Scouting DuPage County boys lacrosse
Top local teams: Neuqua Valley, Naperville North, Naperville Central, Glenbard West, York, Benet, Wheaton Academy.
Top players: Sean Sullivan (Naperville North, sr., A), Scott Algood (Naperville North, sr., A), Caiden Perry (Neuqua Valley, jr., MF), Brandon Metry (Neuqua Valley, sr., MF), Jake Stegman (Naperville Central, jr., A), Max Feudl (Naperville Central, jr., A), Bo Kelly (Naperville Central, sr., D), Drew Stoneburner (Wheaton North, sr., A), Caleb Nolen (Wheaton North, sr. LSM), Ricky Hoover (Wheaton Warrenville South, jr., MF), Tom Koropp (Wheaton Warrenville South, sr. D), Nick Asuan (Waubonsie/Metea co-op, jr., A), Brenden Hennessey (Waubonsie/Metea co-op, sr. MF), Luke Andreasik (Glenbard West, sr., MF), Jack O'Grady (Glenbard West, sr., LSM), Artie Renier (York, sr., G), Mark Schneeloch (York, sr., D), Jack Cain (Hinsdale Central, jr., D), Lucian DiPofi (Hinsdale Central, sr., MF), Kevin Lorenzo (Benet, so., MF), Brendan Tarpey (Benet, jr., D), Sam Sidari (St. Francis, sr., MF), Pat Dunlea (St. Francis, so., A), Matt Pierson (Montini, sr., O/D), Sam Stevenson (Montini, sr., O/D), Charlie O'Brien (IC Catholic Prep, sr., A), Ryan Kenneally (IC Catholic Prep, sr., G), Marc Whitaker (Wheaton Academy, sr., A), Nick Schrepferman (Wheaton Academy, fr., MF).
Scouting report: In its first year as an IHSA-sanctioned sport, West suburban boys lacrosse teams will work to continue to close the gap between them and the powerful North Shore schools, particularly New Trier and Loyola. That all starts with Neuqua Valley, which finished 18-4 overall and 5-0 in the tough DuPage Valley Conference a year ago and advanced all the way to the Illinois High School Lacrosse Association state tournament semifinals before falling to eventual champion New Trier. Sure, the Wildcats graduated attackman Colin Domek, who had 81 points last year, but the cupboard is definitely not bare. Returning are midfielders Caiden Perry, a junior, and senior Brandon Metry, each of whom had 33 points a year ago. Also back is senior long-stick midfielder Chase Showalter, whom coach Josh Maluta said is "a great defensive player in transition. He has great stick checks and take-aways." An intangible is that Maluta is in his third year as coach, thus providing continuity for a program that has a goal of getting to the state finals and perhaps winning the whole thing. An area of concern may be goaltending because both of the team's goalies graduated; Maluta will turn to juniors Cam Nevins and Michael Gunderson at that position. But they will be helped by the fact that virtually the entire defense returns, headed by Showalter. As for the DVC, Maluta says, "Usually the games are very close and intense. I anticipate the conference games to be a grudge match."
Maluta anticipates that Naperville North will be the most likely candidate to challenge the Wildcats for the DVC title. Coach Kevin Benages' squad brings back a key player in senior attackman Sean Sullivan, who was the 20th leading scorer in the state a year ago, when the Huskies went 15-4 overall and 2-2 in conference. "Sean brings in a lot of high-level IQ on field," Benages said. "He's been starting since freshman year and comes from a long line of brothers that came through the program." Sullivan had 44 goals and 30 assists last year for 74 points. Helping Sullivan offensively will be senior attackman Scott Algood. On defense Naperville North will return goalie Jake Allgood, a captain who has been starting since freshman year. He had 120 total saves and a 63 save percentage last year. Benages said the leader of the defense will be senior defenseman Frank Zygmuntowicz, another captain, who brings three years of varsity experience. "Our key strengths are the fact we're bringing back a veteran class, so they have a lot of games at the varsity level," Benages said. "Our 6-on-6 offense and defense inside the box is very strong." As for areas for improvement, look for creating early offense through push transition.
Over at Naperville Central, the Redhawks will have to deal with the early graduation of senior attack Tommy Coyne, who had 130 points last year en route to DVC player of the year and first-team all-state honors. This spring he's playing at Rutgers instead of Naperville Central. "Tommy was one of those special players that coaches get once in a lifetime," coach Jay Havenaar said. "He had on-the-field leadership that our team will miss." That means the weight of creating offense will fall the a pair of junior attackers, Jake Stegman and Max Feudl. "Max Feudl is a left-handed attackman who has played behind all these guys we've had at attack, like Tommy Coyne, and now is his time," Havenaar said. "Jake brings a threat on offense for scoring and assists and is going to be doing a similar game to Tommy. He has a great outside shot and can pass the ball while dodging." The defense will be buoyed by senior Bo Kelly and junior David Bendis, both defensemen. The Achilles' heal for the Redhawks might be their youth, which is why developing on-field team chemistry will be crucial. Havenaar is another coach who believes the West suburban schools are closing the gap with the North Shore. "They have guys that are legacy players, where their brothers and even dads have played lacrosse at Loyola and New Trier," he said. "We've had guys who have played at Naperville Central who are now coaching."
Wheaton North will look to build on a 7-12 overall record a year ago and a 2-4 DVC mark. Its offense will be improved solely due to the fact that it lost only one player, midfielder Ethan Kower, who is playing club this year at Michigan State. Returnees will include senior attackman Drew Stoneburner, who had 38 goals and 12 assists a year ago, along with senior attack Brant Thompson and junior midfielder Tate Moorehouse. "Defensively, we're going to have a whole new set of pieces," coach Chris Weed said. "We have a lot of promising younger guys, thanks to the club programs out here." The key returnee will be senior long-stick midfielder Caleb Nolen, who recently committed to Milwaukee School of Engineering. "What will set us apart this year is the work," Nolen said. "Everybody works hard and nobody slacks. Last year was kind of a mental game, and we fixed it this year." Also returning will be starting goalie Nick Pelligrino, who had a 9.8 goals against average and a 58 save percentage. Like its peers, Weed said Wheaton North always benefits greatly from being a DVC member. "There is always a good, healthy competition between the DuPage Valley teams," he said. "When we get together, you know you're playing a DVC team."
Mike Blouin is in his 11th year at the helm of Wheaton Warrenville South and will have to come up with a game plan to counteract the graduation of long-stick midfielder Nate Gianpecro, who graduated. "He was probably the biggest difference maker, and we'll have a hard time replacing him." Blouin said. The answer may be senior defenseman Tom Koropp, but by and large the Tigers will be young on defense. Offensively, Wheaton Warrenville South will be paced by junior midfielder Ricky Hoover, who had 35 goals last year and is committed to East Coast lacrosse power Hobart. Junior attackman Jake Stransky will help, along with junior midfielder Zach Powell, who had a strong year as a sophomore and could be the one player everyone is talking about at the end of the season. "We have a lot of returning varsity players from last year, when we were really young," Blouin said. "We had guys that weren't used to the spotlight. We have a lot of kids that have developed. I'm hoping for them to step up with a year under their belt." The Tigers have lost in the past to Loyola in the state tournament quarterfinals and semifinals. He said the gap "has definitely closed, but they are the teams to beat, New Trier and Loyola. It's an uphill battle."
The Waubonsie Valley/Metea Valley co-op team went 9-9 overall a year ago but didn't win a game in the DVC. It will have to deal with the graduation loss of attackman Xander Seal, who had 101 points and 49 goals. The upshot this season will be junior attack Nick Asuan, who has averaged 35 goals a year in his first two seasons; a year ago, he had 63 points and 37 goals. Another intriguing prospect is sophomore attack Jake Cornwell. "He's going to have a chance to play varsity," coach Chris Conner said. "He got his feet wet last year, scored a couple of varsity goals and will make an impact this year." The midfield will be manned by a pair of seniors, Brenden Hennessey and Ryan Spragg. Conner said Hennessey is "arguably our best player and best leader we have," while Spragg "is always going to be on the field. He's a smart player, good with the ball." The equation, then, is pretty simple for the Valleys - their strength is offense, and the area of concern is the defense and not giving up a lot of goals. Numbers are also a bit of a concern; the program only has 31 players on varsity and junior varsity. Nevertheless, Conner is convinced his team is ripe for a surprise in the DVC.
Another tough conference is the West Suburban Silver, which features Hinsdale Central, Lyons Twp., York and Glenbard West. The Hilltoppers (16-7, 4-1) advanced to the state quarterfinals a year ago before falling to New Trier in a tight 13-7 game. Glenbard West will have to deal with the graduation of midfielder Jake Leffel, who is playing at Augustana after a senior year where he had 37 goals and 10 assists. Stepping into his place will be senior midfielder Luke Andreasik, whom coach Eric Nuss said "is a tremendous athlete. He's one of our top scorers, very difficult to defend. He shoots 95 miles per hour." Another key offensive weapon will be junior attackman Ben Frick, who scored 25 goals last year, second most on the team, and also faces off, winning 74 percent a year ago. The defense will be headed by senior long-stick midfielder Jack O'Grady, along with senior defenseman Kyle Krebsbach, who was O'Grady's backup a year ago but will focus on defense this year. His twin brother, Kurt, will be the team's goalie, replacing the graduated Spencer Samson. Areas of improvement for the Hilltoppers? "We turn the ball over too much against better opponents, so ball possession in big games," Nuss said, adding he would like to see his team's extra-man offensive scheme improve its efficiency to 50 percent, compared to 20 percent last year.
York had a banner 2017, beating both Hinsdale Central and Lyons in overtime en route to a 15-5 overall record and a 4-1 mark in the WSC Silver. Coach Don Canfield will look to David Leonard, the quarterback of the Dukes' football team last fall, as a key offensive threat. Leonard broke his hand midway through last season but still logged 14 goals and six assists. Nevertheless, Canfield sees the offense as an area for improvement in 2018. "The biggest question is how we are going to score goals," he said. "We graduated 75 percent of our goals from last year. We were pretty senior-heavy offensively." Flipping the script, the biggest team strength should be its defense. The Dukes bring back senior all-conference goalie Artie Renier, who had 63 saves last year, and senior defenseman Mark Schneeloch, another all-conference selection who had 21 groundballs. The X-factor could be junior Sam Walsh, fresh off a solid basketball season. "We're expecting him to really take a leap this year and a dominant defenseman," Canfield said. Like Nuss, Canfield thinks there is a lot of parity in the conference, which makes it one of the best in the area. "We don't have a Loyola or New Trier, but anyone can win on any given day," he said.
True, Hinsdale Central lost a lot to graduation, including midfielder Colin Parker, who was responsible for 26 goals and assists last year for 52 points. Midfielder Jake Simon, a faceoff specialist, also departed, along with defensemen twins John and Joe Kwasigroch. But the Red Devils (15-3, 4-1 West Suburban Silver) do get back junior defenseman Jack Cain, a Dartmouth commit who's in his third varsity season and is a two-time returning captain. Senior faceoff midfielder Lucian DiPofi will take over for Simon and Robbie Kress, who played long-stick midfielder last year will shift to defense. "Perennially you see four teams in the top 10 coming out of our conference, and that's a real positive for our team and we feed off of that," coach Rich Mares said. "We look forward playing those big dogs."
Coach Rich Moran enters his ninth year at Benet, which had a solid season a year ago at 10-8 overall and 4-2 in the East Suburban Catholic Conference. The Redwings lose a fair amount of leadership due to the graduation of Jimmy Watson (Monmouth) and John Dangelo (Air Force), both of whom were starters since they were freshmen. What's more, last year's defense was made up of all seniors, so that unit will be basically new. Junior defenders Brendan Tarpey and John East will likely lead the defense, while sophomore goalie Connor Meagher will get the starting nod this spring after limited action last year. Offensively, the Redwings should be able to score, thanks to a gaggle of effective midfielders, including Nick Vlahiotis, who will handle faceoffs, and Jason Rowaiye, a two-way player. But Moran is really high on the potential of sophomore midfielder Kevin Lorenzo, who could be the one Redwing everyone is talking about by the end of the season. "He played a lot for us last year as a defensive middle," Moran said. "He's grown into his body. He can play both ways for us this year." The ESCC should be another meat grinder, with St. Viator and Carmel expected to lock horns with Benet for the conference title.
Bob Grisanzio may be in his first year at St. Francis, but he brings plenty of experience, having coached Conant the last 10 years before retiring as a teacher and coach. He inherits plenty of talent, including senior midfielder Sam Sidari, who had 60 goals last year and 18 assists for 78 points. Sidari is committed to Florida Tech. Another promising offensive player is sophomore attacker Pat Dunlea, who had 35 goals and 15 assists for 50 points as a freshman. Grisanzio said perhaps the key to the entire team will be senior long-stick midfielder Daniel Dickerson, who will be the unquestioned leader of the defense. He's committed to Illinois Wesleyan. Up at Conant, Grisanzio had heard good things about goalie Matt Gabriel, a senior this year, and now that he's on the field with Gabriel, those rumors are proving to be true. "That was a very pleasant surprise," he said. "I'm very impressed with his eye-hand coordination and quickness." Numbers may be an issue for the Spartans; they only have 37 players program-wide, 17 of varsity caliber, so it will be the bare minimum to run two levels, a major challenge for a small school. St. Francis will also play this year the Chicago Catholic League before shifting to the Metro Suburban next year. The CCL will be tough, with traditional powers Mount Carmel and St. Rita the favorites.
Mike Thuma is in his first year coaching at Montini after Chris Wall retired. He inherits a program without JV or freshman teams and graduated eight seniors, but that shouldn't be a problem due to the personnel he has returning. Back is senior Matt Pierson, who's committed to Augustana, and Sam Stevenson, committed to Aquinas College. Both will see time on the offensive and defensive ends of the field. Senior Michael Kuranty will play primarily offense as an attackman or midfielder. The players that should command a lot of respect as the season progresses are a pair of sophomores - goalie David Leonard and faceoff specialist Nathan Sniegowski. Of Leonard, the only goalie on the team, Thuma said, "He got thrown into some varsity games last year and did pretty good. He's going to come along with the right tutelage." But even though there is solid personnel returning, there is the reality of lighting the scoreboard. "Our biggest motivator is, how are we going to score goals?" Thuma said, adding, "How do we play a fast-paced game all the time? How do we keep up the energy and endurance to be competitive?" The schedule does it no favors, facing the likes of Fremd, Mount Carmel and St. Ignatius.
IC Catholic Prep will once again play an independent schedule this season after going 9-7 a year ago. According to coach Tom O'Brien, senior attackman Charlie O'Brien should be the "heart and soul" of the team. He'll be a four-year starter and a three-year captain. Last year he had 48 goals and 16 assists for 64 points. The jack of all trades for ICCP should be sophomore Max Cook, who can play long-stick midfield and offensive midfield. "Last year as a freshman, he was a big contributor to the team," O'Brien said. "He played multiple positions." Senior midfielder Jack Fowler, a soccer player, will be another offensive threat; O'Brien said his stick skills have vastly improved and this year should be his breakthrough. Goalie should be solid with junior Ryan Kenneally, who had 86 saves a year ago and should be the Knights' defensive leader. Clearing balls will be one area of improvement, along with working on playing a full 60 minutes. "I only have about 15 guys that are ready for the varsity level," O'Brien said. The schedule also does IC Catholic Prep no favors; it includes a marquee matchup with Naperville Central on March 27, along with games with Catholic powers Fenwick, Mount Carmel and Notre Dame.
Like IC Catholic Prep, Wheaton Academy will not be conference affiliated but will have a loaded independent schedule, including Wheaton North, Wheaton Warrenville South, St. Francis, Marmion and St. Rita. The Warriors went 6-6 last year and made it to the state quarterfinals, and they will be intriguing for the plain and simple fact that they have two of the most talented freshmen in the area in midfielders Nick Schrepferman and Chris Wagener. Of Schrepferman, coach Geof Wiesenborn said: "He's probably the best shooter on our team. He's played at a high level for True Lacrosse and he's on their 20-21 national team. People will notice pretty quickly when they see his first shot." Wiesenborn said Wagener is by far the Warriors' best athlete. But in lacrosse experience matters as well, and Wheaton Academy has that, too. Senior attackman Marc Whitaker is the leader of the offense and a solid finisher, and junior Ian Vernard is a shifty attacker with good dodging ability. The defense will be headed up by junior defender Graham Spindler and senior goalie Tom Laduzinsky. "We've got some really good senior leadership on the offensive and defensive end, so we feel we have good balance there," Wiesenborn said. But the big challenge will be meshing that leadership with the obvious underclass talent. Making it all come together could help the team reach its goal of a regional championship, or beyond.