Girls soccer notes: Saviano, Saint surge on southern trip; teams excited for ready for annual Naperville invite

Alli Saviano was digging the weather in Carbondale last weekend.

The St. Charles East senior was also delighted in the company she shared, which played some outstanding soccer, prevailing in all three games in the Fralish Cup.

“I love the weather down there,” Saviano said. “I’ll be playing soccer at SEMO (Southeast Missouri State) in Cape Girardeau, which is about one hour out from SIUC.”

The future Redhawk scored three times in the second half of a 4-0 victory against Alton on Saturday afternoon to help the Saints finish strong in the annual cup.

“Going down to Carbondale every year is always a great opportunity for the team to connect off the field and the seven-hour bus ride ensures it,” Saviano said. “We learn more about each other, create more memories and build stronger relationships off the field.”

The Saints (10-1-2) opened play on Friday with a 1-0 victory over, coincidentally, Cape Girardeau’s Notre Dame. Georggia Desario scored the game-winner while Sophia Wollenberg provided the assist. Desario also scored in the team’s PK shootout victory over Belleville East after the teams were deadlocked at 2-2 after regulation. Wollenberg, Saviano, Mackenzie Loomis and Tatum Smith scored in the shootout.

“This was a great experience for lots of our underclassmen and returners to get the feel of a PK shootout,” Loomis said. “Thankfully, we earned the win with 4-of-4 PKs made.”

Wollenberg had an assist in all three games, finishing with five for the weekend, along with a goal. Freshman Averie Foulkes also scored and had an assist. Goalkeepers Sidney Lazenby and Mia Olenek combined for two shutouts, giving the team nine already on the season.

The Saints have won six straight games.

“With soccer, the tournament puts a little less stress on the team’s shoulders, and allows us to learn more about our play and sort out any issues before we head home to tough conference play,” Saviano said. “All three games were a success regarding results, but we learned a lot from the weekend and are motivated to show it this week and the rest of the season.”

Huntley’s scoring by committee

Last year, Huntley had a dynamic 1-2 offensive punch with Grace Helzer (22 goals, 8 assists) and Chloe Pfaff (12 goals, 16 assists).

This year, with those two talents having graduated, the Red Raiders are getting it done offensively by committee as 11 players have already scored through 10 games.

“We’re trying some new things this year,” Huntley coach Matt Lewandowski said. “We have a new mindset of what we are looking to do. For the first time we don’t have a proven goal scorer, but a lot of kids are able to put it in the net.”

In addition to 11 goal scorers, a dozen Red Raiders have an assist.

“I think this alleviates some of the pressure and spreads the confidence around which helps get the team in a good place,” Lewandowski said. “Half of our team has scored a goal or had an assist.”

It’s brought the Red Raiders closer together.

“Anybody on any given day can be the hot hand,” Lewandowski said. “Sometimes it’s one player, sometimes it’s two, sometimes it’s three or four or it’s just one putting us all on their back. It’s ultimately made us more difficult to beat. We’ve also only given up seven (goals) this year which I think is lowest in the Fox Valley.”

Seniors Peyton Kohn and Gabby Farrah are tied for the team lead with 5 goals each. Juniors Maddie Rumachik and Maddie Cummings each have scored 4 goals. Junior Sofia Bruns owns a team-best 5 assists.

Cummings missed the majority of last spring with an injury and has been a spark since her return.

“She’s a little ball of energy,” Lewandowski said. “When she’s going, we’re going. She’s been a big boost.”

Naperville North’s cooking with DeCook’s return

Naperville North came up short in the championship game of the Malnati’s Deep Dish Classic last weekend and now will turn its attention to the Naperville Invitational beginning on Thursday.

“I think the progress we’ve made form the start of the season has been fantastic,” Huskies coach Steve Goletz said. “We lost a lot of great senior leadership last year and we’ve had some younger kids and some new kids to the program step up. We always get everybody’s best shot regardless of what we graduate and I think that we’ve done a really nice job the last two weeks of focusing on our performance game after game.”

The 1-0 loss to Evanston, a team the Huskies had just battled to a scoreless tie on April 8, was their first since the season opening 3-0 loss to Barrington.

“I think that the run we made last week beating Libertyville, tying Evanston, beating New Trier and then losing a heartbreaker to Evanston again in the final was fantastic for our group,” Goletz said. “It’s giving them the belief they can play with anyone in the state of Illinois when they’re focused and they’re ready to go.”

A huge reason why the Huskies are in such excellent shape is because sophomore Claire DeCook has bounced from a knee injury that ended her spectacular freshman season prematurely. After scoring 16 goals in just 13 games a season ago, DeCook has returned and once again leads the team in scoring.

“I think the big thing is it’s fantastic to see Claire DeCook back from her ACL tear and leading the team in goals with seven,” Goletz said. “Her work rate is just off the charts and she continues to be somebody that teams are constantly trying to figure out how to stop.”

The Huskies also are getting dynamite play from junior Emily Bueschler and freshman Lily Radek, both who are new to the team.

“ Emily (Bueschler) has been fantastic at center back as a first year club kid,” Goletz said. “I was lucky to coach her sister Katelynn for four years who went to the University of Illinois and Emily is committed to Minnesota. She has come in and played great soccer and plays so hard ever minute of every game.”

Radek is turning heads and stunning opposing coaches.

“The New Trier and Evanston coaches mentioned the fact they couldn’t believe she was a freshman,” Goletz said. “Lily has done an absolutely incredible job playing right back and being put up against some of the best attacking players. She’s gone head to to head with New Trier’s Jaime Elias (Texas Tech), she was locked up and engaged with a kid going to Loyola from Evanston (Jocelyn Leigh) and we put her on Sydney DuLak from Libertyville and she’s going to St. Louis. She’s done such an incredible job back there.”

More wins that last spring

Waubonsie Valley (7-2-1) has already surpassed last spring’s win total (6).

The return of our keeper Lauren Bornhoff, senior leadership, and multiple players contributing on the offensive end have been key according to Warriors coach Julie Bergstrom.

Taylor Ahmadian leads the team with 22 points while Ceci Galarza has 18. Seniors Zoe Evans and Eleanor Oster and junior Katie Chapman are serving as captains.

Naperville Invitational begins Thursday

The state’s top in-season tournament begins Thursday. Benet, Downers Grove North, Downers Grove South, Fremd, Geneva, Hinsdale Central, Lyons, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Neuqua Valley, St. Charles East, St. Charles North and York are among the area teams competing.

“Coming off the New Trier Lou Malnati’s Classic, which was a fantastic opportunity for us to play against some of the best teams up in the North Shore area, you turn around and get a couple days off before the Naperville Invitational,” Naperville North coach Steve Goletz said. “We get Minooka and Lincoln-Way East, both great programs and we’re excited to see them in pool play.”

Waubonsie Valley, which has won the tournament four times, but not since 2014, will play Downers Grove South on Thursday and St. Charles North on Saturday in group play.

“The Naperville Invite is a well-organized and highly competitive tournament,” Warriors coach Julie Bergstrom said. “We have competed in it longer than I have been coaching at Waubonsie (26 years). It was formerly called the Best of The West.”

Benet coach Gerard Oconer called it an honor to be included in the tournament. The Redwings have never won it and Barrington is looking to defend its title.

“It’s an honor every year to participate,” he said. “It’s the best of the best teams in the state and a good chunk of them are there so you can’t take a day off in any of the games. It’s a really good gauge to see where the team is at and some the things that need to be improved because teams will expose your weaknesses.”

Plainfield Classic All-Tournament Team

Geneva: Lily Coats, Hope Ieler, Audrey Stredde, Leyna Yonehara; Hinsdale Central: Piper Bingham, Caitlin Doherty, Claire Snodgrass; Downers Grove North: Lexi Keown, Addison Liszka, Campbell Thulin; Bartlett: Megan Kron (also named GK MVP); Dundee-Crown: Ashling Otto; Glenbard East: Maya Reinheimer; Glenbard West: Ava Callaway, Lauren Escalante; Morton: Carisma Rosales; South Elgin: Avianna Hernandez; Waubonsie Valley: Ceci Galarza, Eleanor Oster.