2 years, this all-UEC, all-sectional selection scored 10 goals and 18 assists. Rydberg showed the full extent of her ability to pass, dribble, finish, win 50/50 balls on the ground and in the air. “Hailey controls the midfield in every game we play, offensive and defensively,” coach Brian Harks said. “She regularly beats defenders off the dribble with her speed and aggression and continuously looks to create opportunities for her teammates to score.”

Jenny Scara BataviaAllowing just 16 goals, this all-UEC, all-sectional honorable mention choice amassed 10.5 shutouts with a goal allowed average of 0.76. Scara, a 3-year varsity starter, made routine saves to keep Batavia in games has only allowed 42 goals in her career. That's due to the fact that she comes back every year better than the previous year. “The one difference this year was she also made the one amazing save per half needed to separate a team from other good teams,” coach Mark Gianfrancesco said. “Jenny's ownership of box and leadership from the back allowed us to have success this season.”

Jessica Schoenfeldt Crystal Lake South The first line of defense for opposing attacks, this defensive mid often started South's counter attacks and made a name for herself winning balls in the air. Her 13 goals and 7 assists, a 6-goal uptick from 2015, helped her to a second-straight all-area listing. A 2-time all-FVC selection, Schoenfeldt's presence aided South's attack en route to its first regional title since 2011. “She's usually outnumbered in her area of the field but you'd never know it because her presence is so dominant,” Gators' coach Jay Mueller said. “I gave her a nearly impossible job and level of responsibility on the field and she handled it and more.”

Katharine Stephens West Aurora This 2-time all-area selection was team MVP, the Blackhawk Tournament MVP, an all-sectional and all-UEC conference selection. Stephens led West Aurora in scoring for the second-straight season, upping her numbers from 17 goals and 8 assists last year to 20 goals and 7 assists. She also added 4 game-winners to boot and demanded numerous double and triple teams based on her quickness, skill and finishing ability. “Katharine is able to pressure defenses and cause turnovers for us,” Blackhawks coach Laura Wagley said. “She plays every minute of every game and is one of the reasons we win.”

Gia Wahlberg St. Charles NorthCommitted to Michigan State, Wahlberg showed why. This all-UEC pick, who was all-PepsiCo and all-sectional, finished with 21 goals and 8 assists. Wahlberg was not only a good passer and scorer, she was the spark that got the team going en route to a supersectional appearance with her dynamic play-making ability. “Gia continues to find a way to put the ball in the back of the net regularly,” her coach Brian Harks said. “She can go one-on-one at a player to create opportunities, she generates turnovers that results in goals and she's one of our best defenders. She pressures the back lines at all times.”

Honorable Mention

Aurora Central Catholic — Bry Mandarino (sr., GK)

Batavia — Rachel Reinecke (sr., F)

Burlington Central — Sydney Pryor (so., MF)

Crystal Lake South — Courtney Sengstock (jr., F), Jenna Ross (jr., D)

Dundee-Crown — Anna Kieltyka (so., F), Sam Christensen (so., F)

Harvest Christian —Ellie Burzlaff (sr., F)

Huntley — Erin Gaitsch (sr., D), Stephanie Noble (sr., D), Bri Wilder (sr., MF), Alyssa Kaufman (sr., MF), Tayah Owens (jr., D)

Jacobs — Talia Surges (sr., F)

Kaneland — Taylor Zitkus (jr., D)

Larkin — Sam Moreno (sr., MF), Stephanie Nunez (jr., F)

St. Charles East — Megan O'Neal (jr. MF), Alison Chesterfield (sr., GK)

St. Charles North — Sami Sample (jr., GK), Elli Wahlberg (sr., MF), Lauren Willis (sr., D)

South Elgin — Missy Greco (jr., F)

Streamwood — Alondra Blanco (sr., MF)