LZ's year: a great Reid

Every coach would like a midfielder who plays up and down the field, one who covers up on defense and not only sets up the offense but also directly contributes up front.

If such a player existed, would it be accurate to call him a midfielder?

Well, yes. In fact, he played at Lake Zurich this season.

Senior Reid Bergstrom fits the description through his exceptionally well-rounded play at midfield. He's been named honorary captain of the Daily Herald's boys soccer all-area team for Lake County.

"I've never felt better than the other players on the team," Bergstrom said. "The coaches always pointed out my passion and how I play every game."

Bergstrom earned all-Midwest and all-state honors. He had 8 goals and 8 assists in helping the Bears win a second straight North Suburban Conference championship and a regional title. Their season included a 14-game winning streak.

"He's an unselfish player," Lake Zurich coach Mike Schmitz said. "What I love about him is that he can be happy about scoring a goal the same way as getting an assist. If he was selfish, he would have had more goals. He's just all over the field from 18 to 18."

What many don't know about Bergstrom is that he started out as a goal-scoring forward his sophomore year, but moved into the midfield last year.

"Once he got into the midfield, he never wanted to leave the field," Schmitz said. "We felt like we were lucky to have him."

This fall, Bergstrom came into his own. He led Lake Zurich to a 17-4-2 record.

"We had a lot of young players, with a big variety of skills," Bergstrom said. "The other seniors and me stepped up and set the tone. I guess it all changed my mindset, being a bigger leader. I felt more comfortable this year than the others."

Bergstrom did a lot of the things Schmitz appreciated. He helped the defense by marking back, and he sparked the Bears' offense with shots or by setting up opportunities on the ground or through the air.

"The best part was controlling the midfield," Bergstrom said. "I just wanted to help in the transition from defense to offense."

Bears senior defender Justin Pennino knows a great deal about the ability of Bergstrom. The two have played soccer together for the past six years.

"He always knows where to go with the ball," Pennino said. "Sometimes he takes people on and he has a nice shot. He also has a way of hustling back. He's always moving around in different places."

Bergstrom also finds incredible ways to score goals, including one that came during the Bears' 14-game winning streak. Against Rolling Meadows, Bergstrom fired a 35-yard kick that dipped under the crossbar.

"It was really a disgusting shot on a volley kick right over the keeper," Pennino said. "I've never seen anybody hit a ball that hard from that distance and score a goal. I was stunned seeing him take that shot."

Bergstrom would like to play soccer collegiately and has had a dream of competing for perennial elite Indiana.

"I've wanted to go to Indiana for a long time," Bergstrom said. "Even though my family went to Iowa, I'd like to be a little different. I went to Indiana this past summer and liked it a lot. I'm thinking of possibly walking on.

"Originally," he added, "I wasn't sure about soccer in the future."

This season has changed that."