Korn's back, in the back

Jen Korn remembers watching last year's Naperville North team go on a fantastic run to second place in the Class 3A tournament and thinking, “I could be out there helping them right now.”

She did more than help them this spring, leading a defensive unit that allowed very little all season. It culminated in the Huskies winning their second state title, first since 1988, with a 1-0 victory over St. Charles North.

For leading an impressive back line of defense, Korn is this year's captain of the Daily Herald DuPage County All-Area Girls Soccer Team.

“From the first time we practiced, I knew this was a team that could go all the way,” Korn said. “In those first two hours we set the bar so high. I was very impressed with the team talent-wise, and with so much depth.”

During her sophomore and junior years in school, Korn didn't wear a Huskies uniform, committing to club play.

“A lot of people don't understand with the college recruiting process, because it's done differently for soccer,” she said. “Sophomore year was a lot of showcase tournaments and stuff, and then by junior year I had already committed (Northwestern) but didn't want to leave my teammates who hadn't committed. I felt I owed them and needed to play with them.”

This spring she realized she needed to play for the Huskies.

“I had to explain to a lot of people at school. They'd say ‘You're playing in college, but not playing here,'” she said. “It's been worth it, though. I knew some of the girls on the team already and was excited to finally come back.”

Naperville North (24-1-2) proved unbeatable all spring, losing only once, which was a penalty kicks decision to Naperville Central on April 28. They also had ties to Naperville Central and Plainfield North. While the team had plenty of exciting firepower on the offensive side, led by Zoe Swift, as well as freshman Abbie Boswell, Hunter Drendel and Cora Climo, they also didn't have to score more than once per game to avoid losing.

The Huskies only surrendered 10 goals in 27 games. They never allowed more than one goal in any game, shutting out 16 opponents, including Glenbrook South in the semifinals and St. Charles North in the state title match.

“She has tremendous technical ability that allowed us to get out of the back and into the attack throughout the season,” Naperville North coach Steve Goletz said. “She's a very smart and technical defender and reads the game so well.”

Korn led a back line that also featured senior Anna Prescott, junior Jill Van Kampen and freshman Kayla Sharples. They provided great protection for goalkeeper Allison Hitchcock while defensive midfielder Emily Bromagen was often overlooked, despite her efforts to clean things up.

“I felt like every time we would shift and step and pinch that everything clicked,” Korn said. “I had never played with those three in the back before, so it's interesting how all of us came together and became better players because of it.”

Understanding opponents and being able to determine how to defend against the top offensive threats seemingly came naturally to Korn.

“Most of the games I knew who had scored the most goals and had the most assists for them,” she said. “You figure that stuff out, knowing who can shoot from a distance and if someone needs to be marked. We were always trying to close down space and not let them turn, just keeping their backs toward the goal and making them play backwards.”

A steady dose of trying to defend Swift and Boswell in practice apparently paid dividends as well.

“We had some skilled players to try to defend against in practice so that helped,” she said. “We worked on a lot of 1v1 and 2v2 situations and defended as a whole team.”

Korn made her soccer debut as a first-grader and she hasn't slowed down ever since. She'll go from winning a state championship to Evanston, where she'll play for Northwestern next season.

“I think if I ever was going to get sick of it, I would have by now, and I think if you're going to play a college sport you have to be this dedicated to it,” she said. “It's a great sport to play and stay in shape, but the best thing is being a part of a team.

“A lot of people don't understand that in a team sport like this, you're not playing for yourself, but for the other players. They become a second family, really, and you have so many funny moments. You become friends with teammates who you wouldn't even know in school so it's pretty awesome with all the different personalities. I've absolutely loved it.”