Chicagoland Soccer Top 25
By Patrick Z. McGavin
The final week of the regular season has many overlapping actions.
For our purposes, it marks the penultimate, or second to last in a series, or the second to final work of a writer’s body of work.
Next week posits the final Top 25 poll for the regular season. After that we let the playoffs play out before we close out with the Final 50, the bookend to the First 50, that was published before the season started. The final looks include teams fall all parts of Illinois.
No two seasons are ever wholly alike in soccer. Certain recurrent themes appear, like the topsy-turvy nature of the no. 1 team.
Less than a week after taking the top spot, Fremd drops a couple of spots after its 1-0 overtime loss against rival Barrington on Saturday.
It's was a wild week in the Mid-Suburban League, and elsewhere.
The Broncos lost to Buffalo Grove in the 80th minute and then turned around for the epic clash with the Vikings. The Buffalo Grove loss deprived the Broncos of a chance to play for the MSL Soccer Bowl on Thursday.
A similar scenario played out in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division.
Oak Park and River Forest beat Lyons, which beat York. Then the Huskies lost to Glenbard West.
Oak Park and River Forest has beaten both York and Lyons. Natch, the Huskies get the benefit of the doubt with regard to the rankings.
The final week of the regular-season will also function as a kind of preview of the state tournament, working off the seeds and trying to assess the best sectionals.
New Trier is the new no. 1 on the basis of its title victory in dramatic fashion over Niles North in the Central Suburban League conference championship.
The Trevians also beat Warren 1-0 on Friday night. Warren captured the North Suburban Conference, historically one of the strongest conferences in the state.
Conference titles mean something, though they will fade as state tournament accomplish begin to add up.
Things are eventually going to shake out. That’s still a couple of weeks off. Until then, enjoy the chaotic nature of a game that rarely if ever settles down.
Editor's note: For those of us who celebrate such things, this is the 100th edition of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25. We think it has become part of the soccer landscape and adds to the enjoyment of the high school game, and we enjoy bringing it to you. As always, thanks for your readership and support of Chicagoland Soccer.
Games through Sunday
By Patrick Z. McGavin
The final week of the regular season has many overlapping actions.
For our purposes, it marks the penultimate, or second to last in a series, or the second to final work of a writer’s body of work.
Next week posits the final Top 25 poll for the regular season. After that we let the playoffs play out before we close out with the Final 50, the bookend to the First 50, that was published before the season started. The final looks include teams fall all parts of Illinois.
No two seasons are ever wholly alike in soccer. Certain recurrent themes appear, like the topsy-turvy nature of the no. 1 team.
Less than a week after taking the top spot, Fremd drops a couple of spots after its 1-0 overtime loss against rival Barrington on Saturday.
It's was a wild week in the Mid-Suburban League, and elsewhere.
The Broncos lost to Buffalo Grove in the 80th minute and then turned around for the epic clash with the Vikings. The Buffalo Grove loss deprived the Broncos of a chance to play for the MSL Soccer Bowl on Thursday.
A similar scenario played out in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division.
Oak Park and River Forest beat Lyons, which beat York. Then the Huskies lost to Glenbard West.
Oak Park and River Forest has beaten both York and Lyons. Natch, the Huskies get the benefit of the doubt with regard to the rankings.
The final week of the regular-season will also function as a kind of preview of the state tournament, working off the seeds and trying to assess the best sectionals.
New Trier is the new no. 1 on the basis of its title victory in dramatic fashion over Niles North in the Central Suburban League conference championship.
The Trevians also beat Warren 1-0 on Friday night. Warren captured the North Suburban Conference, historically one of the strongest conferences in the state.
Conference titles mean something, though they will fade as state tournament accomplish begin to add up.
Things are eventually going to shake out. That’s still a couple of weeks off. Until then, enjoy the chaotic nature of a game that rarely if ever settles down.
Editor's note: For those of us who celebrate such things, this is the 100th edition of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25. We think it has become part of the soccer landscape and adds to the enjoyment of the high school game, and we enjoy bringing it to you. As always, thanks for your readership and support of Chicagoland Soccer.
Games through Sunday
| Rk | LW | Team | W | L | T | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | New Trier | 14 | 1 | 1 | Will Pasia is a shot creator |
| 2 | 2 | Morton | 14 | 1 | 3 | Edgar Quintero is emerging weapon for Mustangs |
| 3 | 8 | Barrington | 12 | 3 | 2 | Kyle Wanca is an elite defender |
| 4 | 1 | Fremd | 14 | 2 | 1 | Will Mayer beats clock against Rolling Meadows |
| 5 | 5 | Evanston | 12 | 2 | 3 | Only team to beat New Trier |
| 6 | 13 | Naperville N | 15 | 5 | 2 | Alex Arredondo is disruptive back |
| 7 | 10 | OPRF | 13 | 3 | 0 | Ben Nisbet is aggressive and skilled |
| 8 | 9 | Lyons | 13 | 5 | 1 | Fisher Daniels is electric defender |
| 9 | 4 | York | 15 | 2 | 0 | Ricardo Torres is skilled keeper |
| 10 | 17 | Notre Dame | 18 | 1 | 2 | Paul Harris keys victory over Benet |
| 11 | 6 | St. Charles E | 14 | 3 | 0 | Will Orloff is another offensive threat |
| 12 | 12 | Loyola | 9 | 2 | 3 | Oscar Duenkel solidifies the middle attack |
| 13 | 7 | Lake Zurich | 12 | 2 | 4 | Second place in North Suburban |
| 14 | 11 | Benet | 12 | 4 | 1 | Brendan Forsythe stabilizes the middle |
| 15 | 14 | LW Central | 15 | 1 | 1 | Sleeper in 3A state tournament |
| 16 | 15 | Lockport | 13 | 1 | 0 | Big win over Sandburg |
| 17 | 19 | Wheaton A | 12 | 4 | 1 | Mariotti brothers double trouble |
| 18 | 20 | Warren | 11 | 3 | 4 | Lucas Ahonen is versatile talent |
| 19 | 16 | Rolling Meadows | 12 | 3 | 2 | Brayan Botello is intriguing talent |
| 20 | 18 | Oswego E | 14 | 4 | 1 | Grant Glorioso is a steady presence in middle |
| 21 | 24 | CL South | 15 | 2 | 2 | Tomasz Slawek is skilled two-way talent |
| 22 | 22 | Hinsdale Central | 9 | 3 | 2 | Offensive explosion against DG North |
| 23 | 25 | Naperville C | 12 | 6 | 1 | Carter Adams offers positional flexibility |
| 24 | HM | Mount Carmel | 11 | 3 | 1 | Battles Marmion for CCL Blue crown Tuesday |
| 25 | NR | Payton | 16 | 1 | 3 | 14-game unbeaten streak, city semis Tuesday |
Look out for: Stevenson, Libertyville, Glenbrook South, Niles North, Elk Grove, West Aurora, Plainfield East, Romeoville, Plainfield North, Plainfield Central, Timothy, Huntley, Prospect, Hersey, Young
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