Chicagoland Soccer Top 25
By Patrick Z. McGavin
As a veteran coach who directs both programs reminded, the boys season starts in the heat and sunlight and ends in the cold. The compressed girls schedule begins in the cold and ends in the radiant light.
There you have it. The girls have little margin for error. The season is literally on top of itself, and nowhere is that reflected like this week.
The Naperville Invitational takes center stage. It is the most difficult tournament in the state. It arguably surpasses the state tournament in degree of difficulty. Of the last five large-school state champions, only Barrington in 2017 won the Naperville Invitational and the state title in the same year.
New Trier went 21-0-0 in the state tournament and did not concede a goal in winning three-consecutive state titles from 2014-2016. The Trevians never won the Invitational in those years.
The participation of no. 2 and unbeaten St. Charles North in the field this year makes it possibly the best field ever. Seven of the top 10 teams in the current poll appear in the championship quarterfinal bracket; the eighth is ranked 20th.
Barrington is the two-time defending Class 3A state champion and ranked no. 1 in the country by Top Drawer Soccer. This is what the Fillies have to do to win the Naperville Invitational, beat: no. 20 Loyola, then no. 7 St. Charles East/no. 9 Benet in a semifinal and then either no. 2 St. Charles North, no. 10 Neuqua Valley, no. 7 Naperville North or no. 3 New Trier in the championship. That's three games in three calendar days and roughly 40 hours.
If Barrington manages the virtually impossible task of reaching the final, the Naperville Invitational title game would mark their fifth game in six days.
As great as it is, time does not stop for the Naperville Invitational. On Tuesday, St. Charles North and St. Charles East play, as does Barrington and Hersey on Monday and Barrington and Fremd on Wednesday.
By contrast, the state tournament offers multiple days between games save for the state finals, with the semis and final round just full day apart. The only comparable situation was the previous format where teams had to win three games in two days.
The Chicago Cup is the other significant tournament concluding this week. The third iteration matches the city’s best public programs and private and Catholic League schools. The tournament has a signature game on Monday at St. Ignatius with the no. 5 Wolfpack hosting Young, a wickedly hot team featuring junior star Mia Lisanti and playing its best soccer of the year.
This is the shape of things to come. What a week of action.
Games through April 20
By Patrick Z. McGavin
As a veteran coach who directs both programs reminded, the boys season starts in the heat and sunlight and ends in the cold. The compressed girls schedule begins in the cold and ends in the radiant light.
There you have it. The girls have little margin for error. The season is literally on top of itself, and nowhere is that reflected like this week.
The Naperville Invitational takes center stage. It is the most difficult tournament in the state. It arguably surpasses the state tournament in degree of difficulty. Of the last five large-school state champions, only Barrington in 2017 won the Naperville Invitational and the state title in the same year.
New Trier went 21-0-0 in the state tournament and did not concede a goal in winning three-consecutive state titles from 2014-2016. The Trevians never won the Invitational in those years.
The participation of no. 2 and unbeaten St. Charles North in the field this year makes it possibly the best field ever. Seven of the top 10 teams in the current poll appear in the championship quarterfinal bracket; the eighth is ranked 20th.
Barrington is the two-time defending Class 3A state champion and ranked no. 1 in the country by Top Drawer Soccer. This is what the Fillies have to do to win the Naperville Invitational, beat: no. 20 Loyola, then no. 7 St. Charles East/no. 9 Benet in a semifinal and then either no. 2 St. Charles North, no. 10 Neuqua Valley, no. 7 Naperville North or no. 3 New Trier in the championship. That's three games in three calendar days and roughly 40 hours.
If Barrington manages the virtually impossible task of reaching the final, the Naperville Invitational title game would mark their fifth game in six days.
As great as it is, time does not stop for the Naperville Invitational. On Tuesday, St. Charles North and St. Charles East play, as does Barrington and Hersey on Monday and Barrington and Fremd on Wednesday.
By contrast, the state tournament offers multiple days between games save for the state finals, with the semis and final round just full day apart. The only comparable situation was the previous format where teams had to win three games in two days.
The Chicago Cup is the other significant tournament concluding this week. The third iteration matches the city’s best public programs and private and Catholic League schools. The tournament has a signature game on Monday at St. Ignatius with the no. 5 Wolfpack hosting Young, a wickedly hot team featuring junior star Mia Lisanti and playing its best soccer of the year.
This is the shape of things to come. What a week of action.
Games through April 20
| Rk | LW | Team | W | L | T | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Barrington | 9 | 0 | 1 | Alexis Armando is knockout defender |
| 2 | 2 | St. Charles North | 10 | 0 | 1 | Alyssa Kraft is a talented defender |
| 3 | 5 | Stevenson | 11 | 1 | 2 | Statement win over New Trier |
| 4 | 3 | New Trier | 11 | 1 | 5 | Josie Crumley is ferocious defender |
| 5 | 7 | St. Ignatius | 12 | 0 | 2 | Showdown with Young Monday |
| 6 | 8 | St. Charles East | 12 | 3 | 0 | Jenna Sita is exciting sophomore talent |
| 7 | 9 | Naperville North | 7 | 3 | 1 | Emily Dulik sparks Lyons win |
| 8 | 4 | Lyons | 8 | 2 | 1 | Georgia Dougherty is strong attacking player |
| 9 | 10 | Benet | 12 | 1 | 0 | Mae Tully keys Naperville Central victory |
| 10 | 14 | Neuqua Valley | 6 | 2 | 2 | Alison Dovalovsky is dynamic forward |
| 11 | 15 | Geneva | 6 | 3 | 1 | Katie Montgomery is stellar keeper |
| 12 | 6 | Conant | 10 | 1 | 2 | New Trier ends unbeaten streak |
| 13 | 11 | Evanston | 10 | 3 | 0 | Annika DeStefano is finding her groove |
| 14 | 17 | Lane | 10 | 3 | 1 | Kayla Dutton provides instant offense |
| 15 | 13 | Waubonsie Valley | 10 | 2 | 1 | Runs into St. Charles East buzzsaw |
| 16 | 18 | Glenbrook South | 11 | 2 | 2 | Meets Evanston Tuesday |
| 17 | 21 | Wauconda | 8 | 2 | 1 | Megan Sinnott is a dynamic talent |
| 18 | 22 | Batavia | 10 | 2 | 2 | Aubrey Hahn precocious talent at keeper |
| 19 | 12 | Sandburg | 9 | 3 | 1 | Tough Naperville Invite draw |
| 20 | 23 | Loyola | 9 | 3 | 1 | Isabella Guzman part of gifted freshmen class |
| 21 | 25 | Lemont | 8 | 3 | 1 | Maddie Counsil is talented midfielder |
| 22 | NR | CL Central | 10 | 1 | 0 | Major win against Prairie Ridge |
| 23 | NR | South Elgin | 8 | 2 | 2 | Takes down Glenbard East |
| 24 | 16 | WW South | 6 | 3 | 0 | Audrey Siebert is a skilled midfielder |
| 25 | 19 | Glenbard East | 10 | 4 | 1 | Defender Summer Garcia is free kick specialist |
Look out for: Fremd, Young, Metea Valley, St. Francis, Mother McAuley, Prairie Ridge, Maine South, Lake Forest, Hersey, Libertyville, Lake Zurich, West Aurora, Joliet Catholic, Plainfield East, North Shore Country Day