The 2016 Daily Herald DuPage County All-Area Girls Soccer Team
Alyssa Bombacino, Neuqua Valley
It was a rare losing season for the Wildcats (8-10-2), but they still found a way to win a regional championship and their future is bright, especially with how well this sophomore played. "She's an outstanding athlete and dynamic player with an attacking mindset," Wildcats coach Joe Moreau said. "Her tactical knowledge is impressive and she possesses solid technical skill that allows us to use her either as a forward or as a midfielder." She scored 9 goals and had 3 assists. She's already committed to Marquette.
Katy Coseglia, Hinsdale Central
The senior goalkeeper came up with countless key saves to help the Red Devils finish off a perfect West Suburban Silver season, win a regional title and compile an 18-6-0 mark. "Katy displayed amazing grit and poise while she was a four-year varsity team member," Hinsdale Central coach Michael Smith said. "She made some amazing saves and made an even greater impression on everyone who crossed her path while a student-athlete at Hinsdale Central." Finished the season with a 0.67 GAA.
Sierra Dana, Glenbard East
There were times when the Rams struggled in scoring, but they remained in every game thanks to a defense and goalkeeper who were as greedy as they come. "Sierra is an incredible athlete who is one of the most intelligent keepers we've seen," Rams coach Kent Overbey said. "The deciding factor is her mental toughness." She posted 21 shutouts and was especially impressive in the sectional.
Alexis Dandridge, Naperville North
Teams had a difficult time containing the Huskies, and keeping up with the quickness of this senior was a key reason why. "Her speed and athleticism made it very tough for defenders to stop," Huskies coach Steve Goletz said. "Her ability to not only hold the ball up top, but also attack 1v1 was a key to our success." Dandridge scored 11 goals and had 4 assists for the DuPage Valley Conference champion.
Jade Eriksen-Russo, Metea Valley
The Mustangs made their third straight appearance in the sectional final. That's quite an accomplishment in this area, and this all-state junior forward once again helped lead the way with 18 goals and 11 assists. "Jade is a complete player that works extremely hard on the offensive and defensive side of the ball," Mustangs coach Chris Whaley said. "She showed her ability to not only score this year but also set up her teammates. She is an unselfish player that understands the game really well."
Ava Fickle, Wheaton Warrenville South
This three-time all-sectional player was also named the best defensive player for the Tigers and was the team's MVP for a 14-7-3 squad. "Ava is perhaps the most underrated defender in the area," Tigers coach Guy Callipari said. "Her ability to read and anticipate comes from years of experience as a central defender. The Tigers earned 15 clean sheets this spring while only allowing 13 goals in their 24 games, including just 7 in their final 21 games.
Katie Gesior, Benet
The East Suburban Catholic Conference Player of the Year led the Redwings with 11 goals in her third season as a starter. "She has excellent composure on the ball in tight spaces and makes quality decisions to get our offense to flow," Redwings coach Bob Gros said. "Katie is outstanding on set pieces. She is an exceptional leader on and off the field who has already been named a team captain as a junior. She also had 2 assists for the 11-8-3 Redwings.
Sarah Griffith, Waubonsie Valley
How important was this junior to the Warriors this spring? She scored or contributed an assist in all 11 of the team's wins. The same cannot be said for their seven losses and one tie. She scored or assisted in just 3 of those 8 games. She finished the year with a team-high 18 goals and had the second-highest total for her team with 7 assists and was recognized as an all-state selection.
Katie Hansen, Glenbard East
It was a historic season in Lombard as the Rams brought home a third-place state trophy while finishing 24-5. The team's defense was stellar all season long, and Hansen was undeniably the leader in the back. "Katie is one of the top defenders in the area," Rams coach Kent Overbey said. "She has it all - speed, size, technique and toughness. She's the most consistent defender we saw this entire season." Glenbard East's defense only yielded 2 goals during its postseason run.
Kaitlyn Joniak, St. Francis
During the regular season the Spartans didn't lose to a Class 2A opponent and only allowed 9 goals. This hard-nosed player had a lot to do with that dominance. She battled hard to win 50/50 balls and to limit the opponent's scoring chances. She always seemed to be in the midst of the biggest action for the Spartans, who took fourth at state. "She's your grinder, the one who gets her nose dirty all the time," Spartans coach Jim Winslow said. "She does the work, puts in the time and effort and has a nice skill set to go with it. She's what coaches call a glue kid."
Morgan Krause, Naperville North
The Huskies established a new program record this spring, earning 19 shutouts. This junior Iowa recruit had a lot to do with such a fantastic season for the 21-2-1 Huskies. "Morgan is one of the most complete players I have coached," Huskies coach Steve Goletz said. "She hits a great ball with both feet and takes all of our restarts." Krause delivered 11 assists and also added 5 goals for the DuPage Valley Conference champion.
Maddie Krejci, Naperville North
The latest big-time scorer for the Huskies is also this year's All-Area team captain. She scored 13 goals and distributed 7 assists for a team that lost only twice all spring. "Maddie has a relentless work rate that when you combine that with her ability on the ball it's easy to see why she scored some of the biggest and most important goals for us the past two seasons to help with conference and tournament championships," Huskies coach Steve Goletz said.
Amanda Murphy, Naperville Central
Naperville Central was in all but two games this season because of its stifling defense. This senior made the seamless transition to outside back a year ago and helped the Redhawks enjoy a fantastic season that only lost a single game in the DuPage Valley Conference, advanced to the Naperville Invitational championship match and won a regional. "She was not only a tenacious defender," Redhawks coach Ed Watson said, "but also a terrific attacking threat out of the back."
Brittany Paganucci, Glenbard East
The all-time scoring leader at Glenbard East, this senior dazzled from the start all the way until the team took third place at state. An all-state selection, she scored 31 goals and delivered 17 assists this year. "She's a team player," Rams coach Kent Overbey said. "She reads the game well and when defenses collapse, she finds her teammates." Finished with 77 varsity goals. She will play at Illinois State in the fall.
Kendra Pasquale, St. Francis
As one of just four players to also be named to this squad last season, Pasquale never endured the so-called sophomore slump as she scored 26 goals. She helped the lead Spartans downstate and to a fourth-place finish in Class 2A. "She obviously has a good skill set, is fast and quick and athletic," Spartans coach Jim Winslow said. "She loves to play and compete. She's kind of that special player that you hope you get to coach." Just a sophomore, she's already committed to Illinois.
Gretchen Pearson, Wheaton Academy
The junior posted 28 goals and 12 assists in leading the Warriors to the Class 1A title. "Wherever she plays, she is dangerous," Warriors coach Dave Underwood said. "She is most effective on the outside where we were able to create 1-on-1 situations with outside backs and she proved time and time again that she is a real handful for opposing teams to deal with." Pearson was a tireless worker who rarely needed to leave the field.
Autumn Rasmussen, Downers Grove South
This fourth-year, versatile player received all-state recognition while helping the Mustangs enjoy a 16-7-0 season. She finished with 17 goals and 15 assists this spring and 50 goals and 34 assists on the varsity. "Technically, Autumn has tremendous quickness and speed with the ball at her feet," Mustangs coach Chris Hernandez said. "She has the strength up top to hold the ball when needed and is very skilled at turning on defenders and taking them on." She will play at Wheaton College.
Isabel Reedy, Naperville Central
The Redhawks knew they would battle from start to finish because their defense was too good to let opponents pull away. This senior led the way to a team that went 14-5-5 and posted 13 shutouts. "Isabel was one of the best defenders in the state," Redhawks coach Ed Watson said. "Her play in the air set her apart from the rest of her peers." On a team that struggled to find consistent scoring, her role in the back was vital.
Abby Swanson, Downers Grove North
This sophomore all-conference and all-sectional honorable mention selection had 10 goals and 8 assists as a central midfielder for the 14-7-1 Trojans. "She is an extremely competitive and skilled central midfielder that is a strong in every aspect of the game," Trojans coach Bob Calder said. "Her absence of a soccer weakness is unique." Although an underclassman, she often set the tone, according to Calder, "because of her competitive spirit and natural leadership."
Erin Teevans, Wheaton Academy
This sophomore started slowly before turning it on to finish with 25 goals and 15 assists. "She is the perfect counter to Gretchen (Pearson) as both are most effective on the outside," Warriors coach Dave Underwood said. "Erin is a pure finisher. She looks to score every time she touches the ball and shoots with great power both left- or right-footed." She proved especially dangerous on corner kicks, helping the team net 15 goals on such set pieces this spring.
Honorable mention
Ellie Bumpus, sr., Benet; Elizabeth Cablk, jr., Naperville North; Alexa Dimovski, jr., Downers Grove South; Kinzly Dresser, jr., Naperville Central; Emma Dunnhausen-Brun, sr., Hinsdale Central; Alyse Dutcher, sr., Downers Grove North; Anna Fank, sr., Wheaton Warrenville South; Paige Fillipek, sr., Waubonsie Valley; Katherine Fisher, so., Naperville North; Meredith Hannan, sr., Naperville Central; Maggie Hillman, jr., Naperville Central; Jacey Kent, sr., Lake Park; Jenna Lundgren., jr., York; Nicole Mondi, sr., Neuqua Valley; Rachel Rahman, sr., St. Francis; Katie Reitz, sr., West Chicago; Teagan Ryan, so., Glenbard West; Chesney Wargo, so., Metea Valley; Zoe Welsh, so., Wheaton North; Samantha Wozniak, sr., Willowbrook.