Scouting DuPage County girls soccer
Top teams: Benet, Downers Grove North, Glenbard East, Metea Valley, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Neuqua Valley, Wheaton Academy.
Top players: Allie Anderson (Wheaton Warrenville South, jr., MF), Sarah Avery (Naperville Central, sr., D), Alyssa Bombacino (Neuqua Valley, sr., MF), Katelynn Buescher (Naperville North, sr., MF). Olivia Bull (Downers Grove North, sr., D), Gina Cavalli (Hinsdale South, sr., F), Sarah Cohen (Glenbard South, sr., D), Faith Davies (Glenbard East, sr., GK), Shaina Dudas (Naperville North, sr., F), Erin Flynn (Benet, sr., F), Grace Fuller (ICCP Catholic, sr., MF/D), Katie Hansen (Glenbard East, sr., D), Maria Lara (Fenton, sr., MF), Maggie Levins (York, sr., MF), Sophia Lindquist (Wheaton Academy, jr., MF), Natalie Massa (Waubonsie Valley, jr. MF), Jen Masello (Downers Grove South, sr., D), Kennedy Metzger (Waubonsie Valley, sr., F), Paige Miller (Wheaton Warrenville South, jr., MF), Kayla Monis (Neuqua Valley, sr., MF), Kendra Pasquale (St. Francis, sr., F), Maddie Redeker (Naperville Central, sr., MF), Maeve Riordan (Metea Valley, sr., F), Teagan Ryan (Glenbard West, sr., D), Sophia Senese (Metea Valley, sr., MF), Alyssa Siebers (Naperville North, sr., D), Jessica Siebers (Naperville North, sr., D), Kailee Sowers (Wheaton North, sr., F), Abby Swanson (Downers Grove North, sr., MF), Erin Teevans (Wheaton Academy, sr., F), Elizabeth Toledo (Glenbard East, sr., F), Jaden Trometer (Wheaton North, sr., D), Mary Kate Wilhelm (Benet, jr., D).
Outlook: The final year of the DuPage Valley Conference should be as competitive as ever with even Glenbard North, which went 1-6 in conference last year, expecting to be a tough team to beat this spring. "We should benefit from everyone returning from last year," Panthers coach David Stanfield said. "Good spirit among the group. We need to improve defensively and not concede so many goals." Seniors Aurelia Carulli, Rebecca Barretto, Jess West, juniors Sofia Espana, Hannah Arista, Karissa Chalus, Vicki Szcklarczyk and sophomore Alexis Bolger all return.
Lake Park will ask its seniors to help turn the team around after a winless DVC season and a 4-17-1 overall. The Lancers boast 11 seniors and have depth in the midfield. "The knowledge and effort our seniors bring will help raise the team to a new level this year," Lancers coach Sean Crosby said. "Our goal is to remain competitive in all games this year, stay healthy throughout the season and double our win total from last season. With a strong senior class to lead our team we feel we can accomplish a higher level of success." Crosby is hopeful for improvement in positioning through the team's defensive and midfield lines and will look for big efforts from goalkeeper Sarah Yochem and a back line led by seniors Liz Guenther, Amber Sedwick and Stephanie Zachemski. Senior midfielders Briana McAloon (North Central), Lauren Tarchala and Jaclyn Lamz also return.
Metea Valley doesn't have the fortune of having a scoring threat like Jade Eriksen-Russo to scare opponents any longer, and it lost several other key players from last season's 16-4-4 team, including goalkeeper Amy Ahern and defender MaKenna Schoolman among others. But the four-time defending regional champs still are quite talented. Maeve Riordan is a scoring threat, Sophia Senese and Chesney Wargo are solid, confident midfielders and defenders Nicole Dawson and Paige Buranowski should provide leadership and skill in front of goalkeepers Nikky Coyell and Myah Schoolman. "We have a number of girls that were a part of the varsity team last year that are hungry for larger roles and more playing time," Mustangs coach Chris Whaley said. "Expectations are always high and we will continue to be in the mix with the best teams in the area this year."
Naperville Central seems to always be looking for players who can score regularly, and once again that will be key for a team that should be able to battle most, if not, all opponents for the full 80 minutes. "We have a great deal of experience," Redhawks coach Ed Watson said. "While we graduated five starters, many of our returning players have had time in our starting lineup. If we can consistently score goals, we should be a tough matchup for the other strong teams in the area." Sarah Avery (NIU) returns to lead the back line, and Maddie Redeker (Wisconsin-Whitewater) is back in the midfield. Experienced defenders Emma Phillips and Abbey Hillman, midfielders Maddie Mills and Jessica Sonner and forward Caroline Reedy, a third-year player, all return.
Naperville North returns key seniors at almost every level of the field for a program that has won sectional titles and compiled a 41-5-4 record and 39 shutouts the past two seasons. While the team lost goalkeeper Elizabeth Cablk to graduation, senior goalkeeper Maddie Hausmann (Loyola-Chicago) has joined the team. "It may take a little bit of time to get everyone on the same page, but we're optimistic that with the mix of returning varsity players and young influx of talent we should be able to give teams all they can handle by the end of the season," Huskies coach Steve Goletz said. The Siebers twins (Jessica and Alyssa) anchor the back line before heading to Illinois State in the fall along with forward Shaina Dudas, who was injured for a large part of 2017. Katelynn Busecher (Illinois) and Megan Benmore (Northern Iowa) also return.
Neuqua Valley is coming off a DVC championship in which it went undefeated (7-0-1). Like the majority of teams in the conference, the Wildcats lost some significant players from last year's squad but also return some dynamic players who already have made an impact in prior seasons. Senior midfielder Alyssa Bombacino is back to lead the Wildcats. With 34 varsity goals the Marquette recruit has scored the fifth most in program history. With senior goalkeeper Yanel Ortiz and midfielders Kayla Monis (Belmont), Erin Sweda (Indiana State) and Danielle Hopkins also back, the Wildcats should be tough to beat. "We will be pretty solid in the back," Wildcats coach Joe Moreau said, "We need someone to step up and score goals."
Waubonsie Valley will look to overcome the huge loss of Sarah Griffith. The Warriors, who finished 11-9-1 last spring, have strength in the midfield in senior Rachel White and junior Natalie Massa while senior Sarah Young returns in goal. They also have a formidable scoring threat in senior Kennedy Metzger (Ball State), who somewhat quietly scored 16 goals and had 5 assists last season.
Wheaton North was hovering around the .500 mark for most of last year, finishing 8-9-2. The Falcons are deep this year and return and add a mix of talent so it's mainly a matter of how well the team can come together and perform. "In addition to the players returning to high school soccer from academy, we have added a couple transfers from private schools to go with the player growth from last year," Falcons coach Tim McEvilly said. "Our weakness will likely be the transition we go through putting all these new pieces in place." Seniors Jaden Trometer, Rose Quinn and Hannah Swider have been regulars for three or four years now, while seniors Staci Galo, Kailee Sowers and junior Kristen Szumski transition from academy.
Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari is only four wins away from 350, but he anticipates the Tigers winning much more than four games with a strong returning class of players. "Our speed of play should have us competing for a DVC title, regional final and hopefully a sectional final," Callipari said. "We'll have a good mix of young players and experienced players, coupled with team depth should carry us deep into the playoffs barring injury." The Tigers were only 9-10-1 in 2017, but with five returnees back for their third season and six others for their second, the team is rather hopeful. Paige Miller and Allie Anderson return.
In the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division, Glenbard East is focusing on three accomplishments - three-peating as conference champion, repeating as Windy City Classic champ and winning its third straight regional championship. The Rams should be even better than they were last year (14-5-4) since they only graduated a pair of starters returning nine, including five who were starters on the third-place team from 2016 and three others who came off the bench during that state run. "Experience is a definite strength," Rams coach Kent Overbey said. "We have eight players with deep state tournament experience. Defensive line will be strong in front of one of the best keepers (Faith Davies) in the state. Midfield and forward lines are dangerous." Davies (UIC), defender Katie Hansen (Montana) and forward Elizabeth Toledo are the leading returnees.
West Chicago returns 14 players. "That is a good number for us," Wildcats coach J. Cesar Gomez said. "The seniors are not all starters but they come in with a new agenda and are buying into what we are trying to sell them." Gomez doesn't gauge his team success rate simply by wins and losses. "We gauge success here a little differently," he said. "It's hard to come home happy when you lose, but can we move the ball and play soccer against the best teams? We know the teams we are after and we know they'll try to stretch us at places."
In the West Suburban Gold, Addison Trail is looking to bounce back after a tough 2017 that saw the Blazers exit quietly after a 2-0 loss to Lake Park in the postseason. The Blazers have a big roster and one that has 11 seniors, so it will look to overcome some growing pains and see better results, especially when it comes to scoring, which was an issue that plagued the team all year long.
Hinsdale South isn't nearly as deep as it has been in past seasons. "We hope to stay injury free and combine a solid group of seniors mixed with a young group of newcomers," Hornets coach Jen Belmonte said. "We should be competitive in conference and look to remain conference champs." Gina Cavalli, Kendra Rees, Alexis Kotsiantos, Abbi Mazurek and Patricija Miskinyte return for the defending West Suburban Gold Division champs, who finished 18-5-3 overall and undefeated in conference.
Downers Grove South was better than its 6-11-4 record showed last year and was particularly strong in the West Suburban Gold; its only loss was on PKs to Hinsdale South. The Mustangs are particularly strong in back with seniors Jen Masello (Augsburg) and Emily Brindac and sophomore goalkeeper Rose Dumford in net. Dumford is one of the key newcomers, along with sophomores Jordan Rose and Talia Davis. Junior forward Lauren Travis also returns. "We transitioned last year from a very successful team in 2016 to a very young team in 2017 with six sophomores and two freshmen earning big and important minutes throughout the season," Mustangs coach Chris Hernandez said.
Willowbrook battled through injuries last year and learned a lot on the spot due to its youthful roster. The team did lose eight seniors from last year's team. It will look to capitalize on its opponent's mistakes better this spring while relying on its defense again to keep it in games.
In the West Suburban Silver, Downers Grove North is coming off a fourth-place finish in Class 3A, a 20-4-2 record overall and the first sectional title and trip to state in 32 years. The Trojans have the talent to duplicate that effort or surpass it with 13 players returning, including eight starters and three others who saw valuable time. "The strength of this team starts with the defense and returning Grace Stevenson in goal and three-fourths of the defense from last season," Trojans coach Brian Papa said. "The midfield is just as strong returning three starters from last season. The key will be from the forward line." Senior Abby Swanson, Carissa Mysliwiec and Carli Nehls return in the midfield while Oliva Bull, Francesca Marconi and Chloe Nowka are back in back. Watch out for up-and-coming sophomore forward Alexis Parker to play a significant role as well.
Glenbard West coach Morgan Kasperek hasn't had any break time after coaching the Glenbard South girls basketball team to third place in Class 3A. That's a good thing for a coach, though, when they find their duties being extended a few more weeks. Now she turns her attention over to the Hilltoppers and soccer. "We have a lot of newcomers on this year's team and are looking to change some things in our lineup," she said. "We are looking forward to a new blend of players and growth in our performance as a team." Those players will look to blend in with senior defenders Teagan Ryan and Annie Gelfer and goalkeeper Rose Mugnani.
Hinsdale Central had an unforgettable season last year. It was so atypical because the Red Devils had won six regional titles in a row but suffered through a year where it only beat Oak Park-River Forest and Proviso West, were shut out nine times and finished 2-15-3. The Red Devils were young, though, and only lost one senior to graduation and now they welcome a new coach Bryan Ciesiulka, who was the 2009 Daily Herald DuPage County All-Area Boys Soccer Captain from Neuqua Valley.
York will be relying on many new players. "How fast these players develop and adjust to the varsity soccer game will be the question," Dukes coach Don Vana said. "If they can rise up to the challenge then we can compete." Seniors Maggie Bleyer, Haley Walker, Lauren Hailey, Haley Weiler and Maddie Levins will look to finish strong along with a nice mix of juniors, including goalkeeper, Kathleen Levins.
In the Metro Suburban Conference, Fenton has already lost Giselle Varga and Yesenia Cruz to knee injuries, so filling their spots on the field will be key. "We will be a balanced team on both sides of the ball, looking to finish chances and games as we fell short last season on our goals," Bison coach Victor Ruiz said. "So we are really working on getting off to an early strong start." Fenton expects its new back line, led by Cynthia Mendoza, Yuliana Ibarez, Andrea Acuna, Jacqueline Noguenda and Lesly Mora to be very solid and keep it in games, while senior Maria Lara is back to pace the offense.
Glenbard South, which will join the Upstate Eight in 2019, is in third year of its rebuild, and coach Kevin Berner believes his Raiders are in for big things this spring after finishing 9-13 in 2017. "If the coaches know what we're doing we should see some competitive results," he said. Forwards Erin Harlett and Sam Schutte should provide a pair of solid scoring options. DePaul recruit Sarah Cohen should provide a solid anchor for the back line. Abby Showalter will control the midfield, and Emily Villasenor will be in goal. The team has plenty of speed but not much depth. Watch out for freshman midfielder McKaley Evans.
Coming off a fourth-place finish in Class 1A, IC Catholic Prep will look to achieve similar success with proven players returning, including senior Grace Fuller, junior Olivia Hurt and sophomores Bella Leslie and Abi Wagner. IC Catholic Prep finished an impressive 21-8 a year ago and welcomes some key newcomers, including sophomore Cassandro Serrano and freshmen Sophie Hurt and Grace Grady.
Timothy Christian is young with only five returning starts and just five upperclassmen on its roster. Coach Jon Hamelinck expects a lot of learning moments as the team tries to grow and improve on last year's 5-14-1 record. "With such a young group it's difficult to put expectations in terms of wins and losses," Hamelinck said. "I expect us to be competitive in conference and we'll use games against Elmwood Park as a measuring stick for where we are in our development. Maddie Schaafsma, Abby Carstensen and Celeste VanderMeer return.
Wheaton Academy is coming off a second-place finish in Class 2A and a 21-6 overall record but lost a dozen players from that team. Regardless, there often appears to be other Warriors patiently waiting for their opportunity, and they'll look to fill those spots around key returnees, such as senior Erin Teevans and Sophia Lindquist. "We have some returning players from last year's second-place state finish and their experience will be incredibly valuable as we seek to play at our top level," Warriors coach Jeff Brooke said. "Our group has the ability to be a very tight-knit group that plays hard for each other. We will be explosive in the final third and should be fun to watch." The Warriors will have four new starters in the back so that unit will have to mature quickly.
Benet is deep. The Redwings return eight starters from last season's 14-7-1 team: forwards Erin Flynn, Abby Casmere and Mia Tommasone, midfielder Maddie Becker and defenders Mary Katy Hansen, Mary Kate Wilhelm and Kate Flynn. "We're looking to sustain a consistent level of success throughout the entire season," Benet coach Gerard Oconer said.
Montini will hope the blend of experienced seniors and enthusiastic, yet inexperienced freshmen will lead to good results in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference. Seniors Alondra Holler and Emma Repking will look to lead the offense, seniors Sonia Finch and Kate Crotty will anchor the back line and junior Ellie Krick will control the midfield. Freshmen Alivia Gianatasic, Shea Smith and goalkeeper Franca Finch will be asked to contribute right away.
St. Francis survived a difficult schedule to go 11-6-3, and it will look to do the same between the trio of forwards Kendra Pasquale (Illinois), Hannah Rittenhouse and Erin Peck (Illinois Wesleyan). Claire Hensley (St. Bonaventure) returns to lead the midfield, while Sarah Maller is also back to head up the back line. Coach Jim Winslow said a couple of newcomers, juniors Caroline Zimmer and Emma Armbrust, will have key roles for last year's runner-up in the GCAC Red Division.
Lisle's Franky Wagoner might be more known for her prowess at volleyball, but she's also a talented soccer player who will look to lead a team that finished 9-9 last spring. "We're very young but also experienced as we have nine of 11 starters back from last season," Lisle coach Paul Kohorn said. "We will be very athletic and will try to use that to our advantage." Josie Brinegar and Corrie Hutcheson, both four-year starters, and juniors Alexa Fasone and McKenzie Weaver are part of the talented group of returnees.