Chicagoland Soccer Final 50 state ranking
By Patrick Z. McGavin
On May 21, Triad defeated O’Fallon 2-0.
In essence, the nonconference match became a regular-season championship game.
“We were missing our keeper (Grace Vincent) that day,” O’Fallon star Aubrey Mister said. “That game really prepared us for the rest of the season.”
The result led to historic firsts in the fifth edition of the Final 50. It stopped two streaks with the coronation of the first Class AA team in the top spot and the first non-Chicago-area school to earn the honor.
The historic conclusion to the pandemic year offered a celebration for the Metro East as three St. Louis-based powers conquered the rest of the state.
Althoff smashed Timothy 7-0 behind a state-record performance of four goals by Regan Moody in the Class A state championship.
Triad edged Joliet Catholic 1-0 for the Class AA title on a crazy goal after a high-rise height flip throw-in by Lany Harshany.
O’Fallon completed the impressive run by defeating previously perfect Lyons 1-0 on a 25-yard free kick by sophomore midfielder Kiley McMinn in the Class 3A title game.
“We all play club together, all of these girls on Althoff and Triad,” Mister said. “It feels like we’re all one big team.”
O’Fallon also smashed the hammerlock on the 3A championships held by Naperville North, Barrington and New Trier.
Those three schools combined to win the last eight state titles in 3A.
O’Fallon is the first large-school state champion from outside of the Chicago area since Granite City defeated Naperville North in the 2011 state title.
Granite City played Triad to a scoreless tie in the first game of the season, the only result separating the Knights from a perfect run.
Saturday marked the first time in the history of the three-class format that three state championships were decided on the same day on the same field.
The day that belonged to the South, also may have auguered a preview of what’s to come. Althoff is graduating just three seniors.Triad had only five seniors.
O’Fallon loses Mister, but the Memphis recruit said the Panthers have a strong group of incoming prospects.
After a two-year absence of high school competition, trying to get a feel for how the season might play out was an exercise in outright speculation.
It was that way everywhere.
“The season was kind of weird at first,” Mister said. “We were wearing masks when we first started, and that was kind of weird.
“I honestly think we just got through it. We were so focused on winning and playing our game. We didn’t play for a year, but our attitude was we’re going to come in and kick butt.”
Soccer is always messy and complicated, and the difference at the highest level of success and failure is measured in the smallest increments.
“It’s that one shot, it’s the one goal, it’s the one save that wins the state championship,” Lyons forward Ava Dallavo said about her first half shot that smashed off the crossbar in the championship match against O’Fallon.
“One penalty kick or foul changes the game.”
The whole season existed in part to forget the immediate results and celebrate the ecstatic return of the sport, the emotional intensity, the camaraderie and friendships that were irretrievably lost in 2020.
“Having last season taken away from us, we really cherished every moment we had together,” Lyons coach Bill Lanspeary said.
The Final 50 poll is a fusion of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, which ranks the best teams in and around Chicago, with the Illinois 10, which ranks the best outside of the Windy City's territory.
To understand the coding, the 50 teams are ranked in order. Also listed are the final regular season rank (RS) and the preseason rank (PR).
NR means the team was not ranked in that poll. HM, which only applies to Chicago area schools, means that the team was among the 15 squads listed in the honorable mention section of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
For the teams that were ranked in the Illinois 10 poll, the letter I accompanies the final regular season and preseason ranks.
By Patrick Z. McGavin
On May 21, Triad defeated O’Fallon 2-0.
In essence, the nonconference match became a regular-season championship game.
“We were missing our keeper (Grace Vincent) that day,” O’Fallon star Aubrey Mister said. “That game really prepared us for the rest of the season.”
The result led to historic firsts in the fifth edition of the Final 50. It stopped two streaks with the coronation of the first Class AA team in the top spot and the first non-Chicago-area school to earn the honor.
The historic conclusion to the pandemic year offered a celebration for the Metro East as three St. Louis-based powers conquered the rest of the state.
Althoff smashed Timothy 7-0 behind a state-record performance of four goals by Regan Moody in the Class A state championship.
Triad edged Joliet Catholic 1-0 for the Class AA title on a crazy goal after a high-rise height flip throw-in by Lany Harshany.
O’Fallon completed the impressive run by defeating previously perfect Lyons 1-0 on a 25-yard free kick by sophomore midfielder Kiley McMinn in the Class 3A title game.
“We all play club together, all of these girls on Althoff and Triad,” Mister said. “It feels like we’re all one big team.”
O’Fallon also smashed the hammerlock on the 3A championships held by Naperville North, Barrington and New Trier.
Those three schools combined to win the last eight state titles in 3A.
O’Fallon is the first large-school state champion from outside of the Chicago area since Granite City defeated Naperville North in the 2011 state title.
Granite City played Triad to a scoreless tie in the first game of the season, the only result separating the Knights from a perfect run.
Saturday marked the first time in the history of the three-class format that three state championships were decided on the same day on the same field.
The day that belonged to the South, also may have auguered a preview of what’s to come. Althoff is graduating just three seniors.Triad had only five seniors.
O’Fallon loses Mister, but the Memphis recruit said the Panthers have a strong group of incoming prospects.
After a two-year absence of high school competition, trying to get a feel for how the season might play out was an exercise in outright speculation.
It was that way everywhere.
“The season was kind of weird at first,” Mister said. “We were wearing masks when we first started, and that was kind of weird.
“I honestly think we just got through it. We were so focused on winning and playing our game. We didn’t play for a year, but our attitude was we’re going to come in and kick butt.”
Soccer is always messy and complicated, and the difference at the highest level of success and failure is measured in the smallest increments.
“It’s that one shot, it’s the one goal, it’s the one save that wins the state championship,” Lyons forward Ava Dallavo said about her first half shot that smashed off the crossbar in the championship match against O’Fallon.
“One penalty kick or foul changes the game.”
The whole season existed in part to forget the immediate results and celebrate the ecstatic return of the sport, the emotional intensity, the camaraderie and friendships that were irretrievably lost in 2020.
“Having last season taken away from us, we really cherished every moment we had together,” Lyons coach Bill Lanspeary said.
The Final 50 poll is a fusion of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, which ranks the best teams in and around Chicago, with the Illinois 10, which ranks the best outside of the Windy City's territory.
To understand the coding, the 50 teams are ranked in order. Also listed are the final regular season rank (RS) and the preseason rank (PR).
NR means the team was not ranked in that poll. HM, which only applies to Chicago area schools, means that the team was among the 15 squads listed in the honorable mention section of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
For the teams that were ranked in the Illinois 10 poll, the letter I accompanies the final regular season and preseason ranks.
| RK | RS | Pr | Team | W | L | T | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I1 | 28 | Triad | 24 | 0 | 1 | AA champ, beat O’Fallon and Althoff |
| 2 | I4 | 49 | O’Fallon | 20 | 2 | 0 | 3A champ, Aubrey Mister a special talent |
| 3 | 9 | 10 | Lyons | 20 | 1 | 0 | 3A runnerup so close to perfection |
| 4 | 3 | 4 | Libertyville | 18 | 2 | 0 | Beat N. Trier, Barrington twice |
| 5 | 5 | 9 | Barrington | 17 | 3 | 1 | Fillies had great chemistry, 3A 4th |
| 6 | 1 | 2 | St. Charles East | 22 | 1 | 1 | Put on an offensive show |
| 7 | 4 | 1 | New Trier | 20 | 2 | 4 | Six-year state finals run ends |
| 8 | 11 | 7 | Naperville North | 12 | 3 | 3 | Team to beat next year |
| 9 | 2 | 8 | Benet | 18 | 1 | 0 | Flirted with perfection, great run |
| 10 | 15 | 31 | Sandburg | 18 | 2 | 0 | Best out of the south suburbs |
| 11 | 13 | 14 | Evanston | 14 | 3 | 3 | Could not solve New Trier |
| 12 | I5 | 39 | Althoff | 22 | 2 | 0 | Champ in A, Regan Moody historic |
| 13 | I3 | NR | Glenwood | 15 | 1 | 0 | Lost only to Triad |
| 14 | 7 | 12 | Naperville Central | 13 | 2 | 4 | Won DVC but lost to nemesis |
| 15 | 16 | 20 | Joliet Catholic | 16 | 2 | 1 | Morgan Furmaniak left mark, AA 2nd |
| 16 | 6 | 13 | Loyola | 16 | 2 | 2 | Ramblers have great junior class |
| 17 | 19 | 23 | Stevenson | 14 | 4 | 1 | Beat Libertyville in NSC, shared title |
| 18 | 10 | 6 | St. Charles North | 15 | 5 | 2 | Took St. Charles East to the wire |
| 19 | 8 | 3 | Warren | 15 | 2 | 3 | Blue Devils are a team to watch in ‘22 |
| 20 | 12 | 38 | Glenbrook North | 14 | 2 | 3 | Loaded junior class returns |
| 21 | NR | 17 | Columbia | 12 | 7 | 0 | Lost to Althoff 5-4 in epic sectional final |
| 22 | NR | NR | Marquette (Alton) | 13 | 7 | 1 | Nearly topped Althoff in supersectional |
| 23 | 25 | NR | Wheaton Academy | 19 | 5 | 0 | 3rd in A, Amy Alexander sparkled |
| 24 | NR | NR | Saint Viator | 14 | 5 | 1 | AA 3rd place, a tourney surprise |
| 25 | I2 | 34 | Normal | 22 | 2 | 1 | Lost only to Naperville C, O’Fallon |
| 26 | NR | NR | Edwardsville | 9 | 4 | 0 | Beat O’Fallon in conference |
| 27 | 14 | 15 | Lane | 12 | 4 | 2 | Indians win sixth-straight city title |
| 28 | HM | 5 | Buffalo Grove | 11 | 6 | 3 | Injuries toppled promising run |
| 29 | 22 | 21 | Fremd | 11 | 4 | 0 | Lost only to ranked teams |
| 30 | 17 | NR | Oswego East | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1st perfect regular season in history |
| 31 | HM | 26 | Saint Ignatius | 15 | 7 | 1 | AA 4th Shannon Rydz leads strong returners |
| 32 | 21 | 16 | Young | 13 | 5 | 1 | Loaded with elite juniors |
| 33 | 18 | NR | St. Francis | 13 | 1 | 0 | Beat Timothy, Wheaton A in conference |
| 34 | I9 | 29 | ND (Peoria) | 15 | 3 | 2 | Fell to JCA in supersectional |
| 35 | NR | NR | Waterloo | 13 | 7 | 2 | Challenged Triad in state tourney |
| 36 | 24 | NR | Burlington Central | 15 | 7 | 1 | Sectional finalist proves its mettle |
| 37 | 20 | NR | Highland Park | 13 | 4 | 0 | Giants were a surprise story |
| 38 | I10 | NR | Freeport | 15 | 1 | 0 | Lost only to Burlington Central |
| 39 | NR | NR | Hononegah | 15 | 2 | 0 | Won 3rd overall sectional |
| 40 | NR | NR | Rochester | 13 | 6 | 0 | Savannah Maley is an elite sophomore |
| 41 | NR | 41 | Deerfield | 15 | 8 | 2 | Warriors teeming with young talent |
| 42 | HM | 40 | Jones | 11 | 4 | 1 | Carmen Marshall left lasting legacy |
| 43 | NR | NR | Payton | 15 | 7 | 0 | Takes school’s 2nd sectional |
| 44 | NR | NR | Lincoln-Way C | 12 | 2 | 2 | The best of the SouthWest Suburban |
| 45 | 23 | NR | Bartlett | 11 | 3 | 1 | Serena Salvato powered U8 champs |
| 46 | I7 | 37 | Dunlap | 15 | 4 | 0 | Lost 2-1 heartbreaker to ND (Peoria) |
| 47 | I6 | 36 | Geneseo | 13 | 3 | 0 | Taylor Desplinter left her mark |
| 48 | NR | NR | Granite City | 12 | 6 | 1 | Tough southern schedule, tied Triad |
| 49 | NR | NR | Timothy | 17 | 3 | 0 | Emma Carter led A runnerup |
| 50 | I8 | 45 | ND (Quincy) | 17 | 3 | 1 | Lia Quintero elite so., A 4th place |