Chicagoland Soccer Top 25
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Now is when the separation should start to take hold.
Three weeks into the new season, this is a transition period, the moment when the vast majority of teams rewind and get refreshed during their spring break and now look to unleash the full range of offensive and defensive capabilities.
This is an important week, the beginning of full conference schedules for most schools and three significant tournaments: the Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Classic, the Augsburg-Drach Invitational (at St. Charles East) and the PepsiCo Showdown. Many of the teams represented in this week’s poll will be at one of those three events.
With this week’s interrupted schedule, the movement in the poll was minor. This is almost certainly the last week of relatively limited consequence. The games really do start to matter.
That is no April Fools' joke.
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Now is when the separation should start to take hold.
Three weeks into the new season, this is a transition period, the moment when the vast majority of teams rewind and get refreshed during their spring break and now look to unleash the full range of offensive and defensive capabilities.
This is an important week, the beginning of full conference schedules for most schools and three significant tournaments: the Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Classic, the Augsburg-Drach Invitational (at St. Charles East) and the PepsiCo Showdown. Many of the teams represented in this week’s poll will be at one of those three events.
With this week’s interrupted schedule, the movement in the poll was minor. This is almost certainly the last week of relatively limited consequence. The games really do start to matter.
That is no April Fools' joke.
| Rk | LW | Team | W | L | T | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Barrington | 1 | 0 | 2 | Christine Batliner maintaining family tradition |
| 2 | 2 | New Trier | 3 | 0 | 0 | Lily Conley is top junior talent |
| 3 | 3 | St. Charles North | 3 | 0 | 1 | Claudia Najera is skilled offensive talent |
| 4 | 4 | Naperville North | 2 | 0 | 2 | Siebers twins are dynamite |
| 5 | 6 | Loyola | 3 | 0 | 0 | Riley Burns is back with authority |
| 6 | 5 | Downers Grove North | 3 | 0 | 2 | Carissa Mysliwiec is top-notch defender |
| 7 | 7 | Wauconda | 5 | 0 | 0 | Heavy favorite in Northern Lake County |
| 8 | 8 | Metea Valley | 4 | 1 | 0 | Chesney Wargo has been brilliant |
| 9 | 9 | Geneva | 2 | 1 | 0 | Liv Tegge is dynamic forward |
| 10 | 10 | Wheaton Academy | 3 | 0 | 0 | Maggie Bailey is efficient scorer |
| 11 | 11 | Carmel | 3 | 0 | 0 | Sophia Sarkis is high quality keeper |
| 12 | 12 | Stagg | 7 | 0 | 0 | Unscored upon so far |
| 13 | 15 | Deerfield | 6 | 1 | 0 | Devyn Compisi powers electric attack |
| 14 | 13 | Lemont | 5 | 0 | 0 | Living up to expectations |
| 15 | 16 | Fenwick | 6 | 1 | 0 | Lauren Stibich is offensive force |
| 16 | 19 | Benet | 5 | 1 | 0 | Erin Flynn is offensive standout |
| 17 | 20 | St. Charles East | 4 | 1 | 2 | Hayley Popiel is an elite defender |
| 18 | 17 | Waubonsie Valley | 2 | 0 | 2 | Kennedy Metzger is a Ball State recruit |
| 19 | 18 | Lyons | 2 | 1 | 0 | Big rivalry game with Hinsdale Central Tuesday |
| 20 | 24 | Neuqua Valley | 1 | 3 | 0 | Sydney Rushing is fun to watch |
| 21 | 21 | Glenbrook South | 3 | 0 | 2 | Titans have impressed early |
| 22 | 22 | St. Francis | 2 | 1 | 0 | Kaitlyn Joniak is a top junior |
| 23 | 23 | Lake Zurich | 1 | 0 | 2 | Samantha Hartman is skilled performer |
| 24 | 14 | Warren | 2 | 3 | 0 | Jamie Kwon is a superb all-around talent |
| 25 | HM | Fremd | 1 | 1 | 1 | Jennifer Norris makes the grade |
Look out for: Lane, Burlington Central, Evanston, Bradley-Bourbonnais, Naperville Central, Plainfield North, Andrew, Elk Grove, Maine South, Plainfield South, Plainfield Central, Wheaton Warrenville South, Batavia, Lake Forest, Sycamore