Chicagoland Soccer Top 25
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Two weeks into the season, and a prevailing narrative has taken shape. As expected, top-ranked Naperville North and Libertyville exist on another level so far.
Naperville North extended its winning streak to 25 games and won its fourth-consecutive Best of the West Tournament. Libertyville won the deep and skilled Northside College Showcase in beating North Suburban rival Waukegan 3-0 Saturday.
Defending Class AA state champion Solorio continues to impress. Morton is right there and is the team to beat when PepsiCo Showdown begins next weekend. Wheaton Academy has also looked untouchable so far.
Those programs round out this week’s top five.
A cool sign is the return of several programs that have looked dynamite so far: Crystal Lake South; Lake Park; and Streamwood. The Gators captured the Sanchez Memorial Tournament at Wauconda; the Lancers won their own Hillner Classic; and Streamwood won its first Barrington title.
Those are impressive achievements.
Of course, starts are the only first part of the equation. The teams that are hot are eager to ride out the momentum. Other teams are finding themselves or getting healthy. The game has become so fast and physical, and many teams are coping with injuries, many of them of the minor or prickly sort.
The early weeks have created a hierarchy, or perhaps more accurately, reinforced what many already suspected. Until otherwise, Naperville North and Libertyville are a cut above the rest.
At this point, everybody’s fighting. Nobody is ready to concede anything.
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Two weeks into the season, and a prevailing narrative has taken shape. As expected, top-ranked Naperville North and Libertyville exist on another level so far.
Naperville North extended its winning streak to 25 games and won its fourth-consecutive Best of the West Tournament. Libertyville won the deep and skilled Northside College Showcase in beating North Suburban rival Waukegan 3-0 Saturday.
Defending Class AA state champion Solorio continues to impress. Morton is right there and is the team to beat when PepsiCo Showdown begins next weekend. Wheaton Academy has also looked untouchable so far.
Those programs round out this week’s top five.
A cool sign is the return of several programs that have looked dynamite so far: Crystal Lake South; Lake Park; and Streamwood. The Gators captured the Sanchez Memorial Tournament at Wauconda; the Lancers won their own Hillner Classic; and Streamwood won its first Barrington title.
Those are impressive achievements.
Of course, starts are the only first part of the equation. The teams that are hot are eager to ride out the momentum. Other teams are finding themselves or getting healthy. The game has become so fast and physical, and many teams are coping with injuries, many of them of the minor or prickly sort.
The early weeks have created a hierarchy, or perhaps more accurately, reinforced what many already suspected. Until otherwise, Naperville North and Libertyville are a cut above the rest.
At this point, everybody’s fighting. Nobody is ready to concede anything.
| Rank | LW | School | W | L | T | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Naperville North | 6 | 0 | 0 | Zach Smith builds his reputation |
| 2 | 2 | Libertyville | 4 | 0 | 0 | Back-to-back Northside champions |
| 3 | 3 | Solorio | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jonathan Vasquez is lethal scorer |
| 4 | 4 | Morton | 2 | 1 | 1 | Isaac Carnalla is very gifted playmaker |
| 5 | 6 | Wheaton Academy | 5 | 0 | 0 | Jack Kilgallon is special talent |
| 6 | 9 | Crystal Lake South | 5 | 0 | 1 | Tyler Getzinger ignites Wauconda title |
| 7 | 11 | Lake Park | 6 | 0 | 0 | Jesus Juarez is precocious and skilled |
| 8 | 22 | Elgin | 4 | 1 | 0 | Top North Stars for St. Charles title |
| 9 | 5 | St. Charles North | 5 | 1 | 0 | Gabe D’Amico is a dynamic talent |
| 10 | 21 | Streamwood | 5 | 1 | 0 | Jesus Limon keys Barrington title win |
| 11 | 13 | York | 4 | 1 | 0 | Joe Meade is a fantastic attacking talent |
| 12 | 19 | New Trier | 2 | 1 | 2 | Alex Powell is emerging Trevians weapon |
| 13 | HM | Benet | 5 | 1 | 0 | Franklin Rutkowski is prolific scorer |
| 14 | NR | Glenbrook South | 4 | 0 | 1 | Big comeback against St. Patrick |
| 15 | 14 | St. Patrick | 5 | 1 | 0 | Aaron Moreno-Lopez is thrilling to watch |
| 16 | 15 | Lyons | 3 | 3 | 0 | Skip Locke all-tourney at Northside |
| 17 | HM | Bremen | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4th-straight Windy City title appearance |
| 18 | 23 | Hinsdale Central | 5 | 1 | 0 | Red Devils have impressed early |
| 19 | 12 | Barrington | 3 | 2 | 1 | Strong schedule should pay dividends |
| 20 | 17 | Waukegan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2nd place at Northside College Showcase |
| 21 | 20 | Glenbrook North | 2 | 2 | 2 | David Schueler return a huge boost |
| 22 | 16 | Evanston | 3 | 1 | 1 | Wildkits win own tournament |
| 23 | NR | Latin | 6 | 0 | 0 | Have outscored opponents 21-3 |
| 24 | HM | Lockport | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5th place finish in Windy City |
| 25 | HM | OPRF | 4 | 1 | 0 | Blake Soto keys epic comeback win |
Look out for: Buffalo Grove, Metea Valley, Loyola, West Aurora, Warren, Fremd, Saint Ignatius, Maine West, Naperville Central, Bolingbrook, Sandburg, St. Charles East, Downers Grove North, Hersey, Highland Park.