Scouting the Cook County girls soccer postseason
Who will lift the big trophy on June 5 at North Central College in Naperville? The drama and tension surrounding the race to a Class 2A and 3A team title is near and it will soon be clear which area teams will still be playing on the final week of the 2010 girls soccer season. Here's a brief look at several of the sectional venues.
Class 3A
Rockford Boylan sectional
Top four teams: Barrington (19-2-3), Huntley (18-3-1), Crystal Lake South (15-7-2), Boylan (16-2-0)
What to watch: Huntley and star striker Aimee Wronski should breeze through its regional, as will Boylan, whose 2 losses are to St. Viator and Lake Zurich. The Bears will meet Barrington on the Fillies home pitch to decide the regional champ - potentially setting up one of the best early post-season matches in the area. "If we get ourselves through and into (our) regional final, and meet Cary-Grove, it will be against one of our biggest rivals, and for the fourth year in a row," said CL South coach and former all-state keeper Brian Allen. "Barrington has been schedule-tested and has obviously passed almost everything thrown at them, but if Huntley is healthy they will be dangerous, as will Boylan on their home (grass) field." The winner advances to the Barrington supersectional against the Schaumburg sectional champion.
Schaumburg sectional
Top four teams: St. Charles North (14-1-1), Schaumburg (13-1-3), Conant (8-5-2), York (13-4-0).
What to watch: Schaumburg came so close to its first MSL Cup appearance since 1998, and clearly earned the No. 2 overall seed in this group, but coach Greg Charvat will continually remind his club of the danger of looking ahead when play begins next week. "Just to get out of our regional will be a tough challenge. We have to travel a long way to open against the host school (West Chicago) whom we beat earlier (1-0), and if we (win) we play Elk Grove, another extremely difficult draw," Charvat said. "In a way, maybe it's better for us to face tough opponents in the early rounds to better prepare us if we stay alive." If the Saxons go through, they will then be on their home pitch and likely facing MSL West rival Conant, which dealt the club its lone defeat on the season. "If we can get to the sectional semifinal (against either Elk Grove or Schaumburg) it will be great for the soccer community to experience the atmosphere which surrounds this time of the season," said Conant coach Jason Franco, who with the return of MF Brenna Fitzpatrick brings his club finally in good health. Franco says St. Charles North (80 goals) is "scary good" up top, and hopes someone will upset the highly rated Stars early. The champion advances to the Barrington supersectional to play the Rockford Boylan sectional champion.
Palatine sectional
Top four teams: Glenbrook South (18-4-4), Fremd (12-3-2), Mundelein (15-2-3), Hersey (11-3-5).
What to watch: Contrasting styles of play dot the landscape of this sectional, with plenty of potential for a few early shockers if the regional favorites are not careful. Both Glenbrook South and Mundelein have much to offer when going forward, with GBS senior Jannelle Flaws already on her second 30-goal season, while senior Stephanie Emery is nearing her first for Mundelein. Fremd appears to be rounding into form, and despite a third-place finish in the MSL West, it must not be forgotten that the backline trio of Danielle Romano, Kathleen Holmberg and Emily Basten have been key figures in the 11 shutouts by Allison Norenberg thus far. One of the best early matches in the knock-out phase will be at Stevenson, where the host Patriots (12-4-1) will likely face Hersey for the regional title in a contest featuring two of the four clubs in their respective conference championship matches. The champion advances to the Niles North supersectional against the Maine South sectional champion.
Maine South sectional
Top three teams: New Trier (20-1-0), Loyola (14-4-1), Maine South (14-4-3).
What to watch: Maine West and Leyden meet in a regional opener with the winner having the chance to upset No. 2 Loyola. The Ramblers, with their strong backline and plenty of depth, will need to get past No. 3 Maine South to set up a crosstown battle with the top-rated Trevians, who many pick to win it all in three weeks. The champion advances to the Niles North supersectional against the Palatine sectional champion.
Class 2A
Lakes sectional
Top four teams: St. Viator (14-8-1), Prairie Ridge (16-1-2), Lakes (18-5-0), Crystal Lake Central (9-6-0)
What to watch: No. 1 Lions will need to be wary of either Prairie Ridge or Crystal Lake Central as each Fox Valley club is quite capable of pulling an early upset in the regional final to be played at Central. "We're looking to make a good, long run with the way we're playing right now, with everyone seeming to gel all at the same time, and with our rotation finally set," said Viator coach Mike Taylor, who could see surprising Lakes for the second time this season in the sectional final on the Eagles home pitch. Viator won the first meeting 3-2. "It was a tale of two halves, with (Viator) dominating the first 40 minutes, and us in the second-half," said Lakes coach Kevin Kullby, who has a wonderful striker in Alex Neal. "That match showed if we play each other again, it should make for a very good game." The champion advances to the Barrington supersectional to play the Hampshire sectional champion.