Neuqua Valley's Meyer makes her mark in goal
Brooke Meyer is much more than the occasional girl-on-the-varsity-team player.
She's the starting goalie for Neuqua Valley after JJ Ruby injured his knee in the Oct. 28 game against Glenbrook South. In fact she's now the team's lone goalie - and she's driven to be the best in Metro West and carry the Wildcats to the championship game of the Blackhawk Cup next March.
"It's fun and certainly is high competition" playing against boys, said Meyer, who saw action in less than 10 games last season as a freshman. "I love it. I'm always in the game. I'm not always the best player out there, so that makes me better. It's kind of different being the only girl on the team. The boys respect me because I'm playing for their team and I help them win games."
But, she added, "I definitely was nervous (when Ruby was injured); I had a ton of butterflies. I wanted to feel like I was needed, not just relied on. I wanted to make a difference on the team."
And that she has.
The Wildcats have gone 2-6-1 since Ruby was injured, with Meyer-led wins over Oak Park-River Forest and Sandburg. She helped the Wildcats secure a tie against St. Rita and its explosive offense.
Meyer and Ruby had split playing time before he was injured.
"I really got to show the team what I had to offer without rotating," said Meyer, 15.
"One of the most intense games I've played this season (was in early October against New Trier Green); I really wanted to do well - because it was Green. We knew that if we could do well against them, then we could do well against just about anyone.
"I just went out there with the attitude that I had it. We came up a little short, (losing 2-1), but I still did my job and played really well."
A standup goalie, Meyer dresses alone and then joins the team for coach Tom Clarke's pregame speech. The team's defense includes her brother, Zach, a senior.
"It's a lot fun; it's brought us closer together," she said. "We have a great connection on the ice. We know what the other is going to do, how we're going to react in certain situations. He might protect me a little more, because he is my brother, and that's what brothers do."
Meyer has a 2.13 goals-against average and her save percentage of 91 percent is tied for third best in the league.
"I feel like I have to earn respect in a different way than (my teammates) do," she said. "Playing against boys now will make me better."
Upset Special: The biggest shocker of the season happened Nov. 22 in Gurnee when the co-op Grayslake Ramquoits, a team filled with players from Grayslake Central and North, Lakes, Antioch, Grant and Waukegan upset Mundelein 3-2.
It was the Ramquoits' first Metro National win of the season (1-11-1), and the Mustangs' first loss.
Junior Eddie Williams made 29 saves, including a breakaway on Mundelein senior captain Jamie Kleiner, the league's leading scorer with about 10 minutes remaining.
Lions Roar: St. Viator is one of the best teams in the state and the Lions' 25-3-4 overall record is even more impressive given the fact they play in two of the most competitive leagues: Metro North and the Catholic League.
The Lions are 6-1 in the Catholic League and 7-1-3 in Metro North, including a 3-0 win Nov. 18 over Lake Forest, thanks to goalie Dante Koeppen who stopped 16 shots. Junior Christian DiVito scored the game-winning goal on a deflection five minutes into the second period. He then fed senior linemate Dominic Zanfardino about three minutes later for the Lions' second tally.
Junior forward Zack Zelisko had a 2-point night, with an assist and the team's final goal - an open-netter with seconds remaining.
Zanfardino leads the Lions in Metro North scoring: 10 goals, 7 assists in 11 games played. Seniors John Scully and Brian Keefe are the team's top playmakers with 12 and 11 assists, respectively, in Metro North play.
The Lions' only Metro North loss was a 5-2 setback against Glenbrook North in the team's first league on Oct. 14.
The Lions lost to the host Patriots Nov. 29 in the championship game of the sixth annual Stevenson Thanksgiving Invitational Tournament, played in Buffalo Grove.
Battling Bulldog: After two years showcasing his offensive skills for the co-op Batavia Bulldogs varsity team, junior Nick Gorczyca is now mostly playing a JV schedule - but not by his choice.
The Bulldogs, who feature players from Batavia, Kaneland, Oswego and Aurora Central Catholic, only fielded one team this season - a JV team in the Illinois Suburban League. However, the team also plays against varsity teams in the nine-game, season-long ISHL Challenge Tournament.
Batavia, for instance, has played tournament games against Wheaton Warrenville South (a 5-0 loss) and the co-op S.O.R.E. Cobras (a 6-1 loss).
"It's fun and definitely more challenging (playing against varsity teams)," said Gorczyca, 17, a left wing who lives in Aurora. "The margin of error for mistakes is so much more minimal (in varsity games) than JV. You definitely have to bring your A game when you're a JV team playing against a varsity."
Batavia is 3-6 overall and Gorczyca leads the team in scoring - 9 goals, 4 assists, with 2 power play and 2 game-winning goals. The center on Gorczyca's line is freshman Cody Hastings (Kaneland), while junior Zach Rosello (Batavia) is the right wing.
Conenna from Conant: Vince Conenna is one of several local players who have gone on to play for the DePaul University club hockey team, which plays its home games at the new Northshore Ice Arena in Northbrook.
Conenna, a senior center who played three years of varsity hockey at Conant, is among the top scorers for the Blue Demons (4-7).
"Playing for DePaul is a dream come true," said Conenna, 22, a 2006 Conant graduate. "Coming out of high school, I didn't think I was going to play anymore. But now I get to play close to home and my parents, (John and Connie), still get to watch me play."
The Blue Demons are led offensive by senior Taylor Paine, an Arlington Heights native who graduated from Buffalo Grove High School. Paine is the right wing on Conenna's line - and the two are now roommates in Lincoln Park.
"I remember playing against Taylor (in high school) and he'd tear us apart," Conenna said. "Now it's a privilege to get to play with him. Taylor has a great shot and great vision on the ice. His play is amazing."
DePaul sophomore forward Andy Ritter (Riverside-Brookfield) is second on the team in scoring, followed by senior forward Billy Allen (Palatine) of Palatine.
DePaul travels to East Lansing this weekend for games against Michigan State's club team, then returns to Northbrook on Dec. 11-12 for games against the University of Wisconsin.
John Conenna coached Conant from 2000-2009 and is now Conant's Chairman. The Cougars advanced to the elite eight in the White Division of the Blackhawk Cup during the 2003-04, which was coach Conenna's best season at the high school.
"To still watch him play is amazing," the elder Conenna said of his son.