Chicagoland Soccer Top 25
By Patrick Z. McGavin
One stunning streak ends and another looks to continue to unprecedented levels.
On Thursday, Bella Zink and Anna Holcombe drilled free kicks as Batavia stunned previously top-ranked St. Charles North 2-1 to seize the top of the standings of the DuKane Conference.
The victory snapped the North Stars’ 58-game regular season unbeaten streak that stretched to April 29, 2016, the last time St. Charles North lost outside of the state tournament, a 3-0 loss against St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.) in the Tournament of Champions in Burlington, Iowa.
Like that, the top of the rankings return to the previous order, with two-time defending state champion Barrington back on top after the Fillies edged Conant and Buffalo Grove to capture the Mid-Suburban League West Division representation in the Soccer Bowl on Wednesday against Hersey.
With the victory, Batavia makes the biggest one-week leap in the rankings and moves up 11 slots. Now the Bulldogs take on St. Charles East on Monday as part of the Tri-Cities Night. A Batavia win or draw gives them an undisputed conference title. A St. Charles East win creates the possibility of a three-way tie with St. Charles North.
The other big story in this, the final week of the regular season, is Lane’s quest for a fifth-consecutive city title. The city schools take center stage with the semifinal round set for Tuesday at Lane, with the no. 11 Indians taking on the surprise entrant, Solorio, in the first game, and no. 24 Jones dueling no. 25 Young in the second semifinal.
The tournament is slightly different this year, with three pool games creating four group winners: Lane, Jones, Young and Solorio. These teams are among the hottest anywhere. Lane has won eight in a row, Young 10 out of 11, and Jones 10 out of its last 12. (Jones’s only loss during the streak to a Chicago Public League school is Solorio.)
The third place and title games are being played at UIC on Thursday. Lane’s quest is complicated by the rise of Solorio, trying to do what the boys team did in winning last fall, not to mention rival Young, and Jones, a team hungry to capture its first-ever city title.
Jones beat Young in regular season play for its first victory over the Dolphins in program history. Lane has been a juggernaut in the city. Three other schools are looking to make their own history.
Games through May 5
By Patrick Z. McGavin
One stunning streak ends and another looks to continue to unprecedented levels.
On Thursday, Bella Zink and Anna Holcombe drilled free kicks as Batavia stunned previously top-ranked St. Charles North 2-1 to seize the top of the standings of the DuKane Conference.
The victory snapped the North Stars’ 58-game regular season unbeaten streak that stretched to April 29, 2016, the last time St. Charles North lost outside of the state tournament, a 3-0 loss against St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.) in the Tournament of Champions in Burlington, Iowa.
Like that, the top of the rankings return to the previous order, with two-time defending state champion Barrington back on top after the Fillies edged Conant and Buffalo Grove to capture the Mid-Suburban League West Division representation in the Soccer Bowl on Wednesday against Hersey.
With the victory, Batavia makes the biggest one-week leap in the rankings and moves up 11 slots. Now the Bulldogs take on St. Charles East on Monday as part of the Tri-Cities Night. A Batavia win or draw gives them an undisputed conference title. A St. Charles East win creates the possibility of a three-way tie with St. Charles North.
The other big story in this, the final week of the regular season, is Lane’s quest for a fifth-consecutive city title. The city schools take center stage with the semifinal round set for Tuesday at Lane, with the no. 11 Indians taking on the surprise entrant, Solorio, in the first game, and no. 24 Jones dueling no. 25 Young in the second semifinal.
The tournament is slightly different this year, with three pool games creating four group winners: Lane, Jones, Young and Solorio. These teams are among the hottest anywhere. Lane has won eight in a row, Young 10 out of 11, and Jones 10 out of its last 12. (Jones’s only loss during the streak to a Chicago Public League school is Solorio.)
The third place and title games are being played at UIC on Thursday. Lane’s quest is complicated by the rise of Solorio, trying to do what the boys team did in winning last fall, not to mention rival Young, and Jones, a team hungry to capture its first-ever city title.
Jones beat Young in regular season play for its first victory over the Dolphins in program history. Lane has been a juggernaut in the city. Three other schools are looking to make their own history.
Games through May 5
| Rk | LW | Team | W | L | T | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Barrington | 15 | 1 | 1 | Riley Raynor is a gifted freshman |
| 2 | 1 | St. Charles North | 14 | 1 | 1 | Saw Stars vs. Batavia, Geneva next |
| 3 | 3 | Stevenson | 16 | 1 | 2 | North Suburban Conference winner |
| 4 | 4 | New Trier | 15 | 2 | 5 | Fallon Warshauer is bright talent |
| 5 | 5 | Benet | 16 | 2 | 1 | Mae Tully is another dynamic threat |
| 6 | 6 | St. Charles East | 16 | 5 | 0 | Sidda Patel is a dangerous sophomore |
| 7 | 18 | Batavia | 14 | 3 | 3 | Takes down St. Charles North |
| 8 | 7 | Naperville North | 7 | 4 | 3 | Taylor Klaiber is intriguing talent. |
| 9 | 8 | Lyons | 12 | 2 | 1 | Lions capture Silver title |
| 10 | 10 | Neuqua Valley | 8 | 3 | 4 | Reagan Young is huge against Naperville North |
| 11 | 11 | Lane | 16 | 3 | 1 | Indians looking for fifth straight city title |
| 12 | 12 | St. Ignatius | 14 | 2 | 1 | Fenwick showdown helps determine Red crown |
| 13 | 10 | Conant | 14 | 2 | 2 | Took Barrington to the brink |
| 14 | 13 | Waubonsie Valley | 13 | 2 | 2 | Putting up prolific scoring totals |
| 15 | 15 | Glenbrook South | 15 | 3 | 2 | Getting healthy again |
| 16 | 16 | Fremd | 10 | 3 | 3 | Getting hot at the right time |
| 17 | 22 | Lemont | 15 | 4 | 1 | Trinity Hatton is quality two-way player |
| 18 | 19 | Geneva | 9 | 4 | 2 | Caitlin Farrell provides offensive firepower |
| 19 | 17 | Wauconda | 12 | 2 | 2 | Seeking Northern Lake County title |
| 20 | 23 | Cary-Grove | 11 | 1 | 1 | Fighting for Fox Valley top spot |
| 21 | 18 | Evanston | 10 | 5 | 2 | Ruby Rogers is talented young defender |
| 22 | 21 | Sandburg | 12 | 3 | 1 | Showdown with Andrew Thursday |
| 23 | 20 | WW South | 13 | 4 | 0 | Maddie Monaco provides air tight defense |
| 24 | 25 | Jones | 16 | 5 | 0 | Rematch with Young on Tuesday |
| 25 | HM | Young | 14 | 5 | 1 | Ella Koleno is a supremely confident freshman |
Look out for: Joliet Catholic, Loyola, Glenbard East, Crystal Lake Central, Prairie Ridge, South Elgin, Deerfield, Andrew, Metea Valley, Mother McAuley, Warren, North Shore Country Day, Plainfield South, Plainfield East, Lincoln-Way Central