Girls soccer: Lake County all-area team

Aimee Berg WaucondaThe Bulldogs' stingy defense started and stopped with the senior, who was named all-sectional, all-conference and Chicago Fire all-state academic first team. She had 2 goals and 4 assists. "As a center defender, she was really steady," Wauconda coach Beau Shogren said. "She's a ball-winner, but she also has the skill to shake off pressuring attackers and distribute the ball. On top of being one of the best defenders in the area, her performance in the classroom and community are through the roof."

Kristin Brousseau Lake ZurichThe junior showcased her ball skills in the midfield and up top for the Bears, racking up 25 goals and 21 assists. Her efforts earned her all-sectional and all-conference honors. "Statistically, she did it all this season," Lake Zurich coach Michael Castronova said. "It's very rare to see a player have 20 goals and 20 assists in a season. She has the ability to score goals and is able to create great goal-scoring opportunities for her teammates. She has great skill on the ball and understands the game very well."

Kaitlyn Chomko Warren She saved her best season for her senior year. A four-year varsity player, she was named all-sectional and all-conference. The midfielder scored 20 goals and dished out 14 assists. "She showed great improvement in her senior year," Warren coach Ryan McCabe said. "She has a phenomenal first touch and can put defenders off-balance with her moves. This year, she did a great job finishing her chances, (more than) double of what she had scored in previous years." Chomko will play soccer for Nova Southeastern in Florida in the fall.

Lauren Davis Grayslake NorthThe junior forward keeps progressing. An all-sectional and all-conference player, she tallied 11 goals and 10 assists, setting school marks for career goals (43 goals) and assists (29). "She was our lone striker and carried the main responsibility for finishing and creating chances for us," Knights coach Adam DeCaluwe said. "She's technically skilled to play with both feet, has the desire to attack and put defenses under pressure like few other players, and has the skill needed to set up and finish chances. She's quick and agile, and consistently finds herself in good positions to put and keep defenses under pressure."

Lindsey Hardiman WarrenHard-nosed, dependable and tireless. That's Hardiman. The senior midfielder provided meaningful leadership, as the Blue Devils put together their best record ever (21-2-2). They won the North Suburban Conference championship and made a Class 3A sectional-final appearance. She will play soccer at Loyola University in the fall after scoring 15 goals and adding 13 assists this season. "There were a couple of games where Lindsey stepped up and carried the team to victory," Warren coach Ryan McCabe said. "She makes big plays in big moments and wasn't afraid to do the dirty work in the midfield." Hardiman had a hat trick against Marquette in the Parkway Showcase in Missouri and another 3-goal performance in a comeback victory over NSC rival Lake Zurich.

Ziggy Jezorski Vernon HillsShe boasted more than just a great name. The dependable defender was named all-conference. "She was rock solid in the back for us all season long," Vernon Hills coach Mike McCaulou said. "She was very technical on the ball as well as being composed. Her distribution out of the back helped us spark the attack. Her ability to hit a pinged diagonal ball to switch the play and put the weakside player into an attacking position was very dangerous for us all year. Without her, our team is not capable of doing what we did all season long." The Cougars' successful season included winning their first regional title since 2010.

Rebecca Kubin Lake ZurichKubin can kick. The speedy striker knocked in 30 goals and added 7 assists, earning her all-state and all-conference honors. A repeat all-area selection and three-year starter, she will play for Murray State next fall. "Rebecca was the fastest player I've ever coached," Lake Zurich coach Michael Castronova said. "She has the ability to go at defenders and take it to goal or send a dangerous cross into the box. She created tons of scoring chances for us, all while being double-teamed in many games. She was also able to cause havoc for opposing defenses by pressuring, winning the ball and going to the goal."

Morgan Lyon Grayslake NorthThe senior started four seasons in the back for the varsity, and the Knights went 53-26-6. The all-conference player even scored 6 goals and delivered 3 assists this season. "Morgan was a student-athlete that every coach would love to have on their team," Grayslake North coach Adam DeCaluwe said. "She's a leader in everything she does, outworks most everyone, and has a positive attitude that all of us admire. She was one of our attack-minded players, while also being one of our best defenders. Her strength and timing in her tackles, reading of the game, and her desire to win every ball around her make her one of the toughest defenders to play against."

Abigail McHugh Wauconda Moving from defense to midfield was no problem for the talented sophomore. The team captain contributed 10 goals and 8 assists and was named all-conference. "Adding her to the central midfield created a new dynamic to the team," Wauconda coach Beau Shogren said. "She was a true box-to-box 'mid' whose foot skills were through the roof. Her communication was amazing, which is part of the reason why she was selected as a team captain. She had the work ethic and motivation to be a great player."

Natalie McNally Warren The senior defender cleared many opponents' scoring chances with her head, and she used her skill at heading the ball at the offensive end too. She scored 5 of her 6 goals on headers. She is a repeat all-area and three-time all-conference player who will play soccer at Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis. "She was so dominant in the air with her head on corners and set plays," Warren coach Ryan McCabe said. "She is a tremendous athlete who also excelled in soccer and volleyball. Her athleticism allowed her to make plays on the ball that most girls can't. Natalie has led this successful group by example and wouldn't let anyone quit."

Haley Miller Carmel CatholicA starting defender the last two years, she established herself as a hard worker who let few players get by her. She even scored 3 goals this season. She was named the East Suburban Catholic Conference defender of the year. "Haley was our strong, defensive-minded center back," Carmel coach Ray Krawzak said. "She kept this team in line. She had a great positive influence over her teammates and helped encourage them. She led in a strong, confident, approachable way."

Karly Monaco Antioch The dependable defender impressed with her skills and intelligence. "Karly is a gifted soccer player," Antioch coach Marni Polakow said. "Not only can she physically compete with the best, but she has the soccer IQ to match. Karly anticipates danger, reacts quickly and was good in possession, which allowed us to start our attacks. Tasked with shutting down the opposing team's goal scorers, she wins an incredible amount of her 1-v-1 duels. She makes her teammates better with her communication and positional play. Not only does she stop goals from being scored, she has proved she's capable of scoring them as well from set pieces and corners."

Rachel Moore Antioch Antioch posted 15 victories this season, and a number of them were thanks to Moore's leg. The junior worked from the midfield to up top and scored 21 goals for the Sequoits. "We relied on Rachel to deliver us the wins this year," Sequoits coach Marni Polakow said. "Many of her goals were game-winners. She's a player who finds the spaces to exploit and is able to create for herself. Despite usually being the smallest player on the field, she wins more aerial balls in the box than anyone. Besides putting the goals in the net, she was our hardest-working defender. She presses hard and creates many turnovers that allow us to get a chance at goal."

Erin Neeson Lake Zurich The senior midfielder's main responsibility in the midfield was to mark, and she delivered shutdown defense. The three-year varsity player and all-conference selection also contributed 3 goals and 2 assists. She never tired, despite usually marking the opponent's best offensive weapon. "She's been a big part of the team's midfield the past few seasons," Lake Zurich coach Michael Castronova said. "She can run all day and works extremely hard in the midfield."

Maddie Olson Libertyville Work rate alone didn't adequately speak to this midfielder's value. The Eastern Michigan-bound talent scored 12 goals and had 7 assists. She had 3 goals in the playoffs and was named all-sectional and all-conference. "She's a special player," Libertyville coach Kevin Thunholm said. "She's, by far, the best technical player I have had the pleasure of coaching. She has a great touch, excellent field vision, and was the key for our offensive success. If our attackers could have finished a better percentage of the chances she created for them, her assist totals would have been much more higher. She often had to take the game into her own hands and finish herself."

Sydney Paez Grayslake NorthThe four-year varsity midfielder's skill and hard work resulted in 9 goals and 4 assists this season. She earned all-sectional and all-conference honors, and is a repeat all-area selection. She finished her Knights career with 30 goals and 12 assists. "Sydney has been our engine in the midfield for the last four years," Grayslake North coach Adam DeCaluwe said. "She set the tone for us on both sides of the ball. She's a workhorse, and she carried our really young roster all year long. She plays with both feet, defends as well as she attacks, and she has a great work rate that rarely gets matched by opponents. She constantly makes an impact on the game, as she has the aggressiveness and desire to do the hard work to win the ball in the midfield. She has technical skills and instinct to set up or finish chances in the final third. She's just a game-changer and finds herself being the most influential player on the field, in just about every game we've played the last several seasons." Paez will play for Northern Arizona.

Alliyah Parker Warren An all-area selection since her freshman year, the senior midfielder/forward is the captain of this year's squad. She earned all-state honors for the second year in a row and has been an all-conference player and Glenbrook Cup all-tournament selection all four years. She had 22 goals and 18 assists this season and will play for Lipscomb University in the fall. "Since teams have keyed on her, she has played through a back injury, foot injury and shoulder dislocation and never complained," Warren coach Ryan McCabe said. "She's as tough as nails. She has the ability to read the game that is most uncommon for most high school players. She recognizes when it is better to create space or set up a teammate in a better position."

Katie Pearson Grayslake Central The sophomore keeper posted a 1.25 goals-against average and was a big reason why the Rams were in a number of matches this season. "Katie has been a great presence in the net, keeping our team in close competitive games." Grayslake Central coach Bethany Martin said. "She gained so much confidence since last year as the starting goalkeeper as a freshman, and has started to be more vocal on the field. She was one of the toughest and most coachable kids I've worked with, playing as long as she could with an injury but always asking how to improve to not wanting to step out of games or let her teammates down. When she's healthy again, we expect big things from her, as she has an internal drive to compete and is incredibly talented."

Bella Pighini LakesThe reliable senior midfielder was a four-year varsity player and finished her career as one of the leading scorers in Eagles history. She had 9 goals and 6 assists this season, hiking her career totals to 35 goals and 15 assists. An all-sectional and all-conference player, she will play for Western North Carolina in the fall. Her pair of goals helped Lakes defeat Niles West for a PepsiCo championship at DePaul University in Chicago. "She was our playmaker who came up with timely goals and assists this season and in seasons past," Lakes coach Kevin Kullby said. "She had the knack for making the great pass to set up a teammate or make deft moves on the dribble to go around defenders and create great scoring situations for herself and her teammates."

Nicole Robb Mundelein Finding a player who could play in the back and move to midfield was huge for the Mustangs. That was the sophomore. "Nicole was a versatile player that allowed us to use her in a variety of positions on the field," Mundelein coach Ernie Billittier said. "Most often she played at outside back because of her ability to attack from deep positions and gave our attack more depth. She had the knowledge and the discipline to make tracking runs and recover. She had a major impact in every game she played, whether it was making a critical defensive play or providing or scoring a big goal."

Angie Salvi Carmel CatholicThe veteran midfielder took on a bigger role this season after midfielder Abby Potter was lost with a torn ACL. A standout since her freshman year, Salvi was named all-sectional and the East Suburban Catholic Conference player of the year. She will playing soccer at Vermont. She contributed 9 goals and 6 assists in her final Carmel campaign. "Angie led our team with maturity beyond that of most girls her age," Carmel coach Ray Krawzak said. "She controlled her spot in the midfield no matter who she was up against. She was one of the best players in Carmel girls soccer history."

Ryan Schofield Vernon Hills Vernon Hills had stability on its back line thanks largely to the sophomore, who was named all-sectional and all-conference. "She was our most consistent player all year long," Vernon Hills coach Mike McCaulou said. "She does well on both sides of the ball, but really closes everything down for us on the defensive side of things. Her ability to read the game is at a very high level. With or without the ball, she was always in great tactical positions to make a play for our team. Although she does not have much size, she has a heart of a lion and is a prime example why size sometimes doesn't matter in the beautiful game of soccer."

Jill Steinbrink Stevenson She was a leader for the Patriots on and off the field. The senior midfielder had 9 goals and 7 assists in her third year as a varsity starter. She will play soccer next fall for Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis. She was named all-sectional, all-conference and all-academic. "She had the ability to spark the team by taking over the game," Stevenson coach Kevin Hefferman said. "She had the ability to dribble the ball out of the midfield and with her speed take it past the defense and score. She was one of the best players in the state at beating defenders and either scoring or getting assists."

Myah Strokosch Mundelein The junior forward could take over games. She was an all-sectional and all-conference player. "She was the leading goal scorer and goal creator on our team this year and proved to be the heartbreak of our attack," Mundelein coach Ernie Billittier said. "She was a tireless worker who even from her No. 10 position always defended with as much energy as she attacks. She was usually the most-fouled player on the field due to her ability to be deceptive with the ball and her high rate of success in 1-v-1 situations. She was very dynamic on the ball, our creator and oftentimes our most dangerous player."

Morgan Verbeten Libertyville After a couple of games this season, she was asked to move into a defensive role because of some injuries in the lineup. She took on a leadership role from the center-back position and helped the offensive attack, even scoring a couple of goals and assisting on a some too, which helped earn her all-sectional and all-conference honors. "By playing defense, she played virtually every minute in every game this season," Libertyville coach Kevin Thunholm said. "A wonderful athlete, who possesses excellent soccer skill/IQ, courage and leadership ability. She leads by example by always working hard during practices and games. She was always positive, ready to help younger players and played through pain. She was always ready to make covering tackles for defeated teammates."

Alexandria Wawrzyniak Round LakeThe sophomore was named all-sectional and all-conference for the second year in a row after contributing 13 goals and 10 assists. "She's a very smart and natural midfielder," Round Lake coach Josue Jimenez said of his repeat all-area player. "She has great vision of the game with great technical skills. She stands out with her skills on both the opponent side and the Round Lake side of each game. She has great one-on-one skills with the ability to finish outside the 18-yard-line box and has great change of speed and knows how to use her body with the ball. A very well-rounded player in every aspect of the game. Very dedicated and passionate about the game and is very coachable. Always wants to learn and was willing to take extra effort to learn."

Monica Wilhelm Antioch Verbally committed to Iowa, the junior keeper took her game to another level this spring. Her 12 shutouts gave her 30 in three years. She allowed just 25 goals in 23 games (1.08 goals-against average). "Monica has proved herself to be an elite player," Antioch coach Marni Polakow said of her three-time all-area player. "She has continued to develop as a well-rounded goalkeeper. Not only does she make the 'hero' save that keeps us in games or allows us to win, she has improved her technical ability with her feet. She's able to relieve pressure by receiving from her teammates and then starting the attack with her distribution. Her ability to effectively communicate with her teammates makes everyone around her better. Her play this year has allowed us to turn around several results from previous seasons."

Kayla Wisniewski Wauconda The junior forward returns to the all-area team for the third year in a row after an all-sectional and all-conference campaign in which she led the Bulldogs with 25 goals and 18 assists. She set school marks for single-season and career assists this year. "Kayla was undoubtedly one of the most dangerous players on the field in any given game," Wauconda coach Beau Shogren said. "She wasn't surprising teams this year. She often drew double teams and got back pressure from opposing midfielders. Even in these situations, she found her way in the attacking third and either created a shot or played a dangerous ball through the box."

All-area roster

Aimee Berg Wauconda Sr. D

Kristin Brousseau Lake Zurich Jr. MF/F

Kaitlyn Chomko Warren Sr. MF

Lauren Davis Grayslake North Jr. F

Lindsey Hardiman Warren Sr. MF

Ziggy Jezorski Vernon Hills So. D

Rebecca Kubin Lake Zurich Sr. F

Morgan Lyon Grayslake North Sr. D

Abigail McHugh Wauconda So. MF

Natalie McNally Warren Sr. D

Haley Miller Carmel Catholic Sr. D

Karly Monaco Antioch Jr. D

Rachel Moore Antioch Jr. MF/F

Erin Neeson Lake Zurich Sr. MF

Maddie Olson Libertyville Sr. MF/F

Sydney Paez Grayslake North Sr. MF/F

*Alliyah Parker Warren Sr. MF/F

Katie Pearson Grayslake Central So. GK

Bella Pighini Lakes Sr. MF

Nicole Robb Mundelein So. D/MF

Angie Salvi Carmel Catholic Sr. MF

Ryan Schofield Vernon Hills So. D

Jill Steinbrink Stevenson Sr. MF

Myah Strokosch Mundelein Jr. F

Morgan Verbeten Libertyville Jr. D/MF

Alexandria Wawrzyniak Round Lake So. MF

Monica Wilhelm Antioch Jr. GK

Kayla Wisniewski Wauconda Jr. F

* - all-area team captain

Honorable mentionBrianne Barnes (Grant Sr. MF/F), Piper Bedell (Vernon Hills So. D), Sammie Biede (Vernon Hills Sr. MF), Amanda Bogseth (Mundelein Sr. MF), Lindsey Brettman (Vernon Hills Jr. D), Jasmine Cruz (Round Lake Sr. F), Dana Devera (Round Lake Fr. F), Courtney Chomko (Warren So. F), Sophia Deligiannis (Grayslake North Sr. D), Lindsey Ditmars (Warren Sr. D), Emily Dunne (Grayslake North So. GK), Kendell Edwards (Libertyville Fr. GK), Leah Goldman (Mundelein Sr. F), Riley Harmon (Carmel Catholic Sr. F), Samantha Hartman (Lake Zurich Jr. MF), Morgan Keefer (Antioch Jr. F), Hannah Lapeire (Stevenson So. MF/F), Morgan Long (Lake Zurich So. MF), Annalyse Maze (Wauconda Jr. D), Christina Michaels (Antioch Sr. D/MF), Bryn Miller (Libertyville So. D), Shanon Murphy (Carmel Catholic Sr. MF), Madeline Mussay (Grayslake Central Fr. MF/F), Jacque Pettigrew (Lakes Sr. D), Lexi Pawlowski (Mundelein Sr. GK), Izzy Quaranta (Lakes Sr. D), Alissa Ramsden (Warren Sr. D/MF), Giselle Raygoza (Round Lake So. GK), Jillian Rejczyk (Wauconda Jr. GK), Siena Robertson (Lake Zurich Sr. D), Megan Sinnott (Wauconda So. F), Joslynn Smith (Grayslake Central Sr. MF/F), Lily Sykes (Carmel Catholic Jr. D), Hannah Theer (Grayslake Central Sr. D), Brianna Vanzanten (Stevenson Jr. MF), Lexi Werve (Grant Sr. GK), Madelyn Westoff (Grant Sr. D), Maddie Wilkinson (Grayslake North Jr. MF), Makenna Yoor (Libertyville Jr. MF)

Selections and profiles by Rusty Silber