Stewart a positive force at Fremd
By Mike Garofola
Late last month marked the one-year anniversary of what many around the Fremd soccer club view as the highlight of the 2019 soccer campaign.
It was on that fateful night the Vikings defeated top-ranked Barrington 2-1 and ended the Fillies 20-game unbeaten (19-0-1) streak in Mid-Suburban League play and dropped the eventual league champions second place in the division behind then leader Conant.
Fremd’s Claire Stewart remembers that match from a year ago quite clearly, and why not? She bagged the game-winner in the 74th minute.
"It was an amazing game to be playing in," Stewart said at the time.
She recounted that it had been more than six games that she had gone without a goal before her biggest tally of the season.
The Vikings 2019 super-sub provided exactly what manager Steve Keller had hoped for in this contest and for that matter, all season long. An added contribution was her light-hearted banter with the team.
"My role last year was to come off the bench, give our team a lift, create, score some goals, and to break the ice during training and games to help add some comic relief while keeping things positive," said Stewart.
"It was going to be more of the same this year with me taking on more of a leadership role as a senior.
"It's all so disappointing to see our season cancelled.
"Coach Keller has always been so great with his communication with his teams. When he brought us all together with a Zoom meeting, he told us it was important for all of us to stay connected, and that we'll all get together when it's safe."
Stewart felt that victory over Barrington was the turning point in the Vikings season. Fremd went on a 6-0-2 afterward until falling 2-1 to Stevenson in the sectional final.
"We felt really good going into that game with Stevenson - knowing we would likely be playing New Trier in the supersectionals,” she said. “We just couldn't get to that game."
As most who attend either Fremd or Palatine, this three-year varsity veteran began
her club soccer career with Palatine Celtic in sixth grade, after her family moved from Lake in the Hills, and has since moved on to play with the Crystal Lake Force the past three seasons.
Stewart recently decided to to attend the University of Minnesota, where she plans to enter the nursing program.
"I am all about the big school atmosphere, so I visited Purdue and Tennessee, but the Minnesota campus in the heart of downtown really sold me on the school. So did the nursing program which is so competitive, which is something I really like," said Stewart, who hasn't ruled out playing club soccer during school.
Stewart spends many of her weekends at her church, Holy Family in Inverness, playing an important role as a volunteer in the Peer Ministry Program.
"It's a program where high school junior and seniors are mentors to eighth-grade kids lead in worship classes, service activities, and so many others things to help our younger peers grow in their faith," Stewart said. She has been involved in the program the past two years.
All high school spring athletes left their respective fields and courts in an unprecedented manner this spring.
Stewart, like her peers, will try to make the best of it.
"We all thought, and hoped this would be a great season of soccer for us,” Stewart said. “We had a fantastic group of 9-10 seniors who've been on the varsity for three years, some great juniors like Ashley (Scesniak) and Caleigh (Stone) plus a very good group of younger players.
"It's hard knowing we won't have the chance to be together, but we're going to do our best to stay close to each other."
By Mike Garofola
Late last month marked the one-year anniversary of what many around the Fremd soccer club view as the highlight of the 2019 soccer campaign.
It was on that fateful night the Vikings defeated top-ranked Barrington 2-1 and ended the Fillies 20-game unbeaten (19-0-1) streak in Mid-Suburban League play and dropped the eventual league champions second place in the division behind then leader Conant.
Fremd’s Claire Stewart remembers that match from a year ago quite clearly, and why not? She bagged the game-winner in the 74th minute.
"It was an amazing game to be playing in," Stewart said at the time.
She recounted that it had been more than six games that she had gone without a goal before her biggest tally of the season.
The Vikings 2019 super-sub provided exactly what manager Steve Keller had hoped for in this contest and for that matter, all season long. An added contribution was her light-hearted banter with the team.
"My role last year was to come off the bench, give our team a lift, create, score some goals, and to break the ice during training and games to help add some comic relief while keeping things positive," said Stewart.
"It was going to be more of the same this year with me taking on more of a leadership role as a senior.
"It's all so disappointing to see our season cancelled.
"Coach Keller has always been so great with his communication with his teams. When he brought us all together with a Zoom meeting, he told us it was important for all of us to stay connected, and that we'll all get together when it's safe."
Stewart felt that victory over Barrington was the turning point in the Vikings season. Fremd went on a 6-0-2 afterward until falling 2-1 to Stevenson in the sectional final.
"We felt really good going into that game with Stevenson - knowing we would likely be playing New Trier in the supersectionals,” she said. “We just couldn't get to that game."
As most who attend either Fremd or Palatine, this three-year varsity veteran began
her club soccer career with Palatine Celtic in sixth grade, after her family moved from Lake in the Hills, and has since moved on to play with the Crystal Lake Force the past three seasons.
Stewart recently decided to to attend the University of Minnesota, where she plans to enter the nursing program.
"I am all about the big school atmosphere, so I visited Purdue and Tennessee, but the Minnesota campus in the heart of downtown really sold me on the school. So did the nursing program which is so competitive, which is something I really like," said Stewart, who hasn't ruled out playing club soccer during school.
Stewart spends many of her weekends at her church, Holy Family in Inverness, playing an important role as a volunteer in the Peer Ministry Program.
"It's a program where high school junior and seniors are mentors to eighth-grade kids lead in worship classes, service activities, and so many others things to help our younger peers grow in their faith," Stewart said. She has been involved in the program the past two years.
All high school spring athletes left their respective fields and courts in an unprecedented manner this spring.
Stewart, like her peers, will try to make the best of it.
"We all thought, and hoped this would be a great season of soccer for us,” Stewart said. “We had a fantastic group of 9-10 seniors who've been on the varsity for three years, some great juniors like Ashley (Scesniak) and Caleigh (Stone) plus a very good group of younger players.
"It's hard knowing we won't have the chance to be together, but we're going to do our best to stay close to each other."