Tri-Cities All-Area girls soccer team

Ellen Bartindale, St. Charles East

With Kara Nitti out for the season with a torn ACL, Bartindale took her place at forward and did well. The senior capped her 4-year varsity career with 24 goals -- 14 this year. As a result, she made the all-sectional and all-state teams and was a 2-time all-conference and 2-year team captain. St. Charles East coach Pat Feulner called this Notre Dame-bound player one of the top forwards in the sectional. "She's one of the most versatile players in the program since I've been here," Feulner said. "She's played almost every position except goalkeeper. She really stepped in and helped."

Leah DeMoss, St. Charles North

When old-time players and fans watch DeMoss play, they see in the North Stars forward all the traits of the very best St. Charles soccer players. She has good size, great skills and an aggressiveness to score. "She has that creativity," St. Charles North coach Ruth Vostal said. "She finds a way to be dangerous." Although she is dangerous in the air, DeMoss is deadly on passes to her feet. "She has that competitive spirit and drive that you don't always see in other players," Vostal said. "Toward the end of the season, she was double-teamed. She finds a way to get the ball to others and to find the open player." DeMoss had 11 goals and 10 assists. "She has that nose for goal that will allow her to continue to be one of the top goalscorers in the state," Vostal said.

Elise Farrelly, Geneva

There were a number of players this spring who epitomized the word "tough." But Farrelly stands toward the top of that list, not for any serious injury she received, but for the day-in, day-out punishment she received. "She's been a four-year starter for us and she was a rock on our team in terms of her leadership," Geneva coach Ryan Estabrook said. Estabrook said he was unaware of how many injuries Farrelly suffered in her high school career. "I know that her body has taken a lot of punishment," Estabrook said. "When you go through a game and see (Farrelly) play, you know whoever she's matched up against is going to take a beating, and so, probably, is (Farrelly.)" Farrelly scored 5 goals and had 2 assists and will play soccer at Eastern Illinois University.

Kai Gear, Batavia

The senior played a big part in the Batavia offense this season. Gear scored 6 goals this year from her forward position. She will continue her soccer career next year in college at Arkansas State. They will be getting a talented player who brings a lot of energy to the game with her speed and quick 1v1 ability. Gear played varsity all four years at Batavia, and she started for the Bulldogs the past three seasons.

Emily Hinchman, Geneva

Emily Hinchman entered the girls soccer season on the heels of a basketball season in which she suffered a broken nose. That injury failed to slow down the Vikings junior, though a midseason hamstring injury proved harder to work through. "Unfortunately, hamstrings are very slow to heal." Geneva coach Ryan Estabrook said. "She injured it early in the year and she tried to play through it. She had to miss a significant amount of time." Estabrook said the Vikings attack missed Hinchman, who was a lynchpin in connecting the various areas on the field. "She played outside back for us last year and that gave her a good foundation for understanding the game and how players move all over the field."

Kristen Manski, St. Charles North

There have been girls soccer teams that have rotated goalies in the past. But none did so as effectively as St. Charles North this spring -- and none of the multi-player rotations featured two players who legitimately could have started for their squad. Manski got her chance to make a breakthrough as a freshman when Vicki Traven went down with an injury. Manski took over and the North Stars barely faltered. "She carried us through a couple of games last year and we realized we had two great goalkeepers," St. Charles North coach Ruth Vostal said of the sophomore. "It's good for everybody to be pushed. She's only going to get better as she gains more confidence. Skill-wise, she's got it."

Ashley Miller, St. Charles East

This 4-year varsity starter bound for Miami (Ohio) was all about defense, something she didn't get enough recognition for until this year. Coaches in the sectional, however, noticed and so did her teammates, as she was voted team MVP after making the all-conference and all-sectional teams. She played in the shadow of Mo Smunt previously, but this year emerged as a leader and was voted the eighth best player in the sectional. "She had a great year," St. Charles East coach Pat Feulner said. "She did an excellent job teaching the kids in the back."

Raquel Rodriguez, West Aurora

The junior midfielder enjoyed her second year on varsity (and at West Aurora) by leading the Blackhawks in goals with 20. She was third for West Aurora in assists with 9. Her best games of the season was in a win against Bolingbrook, when she scored 4 goals, and against Jacksonville, when she scored twice. "She raised us up a level with her athleticism and quickness," West Aurora coach Joe Sustersic said. "She came out this year and had a very good second half of the season. She went from being passive to being our MVP."

Vicki Traven, St. Charles North

Any doubters to Vicki Traven's quality needed to attend Monday's Benedictine supersectional. In her last high school match, Traven had a game for the ages, showing a massive range of save-making ability. "The difference between good and great is the ability to come up with the dramatic saves," St. Charles North coach Ruth Vostal said. Traven shared time with Kristen Manski for much of the season, though she moved full-time into the goalkeeping in the postseason. Though small, Traven shows an athletic ability that many larger goalies do not have. "She's fit, she's strong and she's able to jump," Vostal said. Traven will attend Toledo this fall, where she intends to play soccer.

Mary Wandolowski, Batavia

When she burst onto the high school scene four years ago, Wandolowski displayed an incredible acceleration in the penalty area and a tremendous nose for goal. Injuries blighted her sophomore and junior seasons and she showed only glimpses of the greatness hinted at her freshman year. This year, the injuries moved into the background and Wandolowski showed everything she showed as a freshman and more. She was named unanimous MVP of the Western Sun Conference and was a three-time all-conference selection. All-sectional this year who will play at UW-Milwaukee next year. She set a positive example for all the younger Batavia players.

Caitlin Winkelman, St. Charles North

This year's Captain to the All-Area team, Winkelman had another superb season before she heads to Augustana College. A three-sport athlete in high school, Winkelman will shed basketball and volleyball as she moves to college. Originally a forward, Winkelman leaves behind a legacy as one of the most effective midfielder to leave the area in awhile.