Scouting DuPage County girls soccer
Top teams: Benet, Glenbard East, Hinsdale Central, Hinsdale South, Metea Valley, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Neuqua Valley, St. Francis, Wheaton Academy, Wheaton Warrenville South.
Top players: Amy Ahern (Metea Valley, sr., GK), Alyssa Bombacino (Neuqua Valley, sr., MF), Elizabeth Cablk (Naperville North, sr., GK), Sarah Casey (Downers Grove South, sr., MF), Barbie Castellanos (West Chicago, so., MF), Rachel Dannhausen-Brun (Hinsdale Central, jr., D), Jade Eriksen-Russo (Metea Valley, sr., F), Katie Gesior (Benet, sr., MF), Sarah Griffith (Waubonse Valley, sr., MF), Katie Hansen (Glenbard East, jr., D), Nicki Hernandez (Metea Valley, sr., MF), Maggie Hillman (Naperville Central, sr., MF), Olivia Hurt (IC Catholic Prep, so., F), Betsy Keefe (Benet, sr., F), Morghin Klein (Wheaton North, sr., MF/D), Elizabeth Kowalski (York, sr., D), Morgan Krause (Naperville North, sr., MF/D), Natalie Massa (Waubonsie Valley, so., MF), Meredith McGuire (Naperville Central, sr., F), Paige Miller (Wheaton Warrenville South, so., MF), Nicole Mondi (Neuqua Valley, sr., D), Kendra Pasquale (St. Francis, jr., F), Gretchen Pearson (Wheaton Academy, sr., F), Caitlin Reice (Naperville Central, sr., D), Lizbeth Reyes (Fenton, sr., D), Teegan Ryan (Glenbard West, jr., D), Ashley Santos (Naperville North, sr., MF), Haley Singer (Neuqua Valley, sr., F), Tess Sobol (Hinsdale South, sr., MF), Abby Swanson (Downers Grove North, sr., MF), Paige Taylor (Glenbard East, sr., D), Erin Teevans (Wheaton Academy, jr., F).
Outlook: Glenbard North struggled last season (3-15) and only won one time in the DuPage Valley Conference. The Panthers will be young, with just one senior, but coach David Stanfield is optimistic that the team will "internalize a few concepts of how the coaching staff would like them to play and to become familiar with their positions and develop team chemistry, both on and off the field" and see better results. Juniors Rebecca Barreto, Aurelia Carulli and Jess West and sophomores Hannah Arista and Victoria Szcklarczyk return. "We need to stay together, and if we do, this group could become very competitive," Stanfield said.
Lake Park only went 5-15-2 and was winless in the DuPage Valley Conference, but the Lancers were competitive and should be even better this spring. "We have strong senior leadership, and a large group of juniors that we are looking to develop over the course of the season," Lancers coach Sean Crosby said. "Our central midfield is a strength and we have some very versatile players that can play multiple positions." Senior Natalie Morales, juniors Briana McAllon, Jaclyn Lamz and Lauren Tarchala and sophomore Cynthia Martinez return.
Several area teams have the good fortune of club players joining their squad, including Metea Valley, which welcomes back Nicki Hernandez and Maeve Reardon, who both played for the Mustangs as freshmen. They returned to club but now are back as seniors. "Nicki provides a nice scoring threat from the midfield and Maeve provides speed and energy from the wing," Mustangs coach Chris Whaley said. Hernandez and Jade Eriksen-Russo should be a wonderful combination, along with Abby Severson. Chesney Wargo, Katherine Wieland and goalkeeper Amy Ahern also return. "We have 10 returning starters from last year's group that made it to the sectional finals," Whaley said. "We should have good team chemistry and lots of experience."
It's become a common theme at Naperville Central. The Redhawks are going to play you tough and every match is likely going to have a chance of being decided even in the 80th minute. Will the Redhawks score consistently enough to win? "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." The Redhawks return six key upperclassmen, including Caitlin Reice, Meredith McGuire, Maggie Hillman and Sarah Avery, who have all committed to play in college.
Naperville North will have the target on its back again after winning the DVC, Naperville Invite and another sectional title last spring. Its strength will be defense. "Defensively we return all of the key pieces of a team that had 19 shutouts total and a shutout streak of over 800 minutes snapped late in the season," Huskies coach Steve Goletz said. "The biggest question mark remains what individual or collection of a few will put the ball in the net consistently." The Huskies have been blessed with some of the area's most amazing goal scorers over the years, but they don't appear to have that now and will need a collective effort. Still, with Elizabeth Cablk back in net and Morgan Krause, Ashley Santos and Katelynn Buescher dominating the midfield, the Huskies should be one of the top teams in the state once again. Jeanine Valera (University of North Carolina-Greensboro) is the team's top returning scorer.
It's not free agency but Neuqua Valley has gotten a whole lot better thanks to some new acquisitions. Ryan Gareis (South Carolina), Jenna Lafferty (Loyola Marymount), Hailey Furio (Arkansas State) and Allie Fullriede (Northern Illinois) are all seniors and new to the team. They'll look to fit in with Alyssa Bombacino, Haley Singer (Illinois) and Nicole Mondi (Purdue). "We will be much deeper than we have been in the last few years," Wildcats coach Joe Moreau said. "We should be competitive this season if we are able to jell as a team." The Wildcats will arguably have as much talent on the team as anyone in the state, but it might take some time for the girls to get accustomed to playing with each other.
Waubonsie Valley's 19-year coach Julie Bergstrom likes to keep it simple. The goal for her Warriors is "to be better today than we were yesterday." Senior midfielder Sarah Griffith is coming off an outstanding season and will look to duplicate that effort. Sophomore Natalie Massa offers added strength in the midfield, while junior Sarah Young, who saw just about all of the action in net last year, returns with another year of experience. The Warriors outscored teams 47-31 last year but only earned an 11-8-1 record. They'll look to improve on that.
Wheaton North will look to get over .500 after a 9-9-4 season. The Falcons were tough in the DVC with a 3-4-1 mark. "We have a very solid defensive unit with multiple players capable of playing at the collegiate level, including our goalie," Falcons coach Tim McEvilly said. "We will need to work to find a combination of players who help us consistently put the ball in the back of the net, but there is a collection of kids with the talent to do so. Seniors Niamh Kane, Morghin Klein and Kate Sullivan return.
Wheaton Warrenville South lost some excellent players to graduation but returns a couple three-year players and six who have been on the club for two seasons. "Our speed of play should have us competing for a DVC title, regional final and hopefully a sectional final," Tigers coach Guy 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 went 14-7-3 overall and 4-4-0 in conference last spring. Sophomores Paige Miller and Allie Anderson both return.
Glenbard East had an unforgettable season in 2016, advancing to the state finals and compiling a 24-6 record, including a perfect mark in the Upstate Eight Conference. The Rams return seven players with experience from last season and should be ready for another strong year. "We'll look to win a second consecutive UEC championship and put ourselves in a position to make another late season run," Rams coach Kent Overbey said. Paige Taylor and Katie Hansen, who helped the team post 21 shutouts last year, are back to lead the defense. Dana Plotke and Elizabeth Toledo provide some offensive firepower. Look for juniors Mimi Camacho, Mattie Pusateri and Alyse Donato and sophomore Sam Johnson to contribute immediately.
West Chicago switched formations and will likely continue playing that way. The Wildcats will be young, with more underclassmen than upperclassmen. Coach J. Cesar Gomez said as many as three freshmen could start on a team with 10 underclassmen and just four seniors. "We may start three freshmen," he said. "We hope to have possession and good attack soccer. It might take some time because we're so young and have to go against so many good opponents." Barbie Castellanos plays like a senior but is just a sophomore. She'll provide great leadership and control the midfield while senior Emma Gaggioli provides security in the net and in leading the young backline.
Addison Trail coach Sergio Nunez begins his 15th season with the Blazers. Seniors Gisselle Eurioles and Meryem Ahmed and junior Evelyn Dominguez all return. "Our biggest strength is that they're all coachable and willing to mentally prepare for the challenges that will be put before us," Nunez said. "Our weakness is the amount of good restaurants around here make healthy eating difficult." Addison Trail only went 6-12-2 overall last year so it will look for improvement there and it will begin with better play in the West Suburban Gold. Sandy Herrera, Brismar Rodriguez and Suhei Valbuena are a few newcomers that will look to boost the team.
Downers Grove South returns six players for their third year and 10 for their second year for a team that went 16-7 and undefeated in the West Suburban Gold. "Our biggest strength comes from familiarity," Mustangs coach Chris Hernandez said. "This experience will prove beneficial as we move through the season." Senior midfielder Sarah Casey, senior goalkeeper Paige Patera and sophomore forward Lauren Travis will look to lead the Mustangs.
Hinsdale South will rely heavily on its seven seniors. "Our seniors and their off-season commitments are our strength," Hornets coach Jen Belmonte said. "We are also surrounded by eight strong juniors who all play high level club soccer, four of which started last year and will contribute in big ways. We are deep and experienced and ready to have a big season." Goalkeeper Radhika Patel, center back Gopika Patel and forward Cali Vanderplow all are making the transition from Eclipse club soccer. Senior defenders Emily Ofenloch and Nicole Kilrea return along with four-year starter Tess Sobol and Erin Alajoka.
Willowbook has a new coach in Julio DelReal, who has the challenge of overcoming the loss of six four-year varsity starters, although he believes he has a strong core of talented leaders returning. "We have a group this year who are a great combination of great athletes, good soccer players, and more importantly, great students/citizens of the community," DelReal said. Jessica Ragucci and Valentina Poggi return as part of the backline, Kassandra Darrus and Sarah Poirier return in the midfield and sophomore Zoe Ericson is back in goal.
Glenbard West has been a work in progress the past couple seasons with so much youth. Those youngsters have turned into upperclassmen now so the Hilltoppers have reason to be excited. They only had one senior a season ago and now have 10 as well as nine juniors and no underclassmen on their roster. Former assistant coach Morgan Kasperek takes over the job this spring. She'll look to find success in a conference that has been dominated by Hinsdale Central.
Hinsdale Central is coming off a perfect West Suburban Silver season and an 18-6 season overall. Coach Michael Smith looks to build off that past success. "Our strong program-wide core values will continue to propel us forward, and we are eager to use the matches ahead as ways to assess what we have accomplished and what we need to work on in the future." Midfielders Erin Otto and Emily Paul return, along with junior defender Rachel Dannhausen-Brun to lead the Red Devils. They'll need to guide some talented newcomers, including four sophomores and freshman Haley Arnold.
Legendary coach Brian Papa takes over at Downers Grove North. Papa has won more than 800 games with stints at Rich Central, Bloom, Sandburg and Lincoln-Way East. "Being new to this team, I am just learning the girls and their talents," he said. "These players have been tested and should be ready to go." The Trojans should feature a strong backline with three starters back and 14 players overall for a team that only allowed 7 goals last year. The team's biggest concern appears to be the forward line and in goal. "I believe our depth should allow us to sub without losing a high level of play," Papa said. "The deeper we can go to our bench, the stronger this team will be." Seniors Simone Gardner and Abby Swanson return.
York only has three returning starters but welcomes back coach Don Vana, who missed last season due to health reasons. The Dukes were 10-9 in 2016. "One of the biggest strengths is the quality and character we have with the team's senior leadership," Vana said. "In addition we should have a lot of versatility from the players." Seniors Jenna Dvorak, Jenna Lundgren, Gabby Uribe and junior Maggie Bleyer return, while senior Miami of Ohio recruit Elizabeth Kowalski will add to the defense.
Benet will look to defend its East Suburban Catholic Conference title and make a deep run in the Class 2A playoffs after it dropped down from Class 3A. "We have an experienced roster with 10 of 11 starters returning from a team that won the ESCC championship and lost 1-0 to Naperville North in the regional final to Naperville North last season," said first-year coach Gerard Oconer. 'We will be bolstered by a strong freshman class." Katie Gesior, Betsy Keefe, Erin Flynn, Mary Kate Wilhelm and Maddie Becker are all back and all but Becker was an all-conference selection, Gesior was conference MVP, and Keefe was the Offensive POY.
Montini is coming off a 9-8-4 season. The Broncos return junior defenders Sonia Finch and Kate Crotty, along with sophomore Ellie Krick and junior Alondra Holler. "Our defense is solid, but it will take time to get them all to work as a team," Montini coach Sue Brown said. "It's a well-rounded team. If they are all on, it will be amazing." Brown expects freshman Kasey Ohm to make an impact immediately.
St. Francis has the toughest schedule in program history, according to coach Jim Winslow, with games against big schools like Stevenson, Metea Valley, Naperville North and Loyola among others. Junior Kendra Pasquale, who scored 27 goals last year, is back to lead the offense. All-conference defender McKenzie Douglass will have a huge role in back since the team lost three defenders from last year's 17-5 team to graduation. "Once we solve that we might be better," Winslow said. "Once we get healthy we will have more pace than last year." Juniors Kaitlin Joniak, Erin Peck and Alex Pruesser also return.
Glenbard South is going to be very young with five freshmen and five sophomores on its roster. "We are in Year Two of a three-year rebuild," Raiders coach Kevin Berner said. "We hope to win a regional again and push for the top spot in conference." Senior midfielder A.J. Rose will move up from center back, while Sam Schutte, the team's leading returning scorer, will look to lead the offense.
Wheaton Academy is coming off a Class 1A championship and will move up to Class 2A. "We have a great group who will work to play the right way," Warriors coach Jeff Brooke said. "I think we will play with pace, creativity and hunger throughout the whole season. We are led by 12 seniors and have six starters returning from last year's 22-win season. I think we will get to a high level and compete with the top teams on our schedule." Gretchen Pearson, who had 28 goals and 12 assists in 2016, and Erin Teevans, who had 25 and 15, provide an offensive juggernaut. "We should be very creative in the final third," Brooke said. "I think we will be a tough team to slow down in that area." Other standout returnees include defenders Emmerson Fuller and Izzy McNally.
IC Catholic Prep welcomes back Olivia Hurt, Grace Fuller and Tessa Langan from last year's 13-11 team. "We are looking forward to working with a large amount of skilled players," coach Tom Schergen said. "As a 1A school, we traditionally have a few experienced soccer players; however, this year we feel confident about the team." Senior defenders Kaitlyn Grady and Tess Reardon will lead the backline, while freshmen Bella Leslie, Abi Wagner and Annie Guinan and junior Liz Mahoney are new to the squad.
Timothy Christian is aiming for its third straight regional title and hopes to climb the conference ranks. "We have some flexibility in our formations because we have lots of girls who have played various positions," Trojans coach Jon Hamelinck said. "On the other hand we have a lot of girls who are very green and can be molded and shared to fill empty slots." The program has good numbers but just enough to field two teams so they have to stay healthy. Allison Zielstra and Heather Kocol both return.
Fenton brings back a lot of talent, including defender Lizbeth Reyes, midfielders Maria Lara, Natalie Diaz and forwards Mia Clavelli and Giselle Vargas. "The midfield will be our strength along with three returning defenders," Bison coach Victor Ruiz said. "We will be looking to cap more goals in the net and finish. Last year we didn't capitalize on opportunities."
Lisle once again will have a smaller roster so avoiding injuries is crucial. "We are working on becoming a more physical defensive team this year and will continue improving our possession game on the offensive side," Lisle coach Paul Kohorn said. Seniors Calli Tomko and Amy Tromp and junior Francesca Wagoner return. Tomko and Tromp are the team's only seniors. "Even though we only have two seniors we have a fairly experienced team," Kohorn explained. "We return 10 starters plus some bench players with very significant playing time last season."
- Chris Walker