Girls soccer: Fox Valley All-Area team

Maddie Belo JacobsAfter missing the first 3 games of the season to a knee injury, this junior first-time all-area selection made an immediate impact in the Jacobs lineup, providing the spark needed to propel the Golden Eagles to an 11 win season. "When she came back she really kind of turned our team around and our culture around on the field," coach Michael Hanley said. "She was that very positive voice in the middle of the field and gave a lot of direction our team was lacking at the time. She was that spirit on the field that gave everyone motivation and picked everyone up." While Belo, a midfielder, only posted 5 goals and 7 assists, she was very good at seeing the field. "What allows her to do that so efficiently is her first touch on the ball is very skilled," Hanley said. "She can turn the ball and look up and still feel confident enough that the ball is still at her foot and that first touch isn't leading her in a direction where she doesn't want to be heading."

Chantel Carranza St. Charles East This speedy magnet for defenders might've had a down year in scoring compared to 2016 but she also played numerous roles this season for the Saints besides leading the line and putting the ball away. Carranza, a junior forward, returned to the all-area list finishing with 15 goals and 7 assists, earning all-Upstate Eight honors as well. "The big difference is that after you've been around the last couple years playing at a top level there's people who know who you are. Our biggest challenge was finding areas on the field where she was most effective," Saints coach Paul Jennison said. "She played at the 9 or 10 in the attacking mid and she played out wide as a 7 or 11. She really did the job we asked of her and that versatility is a massive strength in a player like that."

Holly Collingbourne KanelandA 4-year starter at Kaneland, this senior two-time all-area selection led the Knights in scoring with 15 goals this season. Named all-Northern Illinois Big 12 and all-sectional, Collingbourne is a tremendous all-around player with a great first touch, pinpoint passing and finishes well with both feet. "Holly is a dynamic player who creates opportunities for all her teammates and is one of the best players I have coached, both boys and girls," Knights coach Scott Parillo said. "Holly has a very high soccer IQ, she knows where to be on the field, where to place a pass to her teammates. She is a tough physical player as well. She is a great soccer player, teammate and captain, but she is an even better person."

Gina Cortino Aurora Central CatholicThis senior first-time all-area selection overcame a bad ankle sprain in the second half of last season to score 13 goals for ACC en route to a sectional final appearance as a center mid. "Gina has an awesome shot, but also really worked on her passing and defense this season," ACC coach Kristy Kane said. "One of only two seniors on the team this season, and she has been a huge part of this team's success over the last four years, including two regional titles - our first - and one sectional title."

Jenna Dombrowski BartlettA first timer on the all-area list, Dombrowski displayed great technical ability and brains in a center mid position for the Hawks. An all-UEC selection, the senior mid/defender played out of position compared to her role in club and was a main part of a successful Bartlett season. "Jenna was a player that gave us a lot on both sides of the ball," Hawks coach Vince DiNuzzo said. "She's a very well-rounded player who makes players around her better. She has done a great job adjusting to the role of center-mid."

Jenna Dominguez GenevaWith a team-high 19 goals to go with 8 assists, this first time all-area selection broke loose in her sophomore campaign. An all-sectional choice who garnered honorable mention honors for all-UEC and at the Naperville Invite, this forward made a habit of game-winning goals in the regional final and sectional semifinals. "Jenna continued building from where she left off last season and was a constant offensive threat for us up top," Vikings coach Megan Owens said. "She did a great job of picking apart opposing defenses and finding the back of the net. She has clearly established herself as one of the top offensive players in the area."

Sydney Gratz GenevaWith 12 goals and 9 assists, this first time all-area selection was a dominant force in the midfield for the Vikings, orchestrating the majority of Geneva's goals. Earning all-UEC, all-sectional, Naperville Invite all-Tournament first team and Vikings MVP honors, this sophomore mid made her presence felt in the attack. "She has extremely good field vision and excels at finding the seams in the opposing team's defense to play seemingly impossible through balls," Geneva coach Megan Owens said. "Sydney's a great playmaker and has outstanding foot skills. She started every game for us and our offense wouldn't have scored 81 goals this season without her."

Kylie Graves Elgin This first time all-UEC selection was the Maroons' leading scorer, all coming from the back line. Graves, a junior defender, helped Elgin to a regional final appearance with 8 goals on set pieces and penalty kicks. "Kylie has been not only a solid defensive player by stopping many strong forwards by her strength and knowledge of the game but also a very consistent and strong part of our offense with being our leading scorer," said Maroons coach Alicia Knoll.

Emma Harkleroad GenevaWhat a year for this first time all-area selection which started off sparking Geneva's sectional run in 2016. She entered the 2017 season late due to her participation on Geneva's girls state championship basketball team. But her tardiness didn't stop her from dominance in goal. Geneva lost twice this year and Harkleroad, a senior, posted 17 shutouts in the net, allowed 9 goals and made 91 saves to boot as an all-UEC selection. "Emma finished her Geneva career with 35 shutouts and over 200 saves. Missing most of her sophomore season with a broken collarbone, Emma was one of the main reasons for our success over the past two years," coach Megan Owens said. "She's led us to two straight regional championships and two straight sectional championship appearances. She's has done a phenomenal job for us in goal and helped us to the second best record in school history this year."

Sam Heustis Huntley Helping the Red Raiders to a fourth-place finish at state last year, this 2-time all-area back liner was the heart and soul of the Huntley defense that secured its 11th straight regional title. The senior defender, a 2-time all-Fox Valley Conference selection, was strong in the air and provided leadership to a youthful Huntley squad. "Sam used her incredible speed to continually run down attackers throughout the season," Red Raiders coach Kris Grabner said. "She uses her positional awareness and her communication to orchestrate our defense. Sam's stand up defense kept us in games driving the success of our team."

Teagan Jones Cary-Grove A first time all-area selection, this Purdue-bound attacking threat added an element missing to the Trojans after not having her services during her sophomore season. An all-sectional and all-FVC selection Jones, who tallied 15 goals and 11 assists, helped create a positive atmosphere. Her impact on and off the field helped guide the Trojans to a regional championship. "Teagan is a talented player with exceptional individual abilities, but what stands out above is her ability to raise the level of each of her teammates," Trojans coach Ray Krystal said. "Her confidence and composure permeate through the team, and she takes pride in the success of the team. She is a dangerous attacking threat and caused difficulties for opponents. "

Jordan King Burlington Central This all-state and 3-time all-area selection posted her third-straight 20-plus goal season in addition to helping the Rockets to a third-place finish in Class 2A, the best single-season at Burlington. With back-to-back 30-goal seasons in her past, the senior mid added a dimension to her play each season under coach Jess Arneson, as she finished with just 21 goals but totaled 15 assists and was a big-time playmaker. "She is definitely our playmaker and usually where a lot of the goals and plays start from," Arneson said. "She has the long-term vision for what a play is going to look like rather than a pass ahead."

Megan Majewski Burlington Central A junior center mid who switched to the forward spot early this season, this first time all-area selection who was all-sectional benefited from the move up top during a game against Rockford Boylan and ended her season with 21 goals and 18 assists, which led the Rockets in overall points en route to a third-place finish in 2A. "I would call this her breakout season," Arneson said. "She was more of a center mid last year and this year she played up top. She's really strong and really fast and she's able to hold the ball to get our offense forward."

Keegan Maris BataviaMaris, a senior forward, rounded out her career a 3-year varsity starter with back-to-back all-area and all UEC selections. Her 12 goals and 12 assists gave her an all-sectional bid and a career mark of 30 goals and 27 assists. "Keegan has always been the ultimate competitor. Practice or games she always wants to push herself to be the best," Bulldogs coach Mark Gianfrancesco said. "This rubs off on her teammates and pushes them to greater levels. Her intensity and focus along with some key goals allowed for our team to have such a nice season will be missed."

Stephanie Nunez Larkin This goal savvy striker makes her first all-area team as the area leading goal scorer with 28 goals to go with her 10 assists. The senior forward became the second all-time goal scorer at Larkin with 82 overall with goals against tough UEC programs such as St. Charles East, Geneva and Batavia, showing her ability to dribble and attack with her feel around the goal. "She just has great composure around the goal and she knows how to finish. She can take people on, she has a good shot, in terms of a striker there's not much she can't do," Royals coach Ken Hall said. "To her credit she got better each year. She was good as a freshman and great as a senior."

Riley O'Brien West Aurora A first time all-area selection, this junior all-UEC midfielder knew how to dish. She had an area-leading 23 assists and helped the Blackhawks to a regional title win with her 13 goals this season. "Riley is our saving grace in the midfield, she is our outlet from the defense to our offense," West Aurora coach Laura Wagley said. "She often helps us defensively by recovering and tracking back but then immediately is able to support us offensively."

Jenna Ross CL SouthThis dominant senior outside defender finished her career a 2-time all-area selection mainly due to her participation on a defense that this year gave up just 12 goals to go with 14 shutouts. Ross, who featured good fundamentals and excellent speed, also notched 18 assists from the back line to go with 6 goals. "She created twice as many goals than our defense gave up with 6 goals (fourth on team) and 18 assists. It's like having a 12th player on the field because she is effectively a defender and an extra winger at the same time," Gators coach Jay Mueller said of his defensive leader. "She can explosively attack up the side and place crosses in dangerous areas for her teammates and is extremely dangerous with free kicks and an insanely long throw in. She plays with a passion that is contagious."

Hailey Rydberg St. Charles NorthWhat accolade do you start with for this year's Fox Valley All-Area captain? All-UEC, all-sectional and all-state. And all-area honors for the second-straight time, this junior all-American has been apart of 59 wins at North. Using 16 goals and 12 assists this season, this dynamic finisher was ruthless on her shot, helping North make consecutive supersectional appearances. "She's been aggressive at the back of the net and finds a way to do whatever she wants to do," coach Brian Harks said. "Her burst of speed and her first step all improved (this year), to be creative in the final third, all of these things are qualities she possesses."

Sami Sample St. Charles NorthHeading to the University of Illinois, Sample earned her first all-area bid by making 78 saves, allowing 9 goals and posting 10 solo shutouts. This senior all-UEC goalkeeper was a part of 13 combined shutouts for North with her most memorable game of 2017 coming in the championship of PepsiCo, making 3 big PK stops in a win. "Sami's worked extremely hard to be in the position that's she's in. She was a better than average GK and really took the offseason seriously," North Stars coach Brian Harks said. "She came in prepared, she has done exceptionally well. She's learned to be vocal, command the 18-yard box, she's learned how to earn the respect her teammates that play in front of her and the opponents that play against her."

Jenny Scara BataviaAll-state, all-sectional and all-UEC, this 3-time senior all-area selection finished her career at Batavia a 4-year starter with 38 shutouts and a goals allowed average of 0.66. In 2017 she posted 11 shutouts and allowed just 9 goals in Batavia's sectional run and will be missed. "Jenny has been instrumental for our success over her four years," Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco said. "Her growth and continued maturity from the back have helped to build confidence in others to allow them to perform at a high level. Her leadership and competitiveness will be missed."

Jessica Schoenfeldt CL SouthOne of the best in the FVC, this 3-time all FVC selection makes her third-straight all-area team with her best season by far. With 25 goals and 13 assists, nearly doubling her totals in both categories as a true center-mid, the senior was clutch all year, scoring twice on St. Charles North, which was a rarity, along with 7 game-winning goals against the FVC's elite this season."She's able to attack 1-on-1 and create her own goals, is deadly in front of the goal finishing crosses and has the vision to find her teammates to get them scoring opportunities. She did all that despite teams specifically game-planning to stop her and being double or triple teamed in the box," CLS coach Jay Mueller said. "She's a dominant ball winner in the midfield and is the best I've seen in the air. Her work ethic and her drive motivates the entire team to perform to their full potential."

Katharine Stephens West AuroraThis senior 3-time all-area selection finished her career at West Aurora with 62 goals and 29 assists. This year, she helped lead the Blackhawks to a regional titles. She did so scoring 18 goals and 9 assists. "Kat has been our 3-time team MVP," Blackhawks coach Laura Wagley said. "She is an offensive threat that needs to be stopped. She is capable of scoring off the dribble or 30 yards out."

Gia Wahlberg St. Charles NorthBy no surprise Wahlberg, a junior, makes her second-straight all-area team and why not? This year she collected all-UEC, all-sectional and all-state honors and 18 goals and 13 assists that made her one lethal player in the final third that the North Stars relied upon. "Gia is a player that her teammates feed off and respond to. She brings so much energy, so much fight on a regular basis - the amount of effort she puts forward working off the ball and working defensively as our center forward is her best quality," said SCN coach Brian Harks. "So when her teammates see her working that hard they want to up their energy and try and match it. She's definitely one of those players that sets the tempo and is a true leader."

Honorable mention

Alex Montalbano (Jr., GK) - ACC

Tabitha Evans (So., F) - Bartlett

Anna McMahon (Sr., F) - Burlington Central

Kelly Stayart (Jr., MF) - Cary-Grove

Courtney Sengstock (Jr., F) - CL South

Braylin Mensik (Jr., F) - Dundee-Crown

Hannah Erickson (Sr., GK) - Elgin

Stephanie Howe (So., F) - Geneva

Taylor Zitkus (Sr., D) - Kaneland

Tori Schumann (Sr., D) - St. Charles East

Allison Strauss (Sr., D) - St. Charles East

KB Kusswurm (Sr., D) - St. Charles North

Anna DeHaan (Fr., F) - Westminster Christian