Another year at South Elgin, another group of strong freshmen.

The Storm aim to copy last season’s formula for success but with a twist at the end.

Last season the 10th-seed suffered a tough 1-0 defeat at third-seeded Geneva in a Class 3A regional championship game. That slightly tainted an otherwise impressive campaign that began with five freshmen on the roster. The Storm won the Upstate Eight Conference with a 7-0-2 mark and finished at 10-9-2.

Coach Jerzy Skowron said his team is somewhat similar to the 2023 edition and hopes for another conference title and deeper run in the postseason. Just like last season, the Storm start with a strong bunch of ninth-graders.

“We have an incredibly talented group of freshmen,” he said. “I thought last year’s freshmen group was special, but what we have this year in terms of overall talent might trump that group.  We have five freshmen this year, plus two on JV, waiting. It’s an impressive group of attackers. Plus we have two transfers from Larkin in (sophomore midfielder) Avianna Hernandez and (junior central defender) Jateme Owens.

“Last year (then freshman) Nevaeh Gyurko (three goals, seven assists) was very difficult to defend. She helped make Ella Dihel an all-stater last year. We have a good mix of pure attackers and physical defenders and midfielders. The girls are excited. We’re looking for a two-peat in terms of conference. These girls felt they were a little cheated in the regional final (loss to) Geneva, plus we host sectionals this year.

“I’ve been lucky to have two straight years with a lot of really talented freshmen coming in. We only have five seniors on the team. The majority of the team is freshmen and sophomores. That tells you something really special about the culture that last year’s seniors left and these current seniors are building that these younger players can come in and feel like they’ve been here forever.”

The optimism for the season helps when considering that the Storm will enter the season with a huge loss.

A serious knee injury to Ella Dihel, who scored 17 goals and tallied two assists in her 2023 all-state campaign, is a big blow for South Elgin. There is a slim chance the senior forward could return later in the season, Skowron said.

“Ella seems to be at peace with her injury,” he said. “It hit me at Monday’s tryouts what she would be able to do with this group of girls. Her injury was a big shock to everybody.”

But the Storm have players they can rely on. Sophomore midfielder Ellie Vidic had an impressive maiden season with four goals and four assists.

“Ellie was all over the place position-wise last year,” Skowron said. “She will be a big piece in our midfield this year. She’s a kind of do-everything-type player that programs look for. We expect big things from her. Her leadership qualities really showed last year. She’s more confident this year and is ready to go with a year under her belt.”

South Elgin midfielder Adeline Kinsella said the Storm have a longer checklist of goals this season. The senior, who finished with a goal and four assists last season, is joined in the center of the park by senior Mady Baker, junior Callie Miller (two goals), sophomores Laura Garcia (assist) and Avianna Hernandez, and freshmen Lucy Tomasi, Christina Slovik and Emily Barnes.

“Winning conference last season was a big morale boost and set a new expectation for the program moving forward,” Kinsella said. “We all worked really hard and held each other accountable last year, and ultimately that’s what led us to victory. We plan to carry that mentality into this season.

“All of us were very frustrated with the way things ended last year. … This year we are even hungrier to get what we deserve, and we are ready to work hard for it.”

Junior defender Ashley Gonzalez is slated for a bigger role this season after enduring some growing pains last season in her return to the pitch after a knee injury suffered during her freshman season.

“It took a while for her to get going last year,” Skowron said. “She’s a big part of what we do once we get into the swing of things. 

“She’s a very important piece for us. We also expect big things from Nevaeah. She’s athletically gifted, just very fast and quick. We’re partnering her up with some of the freshmen. She will have a heavy load on her shoulders with us not having Ella, but we expect her to take it and run with it.”

The Storm will also rely on defenders Owens, Gonzalez, senior Cami Stokes, juniors Mia Traver and Aneya Villarreal, and freshman Emme Bokalders to help rookie goalie Lilliana Rodriguez adjust to playing heavy minutes on the varsity.

“Lilliana has really big shoes to fill,” Skowron said of his freshman keeper, who takes over for the graduated Karissa Cruz, who was a 2023 Chicagoland Soccer Special Mention player. “With her and Ashley and Cami in the back, we should be something special.

“We also have freshman attacker Lucy Tomasi. She will show a lot of people what she can do, as long as she can take grasp of the speed of the game. She will turn a lot of heads this year.”

Kinsella said the team is a good mix of young and veteran players, and that the underclassmen have loads of potential. She added that individually she “worked on improving my versatility and learning how to play new positions.

“We have a very talented group of freshmen this year,” she said. “Two of them are very dangerous offensive players, so we are excited to see them succeed. Our goalie is very confident and already taking on a directive role for our backline.”

Skowron said he wasn’t afraid of putting too much of a burden on his young team, which includes six sophomores and six juniors to go with five seniors. Outside backs Gaby Perez (senior), Riley Goetz (junior) and Alexiah Garcia (sophomore) will be called on to make impactful contributions.

“I packed the schedule early to get us into the flow,” Skowron said. “We jump right into the Plainfield Classic, then the BodyArmor. We have a pretty packed schedule early, and we finish the season with a nice home game against Palatine. It’s a pretty heavy schedule. The girls will be tested.”

Backliner Gonzalez said the backline is ready for a strong season, noting she learned a lot from playing on the varsity last season.

“I’ve been working on getting quicker on and off the ball, and being able to make faster decisions,” the junior said. “I improved my 1-v-1 defensive skills, which was a priority for me. With the help of my coaches and teammates, I believe I’ve been able to improve on this and several other important traits.”

Gonzalez added that the newcomers should become key players this season in the program’s quest for a long playoff run.

“After last season’s unfortunate outcome, we’re highly motivated for a deeper run in the playoffs this season,” Gonzalez said. “It’s fueling us. We’re fully committed to giving our best each and every day in training and in our games. This year’s freshman class is talented, determined and have shown a lot of potential. They’ve also connected really well with the older players. We’re really excited to see how they continue to develop and contribute to our success.”