Chicagoland Soccer
IHSSCA Soccer Person of the Year award winner: 2009; 2010
  • Schedule
  • Results
  • SoccerCenter
  • Teams
  • Player of the match
  • Testimonials
  • Standings
  • Archives
  • About us
  • Subscribe
  • Contact us
  • Links
  • Pros
    • Chicago Fire 2016
    • Chicago Fire 2015
    • Chicago Red Stars 2015
  • G
  • SCE
  • GS: Loyola at
  • Roundup
  • Roundup 3-24-22
  • GS: Lane at Jones 4-4-22
  • GS: Deerfield vs. SV 4-10-22
  • New Page
  • New Page
  • GS: Evanston at Deerfield 5-10-22
  • FS: GPOTY
Chicagoland Soccer First 50 state ranking

By Patrick Z. McGavin



Joe Moreau won five-consecutive girls state championships with St. Charles from 1996 to 2000. The Neuqua Valley coach reached the state final against New Trier in 2014.

He posed the existential question on the eve of the new and overdue 2021 season.

“Everyone is thinking the same thing: How good are we going to be?” 

“No one knows until teams start to play games. Two years away from the high school game has been tough. We are very excited to get started playing games.”

With the wide rollout of games beginning Tuesday (April 13), the longest interruption in the 33-year history of girls high school soccer in Illinois is blessedly over.

On June 1, 2019, at North Central College in Naperville, Benet sophomore Jaimee Cibulka scored in the 94th minute in the Redwings’ comeback victory over Wauconda in the Class AA state championship game.

A few hours later, Naperville North keeper Amanda Johnson made a series of striking stops as the Huskies defeated two-time defending state champion Barrington in the Class 3A state title game.

Our long winter of discontent and the absence of games is finally extinguished. 

Now Benet is part of the field of Class 3A, Cibulka is a Loyola recruit and The Beautiful Game is back. 

The IHSA not only announced the resumption of its spring sports; in a reversal of the fall and winter seasons, girls soccer will crown its state champions when the Final Fours meet June 18-19.

Benet, Naperville North and defending Class A champion Columbia all return to the First 50, Chicagoland Soccer’s statewide preseason poll of the best teams in the state.

Call it the ultimate conversation starter, a way to glide back into a game that has been absent for too long. 

When ranking teams, history matters and past performance has a way of establishing future results.

The reality is the best programs tend to be the best, with few exceptions, from year to year.

Naperville North, Barrington and New Trier have dominated Class 3A state soccer the last decade. North won titles in 2012, 2013 and 2019, and finished second in 2011 and third in 2018.

New Trier won three-consecutive championships between 2013 to 2015 and lost to Barrington in the state title game, on penalty kicks, in 2017 and 2018. New Trier also finished third in 2019

It’s impossible to fully gauge what was lost during the pandemic year of 2020 that wiped out all spring sports. For soccer, the loss was considerable. Barrington was ranked no. 1 in the country by Top Drawer. New Trier and Naperville North were just behind them.

The emotional void was profound, with its corresponding absence of camaraderie and friendships, of bonding and team chemistry.

Thankfully, the games are back. 

A few helpful hints on this very peculiar, unprecedented iteration of the First 50. The previous record and the program’s ranking in the Final 50 both refer to 2019.

Any reference to a starter refers to either a starter from 2019 or a player projected to start last year.

Welcome back to the pitch girls. You have been missed.



Rk19 rkTeamWLTComment
13New Trier2235Morgan Fagan leads 9 returners
29SC East2260Hannah Miller leads 7 returning starters
345Warren1393Blue Devils have elite junior class
4NRLibertyville1370Club players bolster attack
5NRBuffalo Gr674Illinois recruit Alyssa Weede's high school debut
64SC North1922Makenna Collins keys athletic backline
71Naperville N1554Emily Dulik is dynamic
86Benet2431Jaimee Cibulka is prolific scorer
92Barrington2221Young roster looks to maintain tradition
108Lyons1841Ava Dallavo is a 4-year starter
1111Neuqua V1054Katelyn Nardulli is player to watch
1240Naperville C1191Creative Emma Irle is fun to watch
1343Loyola972Molly Sipe is a dazzling young talent
1414Evanston1462Wildkits flash athleticism, young talent
1515Lane1941Eily Quinn is two-sport star
1616Young1871Ella Koleno is a breathtaking young talent
177Columbia2721Strong nucleus from Class A state champ
1810Wauconda1932Deep team from 2019 AA runner-up
1922Lemont1851Victoria Silvar is a lethal scorer
2021Joliet Cath1830Deep returning nucleus from AA finals
2117Fremd1453Caleigh Stone is exciting talent
2212Andrew21618 returning starters, supersectional team
235Stevenson2222Threat to Warren, Libertyville in NSC
2418Waub V1732Warriors reload with young talent
2513GBS2042Titans look to retool around young talent
2619St Ignatius1932Former Loyola star Caroline Zadina new coach
2733Glenbard E1932Sarah Lilijestrand had 14 goals as freshman
2820Triad2042Deep list of returners from AA 3rd-place team
2926ND (Peoria)1851Tegan Timerman a top Central Illinois player
3028Cary-Grove1431U-Tenn. recruit Jenna Stayart is awesome talent
3129Sandburg1651ISU recruit Kristiana Pappanastos keys deep roster
3225WW South1451Melisa Hadzik ready for breakout year
3324Conant1632Took St. Charles E to sectional shootout
3444Normal1952Ryann Anderson powers attack
3523Batavia1752Ashley Whelpley is an exciting offensive talent
3637Geneseo2221Set school win record, upward trajectory
3736Dunlap1641Will challenge ND Peoria in conference
38NRGBN1280Lily Denk leads talented young roster
3948Althoff2151One of the best in Southern Illinois
4039Jones1870Carmen Marshall is electric with the ball
41NRDeerfield13122Riley Schimanski has knack for scoring
42NRPlainfield N1383Allie Kroll is a terrific talent
4341Metea V1192Katy Flanders makes offense go
44NRCarmel7114Mia Salvi is final link to family dynasty
45NRND (Quincy)2430“Should be good Class A team by end of season,” -- coach
4634CL Central1941Emma Bolanowski is skilled and tough
4738Geneva1162Annie Brolly keys the backline
4842Maine S1653Molly Pistorius is a top junior
4946O’Fallon1472Aubrey Mister is an explosive talent
5030NSCD1640Eun Hae Lillig back, 2nd 2018-19 Class A
Proudly powered by Weebly